Squaw Creek Crit Report

One of the early laps, as the Cat 1,2 field crosses the start/finish area.

 A fantastic day of racing was enjoyed by cyclists who participated in the 2011 Squaw Creek Criterium, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  I woke up early that day, not being able to sleep thinking about how I seem to be using a higher cadence this year... so at around 5am, I woke and went internet shopping for a 12-25tooth cassette (yeah, road cyclists are a strange breed). 

MASTER'S 30+

My early awakening also allowed me the opportunity to particpate in the Master's 30+ race that started at 9am.  I wasn't completely sure it was a good idea to enter this race, wanting to be my best for the Cat 1,2 race later that day, but had a good feeling that I could get one of the three payouts. 

I felt extremely confident about my chances in this race... my legs felt good and the field seemed vulerable to my game plan.  I was going to take it easy the first couple of laps of this 8 lap event that included a noteworthy hill up to the start/finish.  Unfortunately, Lee Venteicher's blue/white striped socks clashed so severely with his orange shoe covers and yellow jersey that my adrenaline started to boil over.  I couldn't stand the thought of enduring this visual assault, so changed up my agenda as he launched off the front from the start.

The first lap up the hill I found myself rocketing up the hill... I looked behind and was surprised to see a huge gap.  I felt great so kept rolling it up and over the crest.  I was soon joined by Chris Eastburn.  He was racing the 50+ event, so this was a nice situation, potentially.  So, with basically the entire race left to go, it was up to me and Chris to see if we can fend off the field for the rest of the race.

I rode hard, and Chris wasn't really helping much, except on the downhill, but he was much more confident in our gap.  I just wanted to make sure to get 'out of sight, out of mind'.  Not so much to psychologically deter the chasing field, but so that I didn't have to glance across the course to see Lee's orange shoe covers clashing with his blue and white striped  knee highs.

Towards the end of the race I let up, and started thinking about the main event.  I won the race and was happy that I decided to make the trip up early.

I am rolling up the hill, staying attentive as one of my
 teammates was up the road.

CAT 1,2 RACE

JJ Bailey and Lou Waugaman joined me for the 18 Lap Cat 1,2 event.  Team Zealous out of Des Moines brought a large team, with 6 guys in the Cat 1,2 race and a few more in the cat 3.  Our team vowed to make sure we were represented in any breaks, and  I promised myself that I would tear myself inside out to chase down anything that didn't include our American Equity squad.

Brandon Krawczyk made the trip from Minnesota.  He is a great racer who has a track racing  background, and can totally rip it up at races such as the BBQ Blue Crit in Clear Lake.    It became apparent that he was here to win, as he followed every move.  Lou launched off first as a sort of tester attack.  I countered this move once it was brought back, then I believe Lou went again, forming yet another nice group.  Brandon and Team Zealous were in each of these moves, but it was a bit early for the field to let anything stick.  Then JJ went up the road and got in a break with Jared Osterloh (Zealous) and Brandon K.  Ok, this might be the winning break.  Lou and I were able to relax a bit (sort of), and let that move develop.  Lane Anderson (Zealous) bridged up during the next lap on the hill.  His effort was explosive and no one else tried to catch his wheel.

Unfortunately, as we went up the hill on a subsequent lap, the field saw JJ get popped from the break.  I didn't even blink, rather launched up the road, not interested in chasing Jared and Brandon down.  This ended up being a critical point in the race.  When things settled, Jerome Rewerts (Zealous) had marked my wheel and a 5 man break emerged.

The 5 man break (left to right).. Lane Anderson, Brandon Krawcyzk, Jared Osterloh, Chad Bishop, Jerome Rewerts.

As you can see, Zealous Racing had three guys in the move so this presented some tactical decision making opportunities.  Brandon committed early on to not working, and assertively suggested that I do the same, mentioning that they would 'work me over'.  Perhaps, but I really didn't want the rest of the field to join us, so I eventually worked into the rotation.  I didn't have to get too frantic about it, because I knew Lou and JJ were in the field, and felt specifically confident that Lou would be able to win this race if they slowed down enough to let the field catch up.  Brandon ended up rotating through a bit, but seemed to be saving his legs.  I had a pretty good feeling that he was going to win this thing.  For a lot of reasons, he was in a good situation.  He earned it, however, by following every single move early in the race to be in this position.

Lou attempting to bridge up the the break.

I scaled back my efforts as the laps ticked away and the field seemed to be long forgotten.  Our pace slowed each lap.   Very strategically, Lou Waugaman had launched a solo attack with about 6 laps to go, hoping to bridge up.  A great move, because it didn't bring any other guys up, and would have given us even better opportunities in the finishing sprint.

During the last lap, I was expecting Zealous to use their numerical advantage to set up the win for one of their teammates.  Nothing seemed to be transpiring as I heard someone shout something at Jerome who seemed to be incorrectly executing their last lap intended tactic. 

Brandon winning the sprint, with me and Jared right behind.

Jerome kept the pace brisk coming into the last corner leading up to the finish area hill.  Perhaps I should have been a little more patient, but I attacked the group as soon as I straightened up from the corner.  I had no idea how this move would pan out.  Brandon and Jared got on my wheel and were able to pass me prior to the finish line. Congratulations to Brandon for doing what needed to be done to win, not to mention Team Zealous for getting three guys in the break.

I looked over my shoulder earlier in the move to verify that Lane and Jerome weren't able to contest my position.  I eased up a bit and ended up on the podium, with my third place finish.

Finishing the 2011 Squaw Creek Cat 1,2 Criterium.

Lou finished close behind our group.  If we would have had another lap or two, he would have made it up to the break... that would have been a complete shock to the Zealous guys, and made for an even better result for American Equity. 

JJ Bailey beat out the rest of the Cat 1,2 field to finish 7th overall.

Another picture of the break away working its way past the start finish area.

