Monday, November 24, 2008

Cap City Cross

Don't my legs look all ripped while I pick up the remains of my bike after wiping out yesterday? That must have been the only time that I going slow enough for the camera to catch me... right!

Great setup, and good use of the venue... I think i was in the low twenties of about 30-35 racers. Good time, but I can feel the body saying its time to "shut 'er down." We'll see if we can't fire it up one more time and Brookside.


:::tinny out

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Gun Club 'Cross

Nice work to John Gatch and the Hunington Bank team for putting on a great race today. It was home grown cyclocross at its best. I think there were about 25 men in the elite 1,2,3 race, and it was really an odd feeling to be racing a "local" race. Don't get me wrong, everything was very well done, but in the last month I've raced 5 UCI level events, so it took a little while to soak it all in. I had a poor-to-OK start, and it was pretty chaotic as things started to stretch out into the singletrack, and then got mixed up again as we entered the sandpits. After a few laps, I found myself w/ Matt Fox of BioWheels and an Alderfer Bergan rider. I was leading it into the sandpits and heard some chaos behind me.


I gunned it for 10 seconds and looked back to find a small gap. I kept the gap for a while and got to see Matt and the AB rider duking it out behind me as the course doubled back on itself. The laps were short, btw 6 & 7 minutes short. I remember looking down at my HRM to see only 18 minutes had passed and about fell off my bike. There was also a hill that we climbed (on our bikes) every lap. It was steep and really rough. This is me at the top of that hill.


This is what that hill felt like toward the end of the hour long race.


Chip got me all hot and bothered about my Darkhorse bretheren coming out to the race at the end of thier ride, but they never showed up :(

So, I was left to answer all the questions about "Where are all the other Darkhorse's?" Where's Dan? Where's Brett? Has Chip taken really up professional knitting after his accident this summer? Is Alex really training for the 2009 World's Strongest Man competition? Did Tank really import 16 year old kids from Perto Rico to play on his Pop Warner football team? Some questions are just unable to ever be answered...


:::tinny out

US Grand Prix of Cyclocross

I know that I am way overdue for a blog about my cyclocross escapades, so here is my chance to play a little catch up. Last weekend was the USGP in Louisville. I ventured down both days to do the sandbagger race (CAT 2-3). I really felt sorry for all the poor CAT 3's as they had thier race bolstered w/ 20+ displaced CAT 2's. We'd all get our jocks handed to us in the elite race, so we pay-it-forward to the 3's. Now that is trickle-down economics! There were a ton of photographers there, but this was the only pic I could find of me. It may because I'm not very good looking, or because my races were at 9:30 in the morning. As usual, I am trying to ingest my bottom lip, this is affectionally know as my "crossface" in my inner circles of friends and enemies. I finished 26/71 on Saturday and 24/80 on Sunday. Champions Park in Louisville is just a great place to race your bike!


Nice work to all the folks in Louisville for a great weekend.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Pecha Kucha


Pecha Kucha is a presentation format developed in 2003 by a couple of architects in Tokyo. It was invented to be an informal way for young designers to present their work in a public setting. Each presenter is allowed 20 images and exactly 20 seconds per image. This keeps the presentation concise and moving and 6 minutes and 40 seconds later the next presenter takes over with no pause in the procession.

At Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects we have adopted this format with a slight twist. Since we are immersed in design every day we use this format as an opportunity to talk about our lives outside the profession. For our most recent presentation, I was selected along with 5 others. I decided to talk about bike racing and my passion for the sport. Among the images shown was this one captured after Hueston Woods in 2007.

October 30, 2008 was the day that Darkhorse Racing to introduced to Seattle.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

CycloStampede Photos :: 2008

Cyclo Stampede Photos by our own Mike More.
Thank you Mike!
--> photos <--

Monday, October 6, 2008

Directions to the center of the Cycling Universe:

Use your favorite web service to get directions to Friday's Darkhorse Cyclo-Stampede:

England/Idlewild Park
5550 Idlewild Road
Burlington KY 41005

Sunday, October 5, 2008

TTT: A New Form of Pain

As Alex posted, Darkhorse tried to represent on Saturday at the QCW team time trial. I am sure that most cyclists have dreamt of doing a team time trial of some sort, either seeing the teams roll around a race track at the Tour de Georgia or seeing a teams rolling around France in July.

Here we are a few moments before the start.

I rolled w/ the A-Team (try to say that w/o hearing the theme some in the background). Brett, Dan and I had come out and practiced a few weeks back and that was a huge help. An obvious factor in a TTT is raw fitness, but it is rare that you'll have a perfectly balanced team, so communication is key. During our little workout, we had established a basic code for Dan, your going too fast, Nick, stop rocking your hips, and Brett, turn down your handlebar-bling, its hurting my eyes.
Check out Dan- he's busting out his Space Balls Halloween costume early.

One strategy that we implemented that worked pretty well was to have the rider that was in the second position be the "coach." that person could kinda keep the guy out front honest. It seemed to work OK. This would be really fun to do in June when we'd all have a little more consistent fitness. I think we ended up in 2nd place w/ a time of 23:17. Not to bad for a bunch of hacks.

Chip getting the 'Horses in line


Here we are digging deep into our suitcase of courage...


Mike More was strong early, but we used and abused him... Thanks for selling out!


Saturday, October 4, 2008

Triple T (B Team)

Today was a beautiful day for a bike ride, unfortunately it was a little hard to enjoy it being in the pain box for 25:38. That's how long it took us to cover the 10.2 miles of the Queen City Wheels Team Time Trial. Darkhorse had 7 representatives out today, so we split into 2 teams of 4. The A team was Dan, Nick, Brett, and Mike M. B Team was Chip, Mike G., Micah (friend of Chip) and myself. I have never ridden the Cleves TT loop, so I had no idea what to expect.

Here is a link to the route: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=15361&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=6908574

As you can see from the profile, it is relatively flat, especially the last 3-4 miles. But when you are trying to go as fast as possible, it hurts regardless. We all took pretty equal pulls and I feel we worked well as a team, especially having never tried this before.
While nowhere near the top, I'm pleased with our time, considering the time spent off the bike for all 4 of us. Chip is still coming back from his shoulder injury, Mike G. has a hurt back, this was Micah's first race of any kind (great job and thanks for helping us out!), and I've been too busy eating Bon Bon's and picking lint out of my belly to ride.

Great job to the A team and we will do it again next year!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Assaulted by Mt. Mitchell

This past weekend I rolled to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my best bud and roommate/classmate from college and his wife and their two little ones. Jeff and Leslie are dear friends of mine and are always gracious, generous hosts for my pretty-much-annual trek southward to “hang”. In 2004, the three of us and two of their local friends went to France to visit friends and follow the TdF for “No. 6”. One of those friends, Nate, was the logistical mastermind for planning a good bit of the trip and finding the “double-secret-probation” route up the “other side” of Alpe d’Huez to ensure we had a great spot to experience the uphill TT.

Recently, Jeff, Nate and I talked about putting together a weekend riding trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway. As they are much more familiar with the territory, I left it in their capable hands to develop the itinerary. I arrived Thursday evening and my car was loaded with the three of us Friday as we headed to Asheville, NC. Somewhere along the way one of them mentions something about “when we do Mt. Mitchell on Saturday”.

Crap! Cool! Wait … they didn’t tell me that! I shoulda’ brung my 12 x 27! Shut up … you need the work Brown! It promised to be an excellent weekend.

