Snake Alley Crit Report

 

Snake Alley -

Basically, launched off the line from the start and led the first two or three laps, perfectly according to plan, because after that the race becomes more about fitness and technique, and less about some of the mishaps, like getting behind a wreck or dropped chain going up the snake. 

I really couldn't believe the gap that I had at the beginning of the race, seemed like I was dreaming.  I decided to wake up from the dream, and deal with the reality that I might have toasted myself as the field regrouped and about 8 to 10 of us worked our way through the course in a break of sorts.  This is a race of attrition as the heat and relentless pain that pedalling up the Snake Alley causes eventually whittles everyone down.  Toward the end of the race, though, I was still in the front group.

As we started to catch lapped riders things got confusing.  A fifteen year old kid from Wisconsin named Jordan Cullen slipped off the front as a group of three of us became the remnants of the chase. The confusion actually may have helped us, as those behind us may not have been clear regarding the gap.

The three of us sprinted to the line, and I came in for fourth overall.  I was in the red zone to the extent that I started to head to the medical tent to see if I could get an IV.  This overwhelming feeling subsided as I rehydrated, and could enjoy a successful day in Burlington. Great race, well organized and congrats to the field that braved this tough course.

Heatin' it Up at the DICE 20k Time Trial...

All it took were some above average temps to turn up the heat on my Time Trialing engine.  I entered the 2010 Quad-Cities 20k TT, Sunday May 23rd,  and was able to post one of my fastest times ever.  I hadn't really considered trying to set the course record set by Bryce Mead back in 2008, however as I made my way past the first 5k checkpoint, I began to consider raising my expectations.  Unfortunately, I missed the course record by 2 seconds, but my time of 25:20:65 was very respectable and resulted in an average of over 29mph and the overall fastest time for the day.  This is my fastest pace to date in any official TT event...
- RESULTS-
Donnie Miller of DICE cycling does a good job of compiling stats:

20k Quad Cities TT Course Records

Year  Name Time Speed
2000 Aaron Inch    0:28:28.08        26.19mph
2002 Aaron Inch    0:27:04.00       27.55mph
2003 Paul Deninger  0:26:21.00     28.30mph
2004 Craig Gartland  0:27:23.00    27.23mph
2005 Paul Deninger   0:26:13.22    28.44mph
2006 Peter Sharis    0:26:50.00      27.79mph
2007 Jason Wagner    0:26:17.86   28.36mph
2008 Bryce Mead    0:25:18.42      29.47mph
2009 Chad Bishop    0:25:55.53     28.76mph
2010  Chad Bishop    0:25:20:65     29.43mph

Though it was very windy, they were mostly cross-winds throughout this very flat course, which I believe helped everyone's times, for the most part, as fighting head-winds can really take it out of you.  I also took advantage of the above average temps, which I prepare for in my indoor VeloDrome Complex located just south of Miikitchen, Iowa. 

Now time to top off the training this week, to create a nice peak for the Memorial Day Weekend Races.  The Melon City Criterium is right behind my house, so always nice to have the home-court advantage.

State Fair Crit Race Report

Racing at the Iowa State Fairgrounds turned out to be a rewarding experience.  The course was a roller coaster of sorts, with an uphill ascent along the back stretch that culminated in a steep pitch that nearly brought riders to a standstill.  As described by the race director: "With only about 1 block of flat in the course, racers were treated to a true test."  Well, if this was a test, I am happy to report that I passed with a solid "A".

I had no idea that there was a significant climb in this race until I took a practice lap.   This didn't really change my mentality, as I got off to a meager start and spent to the first two laps trying to make my way to the front.  It was sketchy riding in the pack, so I breathed a sigh of relief once I got the confidence to lead a few of the corners and set tempo up the hill from time to time.

I noticed that the tempo I was setting up the hill when I led was about 1mph faster than the tempo the group was setting when they led.  More importantly, I couldn't keep my cadence up in the big ring (53/23), and wasn't interested in shifting to the small ring, so I sort of made the decision to just ride at my pace and let things shake out accordingly.

I can honestly say that I didn't put much thought into a race strategy.  I never specifically attacked or sat-in, for example, just set a managable pace and tried to maximize my efficiency on the downhills and corners.

This lack of strategy resulted in a gap. Brent Mitchell posted two clips.  The first is of me starting the break:



And the second is the gap, which shows that the field never really gave up the chase:


I really couldn't justify slowing down, as I seemed to be using less energy riding solo then with the group.  The announcer called a field prime to add some drama to the chasing group as I maintained my lead.  I thought it was for me too, so nailed it... ooops.  Each lap up the hill, was very painful, with the last few pedal strokes being nearly unbearable.  Thanks to everyone who cheered me on, as I needed the encouragement.

I held on for the WIN!... awesome feeling.