This was a great race put on by HBA Racing.  I think everyone will admit, that they enjoyed competing here. 

Results - Senior Pro/1/2
1 Brandon Krawczyk WAUKESHA WI GrandStay Hotels
2 Jared Osterloh DES MOINES IA Zealous Racing
3 Chad Bishop MUSCATINE IA American Equity Racng Team
4 Lane Anderson ALTOONA IA Team Emu
5 Jerome Rewerts NEVADA IA Zealous Racing
6 Louis Waugaman WAUKEE IA Velosport Iowa /American Equity
7 J Bailey DES MOINES IA American Equity Racng Team
8 Brendan Kealey IOWA CITY IA Mercy-Specialized
9 Christopher Eastburn CEDAR RAPIDS IA Mercy-Specialized
10 Lee Venteicher WAUKON IA Bikes To You / World of Bikes
11 Ryan French DES MOINES IA Zealous Racing
12 Finn Kolsrvd Iowa City IA
13 David Lippold WEST DES MOINES IA Zealous Racing
14 Steven Robinson DES MOINES IA Zealous Racing

I am now looking forward to the Zealous Race Weekend in Des Moines.

Iowa City Race Weekend

ROAD RACE - The VAN of DOOM

Over 50 Cat 1,2's lined up for this 52 mile event. The winds were around 20mph at times, which meant the wheels were turning for elite racers planning their tactics.  American Equity had a solid team showing (Lou, Paul, Jeff, Carson, and myself).

The race started off innocently enough, but right after we turned into a cross wind section all hell broke loose... I nearly lost it at that point... and everyone was all strung out... not sure when, but soon after, this happened again... someone was drilling it and not letting up... hmm, who could it be?

The VAN of DOOM:  Steve Tilford (race report), apparently after some deliberation, decided to make the journey up to Iowa City... he brought a van full of heavy hitters.  In fact all four of the guys in the van ended up in the top 5 of this race : 1. Jensen, Brian, - 2. Stolte, William , - 3. Bergman, Adam 4.Coil, Nicholas, - 5. Tilford, Stephen.  Only Adam Bergman wasn't in the Van, but maybe he can car pool with them next year and they can do a top 5 sweep.  Better yet, maybe I can drive down to Kansas and hitch a ride back up with them in hopes of soaking up some of their greatness.  Needless to say, this report would have read much differently had they not made the trip.

So as far as how the race went, two other guys Matias Perret(Iowa City) and Zach Reed (Dogfish) ended up in a 7 man break with the 'guys from the van' that ended up holding on til the end. 

I remember looking up just after the first lap and counting 5 clusters of echelons across the road.  Everyone was forming groups of riders trying to stay as close the leaders as possible.  Eventually, there was a pretty nice chase group of around 20 guys.  All of the American Equity guys were in this group... sweet!  Oh, everyone except for me... crap... This is not where I wanted to be... the group I was in was somewhat demoralized...'working on our tans' as one rider pointed out... my efforts to chase were only frustrating those in the rotation so I eventually resigned the effort.  I would have loved to have been in the chase group, I had plenty of 'chase' in me, but no way of unleashing it.  Sounds like I could have worked with teammates to try and 'save the day'.  Dang.

TIME TRIAL - The Scarlet Letter

No, I didn't have an 'A' sewn into my jersey, rather the letter 'L' was tattooed across my expression... yes, unfortunately, I sort of felt like a loser at this point.  They say that having the Yellow Jersey in the Tour De France gives riders that extra motivation to push their body beyond it's limits to hold onto their lead... well my  bright red 'L' was having the opposite effect.  I very reluctantly lined up to do a 13 mile timed lap.

There really wasn't much of a point in entering the time trial, as I was way too far down in the results to have a chance at the omnium that paid back 5 places.  However, I had already registered and I was really curious just how I would stack up against this field.  This was a 'No Aero Gear' TT... making it as even of a playing field as you get... just pedal your bike as fast as you can for one lap around the course... I couldn't resist finding out the 'truth', whatever that may be... 

Well, I ended up 11 out of 30... not too bad, considering the strength of this field.  Brian Jensen showed us why he was able to gutter the field so effectively during the road race...  he won the TT with a time of 29:14 using his yellow jersey to crush the course... very impressive.  It might make sense to have the TT prior to the Road Race next year, so it is more of a prologue... not sure.

Here are results from the weekend.

CRITERIUM
I really was still down in the dumps Saturday night, but by Sunday morning I had talked myself back up, and was preparing to go to the criterium...  Unfortunately, I backed my self into a corner trying to adjust my rear derailleur and ended up ruining it.  No shifting at all.  I frantically called a team mate for help, but it was too late.  So, I didn't end up racing at the crit, and took my bike to the shop the next day.

Soccer Showdown - Iowa City Race Weekend

 

These kids might not look tough; but playing soccer with them
could severely upset your cycling career.

One of the benefits of partaking in the 'lifestyle of a roadie' is that you will be in great shape, generally speaking; not just on the bike.  This can be a problem, however, if you push your body too hard while participating in sports that aren't cycling specific.

So, over Easter, I involved myself in a friendly game of soccer with my relatives. We had a couple of 7 year olds, some middle schoolers, a teen-ager... I guess one of the players was only about 5.  In other words... it was game time!  Similar to my approach to cycling, I went full throttle, trying to be everywhere all at once... starting, stopping, turning, twisting, kicking, etc. 



I ended up getting my butt kicked after throwing down
against today's youth.



Towards the end of this viscious contest of wills, my toes began to ache, so I took my shoes off to reveal blood on each sock from the blisters.  Really?  I kept going sans shoes, as we were down by a point with only a few minutes left before one of my opponent's bed time.   I was covered in sweat by the end of the game. My team didn't end up winning, but I reminded everyone that 'Crazy Uncle Chad doesn't mess around'.