We rolled into Asheville, where I had visited once briefly between stops of catching a stage of the old Tour du Pont and a Pink Floyd concert in Clemson. We found our urban abode, checked in and rolled out for a ride. The plan was to do an out-and-back loop up onto the Parkway and to the Biltmore for (hopefully) a lap around the grounds. A mile or so out of town and it was “up and away”. I haven’t done a lot of riding in the last month and even less climbing, so I knew it could get “interesting”. After about 24-25 miles of riding we arrived at the gate of the Biltmore, but the $47 admission fee was a little steep, so we settled for some espresso at the nearby Bux. Back on our steeds and to the hotel we went. At the end of day one, we had easily done a month’s worth of climbing (for me anyway) already. We cleaned up, headed out for Boddingtons (beer) and a great Italian dinner in downtown Asheville.

Downtown Asheville has a more “Euro” feel to it than Cincinnati for sure … lotsa’ little shops opening onto the topographically-varied streetscape, and some intimate little plazas. One of them hosts a nightly assemblage of street musicians … essentially a “drumming” that has become a tourist stop. I think I heard Jeff refer to Asheville as “the San Francisco of the east” … based on what I experienced I would concur. I was imagining how much Chip would enjoy the strains of the drumming and the scent of patchouli and clove cigarettes filling the air as we hung out for a bit to soak up the nightlife. ;)

The next morning we loaded up the V-Dub and headed for Marion, North Carolina. We had heard that a portion of the Parkway was closed to traffic, so we altered our route to Mt. Mitchell. “Luckily” (sarcasm) it made the climb tougher. Jeff has been racing 3’s for 20+ years and has done the “Assault on Mt. Mitchell” several times, and knew that Marion would be a good launch point. The race is 100+ miles and rolls thru this little burg before the 30-odd mile climb upwards. In short, the route leaves Marion and hits Route 80 after a handful of miles, then onto the Parkway, then Mt. Mitchell Park (Rte. 128) itself.

Route 80 is basically a bunch of switchbacks for about 12 miles. The last four miles leading up to the Blue Ridge Parkway are a steady 8-10 percent grade … probably the hardest stretch of the ride. The 11-mile stretch of the parkway traversed here is mostly uphill. First, a 4 mile section (passing through three tunnels), then a 2-mile descent, followed by a 3-mile climb. The climbs average about 6 percent, amping up to 8 percent in several spots. After turning off the parkway, the first two miles up Route 128 are stiff (8-10 percent). From the park entrance, the road nearly levels out before the final climb to the top. From the parkway to the summit is 4.7 miles.



Jeff later reminded me that we had ridden through a cloud right at the park entrance … my own memory temporarily hazed-over by my aching quads and back.

At the top, chill was setting into my sweat-soaked body and the kindly shopkeeper gave me a thick brown paper bag to put under my wind vest. The temps in Marion were probably in the low to mid 70’s and overcast, while the summit was breezy and maybe 60°. I began my teeth-chattering (and white-knuckled) descent. I’m not a huge fan of descending, but it is a fun drop … I’d be more comfortable if the road was closed!

Epic day.

8,000 vertical feet and 62 total miles later we are back at the WalMart in Marion and heading for Hound Ears. This reclusive hideaway near Boone, North Carolina is the location of the weekend/mountain house of a friend of Jeff’s, where we were to lodge for Saturday evening. Our hosts included the gracious owners, their daughter, another couple and the owner’s 90 year old grandmother who was the life of the party! As the only “Yankee”, I made an effort to be on my best behavior, although our hosts did have some familial ties to Ohio and Cincinnati (whew!).

Our dinner and evening including thick steaks, several bottles of red wine, southern bourbon and cigars out on the secluded deck were the reward for our wrecked legs. My legs have never been as tired after riding as that day. :)

Sunday morning we ventured out from Hound Ear’s, which is conveniently nestled at the bottom of about a 5 mile long climb up to the Parkway, similar in grade to Indian Hill, but mostly switchbacks. It’s a gorgeous area and is as nice a climb as anywhere. Onto the parkway we rolled for our “recovery ride” to Grandfather Mountain. Nate pointed out the engineering feat that was a portion of the Parkway we were on … cantilevered viaducts that “enhance” the notion of being up in the mountains and almost levitating. We rolled out about a total of 20 miles or so, then reversed back, actually riding “through” an organized “Bridge to Bridge” century that was routed along a portion of the Parkway.

Back to Hound Ears for cleanup and heading back to Charlotte … gotta’ stop for food! BARBEQUE! Nate scouted out a “shack” and we scarfed down some local fare whilst watching the “pre-game” of the last game at Yankee Stadium on ESPN. Sad to see the edifice go I suppose … sad that the trip was winding to an end.

Kudos to Jeff and Nate for their planning and camaraderie and to Charles et al in Hounds Ears for the ultimate in Southern hospitality.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Tour of Missouri :: Stage 6 Recap








The Darkhorse reporter in the field covering the last two stages of the 2008 edition of the Tour of Missouri.  One word, FANTASTIC!  For several reasons, the KOM stage today, was a test of man versus weather, terrain, and more weather (ie. humidity that was BRUTAL).

FOR DARKHORSE RIDERS ONLY: THIS WAS A CHIP DOBSON CLIMB OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!!!  

Laura and I met up with my best friend Mike to drive south into the foothills of Missouri in majestic wine country.  The setting was perfect to test the mettle of the pros.  The crowds were large, the energy and excitement of pro level racing was enjoyed by young and old, cyclist and non cyclist.

Admittedly, I am very star struck after today, I met Mari Holden, olympian and world champion cyclist. See photo of me completely dorking it out, smooth move...  

In addition, I was able to stalk Christian Vande Velde afterwards for a photo op as well.  Don't worry, no Darkhorse insignias were noted, so for the future, other team mates can approach the Slipstream boys.

On the back braking climb today, sporting my super stalker Garmin podium hat, screaming and yelling like a maniac, I was actually interviewed for a documentary piece about the U.S. domestic team showdown between Garmin and Columbia.  Apparently others said I was very articulate and appeared to be knowledgeable, I shook like a leaf on the inside and thought I was a goon.  Oh well, it was fun, nonetheless.

Photos:
- Top of the climb for Stage 6, look for Mark Cavendish, (green jersey), he hung in like a trooper to win the field sprint today!

- Spongebob extraordinaire, one of three great guys we chatted up all day on the climb, they were fantastic and so damn funny!  Check out his blog!  They have some great shots from the climb today as well as SpongeBob ripping up the hill!

- Me in reporter mode

- John Gatch (one of Cincy's best cyclists and part of the dynamic duo of TwoJohnsPodcast) and his pimp ass adidas shoes.  John somehow finds time to beat up on everyone in town on a bike, then travel to work as a team rider liaison for the Tour of Missouri and the Tour de Georgia! (John, does this get me the ride in one of the team cars in tomorrow's final stage still???)

- Christian Vande Velde's TT rig, the one that was used in the Tour de France.  Ridiculously LIGHT!!!!

- Me and Christian, total serious dorkface on my part.

- Me and Mari Holden, she is an amazing athlete and so nice to pose with the likes of me... 


Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Sunflower Revolution



Thought this was blog worthy:

I wanted to thank Mike More and his parents, who afforded Stephen Brown and I the opportunity to participate in the Sunflower Revoltion Ride on Sunday.