I really deliberated racing the Cat 1/2/3 race later that day.  I didn't feel that I had much left in the tank after the Cat 3/4 race's effort.  I reluctantly signed up however, and was rewarded with another good result that included finishing within the pay-out.

This race had a similar feel, as I found a tempo and let my fitness dictate my pace.  Not long into the race I found myself in the lead group with some very accomplished Cat 1/2's (Dewey Dickey, Bryan Moritz, Cam Kirkpatrick, Jared Osterloh and Randy Reichardt). Clark Priebe bounced in and out of this group as well.  I was at the front of this group quite often, which was encouraging considering the potential firepower of the guys I was riding with.

I reluctantly had to shift to the small chain ring about halfway through this event.  By my calculations, I climbed the hilly portion of the course over 50 times, which was wearing on me.  Ahh, in the small ring I could sit and pedal a bit more.  To my amazement, however, I quickly ended up running out of gears in the 39/23 gearing as well... things were really starting to slow down as fatigue was setting in.

Dewey had slipped off the front somewhere towards the latter half of the race.  With 2 laps to go, however, I was still racing for 2nd place in this chase group, not bad...  Moritz and Jared turned up the heat on this lap and I couldn't respond.  Then with one lap to go, it was just me and Cam Kirkpatrick.  I sensed he was tired and crested the hill just in front of him, then shifted back into the big ring to maintain my advantage on the downhill.  Good thing, because I just made the pay-out by bettering him to the line.

Link to team RESULTS.   Also, a good write up at CyclingUpdate.com. I guess I am in the hunt for Iowa Cup points, as I am in good standing now, after dismal results in Iowa City.  I am also encouraged to be on the leader board of the Cat 1/2 tally as well, thanks to the result in my second race.

Not sure where things go from here.  That course suited me well, now the question is, can I carry this momentum into other race situations that might not be quite as accomodating to my strengths and forgiving to my weaknesses?  Stay tuned and thanks for your interest.

Just found this photo online, I will post some from this race once they are available..

Fat-Faced Time Trialing on Black Diamond Road

"Carb-Face" is defined in the urban dictionary as "A fat or puffy face".  I believe it is the end result of some poor nutrional and fitness decisions that increase water retention while bloating up the fat cells in the facial area. I diagnosed myself with this condition after realizing I had gained nearly 5 pounds in the 24 hour period between Saturday and the Sunday morning of the Iowa City TT #1.  I couldn't even look myself in the mirror, literally, due to the shame and guilt I felt.  I had spent all day Saturday sleeping, watching TV, and eating Twizzlers and sugar cookies. 

While I am diagnosing and defining, I better look into the definition of Neuroticism : It is an enduring tendency to experience negative emotional states  such as anxiety, anger, guilt, and depression. Neurotic individuals respond  poorly to environmental stress, and are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening...

Crap, that sort of fits the situation, hopefully this is more of a temporary state, then 'an enduring tendency'.  Was my fat-face really going to be a threat to my performance at that morning's TT?  Well, based on my relatively slow pace (compared to last year), I am assuming that maybe it was.  Mostly, however, times were slowed by the cold conditions that may have contributed to a bit of over-dressing combined with very brief warm-ups.  I did win the event overall, so that is never something to be taken for granted.

Pie or Beer?  Great... this is what we win at these local time trials... the two main causes of "Carb-Face".  I wish they would offer us sports bars/gels/drinks, or maybe even small cash pay-outs... as I really don't trust myself to take a pie home.  Most likely, I would eat the whole thing by myself as tears streamed down my swollen cheeks and engorged double chin... "Thanks... but no thanks".


Memorial Day Weekend Racing is fast approaching.  Below is a video page I created to help remind the locals about the race. 

The Muscatine Race has a relatively low spectator turn-out compared to the Burlington and Rock Island Crits, but we try and get the word out to the public, all the same.  I am thinking if we served beer (and pie?) we would get a little more interest from the general public.  Plenty of people around here like NASCAR, maybe if we gave them a Budwieser, that would give them something to cheer about and increase awareness/support for bike racing.

Tuesday Night Team Ride Photos

We stopped during theTuesday Night Training Ride for our annual photo opportunity.

Stick it up your yeah!

Above:  Still Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Rollin.... (around Iowa City's Old Capitol)

Whatever happened to Limp Bizkit?  Maybe they will end up playing some sort of reunion tour at a state fair one of these days.  Speaking of state fairs, I added the State Fair Crit in Des Moines Iowa to my race calendar as Iowa City weekend didn't go according to plan and I needed to shift the master plan. This new plan also includes the designation of a theme song that I will hum to myself as part of my pre-race preparation...