Monday arrives and my legs are in pain... I couldn't even lift them without feeling a stinging soreness.  It baffles me that there are so many muscles in the leg that apparently are unused during the pedal stroke.  Needless to say Monday was a rest day.

Tuesday morning... still sore... crap!  This caused a mild form of depression.  I was thinking about doing Monika's Time Trial in Lone Tree later that day... no way.  I really wasn't even sure about doing the Tuesday Night Ride...  I reluctantly suited up and went on my way.  The first incline re-inforced the fact that my legs were not in good form.  The parts that ached were not even relevant to the pedal stroke, but were still robbing efficiency from my effort while making me feel miseable.


I wasn't thrilled to be feeling that sore at Tuesday's training ride...
a group of five ended up doing a tailwind ride from Lone Tree.

Wednesday... still sore.  Ridiculous.  Ok, maybe backyard soccer is off the table for the rest of the season. 

IOWA CITY WEEKEND
Not sure what to expect this week, but happy to have a chance to race again.  Last year's Iowa City Race weekend went very poorly for me, despite being in great form.  I flipped over my handlebars and hit my head on the wall at the base of the hill... I was a Cat 3 then, so this will be a whole new experience.

The American Equity Elite Racing team will be there in full force, not to mention lots of other Iowa racer including guys from Zealous Racing and Mercy Specialized.   The Pro 1,2 race draws some tough out-of-state competition. Rumor has it that Steve Tilford, Brian Jensen, and Bill Stolte will be driving up from Kansas, as well as strong riders from Kentucky Flyers Cycling/Texas Roadhouse & Bianchi/Grand Performance(Minnesota).  Should be a great weekend of racing.

2011 Iowa Cup Announced!

Thankfully, this is NOT the 'Iowa Cup'.

Alas, my training has found direction as the 2011 Iowa Cup race competition has been announced... great!  Thanks to Zealous Racing for putting their efforts to organize this series. From their site:

"In its 6 years of existence, the Iowa Cup competition has really become a part of the fabric of Iowa Cycling. It’s the best points system we have to truly recognize the best road racers in the state in each category."

Hmm, I wonder who the best road racers in Iowa are this year? Which team is going to rise above the rest in the elite team competition? (Last Year's Results)

Here is the schedule:

Iowa City Road Race – 4/30/2011
Old Capitol Criterium – 5/1/2011
Squaw Creek Park Circuit Race – 5/7/2011
Zealous Spring Road Race – 5/14/2011
Iowa State Fair Criterium – 5/15/2011
Snake Alley Criterium – 5/28/2011
Melon City Criterium – 5/29/2011
Rose Festival Criterium - 6/17/2011
Rose Festival Road Race - 6/18/2011
Bicycle, Blues, and BBQ Criterium (State) – 7/9/2011
Bicycle, Blues, and BBQ Road Race – 7/10/2011
Iowa State Road Race Championships - 8/6/2011
East Village Criterium - 8/13/2011

Yeah, I hit it pretty hard to start the 2011 racing season... you may have been thinking "this guy is going to burn out before Memorial Day"... Well, I started to feel that all of the racing/training I did over the winter and early spring may have actually been 'too much', as I was struggling a bit to find motivation.

But, as I thought about it, all that really seems to be going on is a combination of poor weather and lack of racing opportunities.  Last year I had the Scott County Park Road Race (DICE CYCLING) and Eagle Point Criterium (Dubuque Cycling) to round out my April preparations.   To make the 'slump' even more significant, the Iowa City Race Weekend was moved back a week creating an even bigger gap with respect to my calendar.  I am 'itching' to help put together a brand new racing opportunity for Iowa competitors, so maybe I will remember that April could be a good month to target a 2012 bike racing event.

So, no real mystery... racing is the 'fuel' that drives my training.  Without it, I still train, just feel 'odd' while doing it.  The 2011 Iowa Cup will provide me with the direction I was seeking... thanks! I needed that.

The Expectation of balancing nitrogen and creme eggs

Expectations can be the cause of many mental health problems including stress, anxiety, and depression.  Basically, if you set expectations for a person, event, or situation that don't ultimately pan out, this can create a mildly traumatic emotional response.   Adjusting your expectations can be a great way to improve the quality of your life.  Think about it... if you place really high expectations on yourself (i.e. to win a race), and then don't realize your goal, you will be upset.  However, if your expectation was to simply have a great time, get in some good fitness, and race to your potential; you will have a great chance of meeting your expectation, and subsequently realizing a rewarding outcome.

This concept is used a lot in couples therapy.   Partners who adjust their expectations of the other, often realize a new found release from much of the tension they had been experiencing.  Expect less and recieve more...

Ok, this has been the worst week of training I've had all year.   An unexpected household emergency (no hot water!) threw my schedule into a tail spin.   I am going to use a technique many competitive cyclists use... I am going to call this a rest week.  This is the only way to alleviate my concern that my season is heading in the wrong direction. A rest week implies that I am purposefully allowing my body to recover; maximizing the training effect of several hard weeks of racing/training.

I will have to say, the Tour of Hermann Road Race left me completely wasted, and I needed some rest... maybe all is well.  I attempted one of my indoor Time Trial tests yesterday, however and couldn't complete the effort... Ok, I need a little more than this rest week excuse... Ah hah!  Nitrogen Balance.  I am theorizing that my inadvertant lapse in training this week has taken my body out of it's harmonic chemical balance; due to the fact that I didn't consume as much protein and other key nutrients.

I have been using MaxMuscle's ARM (Anabolic Recovery Matrix) after most of my workouts.  But when I don't work out, I tend not to stick to my nutrition/supplementation plan... MaxMuscle ARM helps support protien synthesis and nitrogen retention.  Ok, so hopefully that helps explain my flat workout yesterday.  I need to make sure that I don't let up on my nutrition plan on days when I don't workout.