“The Sunflower Revolution bike ride celebrated its fifth anniversary Sept. 7 with new courses that begin at Riverside II Park in Milford and wind through Clermont County. It was a beautiful day with a touch of rain, which added to the sweet suffering that was endured. The ride, which raises funds for Parkinson’s disease research and wellness at The Neuroscience Institute at University Hospital and the University of Cincinnati, is presented by the Davis Phinney Foundation of Boulder, Colo., in partnership with the University Hospital Foundation. Phinney, a former Tour de France cyclist who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 40, will headline the event for the fifth straight year.”Cyclists can choose among routes of 100, 40 and 20 kilometers and of course we chose the 100k. By my estimation, around 150 cyclists were at the start line at 730am, ready to race…I mean ride the 100k charity race…I mean ride, complete with a timing clock and transponder chips. That’s right, a charity “ride” with a time clock and transponders…that leads me to the “challenge”, Mike proposed to me the night before…“Athletes entered in the 100K event can participate in the second annual Platinum Challenge, which offers a goal-setting opportunity. Those who cross the finish line in less than 2 hours, 45 minutes – an overall average of 22.5 mph -- will receive a platinum-level medal. Wayne Stetina, a three-time Olympian and five-time national champion, set the standard in 2007 with a time of 2:32:16. Cyclists who complete the 100K in less than 3 hours, 15 minutes will receive a gold medal, and those who finish in less than 4 hours will receive a silver. All remaining 100k finishers will receive a bronze medal.Leading cyclists entered in the 100K will be divided into starting corrals according to their qualifying times. To earn a position in the platinum-start corral, cyclists must have:• earned a platinum time of 2:45 in Sunflower Revolution IV• earned recognition as a CAT 1 or 2 cyclist• qualified at a Sunflower qualifying event• earned recognition as a Triathlon All-American by Inside Triathlon• received a special invitation”

Well, that’s all it took really…Mike and I had agreed that we’d shoot for the gold medal, which seemed like a pretty loafty goal, considering the lack of consistent riding we’ve both been doing.

Anyway, I wont bother you with a play-by-play of our 60 miles but I can say that it was one of the more enjoyable cycling challenges or rides that I’ve been a part of, in a very long time. The route and the people were great and considering the scope of the course, it was very well marked and marshalled by police and a host of volunteers.

For a race against the clock, the three of us busted our humps and did very well. Mike and I stayed with the main pack till about 20-25 miles-in (after the covered bridge dismount) and formed a six person group that worked hard to finish under the 2:45 Platinum time. The six of us barely made it, coming in at 2:35, averaging around 22.5 mph. Brown was riding like a champ and finished only a few minutes behind, earning the gold.

The food and after party was a lot of fun and I look forward to hopefully doing this great charity ride again next year. THANKS MIKE!

http://www.velonews.com/calendar/detail/79674

http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/

Monday, August 25, 2008

oh, so this takes practice?

took the cx bike up to ault park yesterday to work out the fit and try my hand at a little dismount/remount practice. i thought i remembered how the dismount worked: unclip right, swing leg over and through, grab top tube with right hand, unclip left, land on light feet, and leap! piece of cake, right? so i get to my first dismount, and i unclip left, almost slip off the pedal, grab the top tube, then unclip right, and basically hurl myself over the side, coming to an almost complete stop facing the side of my bike.

smooth.

i got a little better after a few tries, although i found myself slipping to a cheater's dismount: unclip right, swing leg over but not through, leave both hands on the bars (forget the top tube), unclip left, and go. fewer steps to tax my aging brain, and i don't think it'll matter in the c races -- and i can use the c races to work on form, right? right?

the remount, if possible, was worse. of course, i was taking the dreaded stutter step. and for some reason, when i could eliminate the stutter-step, i was jumping way too hard to get back on, instead of simply taking a large step over the bike: step-step-step-jump-OOOFF! and the back tire would wiggle and squish and complain under the stress. after about two laps of the little soccer field up by the wednesday series course, i remounted so hard that i pinch-flatted my rear tire (which, in my defense, was squishy to start with. of course, that means that i didn't check tire pressure before leaving the house, so it's back to no defense at all).

i'm heading up to harbin on wednesday -- at least i'll provide some entertainment for the folks who know what they're doing.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Super Dan Ott...
























Ok, we all have to admit that Super Dan Ott is the man and he makes any picture that he's in look sweet (check out this pic on Velonews http://velonews.com/photo/62849), but the biggest reason that I am making this post is because the picture that Brett posted the other week really makes me uncomfortable...

BTW, its pretty ironic that we are caught in the exactly opposite order that we were continually trying to be in at Ault...

:::tinny out

Friday, August 8, 2008

Hour of Power


Two days off the "hour" and I'm already regretting it. Matt Bell and Alex Hasse had a healthy serving of the heavies this morning. The awe inspiring kettlebells seemed to provide talking points far beyond the hour work out this morning. Shannon found the quote of the day, when he asked what kettlebells were. Silly Shannon, you will learn soon enough, I'm sure.



"Who trains with kettlebells? Hard comrades of all persuasions. "

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Top 10 Rampage Highlights

1. 7hills started this weekly east side romp, known as the Rampage in 2007...last nights seven hills attendance: 1
2. The Rampage is aka the Team Huntington Bank whoop ass ride
3. Riverbend traffic and cyclist=slow speeds and rubber necking
4. Darkhorse attendance: 2
5. Dave Matthews Band fans like the Tour de France
6. Attractive women like Dave Mathews
7. Dave Stewart is stupid fast
8. Sergio really does make "race car noises" while riding his bike
9. Shaonnon designated Brett as the honorary " sweeper for all hills longer than 20 meters
10. Mike Moore was seen stumbling into Riverbend shouting incoherent cheers for Darkhorse

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Pur Tour: the same ol’ cup of water still satisfies


The Pur Tour marks the winding down of the local racing season and in the heat of the summer, it’s always scorcher. With little to no warm-up area and a crab grass-dust bowl parking lot, it resembles what I imagine a circuit race in Saudi Arabia might look like (imagine Yakima mounted Camels). Shelter tents and umbrellas were prevalent and a vital component to pre and post race staging.

Shannon, Brown and I arrived with about an hour before the 3 race. Alex arrived shortly after, along with Chip, who came to cheer us all on. I managed a brief but adequate warm-up before lining up with about 30 others. The wind speeds were worth noting; a headwind at the finish, a strong tail wind from the North, pushing a fast pace down the back side of the course (reaching max speeds around 40 mph) and a stout cross wind that became a headwind as the course looped around to the hill and back to the finish line.