I briefly questioned my motivation to race my bike after I had to endure watching the Cat 3 race conclude from the sidelines at the Old Cap Crit.  Then Frank Durst provided me with the answer... really quite obvious:

Should I be feelin bad

Should I be feelin good
It's kinda sad I'm the laughing stock of the neighborhood
And you'd be figured I'd be movin on
But I'm a sucker like I said
Messed up in the head, not!
And maybe I just made a mistake
And I should give myself a break
But my heart will ache either way
Hey, what the hell, whatchu want me to say?
I won't lie, that I can't deny
I like to race my bike, can't explain why

I did it all for the nookie, c'mon
The nookie, c'mon
So you can take that cookie
And stick it up your yeah!

Stick it up your yeah!

Old Cap Crit Crashin - 2010

     I'm sad to report that things couldn't have gone much worse for me on Sunday's Old Capitol Criterium event. I had been successfully executing a racing tactic that was much different than anything I have ever tried before.  Everything was going according to plan with 8 laps to go.  The Cat 3 field was still basically intact, but beginning to show signs of fatigue... I hadn't wasted much energy yet and was poised to unleash a track-style pursuit maneuver that I had co-authored with a guy named Finn, just prior to the start.

This course has a steep downhill portion that dumps down into a 90 degree right hand turn.  I always make sure to show up early each year to this race, mainly to rehearse the line that is needed to make it through this corner cleanly and without braking.  Plenty of hay bails are lined along the base of this turn... a sure sign that the section needs to be respected as having a potential for danger.

Anyway...  a rider to my right named Steve Robinson started to curse on the top of the hill just before the descent.  He was trying to get clipped out... I couldn't figure out why, turned out to be flat tires... as we got half way down the hill Dominic Moranec (yes, bad luck for him as he is still recovering from a horrific crash in St. Louis last year) slammed into him and Steve dumped his bike right in front of mine.  I ran over his tires and then things seemed to slow down....

As I approached the base of the turn, I had a chance to contemplate some things:

----Why do I enter these races considering what is about to happen to me is about to happen to me?

----I wonder if the people who purposely chose to watch the race from this corner in hopes of seeing a crash are going to like the way they feel after they actually witness one?
----Should I dump the bike or go over the handle bars?
----I wonder if my strategy would have worked?  I bet I would have looked something like this...

Hmm, I dumped it last year at the QC crit and that ended up costing me lots of money (scuffed shoes, components, ripped shorts, lots of band-aids etc.).  If I go over the handle-bars I will risk a broken collar bone, however I have been ingesting extra calcium pills for just this sort of thing, so I think I will give that a shot...

----Ok, the decision had been made... the yellow caution tape creeped closer and closer.

BAM!  I hit the curb...

Ok, now things really slowed down.  I was reminding myself to 'tuck and roll'.  I was also wondering if anyone was recording this... what a cool youtube video, or maybe I could even get on one of those reality video shows on TrueTV like "It only hurts when I laugh", or "World's Dumbest". 

I flipped over the handlebars and was airborn... sweet... unfortunately I noticed that I was now going to have to brace myself to hit the cement wall... that sucks... tucking and rolling isn't going to do me much good against a vertical obstacle.  With no other option I tried to see if I could get my life to flash before my eyes just in case... nope, not enough time... I should have started that earlier, I just wasn't expecting that damn wall... maybe I should have slid out instead?

I had completely flipped around  (head-over-heels) one revolution by the time my head hit the wall... CRACK!  Thankfully, that was the sound of the helmet not my head... I jumped up and walked around a bit and then proceded through the stages of grief.  1) shock, 2) denial, 3)sadness 4)anger.   Yes, I threw my water bottle up against a road sign in anger.  That is an odd reaction, but anyone who has crashed in a crit can attest that it is frustrating. 

I raced up to the pit to get a free lap. The ref was wise in waiting for me to calm down before re-entering... my adrenaline was flowing and my head was fuzzy...  We started back in and I noticed my handlebars were severely skewed... Crap! That was the end of my race.  My helmet is cracked but otherwise my body and bike were basically unharmed. 

My step-dad captured some video footage.  Teammate Greg Harper is on the front of this short video as he made the Master's 40+ podium.  The scenes of my race sorrowfully fade to black...

Old Cap Race Weekend Part 1

GOOSETOWN TIME TRIAL

It was a damp and dreary Friday, but that didn't keep riders from kicking off the 2010 Iowa City Racing Weekend with a 10 Mile TT, just south of town.  I believe around 40 to 50 people entered, with 10 of them being Cat 1/2's, testing their legs before the RR and Crits that following weekend.

Some sort of killer 18-20mph wind created a tailwind out, and headwind back.  My warm-up was brief due to the inclement weather, which cost me some time, but I still felt good about placing well in the Cat 3 division, and maybe even overall.