Speaking of nutrition, does anyone else have a problem controlling their urge to eat those Cadbury Creme Eggs?  I actually feel like some sort of crack addict whenever I drive by Walgreen's (my drug dealer's house).  Easter is always a rough time for me with respect to my addiction. 

Fortunately, eating just one of those things knocks me on my butt.  I choked down a second one once, it wasn't pretty, and I felt like a slug.  Sometimes I buy two, just to see if I can force my way through, but always end up stopping after one.  Crap, writing this is triggering my cravings... nope... must resist.

Tour of Hermann - Notes to My Future Self

Saturday's Criterium included a very steep incline through a picturesque wine vineyard overlooking Hermann. 

Often times I re-read past reports prior to the subsequent year's event... well, to that end I am going to write my future-self a note...

"Dude, whatever your do, make sure you bring a 25 tooth cog to the 2012 race...come on man, don't kid yourself, you might be able to turn that 23t around for awhile, but you will need that extra gear... no, I don't care how much stronger you think you are, bring a 25t cassette... seriously."

Hopefully you can gather from that message to my future self that this race had a lot of hills.  It was everything I hoped it to be and more... a truly great race weekend. 

STAGE ONE - TIME TRIAL

After spending a delightful night in the very historic town of Hermann at the Vinchester Inn... I headed over to the Time Trial course Saturday morning.  It was a 14 mile long out and back course.. that is all that I knew.  As my fellow teammates came in, however, I began to get a feel for the situation.  Apparently, it was very hilly. Lou came in looking strong but had some technical issues, so wasn't happy with his result. JJ Bailey also seemed not to be that happy with his performance.  Paul, however, seemed to have had a good ride, despite getting caught behind a car during his effort with a time of 32:15.

Well, the time to beat was about 31:22 (around 26.3 mph average).  I had yet to ride my TT bike outside this year, and was rolling on a brand new Gray Wheel set and Bontrager Race X-Lite handlebar configuration that I had yet to familiarize myself with, but otherwise felt fairly confident.  Unfortunately, I wasn't sure that I could get shifted back up from my small ring, so I 'big-ringed' the whole event to be safe... note to future-self..."Please, please, please, don't be an idiot in 2012... make sure to shift to the small ring for some of those steeper inclines...seriously, that was poor judgement"

When it was all said and done I finished 13th overall, as my clock indicated I had a time of 32:49.  So, me and Paul had some points toward the omnium stage race, with plenty of opporunity for the rest of the team to get on the board, and/or help us advance higher during one of the next two stages.

STAGE TWO - CRITERIUM

I was really optimistic when I saw the layout of the criterium course, later that same day...  A steep incline and no real technical areas to slow me down.  Yeah, the descent was super-fast (my max was about 47mph without pedalling) but it was straight with plenty of time before the turn.  In fact, I was so gung-ho about this race that I actually attacked the group right before the descent to win a points prime early in the race.



American Equity Team Mates Lou Waugaman and Paul Deninger putting the hammer down up 'Stone Hill'

I am pretty strong on inclines, however, some of the guys down here are quite simply stronger.  I was briefly in a three man lead group with Nick Coil of Mercy Cycling who won this Crit in 2011.  He accelerated up the hill, and looked back to see my reaction... I could tell he was the stronger man at that moment.

I also need to mention that it was hot... So, the nature of the course and hot conditions caused the field to shatter into many smaller groups.  I simply rode at my limit, trying to minimize my losses once I lost contact with the leading riders. I finished 13th overall and snagged 4 more points (5 including my field prime) as the race awarded points for the first 16 places at each event.  Everyone in our team finished the event, which was a great accomplishment, as 13 of the 36 Cat 1,2 starters weren't quite able to complete all 19 laps.

STAGE THREE -

Note to future self..."Ok, what were you thinking last year?  Three water bottles?  Really.  It was 92 degrees over a very hilly 90 mile course that took over 4.5 hours to complete.  PACK AS MUCH FLUID AS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR."

This was another challenging course that had more hills than any race I have ever entered.  I truly enjoy this kind of race, as it was a strong man's course... unfortunately, I wasn't the strongest rider that day... but I still enjoyed the ability to be competitive at this level.

I couldn't believe how hilly the course was (oh, I already said that).  There was a hill at the start of the second lap that was so steep, it seemed more like a wall than a road.  I guess they don't get much snow in Hermann, because cars would slide right down this thing and into the Missouri River if it ever iced up.

Early within the first lap, I enjoyed watching teammate Paul Deninger launch up the road and get into a break.  Later Lou was able to sneak up the road as well, into a more select chase group.  Hmm, things are looking good for American Equity at this point.  I went towards the front and was enjoying the concept of 'blocking'.  I have never had a reason to do this before, so I was intrigued by what it felt like to purposefully try and slow the race down so your teammates can get a bigger gap.

Later,David Carpenter launched an attack, and I got on his wheel for a free ride up the road.  Unfortunately, we passed Paul on the way, and after we got up to Lou's group, he mentioned that they weren't working together... so this break wasn't going to stick. JJ Bailey was still in the mix and we rotated through  a few times to try and close the gap a little bit, so that our team could still have a shot of one of the four paying spots.

After the start of the second lap, there was that very steep hill, followed by another one just a bit down the road.  (A one-two punch of sorts).  I managed to hang on, as did teammate Carson Christen.  It seemed though, that we were the only two left on our team after that point, which changed the dynamics of things.  Now the idea was to let the course take it's toll on the field, and allow race attrition to dictate the finishing order.

Approaching the third lap, I began to cramp severely.  I was out of water and praying that our teammates would give us a hand-up at the last feed zone... Yes! JJ and Paul hooked us up.  I drank that bottle instantaneously and then began focusing on making it up that steep wall-like incline.  Believe it or not, I was slightly concerned that I might have to get off my bike and walk.  Nope, I hung on, and began to realize that my 23 tooth gear was no longer my friend... I could just barely turn it over. 