I thought I was ready for this race but as a newbie to CAT 3 races, I keep forgetting to take into account all the breakaway attempts and attacks. It really does change the whole dynamic of the race and it is contrary to what I’ve grown accustomed to. I think I need to tape a Post-It Note on my stem as a reminder; “someone’s going to attack” or maybe something like “attack early and attack often” or “be ready for a breakaway” or perhaps, ”suffer chasing or suffer breaking.”
Anyway, that about summed up the race for me. I was either in an ill-fated breakaway or chasing one…mostly chasing, unfortunately. We averaged 26 for the first couple of laps and the group stayed together. Around lap 3, Ryan Good was anxious to get a break started and being on the front when he attacked, I unexpectedly found myself in a break with him. For some reason, I remembered that old reality show, “You are the weakest link.” The break was short lived we were pulled back in. I was able to integrate back into the pack (surprisingly) without feeling totally spent. Despite the quick recovery, I was not feeling the same pop and zest in the legs that I did a few short weeks ago.
Shortly after the first break was reeled in, a second break of about 3 to 4 men escaped. I was in no shape to respond and I appeared to be in good company, as no one around me seemed capable of giving chase. As a result, the break slowly made time on the field and at one point was about 15 seconds in front and still well within striking range…that was the case until our pace suddenly became dangerously slow.
No one wanted to work to pull it in. There was the usually barking from the men in the rear about not chasing or whatever, but of course they wanted nothing to do with the work required to do so at the front. I suggested taking turns, pulling through at a decent pace in order to close the gap. I honestly don’t remember what was said next, but a Louisville guy told me to go…so what was a horse to do? I knew I’d never be able to bridge on my own but that maybe an attack might result in the rest of the field in chasing me (thus closing in the break). Well, I went as hard as I could for about 15 to 30 seconds and another rider went with me. I did not look back but I could sense that I had decent gap on the field but I was smack dab in the middle of no-mans-land. The plan sort-of-worked: the field reacted to my actions and caught us and the speed continued to stay brisk; thus putting some time on the break. When we came around the hill again, we could see the break. They were so stinking close. Only a few more collective efforts were required and we would have had them. The break dangled precariously out in front of us like that for the next several laps. Dayton had the largest numbers but from my point of view, were not able to orchestrate a solid effort. They were however able to bridge close enough to put a man in the break, which I suppose is worth applauding.
Once Team Dayton had secured its slot in the break, it seemed one of three things was transpiring back in the chase group…men were either dropping out, chasing, or bridging solo to the break. These solo bridges usually occurred on the hill and their efforts seemed Herculean.
I think all but two Team Dayton riders dropped out by this point (the remaining Dayton racer in the chase group was actually taking turns on the front, drilling it). A racer from Olympus Homes reminded him that he had a man in the break, but it didn’t seem to phase him (great team work).
By this point, the break consisted of seven men, all deservingly reaching the finish line before the chase group. They only paid out five deep and I wish I could have seen them finish. The chase group dwindled down to a hand full of us and on the last lap, on the hill the two remaining strongest riders attacked to take 8th and 9th place respectively. I duked it out with the remaining few men for 11th. It was an interesting race and I learned a lot. I hope to be more aggressive in the future to avoid being a spectator within the race. It really annoyed me to see the real race unfold in front of my eyes, mere seconds down the road.

Monday, August 4, 2008

PUR tour 2008 -- 4s

PUR tour: one turn, one hill, long straightaway to the start/finish ... a simple course, right? Go hard, go fast, and see who's there at the end? Well, on Saturday the wind had other ideas, making this a far more tactical race than I would've thought possible. We lined up with 4 horsemen: Steve, Alex, Mike M., and me. Pre-race conversations focused on maybe getting Alex in the money (and outta the 4s) with a 1-2 punch in the finale -- one of us go on the hill, and when that person was (inevitably) brought back (since it's so far from the finish), lead Alex out hard.

The best-laid plans, right? First, three other teams had greater numbers and were in a much better position to determine the way the race went. Dayton mostly patrolled the front, but didn't seem willing to stick their noses out for very long; 7Hills did the same; and Anthem, as usual, kept sending one after another after another into the wind. Seemed like Anthem would alternate with one of the unattached guys in the race -- first one of the u/a guys would go, then an Anthem guy would go. We mostly hung tight, stayed out of the wind, when possible, and paid attention.

Mostly. With six to go, I wanted to move up in the field after the hill -- somehow I had gotten way to the back. I rolled up nice and easy on the left side, didn't see any places to jump back in, and suddenly found myself at the front -- at about 18 mph. What the heck? I thought -- I'm pretty fresh from sitting in. Let's see if we can animate this here race. So I picked it up a bit, and started drilling it, right about the time they rang the prime bell. I could almost hear the dogs start barking and drooling: someone to chase, AND beer at the end!!! Instead of sitting up like a smart guy, I decided to drill it to the turn and see what happened.

What happened was that no one came with me. On the backside, a couple Louisville guys came up, but the pack was hot on their tails, so we got nowhere. Oh well, at least Mairin didn't have to pick me out of a pack that lap.

Fast-forward about 5 more laps, 500 m to go: I'm where I want to be -- on Geoff Reynolds's wheel when he goes too early. I haven't had a chance to look behind me, but I'm hoping Alex is nearby. I follow Geoff, but it's taking more than it should to hold him, and when it comes time to go around, ppphhhhhttttt! nothin'. From the corner of my eye I see Mr. Steady Mike More roll in for a top-10 (go Mike!).

It was a fun race -- pretty sketchy, though: once people started learning where to be in the wind, they started doing whatever it took to get there. It got really narrow on the gutter in the staightaway as riders squeezed left, and then squeezed some more, and a few guys did the whole across-the-road swerve that scares the socks offa me.

Oh, and I have new pet peeve: guys who sit in the middle of the pack during a tactical race like this one, never go near the front, and complain that we're not racing. Loudly. Get on the front, boys.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hour of Power

Who knew that you could ride thousands of miles a year, climb hills hard enough to see stars, suffer like a dog to hang on in a crit, drag one last burst of energy out for one last sprint after laps and laps of surges and breaks, pull on your handlebars hard enough to make them creak like an old lady's ankles, bump with some of the scariest and sketchiest riders ever to grace a pack ... who knew that with all that ...

... you could still be soft? ... like a little pile of pizza dough? ... or a kitten? ... or a quivering mass of jellied flesh?

Apparently Alex knew, 'cuz every time I show up at the Hour of Power, he shows me over and over again just how soft I am -- with walking lunges, or circuits of terror, or the diabolical descending push-up/ascending situp routine. And every "morning after," when I can barely run the soap over my body for the pain in my "muscles," I repeat to myself:

"I am soft, but not for long... I am soft, but not for long..."

Thank you sir -- may I have another?

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

7/27/08 Tour De Burg (Ohio State Criterium Championships).


















I raced this course last year and really enjoyed it. Fast and technical with a really good crowd and a family fun atmosphere. I love the bleachers…that were present at both Troy and Burg (bleachers for Hyde Park Blast?) Anyway, my legs felt pretty good considering the previous day’s race in Troy and I was anxious to put this race behind me, unscathed. A smaller CAT 3 field size today compared with yesterday but still around 40 riders.

The Burg course is fast but the corners are a little slower in comparison, requiring a bit more power. There is one lazy “S” turn (obstacle course) coming out of turn one, before hitting an old brick road section, which continued to make things interesting. Coming off the brick into a left hand turn, riders face a decent head wind. Coming out of the wind, riders take a short left and right turn, before heading down the back stretch into a fast left before making one more left before the final 200 to 300 meters to the finish.

Ryan V. from Team Abundance was present, which meant his modus operandi would be in full affect: fast start and multiple early break away attempts. I considered this, I was a little concerned that this race was going to be a little hectic from the start. McCoy from Olympus was present along with several of his “homey’s” from the Olympus Homes crew (no pun intended). I recognized several that raced yesterday and was hoping there legs were sore. There was not a lot of banter, just steely eyed stars from afar. Some one from Dayton waved and said “Hi Chip.” What’s that about? It was nice to see Todd Frye, from Team Dayton, however. They’ve really been racing well as a team this year and have been producing some good results.

When the race started, a rider on the far left lost his chain immediately. Things were reportedly dicey behind me, as a gap opened, forcing a small group of riders to chase from the start. There were at least two crashes that I’m aware of. One was about halfway through the race, two turns after the bricks. I was behind the spill and had to go wide left to avoid it. I was able to stick to the back of the main group and avoided spending too much energy. The second incident occurred on the final turn before the sprint finish. I saw in my peripheral. I didn’t have quite the positioning and lead out I was hoping to bogart but managed to get behind this really big man who was really cranking it up with about 50 meters to go. I whipped around him on the left and shot past him, catching view of Todd Frye on my right and about 2 bike lengths in front of me. Todd’s a hell of a sprinter and I was lucky to close a little distance on him but never had enough to beat him. He finished 12th and I came in behind him at 13th. Fun race and again, just glad to keep the rubber side down. Lots of bad mojo out there lately and it’s starting to get to me. Hope to find some cool pics, and will add them later. Peace.

