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.
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!
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$$ed gas from the bottom all the way up and it was enough to hold them off. Endorphins are good!
Ciao for now.
My apologies to The Hasse for the erratic race on my part. We will get them next week. With my oatmeal and without the gutter.
the_pale
I don't care what I have to eat before a bike race, as long as it is oatmeal! It has been this way for years; probably beginning in '95 before a muddy Paoli Peaks XC race or maybe it was '01 after a good go at 'cross nats. Similar to stepping on the foul line of the ball diamond, or Sabo not having his shoes with fresh Krylon red paint, I knew I was risking a lot without my oatmeal. It is my mojo. And aside from the psychology of steel cut oats, physiologically, oatmeal has more merit. Racing hungry stinks. Racing on empty hurts.
And so, with a few laps to go, racing without the oats jinxed me. I got popped into the gutter. I hope it was an accident and "EN GARDE!" if it wasn't knucklehead! The 'cross skills came into play nicely as the Mavic's screamed. Aluminum on cement is a bad, bad sound. Cone created a clumsy bridge across the storm grate. One foot out and back in. Floored it to get out of the soup. Found myself too close to the front on the way down the hill. The usually suspects let off the gas and I felt it was time. Half-a$$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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friend or Fred
During my daily fix of coffee and cycling webfodder, I came across this very interesting post over www.belgiumkneewarmers.com about the rights of passage of cycling.
"We’re not cool. None of us are hip. We are, however, a brethren with a respect for each other paid each time we follow a wheel, each time we tell the story of another rider’s attack that sent us into debt. Suffering, in the end, is the thing that unites us, the grand equals sign that differentiates the accepted from the stranger. Suffering and surviving is our rite of passage."
Check it out at www.belgiumkneewarmers.com
"We’re not cool. None of us are hip. We are, however, a brethren with a respect for each other paid each time we follow a wheel, each time we tell the story of another rider’s attack that sent us into debt. Suffering, in the end, is the thing that unites us, the grand equals sign that differentiates the accepted from the stranger. Suffering and surviving is our rite of passage."
Check it out at www.belgiumkneewarmers.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Ride Cincinnati
Tank, our sponsor John Lowe from RPC Mechanical, and myself participated in the Ride Cincinnati cycling event to raise funds for breast cancer research in the Greater Cincinnati area this past Sunday. Completing the 63 mile journey along NKY's Rte. 8 was a joy ... especially behind the beastly pulls of Tank. Thanks buddy!
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