We didn't get the results that night, so a bit anti-climatic, maybe even nerve-wracking... sort of like waiting for test results from the STD clinic (not that I would know).  I knew my time, but had no idea how the others did. Ultimately, I was pleased getting second overall and first in the Cat 3 division.  From memory, here are the the top 3:

Paul Deninger- 22:02 (Cat 1)
Chad Bishop - 22:15 (Cat 3)
Derek Cassady - 22:53 (Cat 2)

IOWA CITY ROAD RACE
Ok, well off to a good start, I was hoping that blasting out a 10 mile threshold interval/race on Friday wouldn't effect my performance at this event.  A competive field lined up to do four rolling laps totalling 52 miles. There was an even larger Pro 1/2 field that started just ahead of us... overall this event has a lot of energy and is a race I always look forward too, despite the fact that it is tricky to master due to all the tactical options and mile-by-mile situations that need contended with.

Everyone was testing each other during this race, especially early on, trying to see if they could get a break to stick and feel out the stronger riders. The gaps always got bridged, however, and toward the latter parts of the race, you could sense that everyone was realizing that 'escaping was futile'. 

There had been so many attacks throughout the race, that by the middle of the fourth lap when Ryan French of All-NineYards got a gap, no one thought too much of it... of course fatigue was setting in just a bit, as well.  Pete Basso of Rasmussen's recognized the potential and bridged up along with Kevin Temple of B2U.  Eventually Pete couldn't hang on, but the other two stayed up ahead, but always within our sights. There was some cooperation for a bit, as a group of about 6 or 7 people, including myself, chased.  Later, I found myself pulling the group as I sensed that the move might not get brought back.  We were approaching the end of the race (that only paid back 5 spots, so sprinting for three places wouldn't be good odds for me).  I couldn't really think of a reason why I should chase, however, and reluctantly let some people go around me. 

I sensed that the two man break wasn't going to get pulled back, as the field wasn't cooperating.  I attacked the field with about 3 or 4 miles to go and ended up in the middle.  I was about to give up, but then I noticed that they weren't really chasing me. Ok, so this is my move... take a shot at getting third place the hard way with a solo breakaway.

Alas, that was not to be, as the field ultimately wasn't interested in letting 3 people up the road, and I was caught with only about 1.5 miles to go.  Another guy attacked... hard... and I unloaded everything I had to get on his wheel and then pull around him hoping he would have enough energy to rotate with me, as I had another gap... nope, he was done... and as the field caught me again my race was over.  I slipped to the back of the now fiercely charging pack that was racing to the sprint.

Ryan French won, with Kevin just behind.  Ryan mentioned that this is his last week as a Cat 3... what a great boost of confidence for him as he moves up to the accomplished Des Moines Based Cat 1/2 team formerly known as All-Nine Yards.

Stay-tuned for Part two, which will feature results and photos from the Old Cap Crit.

Eagle Point & Monika's TT Quick Reports

EAGLE POINT CRIT

This is always a race I look forward too.  I entered the Cat 3 event with about 12 other guys.  Atlas had 4 guys, otherwise there weren't really any teams to contend with.  They launched attacks in a sort of rotating fashion, but there was always someone up for bridging the gaps.  I was hoping to get a breakaway started, but was racing a bit more conservatively (intelligently?) than usual, as I decided not to use anymore races that have payouts as training opportunitites and/or practice. 

I won the first field prime, which was a good sign that maybe I was strong compared to some of the other guys.  I even took a stab at the second prime, but it was near the end of the race, so I backed off, as Brian West unloaded a very intimidating effort.

 Most of the group was still intact as we headed into the last lap.  Fortunately, Ryan Jacobsen of Atlas eventually came to the front and set a workable tempo.  Brian West (Colorbiotics) and Brandon Kealy (Mercy/ICCC) came around the corner to the straight section in the lead, as everyone basically unloaded whatever they had left and the placings somewhat reflected this situation.  I came across the line in third place with a comfortable cushion behind me with Brian and Brandon nearly tying for the overall win. 

EAGLE POINT Cat 3 Top 6 (in the money):

1) Brandon Keely

2) Brian West

3) Chad Bishop

4) Michael Edwards

5) Spencer Oswold

6) Dan Galles

--MONIKA's TT SERIES #1--

Well, it is a little early to be out on the TT bike, however with the Iowa City weekend now featuring a TT event on Friday, this 'grass roots' race was a great chance to test my fitness and warm-up for this Friday's race.  The Goosetown Time Trial on Friday will be the first outdoor TT I have ever entered that has a pay-out, so I am interested to see how that may effect the turn-out, and if I can take home some cash.

Monika's TT #1 was a 10 mile course that had several turns.  I was forced me to sit-up from my TT position several times, so my time wasn't destined to be a PR, by any means, but it was afairly smooth b-level county road with low traffic.  Somehow, I tied with Paul Deninger for first place, at 21:53:80.  Considering the fact that they were timing this to the tenth of a second, I consider this to be very noteworthy (if only I would have shaved my legs smoother).  Also very fitting, as I am sure I will be battling against him from time to time throughout the season.  (Full Results).  The storyline will unfold as new 'characters' make their appearances, as we race against the clock on the road to nowhere.