7/26/08 Troy Classic Criterium















Nick, Shannon, Alex, and I carpooled to Troy for a mid afternoon ¾ Crit that promised fast turns, including a fun roundabout. The course did not disappoint and the temperatures were in the 90’s and the humidity wasn’t good. Chip’s presence was a pleasant surprise and provided some much needed cajoling and coaching from the sidelines. 57 riders started, with Alex and Nick on the front row. I was positioned about 2 rows back and Shannon was at an early disadvantage, at the very back of the starting field. Not too many familiar faces today; only James Turner (I Pro) and the usual suspects from Olympus and Saturn of Dayton were present. Jeffrey Renyolds was also there with his camera mounted fore and aft. Everyone else, by virtue of their anonymity, held their cards close to their chest.

From the start, the pace was break-neck and held in the high 20’s-low 30’s. I know I use the word “fast” a lot and it’s probably looses a lot of its meaning (especially in cycling blogs) but believe me when I say that the speeds were fast (think Ault Park A’s). The corners allowed you to hold a lot of speed, while pedaling, which kept the over all average speed rather high. The round about was fun but a little dicey, as many folks clipped their pedals on the blacktop.

From the start, Nick was able to maintain good positioning near the front end of the field. I struggled to move up and had to fight just to maintain my current positioning near the middle (back?). It was a difficult pack of riders to maneuver through, and progress was made in slow increments, unless you were okay unnecessary risky moves (like waiting till a turn to pass 15 guys on the inside…my new pet peeve!).

Eventually, the pack reshuffled the deck and the pace slowed down a tad. I was able to find Nick’s wheel but somehow ended-up passing him and managed to find myself tucked behind the 4TH wheel from the front. This is about as close to the front as I ever want to be, especially with 30 minutes of racing left. Doah!

So, considering where I was, I tried to make the best of things and tried to keep things together the best I could. At one point, I believe myself and three other riders were likely about 20 yards off the front. I was grateful that it was reeled in. After that, I was sucked back into the middle somewhere and pretty much stayed there, trading places with Nick and Shannon periodically, as we tried to avoid crashes while inching are why forward, ever so slowly.

Unfortunately, Alex was seen on the sidelines and had pulled out. So, with this realization, the three of us stayed relatively close to one another and we did a pretty good job of getting near the front and staying together at the end, but with five laps to go, we were just not close enough to the front to really be affective in the sprint. I think everyone in the race felt like they could win and for every rider I passed on my why to what would be the lead out train, two to three riders would move pass me.

I wasn’t as aggressive as I needed to be, for sure and for the most part, the sprint started as we approached the roundabout and didn’t let up till the finish line. Nick did the best with a 16th place. I placed 18th & Shannon 20th.

My max sprint speed was a sluggish 37 mph (need to work on this). We averaged 26.02 mph and overall, I’m very pleased and had the most fun racing that I’ve had in quite some time. The road tripping with the boys was good fun and I’m happy to say, that despite all of us rubbing shoulders, pedals, and wheels with everything out there on the road, we all stayed up right and were able to cross the finish line safely. Now…to do it all again tomorrow (stay tuned for my Tour De Burg blog).

Saturday, July 19, 2008

troy classic

what i remember from the troy classic:
a whistle.
clip in.
go. hard.
go harder.
it's hot.
it's fast.
my head's going to explode.
oh man, it's really hot.
wait, there's 5 to go? i thought there were only 4 left.
i think i'm overheating.
wait, there's 4 to go? i thought...you get the picture.
was that chip, telling me to move up? can't he see my lungs sticking out my ears?
okay, bell lap, better move up -- d'oh! 2 to go?
who put the felt in my mouth?
hey look, nick and bret -- hi guys!
i wonder what happens when your core temperature hits 200 degrees?
made it. whew! now, a cooldown lap and water.
oops, didn't see that barrier -- i should probably look up when i ride the cooldown lap.
water.
water.

...the rest is a haze, but i do know i had a great time flying the darkhorse colors at a weekend race for the first time with alex, nick, and bret. thanks, guys!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

does this skinsuit make me look fat?

Here is a picture of some of the Darkhorse brethren after the last Ault Park race of the year. Thanks to Jeri Gatch, John's wife for the great pic.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Ault Park #6 (A race)

Entering the final race of the series after missing the previous 2 weeks had me a bit relieved. The reason being was the fact that I was sitting around 10th place with no real pressure to score a certain amount of points to improve my placing (unlike last year when I started the final 5th, but ended up 6th). So my goal was to test out the legs when I felt the urge and have some fun. I figured I'd go for the first sprint lap since I would be my freshest. Wrong! I missed 4th place by a tire width (thanks John Gatch!). Speaking of John, he had a stellar night scoring like 28 points and even hitting the pavement at one point in the race.

So, I needed to rest up after that effort; and I did for the next 20 laps!! On the bell lap for 15 to go, I see Nick and Brett come by me on my left looking like they were on a mission. I jumped on the train and somehow got in between them both and was glued to Nick's wheel. We were probably sitting around 6 or 7 riders back (the front 4 were all Huntington). I shouted to Nick to go right and take the outside line at the bottom of the hill and he took off. That was all she wrote on that one as Nick delivered me to victory on that sprint. Thanks Nick!!!!

After that, Nick and I were both dangling at the back of the pack for the next 10 laps and with 5 to go we made our way up toward the front for what was likely going to be our last hurrah. We get to the bottom of the hill and start ramping it up only to get boxed in. Crap!

Being the last race of the series, I decided I wanted a little more, even though my legs would have liked to have gone home 35 laps ago. So I moved my way up toward the front over the final few laps. I managed to get on a good wheel or two on the final lap and was able to take 3rd on the final sprint giving me a total of 9 points on the night and moving me up to 9th overall (I think). I happened to see the final results for the series and they have me at 7th overall! Woohoo!

Many thanks to Brett, Nick, and Chip for their selflessness during the series and for putting your trust in me. I'm honored. I will return the favor soon!! Speaking of Chip: Heal fast!! It's not the same without you out there with us!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The 2008 Cyclo-Stampede...

...is coming on Friday, October 10, 2008 as part of the Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival. Follow all action at:

Friday, July 4, 2008

Ault Park #5 (and Seattle)

I wasn't planning on blogging, but with such a good looking picture, I couldn't resist ;) All that needs to be said is that we didn't score a single point, we will do better next week.

The only positive was my sweet looking ride, Chris Anderson did an awesome job designing decals for it. When I get back in town, I will post some pics of it.

I am in Seattle right now, visiting my brother. I also raced with Steve Grimm this morning. Stout 24.5mph in the 3,4,5 Masters Race. About 5 minutes in, I felt the previous day's 15 hours of standby travel and just tried to sit in. I tried to move up with 1 lap to go, but a bobble in front of me put me too far back to contest and I finished with the main field. Huge thanks to Steve for loaning me a bike.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Hyde Park Blast 2008 ... now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!


Cat 4 podium with Matt Bell (1st) and Alex Hasse (3rd).


Dan Ott getting nipped at the line to finish 4th in the Cat 3 race.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Blast Off

The 2008 Hyde Park Blast presented by Darkhorse Racing-RPC Mechanical went off, in my opinion, without a hitch. Plenty of stress, sweat, blood, hunger, and work, but no hitches.

I got there with Ethan (my 7 year old) around 11am, counting on a little caffeine from Nick's promised Awakening's offering. Nick and Tank were already hard at work though, no time for coffee. The Red Bull girls came to my rescue and all was well with a quick shot of the sugar free variety please. Nose to the grindstone from then on, we worked solidly setting up the course with barricades, hay bales, and plenty of sweeping throughout. I came up for air for about 2 minutes to eat a pretzel and take 2 sips of a Smoothie King.