Crap, there was another hill just down the road, and almost as steep.  I couldn't turn that gear over, my legs were too weak after 62 miles over this hillacious course.  Fortunately, there was carnage all over the place, with many guys behind me or DNF'd, and a handful of guys that I would later pass as they popped.  Slowly but surely, the field disappeared from my view.
I basically road most of the last lap solo.  Everything ached and I was severely dehydrated.  Luckily, there was some neutral water on the course, and I was able to keep a pretty good tempo to finish the race in the 16th position (just within the points cut-off).  The two pre-race favorites (Nick Coil and Andrew Coe) were actually amongst the guys I met on the road, and subsequently road away from .They ended up being the last of the finishers in the 21st/22nd positions, while 17 guys posted DNF's, mainly due to attrition... a testament to how grueling this race was.  Carson had a great day and finished 13th.

I finished 11th out of about 32 guys in the Cat 1,2 omnium and managed to get points all three days... so a relatively successful weekend.  Only 14 guys were 'still standing' by the time it was all said and done, with respect to the stage race results.  Everyone on the team seemed to take something positive away from the experience, and I enjoyed racing with them.  I was also happy to race with fellow Iowa guys from Mercy-Specialized.  They brought a strong team, which included Matias Perret who finished 7th in the omnium (awesome).  Look for that guy to be dominant all season.

Tour of Hermann Results

2011 Hillsboro Roubaix...Droppin' It Like It Was Hot

All things considered, I had a rewarding experience at the 2011 edition of the Hillsboro Roubaix Spring Classic. I'm a fairly new Cat 2 racer, so I was still a little apprehensive lining up for only my second Pro 1,2 race at this level. 115 competitors towed the line to endure 87 windy miles across a course that included lots of twists and turns.

The Pro 1,2 field winding down a descent as riders struggle to hang on.

The wind was the main factor to consider in this race.  With such a large field of strong riders, it was a challenge to stay with the group during the many cross-wind sections, where drafting wasn't as effective.  I loaded up my water bottles with EnduroMax.  This is a product by Max Muscle that I have been using to maintain my strength throughout longer training/racing efforts and it seems to be really working.
 

The Pro 1,2 peleton was still fairly intact about midway through the race

There were quite a few crashes and mechanical issues throughout this race.  Position was so important to those that wanted to survive to see the end of the event, so everyone was very focused on staying tightly bunched together and as close to the front as possible.  Of course, if 115 skilled Pro 1,2 racers are all trying to be at the sweet spot of the peleton (about 1/3 of the way back), then something's gotta give... we all can't be there.  I imagine this was the case in all the races, as the ambulance was busy throughout the day taking people to the hospital. 

I was struggling to find the motivation to fight for position, which made my race exceptionally challenging. Yes, I did get dropped... actually quite a few times. A lot of times it had to do with getting caught behind a crash, but a few times the accelerations became too overwhelming, especially as fatigue became a factor later in the race. I am racing in the big leagues now, as became apparent with the unrelenting strength of this field. 

I am happy to report however, that I managed to reconnect with the main field several times and was still in the coveted 'selection' of about 30 riders with only about half a lap left to race. 


The Pro 1,2 field had whittled down to a 30 rider chase pack at about the 70th mile of the race.  Teammates Jeff Bradley, Paul Deninger, Vince De Jong and myself are still amongst the survivors at this point.

  

Here I am riding with what's left of the main field with only about 17 miles left to race.

I don't remember exactly what the situation was, but at some point after this photo, the field left me behind... and I wouldn't be able to catch them.  Teammates Paul Deninger and Vince De Jong popped off soon after.  We started a rotation of sorts, and even picked up fellow Iowan Brian West just a few miles later.


The main field as it races up the final hill through town, with only about a 1 mile to go. 
Teammate Jeff Bradely is sitting in about the 7th position.

 


Remarkably, I was still riding strong towards the end of the race,
so ended up leaving our 'Iowan Chase Group' behind, rolling up the final hill solo.

 


Paul Deninger seems like he had a 'rewarding' day as well, as he and Brian West
 head up the final hill through town just a bit behind me.


I am actually somewhat satisfied with the 2011 Hillsboro Roubaix Results.  I finished 38th out of 115 very talented and experienced regional Pro 1,2 level riders.  Sure, it wasn't pretty... actually it was downright ugly.  I know what needed to be done to get a better placing, and I wasn't mentally capable of doing it. I bought a book called "Sports Psychology for Cyclists" in an effort to remedy this situation.  I can say, however that I gained a huge amount of experience and fitness, as this was an intense workout.

American Equity teammate Jeff Bradley had the best finish of the day at 18th.  Unfortunately, Lou Waugaman had a mechanical issue early in the race and had to drop out.  This is too bad, because I know he was set to easily make the final selection, if not the winning break.  Teammate JJ Bailey got caught behind a crash, so he had to ride most of the race solo. Paul finished behind me, with Vince De Jong (who was riding strong in the field until right up until the end) finished in about the 44th position, a couple minutes back from where I ended up.  All in all, it was great to ride with the team, and experience midwest racing at it's finest. I am positive and encouraged about the outlook of my 2011 racing season.

Arizona 2011 Spring Training Vacation...

Due to the generous hosting offers provided by  TJ Tollakson and Lou Waugaman, I couldn't resist participating in a spring training vacation that occured in Tucson, Arizona, now dubbed the "Winter Training Capital of the US".  I can completely understand why... the weather was great and there were lots of challenging ride and terrain options, not to mention an impressive assortment of regional pro/Cat 1 cyclists to train and race against.  My favorite endurance coach (Coach Troy) also lives here, though I didn't see him out and about...

I hopped out of my rental car and right onto my bike when I arrived Thursday evening. I tore off towards 'Gates Pass' as Paul Deninger gave me directions and thought I could make it by dark. Nope... in my haste I totally got lost and couldn't find my way back to TJ's in the dark... Well, I thought about going into town to rent a room until daylight, but ultimately found my way back by asking directions. Good thing, because the Tucson Bike Classic was the very next day.