Cody Race Series #2 - 2010

I entered the second Cody Race on Saturday, April 10th.  This wasn't a large race by any means, however, a spirited 10-lap/25 mile circuit combined with famliliar 'rivals' always makes for a great racing opportunity.  Pictured above is a three-man breakway group comprised of Bryan Moritz(B2U/WOB), Dan Galles (Atlas), and myself.

Lee Venteicher and Bryan were the only Cat 1/2's who entered, so we let them join in our Cat 3 group (which wasn't much bigger).  The pace wasn't fast initially, however slightly geared toward merging with the Master's group that had started just ahead of us, which we did early on in the race.

Bryan Moritz attacked and mentioned that he didn't necessarily intend to break away so soon, as this first move was brought back.  However the group felt soft, so me and Bryan popped out in front of the group shortly thereafter.  Of note, in a rare situation, I had teammates entered in the same race as me (specifically Bill Ford, thanks) who I could count on to defend any moves that I may be apart of.  This made for a somewhat secure feeling once me and Bryan got a gap.

Dan Galles recognized the importance of this move and bridged up.  The majority of the remaining laps were spent with the three of us rotating through fairly equally.

I've been studying theories of intelligence for one of my classess this semester... Oddly, I have been able to understand the various definitions easier when I relate them to bike racing.  For example, one defintion explains intelligence as "your skill in achieving whatever it is you want to attain in life (or a bike race) by capitalizing on your strengths and compensating for, or correcting, your weaknesses (Sternberg, 2004)".  Also, "to act purposefully, to think rationally, and deal effectively with your environment" (Weschler, 1953). 

I contemplated these definitions as I pedalled through Scott County Park's rolling terrain, and even reminded myself of another noteworthy cycling specific intelligence theory that suggests "you shouldn't ever do any 'work' in a bike race unless it has a determined purpose that will faciliate your potential for success" (Bishop, 2010).  This helped keep my mind off of Moritz's socks that had the words "Bitch" stiched into them... were his socks talking to me?  I wish I hadn't noticed his socks... I also wish that I owned a pair of them... Fortunately, as you can see from the image below, he was just as transfixed by the overwhelming size of my rear wheel as I was by his offensive footwear...

I was feeling good and had competed 'intelligently' the entire race.  So, as we headed up the hill just before the finish line I had some decisions to make.  I really had no idea how the other two were feeling, but was interested in at least gapping Dan, as Bryan wasn't technically in my race (and probably strong as hell considering he outspinted the field at Kent Park a couple of weeks earlier).  So, I attacked half way up the hill and the pictures below tell the rest of the story...

Ok, so I didn't win the sprint... but I won the Cat 3 division... so that counts as a victory in my book (and I do mean 'book',... "Chasing Life" is soon to be available at amazon.com).  Teammate Bill Ford also won the Master's division.  Fellow teammates Jon Sulzberger, Josh Long, and Bob Hayes raced strong today as well.

Kent Park 2010 Review

A cold, yet inspired morning greated the nearly 130 riders who participated in the 2010 Kent Park Spring Classic. This event serves as a sort of spring opener for Iowa racers; a chance to reunite with cycling friends and test skills & fitness against some of the best talent in the region.  The course is a 6 lap, hilly circuit totaling around 24 miles.  The racers are staged according to category with seperate fields for masters and women.  (Below: Charging up the finish line hill, chasing the Cat 1,2 field with Cat 3 riders in tow as the second lap began).

There were 14 Cat 1,2 riders that took off first, followed by me and 17 other Cat 3 racers about a minute later, with the rest of the field released at similar intervals.  Traditionally, the fields chase each other to create one large field, however that wasn't quite the case this year.  Most of the fields maintained seperate peletons. 

I was interested in catching up with the Cat 1,2 field and took some pulls as the front to help bring things together.  It actually took us an entire lap and a half to bridge up the Cat 1,2 field.  At this point, it was apparent that some riders from the bigger teams must have escaped because the pace was noticably controlled.  I believe that Bikes 2 You had Derek Cassady and Bryan Moritz up the road, and that Velosport had previous Kent Park winner, Lou Waugaman in the break as well.  Ultimately, 10 of the 18 Cat 3 riders merged up with this lead group and held on until the final field sprint.

I felt strong today, and spent a lot of time at the front hoping to take advantage of a break opportunity, and perhaps contribute to a tempo that might shell a few Cat 3 riders from time to time.  (Left: the field is cresting the steep finishing hill. I am setting the tempo along with Andrew Fagersten)

None of the attacks stuck and the field was very attentive, so my strategy didn't pan out.

The guys from Goodtime Racing (formerly All-Nine Yards) and Iowa City Cycling (Mercy-Specialized) potentially had incentive to try and chase the breakway, however this didn't seem to be occuring.  From my perspective, I can say that  Andrew Fagersten, Paul Deninger and Ryan French were pretty active, with a handful of other guys making some appearances from time to time.  Unfortunately, being 'active' doesn't usually translate to success if the race ends up as a large field sprint.