Next thing you know, the Cat. 5 race had begun. It went great, followed by the women. I was at the registration end of the course and realized I needed to get back to the square to help with the podium ( I offered to be a Podium Guy but remembered the Tour de France rules stipulate you must be single, oh well). As Ethan and I were running back, we were rebuked by a wall of water and hail stones and had to seek refuge on the steps of St. Mary School until it blew over. Blow over it did and we started back up with the kid's runs, bikes, and junior races with minimal interruption.

45 minutes before the Cat. 4 race was to go off, I realized that was me and figured it would be a great time to start getting ready and maybe eat a Clif bar. My warm up consisted of riding down the sidewalk from the Square to the registration area, not ideal. I got my heart rate up with a quick sprint to the Port O Let and got back in time for the pre-race instructions. We went off impressively close to on-time and I held on for dear life for 30 minutes.

I was at the back for most of the race, not the best place I know, but all I could muster considering my long day. There was the expected yo-yoing around the 180* turn at the square and I felt like I had to sprint every lap to catch up. There were about 5 laps where I had to close a 10 meter gap as riders started to lose contact with the front group. A rider had broken off the front earlier and had a pretty good gap on the field, I was debating whether to chase it down for my teammates when I noticed the pace car was back in front of our group again. I found out later he flatted, bad luck for him, good for us. The 5 laps to go sign finally came and I started to move up a few riders at a time each lap. Starting the last lap, I was near 10th wheel and as we came down Montieth, I swung wide and started the finishing straight in 8th with Matt Bell right on my wheel. I stood up to go way too early, probably 250m to go. I found myself at the front way too soon with that far to go so I started soft pedal/sprinting. I felt like 4-5 riders passed me, including Matt, so I reaccelerated, taking back a few spots to get 3rd overall. Even better, the lead out worked and Matt took the sprint, again showing he is in top form. We should both be in the 3's soon. 1st and 3rd was a great result for Darkhorse, made all the better by Matt's sweet looking podium.

Thanks to everyone who cheered, I heard people yelling my name all over the course, that was a great feeling and definitely helped!

The 3's and Pro 1-2 race also went off smoothly and we were busy tearing down the course till 11:30pm, when the final light was loaded into the back of the RPC trailer. Thanks to all who planned and helped and worked tirelessly to make it a great day, I'm sure Tank is glad it's over!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

25 June 2008 /// Ault Park B Race

I knew better and now I am kicking myself up this hill. Where is that ugly red and black duct tape line?

I don't care what I have to eat before a bike race, as long as it is oatmeal! It has been this way for years; probably beginning in '95 before a muddy Paoli Peaks XC race or maybe it was '01 after a good go at 'cross nats. Similar to stepping on the foul line of the ball diamond, or Sabo not having his shoes with fresh Krylon red paint, I knew I was risking a lot without my oatmeal. It is my mojo. And aside from the psychology of steel cut oats, physiologically, oatmeal has more merit. Racing hungry stinks. Racing on empty hurts.

And so, with a few laps to go, racing without the oats jinxed me. I got popped into the gutter. I hope it was an accident and "EN GARDE!" if it wasn't knucklehead! The 'cross skills came into play nicely as the Mavic's screamed. Aluminum on cement is a bad, bad sound. Cone created a clumsy bridge across the storm grate. One foot out and back in. Floored it to get out of the soup. Found myself too close to the front on the way down the hill. The usually suspects let off the gas and I felt it was time. Half-a$$ed gas from the bottom all the way up and it was enough to hold them off. Endorphins are good!

Ciao for now.

My apologies to The Hasse for the erratic race on my part. We will get them next week. With my oatmeal and without the gutter.

the_pale

Ault Park A’s #4

It was just the three of us tonight; Chip, Nick, and I (Dan Ott was out and was sorely missed). After the usual safety speech from Bill, our very own Chip Dobson made a few announcements about the Hyde Park Blast (Sunday June 28th). After his standing-o’, Chip returned to his rightful place on the right side of Tinsler. The field was little thin but at least 35+ racers were lined-up; including all the really fast guys that I secretly wished would stay home. Our average was toasty 26 mph for the first 10 laps or so and by the end it was hovering just a tad over 25 mph. A break of 7+ men escaped early and unlike last week, I was a lot less nervous and was able to focus on the events as they unfolded. From my perspective the break went too early but no one was really making any effort on the front to pull it in. That is of course until I noticed the pace starting to ramp-up and saw Nick, on the front and leading out the entire field. Nice job! Thanks to Nick’s example, others followed and the break was eventually pulled in a lap or two later. Nick’s effort cost him though, as he tapped-out for the night (and returned to his rightful place on the right side of Stephen Brown.)

Throughout the race, there were several text book counter attacks, as breaks were pulled in. UC made some valiant efforts on the front, as well and should be commended. The “up hill” was a little sluggish at times and there seemed to be a slow and fast lane (left and right lanes, respectfully). Team Dayton had some large numbers but proved to be no match against the Goliath-like Huntington Squad, who continues to play this race like a fiddle. Tenacious-Dobson took a few turns on the front, showing some good fitness and did a good job staying near the front of the race. As for me, I need to do better of following his lead but it was fun just to finish.

Burnt Toast (Ault Park 4, A Race)

This report will not take long as my participation in last night’s race was not a lengthily ordeal.

At the start line, I noticed that the field felt a little lean, like it was missing a few key players, although I couldn’t put my finger on any specific person that wasn’t there. I did notice that Huntington had a full squad there and Mike House was there as well. I knew that was not a good thing because the last time Mike House raced at Ault Park was several years ago and he lapped the field by himself. On the 3rd or 4th lap, the first brake got away. It had 5-6 people including House and Pete Bauer, so I know that was bad news, but I also knew that it was early and it would be difficult for any break to last an hour… be patient, Nick. Then a few laps later, a second break got away, also about 5-6 strong, including Eric Knight of Huntington Bank. Now things were ugly. Multiple folks were throwing half-hearted attempts at bringing back the breaks, but w/ little to no progress. I started to get a little nervous that we would be lapped, and the general demeanor w/i the pack was one of a wounded gazelle, just biding our time till we are put out of our misery. I hate that feeling. The sands of my patience hourglass ran out and I decided that I needed to either pull that break in myself (at least initiate some cooperation) or die trying. I got to the front on the back side and started ramping it up as though I was leading out a teammate. I drove well past my redline and pulled through the finish line w/ no one coming around to share the burden. I continued through the chicane and gently pulled off to the right to find a nice place to die – I was toast, burnt, crispy toast.

I rolled around a few laps only to find that the break(s) were brought back in, trying to take some solace in my effort somehow triggered that sequence of events. I am still sulking; hopefully I can focus that energy into the Blast this Saturday.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Ault Park #4 (B Race)

My race was over before it began. At work, we escorted the Special Olympics Torch from Downtown to Springdale today, 32 miles in 4 hours in 95 degree heat. I had no legs tonight, the first time I tried to sprint on the middle lap, I was on Matt's wheel but just couldn't get anywhere. I was maybe in the top 25 (out of 25 :) I tried again 5 laps later on the 15th lap and got 3rd, good enough for 2 points. For the last lap, I got some great help from Shannon Smith (thanks!), who brought me toward the front, right next to Steven Hughes and Geoffrey Reynolds. As we reared up for the sprint, I noticed that guys were passing me right and left so I just sat up (safely) and limped in for the finish. Fortunately, Matt decided to show what he was made of and blasted off the front of the field and easily took 1st on the last lap, great job!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Ault Park#3, A race #1: aka Pack Fodder 2008


Last Wednesday I gave the A race a try for the first time. I got to Ault early to warm-up with the guys in the B race and I was excited to watch and root from the sidelines. They had a strong representation with Alex, Matt, Brown, and Moore mixing things up. Alex scored enough points for the night to take second place overall. They showed some real team work out there and Matt Bell gave a strong lead-out on lap 5, rocketing Alex into 1st place.