Me and Paul chilling out after the Stage 2 Road Race



TJ and Paul getting ready to ride down the road to the Stage 3 Circuit Race

-MT. LEMMON-
After the weekend of racing, Paul was suggesting that he needed to leave soon to keep his marriage in tact.  Well, climbing Mt. Lemmon is usually a part of any Tucson training experience, so Paul, Carson, and I elected to take our tired legs up the peak on Monday, a couple of days earlier than planned.  Ok, this was ill-advised.  Three Iowa guys rolling up a 24 mile long mountain pass with 50mph gusts and a winter storm advisory at the top of the hill.  Of course, I really didn't have all these details as I headed out the door.  Paul suggested I bring a base layer, as I was only wearing a jersey and shorts (hmm, I guess it might get a bit colder at 8000 feet). 

There were a series of 'bad ideas' that were made on this journey.  The first one was the decision to go up the mountain today in the first place. The second one was to ride our bikes to the base.  We went right through town, which was stop and go, with high traffic.  This took us about 90 minutes. Finally we arrived at the base of the mountain.

Part of the mountain range that surrounds the Tucson area. The town of Mt. Lemmon is up there somewhere.

I started off at a comfortable pace, enjoying the fact that I had no idea what I was in for.  Carson was using a power meter to keep his wattage in line, and Paul felt that I was going a bit too fast, so we all three quickly ended up riding up the mountain at our own pace by ourselves.

It was a rather enjoyable ride at first, with lots of breathtaking vistas.  Unfortunately, at about 5,000 feet the winds started to pick up and I began to experience waves of doubt.  At 6,000 feet I had to bust out my arm warmers as it was getting very cold.  I thought that this was all part of the experience, so I kept climbing.  There was a place at the top called the 'Cookie Cabin' and I had promised myself I would make it to the top to get one of their giant cookies. (I did it all for the Cookie).

A plate-sized cookie from the Cabin.

Ok, the wind and cold were practically knocking me off of my bike as I got to the 8000 feet markers and noticed piles of snow along the sides of the road.  "Where was Mt. Lemmon?  Did I go to far?  Why I am decending if I am at the top?  It is freaking cold!"...  I deliberated what to do for a few minutes, when I saw another fearless rider approaching... It was Carson and he looked determined to conquer this mountain.  Well, I was all in now, so I followed Carson until alas we made it to the small town of Mt. Lemmon.  The temperature was 38degrees... Ok, that explains why I was feeling so bewildered.  I wasn't wearing nearly enough gear for these conditions. 

We warmed up by the fire inside the Cookie Cabin as I contemplated my options.  I gingerly chewed on a giant chocalote chip cookie and Dr. Pepper while I thought things through... crap, aside from calling my mom for  a ride (embarassing) we really didn't have any options.  The only way home was back down the mountain.  Are you kidding me?  Ok, there was no choice.  So we walked out into the cold brisk air, as they began to close up early due to the winter storm advisory. 


The Cookie Cabin (except pictured on a nice sunny day... it wasn't nearly as inviting when I saw it)

Going downhill only compounded the wind chill situation.  Oddly enough, there were points when I had to actually pedal just to get my speed up to 16 mph due to the 50mph wind gusts that were making even riding downhill a struggle.  When the wind let up, I could get the bike rolling along at up to 40mph, but I didn't trust my hypothermic mind to keep my balance and depth perception in check so I took it easy.  My whole body was shivering and my teeth were chattering.

Fortunately, the temperature was rebounding quickly, as every minute brought me closer to the base of the mountain, where people were enjoying a spring-like day.  Well, Paul turned around before the summit, for obvious reasons, so he didn't quite get the cookie.  I didn't see anyone else on the way down... Duh, all the locals knew better than to ride their bikes up Mt. Lemmon today.  Going through town on the way home was indeed a 'death march' for me.  I bonked hard and finished the 90 mile day practically walking my bike home.

I felt pretty traumatized Tuesday morning, as we headed out for an early morning group ride that ends up  at Gates Pass.  Once I got warmed up, however, I really enjoyed this ride, and especially enjoyed being able to hold my own up the peak as part of the leading group of finishers.  Later that day we met up with TJ to do a mellow ride... I would suggest that this was on the "road to nowhere" (watch this video and find out where the 'road to nowhere' actually leads... it is quite the climactic revelation).


See, I told you that video had a thrilling climax... Anyway, Wednesday it was time to succumb to the accumulating exhaustion and have a rest day.  I hiked up behind Lou's house and recorded a panorama.


Thursday was one of my favorite rides as we elected NOT to do Mt. Lemmon as originally planned, and rather tried out the Madera Canyon Loop.  My legs felt great after the rest day, and I enjoyed some spirited tempo riding, climbing, and general meandering around as we put in another 100 mile day.

I decided to go up Gates Pass for a solo ride on Friday.  You just don't get climbs like this in Iowa, so I wanted to take advantage of one of my last chances to ride in Arizona.

Saturday morning was the famous 'Saturday Shootout'.  There were well over 150 people that participated in this ride (I guess it peaks at over 200 at times).  There is a 'B' ride that started a bit earlier that added another 75 or so.    It was fun to ride in such a large group.  And this is a training ride filled with mostly Cat 1,2,3's and a few regional pros, so the pace is quick and at times aggressive.  Teammate TJ Tollakson, went to the front with his TT bike and set a brisk tempo.  He is a pro-triathlete, so he takes advantage of this opportunity to have a motivated LT workout.  Lou rocked up one of the King of the Mountain sprints in the top position as usual. He became quite respected down there, as he was always leading the pack at the designated sprint points.
 

Carson, TJ, Lou, Me, and Paul right after Tucson Stage Race.