Near the end of the last lap the field surged up one of the ascents in anticipation of the approaching finish line hill sprint.  The Cat 1,2's were sprinting for third or fourth, I believe, as the Cat 3 field was still contesting the top placing.  Geoff Perrill (ICCC) was the highest placed Cat 3 and 8th overall.

RESULTS...

Cat 1/2

1. Lou Waugaman (Velosport)

2. Derek Cassaday (B2U/WOB)

3. Bryan Moritz (B2U/WOB)

4. Ryan Nenniger (ICCC)

5. Jeff Bradley (Velosport)

6. Jim Cochran (Atlas)

7. Joe Hetrick (ICCC)

8. Andrew Fagersten(B2U/WOB)

9. Jerome Rewerts (Goodtimes)

10. Lane Anderson (Goodtimes)

11. Paul Deninger (Velosport)
12. Jeff Barnes (ICCC)
13. Will Greenwood(B2U/WOB)
14. Lee Venteicher(B2U/WOB)
Cat 3
1. Geoff Perrill (ICCC)
2. Grant Headley (B2U)
3. Nate Kullbom (Atlas)
4. Daniel Gales(Atlas)
5. Kevin Tempel (B2U)
6. Todd Gillihan (Team Skin)
7. Ryan French (Goodtimes)
8. Chad Bishop (Harper's Racing)
9. Pete Basso (Rasmussen's)
10. Nick Campbell (B2U)
11. Steve Robinson
12. Michael Edwards
13. Gary McNabb
14. Christopher Maharry
15. Steve Reynolds
16. Robert Thompson
17. Matt Gumm
18. Dave Mable

Three fellow teamates participated in the event as well. Greg Harper got 2nd /10 (Master's 50+), Bill Ford got 3rd/13(Master's 40+), and Josh Long got 18th/26(Cat 4).

FULL RESULTS

Cody Race #1 - Results

The Cody Race took place in Scott County Park and featured 5 rolling and windy circuits.  A very respectable turnout of 46 racers lined up for this mass start event.  Jeremy Gantzer shot out of the gates, stringing things out a bit from the get-go.  I noted that I was envious of  this 'cycling specific' build.  His arms reminded me of Janez Brajkovic's (Team RadioShack)...

This is of particular focus for me this year, as I am torn between looking 'attractive and healthy' or looking like a serious competive cyclist.  Well, it is all about power to weight ratio, from my perspective.  I am 12 pounds heavier than at this time last year... I look and feel great, until I step up to the line and prepare to battle the relevant laws of physics.  When my co-workers start suggesting that I should see a doctor because I look emaciated and disease-stricken, I will know that I have achieved the ideal build to compete against regional cat 1/2 racers. 

Anyway, the winner of Sunday's race, Paul Deninger, has landed himself on a great new team called Velosport Racing.  The team captain is none other than Mr. Jeff Bradley.  There is information about Jeff's racing career on wikepedia, so he must be cool.  (side note, one of my 'bucket list' items is to do something historical enough to get my own wikepedia web page.) Most of the team showed up with completely 'sick' green, white and black Trek Project One racing bikes w/ deep dish wheels:

I will admit, that I was intimidated, especially considering the fact that their racing kits matched perfectly.  Sort of had a 'Rock Racing' look to the whole set-up.  Of course, Paul had to be difficult, by having a red bike that didn't match his teammates'... once again, I have been thwarted by color-coded mental trickery.  At some point, I believe toward the end of the first lap, he created a gap.  I recognized the importance of this move and tried to answer by jumping out of the pack to catch up with him.  Unfortunately, I couldn't answer this move. Well, actually, I did have an answer... it was something to the effect of "crap! not gonna happen", and/or "are you shitting me?".

The Velosport team meant business today, and defended this move well.  Toward the end of the race, Jeff Bradley and Jeremy Gantzer snuck off the front as well, leaving the remants of the chase pack that had eventually dwindled down to just eight of us. 

My team had a great day, especially Greg Harper and Bill Ford who each won their Master's divisions.  Greg made a bold jump for the line at about 500 meters out that proved to be timed almost to perfection as he nearly won the field sprint (Austin Turner nipped him at the line).

Though I was disappointed with my results and my impotent racing tactics for the day, I actually do feel that things are going to come together for me in a big way this season... I can't tell you when or how, but you will know... Just look for the twinkle in my (sunken socketed) eye.