By the time the A race started, I was a ball of nervous energy and couldn’t wait to get this thing over with. It started out fast and pretty much stayed that way. It wasn’t as smooth as I was promised either and there were countless gaps that would open, causing lots of surges (herkey-jerky) in the pack. Chip later concurred and said that he didn’t think that was typically how things play out. Anyway, I was feeling pretty gassed and praying for forty laps to feel more like twenty, but without much luck. I was also oblivious to all the usual questions: what lap, who’s in front, was there a break? What I like to call my “race situational awareness” was totally absent and my only concern was staying in the race.

And like an answered pray my rear tire blew on the back side of the course on lap 8(?). I hurried (walked) back to the start area, only to be berated by my many supporters (sarcasm). Alex shouted, “Check his tire…make sure it’s really flat” and Bill Lorenz just stared at me and said, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the 20K?”

Matt, who interrupted my sign language and incoherent mumblings, hurried across the course and gave me his wheel (funny back-story: his rear tire got a flat during warm-up and I gave him a tube…and he later lent me the same wheel/tube. Now that’s teamwork).Thanks Palerider!

I rejoined the group a lap or so later (on the sprint lap) and before I did, I was given strict orders by Bill not to contest the sprint. Right! No chance in Hades, I promised. I managed to reintegrate without any problems and eventually settled in. A couple times I tried to get behind Chip or Dan but that was ridiculously harder than I imagined and forget about getting in front of Dan, that man is strong. So strong in fact that I later learned Dan got into a break and stayed away for some points, while Chip made a valiant effort on the front, to slow things down. I on the other hand, had no idea what Chip was talking about a few laps later when he was telling me all about it.

That was pretty much the story of the race. I sat in and got a really good interval work out and about 10 minutes after the race, I rode to the back of the course (to pick-up my water bottle) and threw-up the entire contents of two water bottles and multiple sport gels. I only say this as a cautionary tale: hydrate the day before the race and several hours prior to the event, not the hour before.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Newmark

With an hour and half to start time, the rain came down in sheets. I was already nervous about entering a 2/3 race on wet pavement and the field size was looking pretty slim. Some real talent had already registered and I was without any team mates. I also spent most of my warm-up time in the car, contemplating going home. But half way through the Women’s race, the weather let up and it stopped raining. The temperature must have dropped about 10 to 15 degrees though, and it was downright chilly. I managed a few warm-up laps and the stout winds the 4/5 race experienced, died down considerably.

During the warm up, I heard Ryan Vingris from Team Abundance talking to his other two team mates about instigating a break. He and another rider had big plans to get away, while the other rider was to sit-up and try to slow things down. Mmmm…

We’ll my hat is off to Ryan and his boy’s for a mission accomplished. From the start, the pace was “stupid fast”, as Dave Stewart use to say (speaking of Dave, he was the lone Huntington Bank Rider in the pack and it was fun racing with Dave, who is always friendly and a good sport). Anyway, I digress…when a large break of 7 riders escaped, our average was 26 mph. I was winded, but felt good and I was annoyed when the pace slowed down, as guys realized that just about every team had a guy in the break. For several laps the break was within view but they were slowly gaining time on us. Dave and another rider (sorry, don’t know his name, but have seem him around a lot at races) asked if I wanted to help launch some attacks, in an effort to either break things up a bit or perhaps pull the break in. This sounded interesting but by the time the plan was devised and implemented two laps later, everyone was well rested and our attacks were not fruitful. Altogether, it was fun changing-up my usual race tactics and working on the front a bit.

With two laps to go, Ryan and his team mate passed the field (impressive). There was quite a bit of grumbling regarding how to proceed, but everyone agreed to let them go…everyone but an Olympus rider that is, who seemed to like the idea of a free ride, as he attached himself to the break (Readers, I realize we were only sprinting for like 8th place here, but come on…I was so annoyed). I was later told with authority to “check the rule book” but whatever….

The ninth place finisher was about a bike length behind from catching Olympus, who took 8th. I managed a 13th place finish. I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Summer Solstice

Sorry for the delay...here's the Summer Solstice Race Report (Saturday 6/14/08)

Well, I can’t say the weekend was a total loss but I had high hopes of racing all three days. Friday night’s race plans were prematurely cancelled by some serious candy in our nether regions. The rain started around 4pm on Friday and didn’t let up till almost 6pm. The radar wasn’t promising much of a break in the Wilmington area either. After much inner debate, I packed the car and headed up I-71, only to be thwarted by Friday night traffic. Doah! I turned around and went home.

Saturday’s weather was much better and several of us DH’s (Tank, Stephen, Goert, Moore, and myself) headed north for some bike racing. We arrived to find out that the previous evenings races were not cancelled and stayed fairly dry (Doah!). We also discovered that today’s course contained several miles of gravel that was recently laid in preparation for new black top (Doah!).

Kudo’s to the race officials, who likely heard all the grumbling and made a solid of effort to quickly re route the course. As a result, the finish line direction, feed zones, etc. were changed. The race was slightly delayed, which was kind of nice, as we were able to take are time getting ready. Instead of racing a 13 mile loop, an 8 mile (lollipop or circuit) loop was devised. On the last lap, the official would ring the bell and we would make a left back to the finish line. In other words we only passed the finish line once (at the end).

It was my first CAT 3 race and I kind of felt alone, as the rest of my team lined up behind me in the 4 race. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t regretting my decision to up-grade. All in all, we raced 8 laps for about 67 miles. Our average was a little over 24 mph. The pace was tolerable but the distance and heat were another story, entirely. The story for the day was hydration. I ran out of water almost immediately and relied on the feed zones, which were very dangerous and not worth the risk and effort required to snag a bottle of 90 degree water at 20 miles an hour. There was at least one crash that I’m aware in the feed zone and I heard of other mishaps in the 4’s, as well. On one lap, I was so determined to grab a bottle that I had to slow down to almost 10-15 miles an hour to get one. This was a big mistake, as the rest of the men kept riding along at 23miles, leaving me no choice but to produce a massive effort to get back on (one handed, juggling a bottle of water in one hand). A Saturn of Dayton rider gave me a swig of his water bottle.

There were a few attacks early on by Olympus Homes but then things calmed down considerably. Besides the feed zone crash, a man went down on the back side of the course, before the hill. The mishap occurred on the course’s fastest section; a moderate down hill with a roller and a soft “s” turn with a bit of gravel on the road. The racer apparently bumped another rider (a team mate of his) on the turn and went down. Luckily, no one else went down with him.

With 2 to 3 laps to go a three man break stayed away for the duration (Greg Cavanagh, Ryan Vingris and Kris Siatkowsky). Every one seemed content with the break and things were moderate for the rest of the day. There was one hill that took its toll, though. Every lap, I was grateful to have climbed it and with the pack. The hill was rather short and probably not that steep for a lot of guys, but the speed in which the pack climbed this thing took getting use to. I also think the right hand turn right before the climb was a factor. If you were not the first 15 guys through the turn you had to sprint to catch back-on and then…boom; the hill and then steady rollers for another quarter mile.