Well, I had a good vacation and glad that I chose to experience some new things.  I am a stronger rider, not to mention a wiser man.

Next up is Hillsboro Roubaix.  Lou's Blog has a nice preview.

Tucson Bicycle Classic Report

I hopped off a plane, and into the frying pan, as I participated in the 25th Annual Tucson Bicycle Classic.  I couldn't resist entering this race, as it seemed really well put together, and a great chance to compete in my first stage race.  Having said that, I was a little apprehensive about how little outdoor training milage I had accumulated and how this might effect my ability to compete against Arizona Cat 2 racers.

-STAGE 1: TIME TRIAL-  The TT was a short prologue, at 3.2 miles along a loop that starts with a descent and then ends with a some steep inclines.  It was hot but also extremely dry.  In fact, there was very little sweating going on in Arizona, the perspiration evaporated almost instantly. The race had a real-deal start house and a guy who counted us down by putting his fingers in front of your face... the same as a pro-tour TT, so I was impressed.

 I really enjoyed not dripping with sweat, however the downside became apparent after a couple of minutes into the race.  ...my throat was so dry... I was afraid to swallow, fearing I would choke on my own tongue. 

I wasn't able to have my full TT set-up with me, however I felt I could grind out a respectable time.  I was racing against 44 Cat 2's, and there was no where to hide... either I was going to sink or swim... Fortunately, I ended up with a respectable time that put me in 16th overall and just 8 seconds outside of the top 10.  I felt good about this result, especially considering some of 'home-court' advantages.

-STAGE 2: 80 MILE ROAD RACE- On Saturday we did 4 laps in the middle of the desert... no sweat, literally (I still can't get over that).  It seemed like this wasn't a day to get any time back, as the breaks traditionally get caught.  There were time bonuses for the top 3 finishers, however, so the General Classification was bound to adjust.  The yellow jersey rider did a great job of staying attentive.  About 1 mile in, I regret to report that I almost got dropped.  The group hit the gas hard right after a set of horrific railroad tracks.  Ok, this might be a long one...

I got a feel for things, and stayed with the group without incident the rest of the race.  A break did get away, but was brought back towards the end of the race.  I really was feeling good towards the end of the race, as others seemed to be finally showing signs of fatigue.  I felt out things on the front, but ultimately opted to roll through the race finishing with the same time as the peloton.  I actually moved up two spaces on the GC, so things were looking good for Sunday.

-STAGE 3: 45 MILE CIRCUIT RACE- We were set to do 8 laps,  as I rolled off, again not really sure what to expect.  Today was the day to make things happen, with respect to bettering general classification times.  It was predicted that there would be a break today, so I hoped to get into it.  To that end, I jumped to the front early in the race as the attacks were being made. 

Ultimately, I didn't quite have the high-end speed to hang on to the gaps, but I did give it a pretty signficant effort.  I had to re-group for a few laps and see if I could try something at the end. Ultimately, about 9 guys made up some time by finishing ahead of the main group.  I rolled in with the field... sort of felt anti-climatic, so I took off for some extra mileage up towards Gates Pass.

I ended up 19th out of 44 in the Cat 2 division.  The main point of entering this race was to gain some race-level fitness and experience to kick-start our training camp.  I can easily say this mission was accomplished.  What a great race.

Bishop Wind Tunnel Testing Center

Teammate Paul Deninger loaned me one of his Power Meters which means that I now have some truly significant data to analyze and train with.  In an effort to maximize the numerical information that I will be processing this spring, I decided to start construction on the Bishop Wind Tunnel Testing Center (BWTTC).

Considering that there are only a couple of wind tunnels in the country, I expect to be getting a lot of requests from fellow bike racers regarding the rates I will charge for use of the tunnel. 

The BWTTC in it's developmental stages.



I am using the A2 wind tunnel in North Carolina as a template for my Testing Center.

 I will try and do some updating regarding my Arizona Spring Training Camp experiences. The American Equity team is starting things off with a training race to help gain some of the fitness/experience you can only get from participating in a competitive situation.  If you are curious about how things are going, check out the race website's results page: Tucson Bicycle Classic.

Iowa Spring Classic Race Review

I braved some windy/cold weather conditions in and effort to kick off the 2011 road racing season at the Iowa Spring Classic, representing the 2011 American Equity Elite Racing Team.  The wind had a nasty bite to it, and really was noteworthy for all in attendance (in fact, they shortened the distance to 5 laps from 7, due to the weather).  I was encouraged to see a fairly large turnout in each of the races as I lined up for the Cat 1,2,3 event.

We ripped down the road with a tailwind to start things off in this event that included teammates from Bikes2You, Zealous Racing, Atlas, Mercy-Specialized, and a few solo riders, including myself.  Shortly after the start Lee Venteicher (Bikes2You) and Scott Robinson (Zealous) established a gap, facilitated by blocking from their teammates.  I patiently decided to wait this out, assuming this wasn't the winning move, though Lee and Scott did stay up the road for a very long time.

About half way into the race Andrew Fagersten (Bikes2You) unleashed an attack that seemed to start in the crosswind section and follow through to the tailwind.  I was near the back at this point, but recognized the seriousness of the situation and powered my way up through the ensuing gaps.  Soon it was just Andrew and Jerome Rewerts (Zealous) up the road and I was able to make contact.  I looked back to see a pretty significant gap.  The three of us organized to chase down the leaders. 

Slowly but surely, we caught Lee and Scott, as they hung on to our rotation (hmm, bad news for me... outnumbered).  Fortunately,  Lee and Scott were eventually dropped from the break, and the three of us continued to rotate through.  It was hard to decide how much effort to dose out, as I was not sure as to the situation behind us.

Lee V. tenaciously clawed his way back to within eye sight, which ended up being a very important development for Bikes2You.  Andrew dropped back, which sort of forced me and Jerome to do the work for the last portion of the race.  I tested his resolve by slowing down to a near standstill and he stuck to his strategy, knowing that Lee and him would have numbers if Jerome and I sat up.