Here are the top 11 finishers:

1 Paul Deninger - Velosport Racing - Iowa City, IA - Cat 1

2 Jeff Bradley -Velosport Racing - Davenport, IA - Cat 1

3 Jerimiah Gantzer -unattached - Bettendorf, IA - Cat 3

4 Austin Turner - Colorbiotics - Iowa City, IA - Cat 3

5 Greg Harper - Harper's Cycling - Muscatine, IA - Cat 2 (50+)

6 Brett Bohanan - Proctor Cycling Team - Pekin,IL  -Cat 5

7 Daniel Galles - Atlas EcoLips Cycling - Iowa City, IA - Cat 3

8 William Ford - Harper's Cycling - Illinois Cilty, IL - Cat 3 (40+)

9 Spencer Oswald - Baraboo Sharks - Dubuque, IA - Cat 3

10 Chad Bishop - Harper's Cycling - Muscatine, IA - Cat 3

11 Kevin McConnell - Mercy-Specialized - Iowa City, IA - Cat 4

Complete results

Iowa City's 'City Wok' Section

I entered the second edition of the Iowa Classic Spring Series over the weekend that took place near Iowa City.  It had been raining all week and continued to rain as 10 Cat 1/2/3's lined up to brave the elements.  I really was not sure what kind of bike set-up to use as the course was over mixed terrain (gravel/road).  So, I was very focused on the first lap trying to memorize the gravel course, as there were a few sinkholes that needed avoided from time to time.

I decided to entitle one of the final climbs of the gravel section the 'CITY WOK' Section, in an effort to help me remember it.  If you are familiar with Southpark, you may recall that the owner of City Wok pronounces the first part of his restaurant's name with a 'SH' sound.  Anyway, not only were there quite a few potholes, but the distinct pungent odor of cow manure pierced through the air.

Inadvertently, and most unfortunately, this name had an even more 'memorable' connotation, as toward the last couple of laps I felt like Shit and wanted to Walk... yeah, I fell off the pace and did the last couple laps solo.

This race had a pretty competitive field, and I appreciated the opportunity to get some milage and hard-core training.  This race was the wake-up call I needed.  I don't mind finishing 7th out of 10 riders in a strong Cat 1/2/3 event, however, I really am not comfortable getting dropped.  Maybe ending up in a chase group, or losing it during the final sprint, but rolling around solo is very undesirable. I hopped on the scale later that day, something I have been dreading all year, and realized I was a full 10 pounds heavier than at this same time last year. Oh, well that is not helping matters.  I guess I hit the weights a bit too hard this winter... Fortunately, this is an easy fix, and I should be in peak form just in time for some of my favorite races.

Kevin Temple of B2U/World of Bikes made an attack during the start of the 4th lap (we did 7 laps, about 44 miles).  Ultimately, I couldn't hang on.  I caught up with the winner of the event... Will Greenwood (B2U/WOB) and he summarized what happened after that...



Results - Iowa Spring Classic Series #2 - Iowa City, IA   March 12th, 2010
MenP123, 2:31:00

1st - 593 Will Greenwood
2nd - 590 Andy Cornelison
3rd - 592 Kevin Temple
4th - 591 Matias Perret
5th - X Paul Denninger
6th - 173 McNabb Gary
7th - 594 Chad Bishop
8th - 94 Grant Headley
9th - 161 Michael Edwards
10th - 176 Lee Venteicher

Women P123, 1:25:00

1st 682 Vetterline Lisa
2nd 585 Williams Robin
3rd 681 Ruhtenberg Maria

Men 4/5, 1:25:00
1st - 13pts 580 Cody Goettl
2nd - 12pts 595 Alex Libin
3rd - 11pts 579 Joshua Shough
4th - 10pts 596 Gabe Geiger
5th - 9pts 582 Austin Jones
6th - 8pts 599 Jeff Osborn
7th - 7pts 597 Scott Wilson
8th - 6pts 587 Rob McKillip
9th - 5pts 598 Jon Sulzburger
10th - 4pts 586 Paul Sueppel
11th - 3pts 581 Eric Jensen
12th - 2pts 589 Ryan Patterson
13th - 1pts 584 Surie Man

Hypnotic color-coded cadence syncronizations & the Blue Devil

My 2010 racing season officially got under way, as I saddled up to compete in the Iowa Spring Classic Series #1, which took place near Grinnell, Iowa.  It really did feel good to get out on the roads again after about a 4 month hiatus.

Fifteen people lined up for the Cat 1/2/3 event.   This race was 'presented by Bikes 2 You/World of Bikes' which may have explained why there were 5 or 6 of them lined up with us.  The gravel was very managable, however the course had quite a bit of climbing.  Very early into the race, Andrew Fagersten (B2U/WOB) drifted out creating a sizable gap.  His teamates very methodically defended his move by discouraging the pace.

I popped out in front between the pack and Andrew, thinking that some of the non B2U/WOB guys would be interested in bringing him back before he got too far.  It really was early in the race, not sure anyone believed Andrew could or would try and stick that for the entire race, so I relented. It took awhile for the pack to get up to me, as they were going really slow... Great blocking by Andrew's teammates, but also a very suspicious tactical decision from the rest us. 