Anyway, with one lap to go, a solo break went with about 2 miles to go. It was an impressive solo effort by Cameron Jackson of Rgf Solutions that no one contested. I heard a few folks grumbling that this was a stupid move, but not really. He stayed away and finished fourth. Nice job. The pack was sprinting for 5th. I expected it to be harder to move to the front as the finish line approached, but found a strong wheel to get behind (Thanks Christopher Beck, Fed Ex) and tried to stay strong to the line. He finished 5th overall and 1st in the field sprint. I held on for 10th overall and 6th in the field sprint. Lots of room for improvement but I was happy with my results and even happier to get off the bike, where I was greeted by my team mates. All in all, I was sun burnt and dehydrated but it was a fun day.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Newmark Crashterium


Seriously, how hard is it to ride in a straight line?
You couldn't ask for an easier course. 5 laps to go and someone goes somersaulting into the grass on a long straight away, unacceptable.

1 lap to go and I am where I want to be with about a 1/2 mile to go. About 3 or so riders in front of me, someone decides they don't know how to hold a line and down we go. Jim Dennedy of Abundance was right in front of me sliding on the pavement, I tried to go over him but he didn't make a very good ramp, so down I went. I rolled as best I could and then braced for the impact, sure enough a couple more riders slammed into me. I got up as fast as I could and tried to remount my bike. I couldn't even find it at first, it was like a scene from 'Saving Private Ryan' shot in colorful Spandex. Once I sifted through the carnage and figured out which heap was mine, the pack was long gone and I was holding my broken steed in one hand and Jim's broken collarbone in the other.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Ault Park #3 (B Race)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (although it could have been much worse). Much of last night was a blur, so I will be as brief as possible. 4 of us started the B race, Steve Brown, Matt Bell, Mike More and myself. I stuck to my plan of only contesting the double points sprints, despite the yelling of Chip from the sideline, sorry coach ;) Due to the help and maneuvering of the DH men, I was able to come through 1st on the 10th lap.
I recovered for the next 9 laps and got ready for the finale. I was toward the back, I know, I know, and as we passed the chicane to start the bell lap, Geoff Reynolds and Harry Wicks got close and personal causing several of us to come to a stop. Of course, this is when the pace at the front was ramping up for the last hurrah. I got around the mess and had to make up ground on the whole field. I could see Mike More at the front doing an awesome job leading out the field, unfortunately I just wasn't in the field :) I basically had to do an 800 meter sprint to get toward the front and was nipped at the line to finish 5th, one spot out of the money. I received compliments from others on the teamwork of the Horsemen, you guys rocked! Matt was flying as well, I think he got points on 2 or 3 sprints, nice work!
I still ended up 3rd for the night so it could have gone much worse. Thanks for looking out for me throughout the race guys, I'll do a better job of staying toward the front next week.

Ault Park #3 (A race)

What a beautiful night to race bikes! Cool temps (which meant I got to where my long sleeve skinsuit) and fast racing were on order for the night. With Chip and Brett by my side, we started the race with the same plan as always, go for the sprints when you feel good enough and help each other out whenever possible. I can't even remember at this point which sprints I tried to contest, but managed a 3rd or 4th on a non-double lap. After the 10 laps to go sprint (which I did not contest), I found myself near the front and passing everyone and then having a pretty good gap. I looked back a few times and then thought, what the heck! So I put my head down and the gap started growing. After a few laps by myself, a Turner rider (Neal?) bridged up to me to help the effort. So on the 5 laps to go sprint, I was able to come across the line first. We then continued to work to try to stay away, but I knew there was no way Huntington was going to allow us to stay away and steal those precious double points for the final sprint. Sure enough, with 2 to go, we were caught. I tried to jump on the right wheels to position for the sprint. I managed to get onto Eric's wheel initially, but by the time we rounded the final turn, I was maybe sitting eigth wheel and just didn't have the legs to contest.
It was a fun night of racing and having my family there to watch Daddy "winning" the race for a few laps ;) Brett did a great job in his first A race and even tried to get me to the front early on, but blew a tire right after I got on his wheel. He grabbed a new wheel and remained in the fight til the end. Chip was steady eddie and tried to do some blocking while I was out front. Thanks guys, I totally appreciate your sacrifices!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Ault Park Blast

“Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” Jack Nicklaus.


I can honestly say I thought this day might never come; my final B-Race. The thought of moving-up and far from the comfy confines of the B’s was not always an inevitable notion but yet always a scary one. Just last week, a rider from a team that will remain nameless called me a “sandbagger.” I have to admit, this is a word I do not identify well with. Excelling at sports has never been an easy task. I think one of the reasons I like cycling so much is that it there are no balls to throw or catch and certainly words like “athlete” are not commonly used.

When I started racing several years ago, Ault Park was a very difficult race for me and it certainly continues to be a challenge. Physically, the speed and endurance required to finishing this or any race is painful, but the hardest part about racing (at Ault) was putting my fears aside. My fear of crashing continues to be something that has to be put far-far away and in place that my “confidence” can not find.

I clearly remember my second Ault Park race. I spent the majority of my 20 laps at the back of the pack, scanning the field for signs of a wobble or a crossed wheel; wondering if I was going to be a victim or perpetrator of an accident. This essentially nullified my competitiveness spirit and relegated me to the back, were I quickly became nothing more than an idle observer; a passenger. I don’t know when it clicked for me (it may have been a slow process that is still evolving) but I think less about this. It’s important to place fear to the side, otherwise there’s no place for confidence.

Bike racing for me is the most exciting thing that I can possibly imagine. I love the discipline and focus it requires; to become a master of your thoughts and to enslave the voice in your head that tells you to quite. Racing is a gift. It is all together beautiful, dangerous, and thrilling to me. As silly as this sounds, it provides me with a larger framework for community and friendships.

Well, I know this is overly sentimental and painfully self-aware but I wanted to take a moment to contemplate what this race has meant to me and will continue to mean to me. My father, who was eternally absent from my soccer and little league games as a child, attends almost ever Wednesday night in June, and even though every week he needs a quick tutorial on when the point laps are, he enjoys watching. For as many reasons as there may be to move to the A’s, there were likely twice as many to stay in the B’s. Foremost on this list was that I was having fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity the B’s afforded me to grow in my confidence. It took me several years to finally feel just the slightest bit confident in this event. There’s often a lot of negativity surrounding the B-Race but I loved every minute of it. Although the B Race will always be the little brother to the much longer and arguably steadier A Race, there’s no shame in the fun and challenge offered by this event.

So here’s to seeing every finish line as the next starting point. BB

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Ault Park #2


I arrived at Ault Park Wednesday a little nervous for a couple of reasons. I hadn't ridden in almost a week and I hurt my knee running in a triathlon relay on Sunday ( we still came in 1st in the relay (out of 1) :) My legs felt a little hollow warming up, I was pretty tired from riding all day at work in the 90+ degree heat. Anyway, the B race started and I immediately gave up on my goal of contesting the first sprint. Luckily, Matt and Brett sped to victory, taking 1-2 on lap 5. I worked to make sure I was in good position for the middle sprint, and with help from my DH brethren, I was able to pass Geoffrey Reynolds (now with Team Dayton) at the line for 1st on the double point sprint.
I recovered for basically the next 9 laps and was still toward the back as we approached the end. I could see Matt and Brett ripping it at the front and was able to hitch a ride up to them for the finale. As we rounded the bottom, Matt came toward the outside and I rode his leadout as long as I could. When I came around, I had to slow for second as a rider from a team who doesn't need to be mentioned had died and was weaving all over the road. This stall was enough for Steve Hughes to get a good jump, taking 1st in the sprint, with me right behind for 2nd. I ended up tied with him for 1st for the night, moving into 2nd for the series.
Another good night thanks to my Darkhorse teammates, Matt, Brett, Tank, and Steve.