The race paid back three spots, so things were looking good for me regardless.  I was the first to jump on the sprint to the finish.  I couldn't hear anyone behind me, so for a few fleeting seconds I thought I had the victory.  Unfortunately, Andrew excuted the game plan to perfection by taking advantage of his slightly fresher legs to come around me at the line.  He was gracious in acknowleding that me and Jerome were cordial regarding his tactic.  Well played by Bikes2You, and  congratulations to Andrew for excellent racing.

RESULTS

I feel good about this result, as the field was filled with some great riders, and my fitness seemed to be right on target.  It was fun to get back into things and see alot of familiar faces.  Things are only going to get more interesting from here, as the American Equity Team is poised for a rewarding 2011 campaign.

Time Trial Fitting Chronology

My cousin is an engineer at the Trek facility in Waterloo, Wisconsin.  This is a great coincidence and provides for some interesting seasonal conversations, and occassionally an opportunity to be a product tester.  This year, he asked me to test out some Race X-Lite TT Handlebars that he is helping to develop.  To that end, I spent some time installing the bars and fine tuning my TT fit. 

I have been racing long enough that I can occassionaly post retro-pics.  I was looking through older photos, to see how my TT position may have evolved:

The Dice 20kTT, May 2007, probably my first Time Trial... Yikes, there is plenty of room for improvement

I got a TT bike in 2008... Now I am starting to get serious.

My 2011 position is much more agressive and aerodynamic.  I am wearing the American Equity/Velosport 2011 Kit.

 GRAY AERODOME HELMET
The picture above also includes my new Gray Aerodome Helmet... I am really excited about how much more comfortable it feels compared to my previous helmet.  Even the chinstrap has a soft pad to insure comfort.  I want to be able to focus on my performance, not attend to nagging equipment issues, so this is appreciated.

BURLINGTON ROAD RACE
One of the races I am looking forward to is the 2011 Burlington Road Race, as part of the Memorial day weekend races.  Rumor has it that the Wapello Iowa has decided that they don't want cyclist in their town anymore, so the race directors are completely by-passing this location.  I believe this will make for a better race situation for everyone, actually.  Especially the Cat 3/4's and Cat 5's, who would have been in the Wapello-Burlington version of this event.  The end of this race was always hectic, with carnage every year at the sprint.  The race was always completely uneventful until the last mile, when the center-line rule was no longer in effect, and all hell broke loose...


2006 WapBurl RR: I am in the far left (yellow helmet), looking on as two DICE guys hit the deck...ouch.

Cold Weather Riding Scale

Maybe a little known fact about my cycling situation is that I have an aversion to riding in the cold weather... yes, this does make training and racing in Iowa a bit of a challenge in the early parts of the season. I thought I would share my unique approach to deciding whether or not to train inside or outside.

Well, despite adhering to my cold weather riding guidelines, I got nailed big time on Friday... The temperate was a real feel of 51, and I saw some kids running around without coats on, so I figured I would go for it (according to my scale, this was code 'Yellow').  All started out well, but about 2 hours in it started to rain... a cold, dreary downpour that included loud claps of thunder, an irritating head wind and a marked depression of my spirit.  Stubbornly I continued further from my house, determined to at least get in a 60 miler...  You know how this story goes... another 'character builder'... you put your head down and try to keep your mind off of the uncomfortable feeling of numb fingers, soggy toes, limited visibility, stiffening joints, profuse snot emissions, slippery roads, dangerous traffic maneuvering, etc.

I got home and thanked a higher power that the nightmare was over... Once I finally warmed up, about an hour later, a large grin overwhelmed my demeanor... I got some early season outdoor miles in... it always ends up being worth it.

Chasing CHILI...

Hmmm... doesn't everyone just love a nice hot, spicy bowl of chili after an intense, all-out, bone-chlling, heart-throbbing, knee-buckling, sweat-pouring, anxiety-provoking, adrenline-pumping, physically-demanding 4 mile run?  Apparently alot of people do, as this was theme of the Chili Chase 4 Mile that I entered on Sunday in Davenport, Iowa... run 4 icy miles in the freezing temperatures and then chow down some chili, washing it down with cans of busch light.

I do have some strengths, but the ability to eat a bowl of chili after an intense physical effort is not one of them. I watched in awe as over 350 people squeezed into the Duck Creek Park Lodge after the race and enjoyed the after party festivities which featured chili.  Why don't I have the inner strength to be able to eat a full meal right after a race?  Is this something I can train myself to be able to do?  The meal was part of the entry fee and yet I was unable to enjoy it. 

I couldn't resist entering at least one running race before I pushed my treadmill into the corner until fall, and this race was the one I had chosen.  I really wasn't feeling that confident as I lined up with around 350 starters, so I sort of hid about 1/3 of the way back from the front.  This decision haunted me the entire race, as I was blocked in for almost the first half mile of the race.  As I began to get some leg room, the course become very icy. In fact, at one point we were running single file, as there was only a 1 foot patch of dry road. I decided to run at this pre-determined pace rather than risk slipping on the snow/ice combo.

Eventually I was 'free to fly' and was happy to realize I had worked my way up to 12th place.  I had hoped to get into the top 10, and so I marked the next two runners up the road.  I made it to the 10th spot as we had less than a third of a mile to go, when somebody passed me... luckily I was able to pass another runner before the finish to maintain my position. (Chili Chase Results)

I will admit that I felt a little guilty about running instead of cycling that day, but I really do need to cross train during the winter months to keep from getting burnt out, and running seems to help my overall fitness.  Having said that, I now plan to shift my focus exclusively to cycling, as I have a training race coming up March 12th in Iowa City (The Iowa Spring Classic #2) and then a stage race in Arizona (really? that should be interesting)...