During the next lap, I opted to try and eat a Clif Bar. I guess I forgot how hard this can be when the pace is above tempo and cold weather snot is clogging up the nasal passages.  I practically began choking, as the pace was progressively getting quicker. What was going on?  Oh, alas, I saw Paul 'Blue Devil' Denninger attempting to make a 'selection' amongst the chase pack.  If you have never been in a race when he decides to 'take a dig' you are missing out, becuase it really is a great challenge to try and hang-on.  Your reward for hanging on is that you will have greater odds of finishing well, as some riders always fall off.

Oops, I was one of those people who fell off.  I am going to blame that one on the Clif Bar, however.  I put my head down and limited my damages hoping that the Blue Devil (practically everyone was wearing yellow jerseys except for him... BLUE) would let up.  I began cursing his name under my breath, and evoked a religious mantra in hopes of smiting this 'devil'... freeing the rest of us from his sinning.   My prayers were answered...he ultimately eased up, after quite a few miles of pain and suffering... I was back in this now reduced group... "and then there was light".

It became apparent that the B2U/WOB guys were very interested in winning this race with Andrew, and then pulling off a pack sprint for second.  They were racing with good instincts, while the rest of us never got together to try and foil their domination.  Andrew's lead continued to build, as there was never an organized 'chase'. 

A few guys pulled out from time to time, as this race took around 3 hours to complete, quite a long haul.  I believe I was the last one to officially finish.  I was in the remaining group that consisted of 3 B2U/WOB guys and someone from Bike World.  Since I couldn't eat my Clif Bar I tried a GU pack.  I got this one for Christmas, and wouldn't have chosen it for myself, as it was that double expresso kind with 2x caffeine.  Man, when that started to kick in the adrenaline rush sent me shooting through to the front.  Not a good idea, as a few hills later, I lost my legs.  I kept them in my sights, for the most part, but I was toast. 

The B2U/WOB squad has a couple of new riders who seem strong.  It is always exciting to race against them, though I always get spanked... they will attack/counter attack until they get some guys up the road, and then they very cooperatively defend their lead.  Also, they all wear RED shoe covers... very clever, as this makes it hard to focus. I think it creates a sort of subliminal message (you suck... we rock), especially when they start spinning them at 92rpm. In my opinion, hypnotic color-coded cadence syncronizations (HCCCS) should be banned from USAC events. I believe they have established some sort of hand signal that they use to communicate to each other which cadences to apply.   

Fortunately, they didn't pull out the 'Yin-Yeng' HCCCS.  They will wear white shoe covers on one foot, and then black shoe covers on the other foot.. this is next to impossible to combat... avert your eyes, or your leg's will turn to stone (Medusa?)... Combine this tactic with Lee Venteicher's B/W striped knee socks, and other teams in Iowa might as well throw in the towel.  I can't wait until the weather warms up, so we are all safe from this scheme.

Mission accomplished, I got in 50 outdoor miles, and will put this fitness in the bank, to withdrawal later in the season. 

RESULTS - Iowa Spring Classic Series #1
Men P123, 50 Miles 2:57:00

1st - Andrew Fagersten
2nd - Will Greenwood
3rd - Austin Turner
4th - Kevin Temple
5th - Grant Headley
6th - Chad Bishop
7th - Michael Edwards
8th - Paul Denninger
9th - Brad Bach
10th - Gary McNabb
11th - Chris Martin
12th - Lee Venteicher

Confounded in Kalona

The last indoor event of the year didn't go according to plan.  In fact, I was so upset by my dismal result that I went home and did an endurance tempo session on the rollers.  Got in 50 miles for the day, and felt a little better, having 'punished' myself for ending things on such a sour note.  I was also encouraged by the notion that I was now free to shift my focus to the outdoor racing season.

What went wrong?  Not sure... I can just say that after Shawn Loomis posted a 5:11 (a full 13 seconds slower than his time from the week before), I began to smile in anticipation of winning the the Cat 1/2/3 category for the day.  I had been logging results under 5:10 for the last two weeks, and figured the extra boost from the racing environment would push me well under 5:10.  Unfortunately, I may have gotten greedy, and set my sights on breaking my personal sub 5 minute goal.  My estimated finish time was at 4:55 at about the 1 mile mark, but things began to slip after that, all the way down to 5:16... crap.

A new Iowa team "Twisted Spokes" hosted this event, and they did a nice job, as we had plenty of space, and good food/drink.

Weight and endurance matter on the open roads, as compared to indoor training/racing, so March will begin a new routine.  I think I may be able to attend the first of three 'Iowa Spring Classic Races' in Grinnel this weekend, but if not, for sure the 2nd one in Iowa City.  Since these races are on both gravel and road, I may end up bringing two bike set-ups and deciding at the scene, regarding which one to ride.