I Go With Fergus

Something to write about

2011-11-24T22:28:00.014-06:00

Finally, something to write about! Big thanks to Rob Curtis, Wayne Simon, and all the volunteers who made the NORGE Ski Jump Cyclocross a race to remember. They put together a great race on a great course, one that suited me well. However, I am under no illusions. If the top ChiCrossCup riders in the Masters 30+ had come to race, my result would have been quite different.

Nevertheless, I lined up in the first row on the far left and was determined to do what I could. My prediction on the start line, "This is going to be a lonely race." I was dead on. When the whistle blew, I clipped in and started downshifting and digging hard. As we approached the line worn by the previous race, only one rider was challenging me for the lead. Given that the downhill start was into a stiff headwind, I let him have the holeshot and tried my best to stay on his wheel. Usually after going anaerobic, my body immediately shuts down and this race was no exception. It wasn't long before my body started to feel heavy fatigue and a light-headedness, but I did my best to follow his wheel. He kept gapping me in the accelerations out of each turn, but no one was coming past me yet. When we got to the first long straightaway into the wind, a Higher Gear rider flew past us and the rider in front of me did not get on his wheel. I was forced to get out of the saddle, pass on the left and get on the wheel of our new leader before the course switched back to a tail wind. However, just as we transitioned to the next section of the course, the Higher Gear rider lost his front wheel in the turn and went down hard. I found a channel of space and went through it.

My race strategy was to sit second wheel and let someone else dictate the pace - I just hoped to be able to follow until I learned where to attack. However, the race played out very differently. I was sprung off the front of the race early in the first lap and I had no choice but to put the hammer down and take advantage. The next section was a small technical setup on the lower slopes of the ski hill and I took it as fast and as smooth as I could. Then the course headed up the ski hill toward some tricky off-camber turns through the trees before dropping down into the bowl of the ski jump. I had found a good hard line away from the gravel and I powered up it. I think I was climbing the hill at a pretty quick pace. 75 squats a week for the last 10 weeks is good for something. I pulled hard on the bars and mashed the pedals.

The first lap I got the off-camber twists right (more on this later) and dropping into the bowl was a blast. What a fun section this was, bermed turns, a fast sweeper, uphill double barriers, technical turns and a log bump to exit the section.

By the end of the 2nd lap, people were calling out gaps of 20 seconds. Yes! those were 2 hot laps (for me). I kept pushing, but I was having doubts whether I could stay away for a total of 6 laps. I had seen Newt Cole do it in the previous race, but he is stronger than I am. I could hear him shouting encouragement from the other side of the tape, "Stay smooth Chris, this is your day." Top ranking that Newt.

The 3rd, 4th and 5th laps were rough. I feel on my ass in circus fashion on the off camber turns at the top of the bowl each lap to much abuse from Rob on the mic and heckling from the crowd. I was in huge oxygen debt each time I crested that hill and I just got sloppy. Internally, a war was waging between the Voice of Fear and the Voice of Courage. The Voice of Fear was saying things like, "you are gassed, you can barely breathe, your power is gone, you can't possibly stay away, you are going to get caught, it is inevitable." The Voice of Courage was saying, "HTFU, you can do it, stay smooth, be smart, keep pedaling, focus on your breath, you've got plenty of gas in the tank, keep pushing, just a little longer" The war went on for 2 laps, the toughest laps, but by the 5th lap the Voice of Courage had won and was vindicated by a quick time check. Second place was not gaining at all. I had seen him at roughly the same spot on the course in the bowl each lap.

I rode the last lap confident of the win. Really fun. My oldest daughter asks me after every race, "did you win?!!". After many disappointments, it was satisfying to finally tell her, "yes I did!". My first win in two years. I'm so glad you fast guys didn't show up to the best course of the year.

Full Results

Dude, where you been?

2011-11-08T10:40:00.005-06:00

I've been racing a ton. I've done more races this year already than any previous year. I'm just not blogging or writing race reports. Results have been less than spectacular, you see, nothing to get excited about. But I'm having fun. Everything is just so-so, the fitness, the legs, the lungs. Not training on the bike much anymore, but I've been in the gym consistently 3 days a week doing the stronglifts 5x5.

Hope everyone's season is going well and you are all going like a scalded cat.

2010 Cyclocross Season Review

2011-02-01T11:00:00.003-06:00

The air really blew out of my tires after Montrose. I left 'cross behind and didn't even think about it. I never even wrote a race report. I write this season review to give myself some motivation for next year.

I had an interesting year in 2010. I had mediocre results, but I had big fun. I know why my results weren't top 10 where I believe my potential is, and I made that choice before the season began.

In short, I didn't train well this year. I hadn't done a structured session or intervals since mid August. Sure there was my 18 mile (~29 km) commute 2-3 times a week which I rode as hard as I could.(and often averaged slightly over 20 miles/hour - not bad for a rush hour commute to the city center) I moved my family to a new home and Life got in the way. I didn't have the obsession to plough through the obstacles and make the time to train. I didn't put my body through the necessary rigors and I knew it.

Where I improved the most was my ability to suffer. To ride on the edge, in and out of the redzone. I got the mental game dialed. Fierce like Niko. Once you crush that little voice that cries out to stop the pain it doesn't come back.

So next season, as was this season, is undertaken to aspire to the greatness of my favorite rider, Niko Eeckhout, who never gives up, never gives in, never abandons the race. Look at his face. The man races with his heart on his sleeve, turns himself inside out every time. (He also is the only rider I know of who has given a television interview during a race while in a solo break! What was that race, Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2007? I'll have to look back. I just might have to pen an off-season post about it.)

Fierce, like Niko

Paul Smith talks with Rapha founder and CEO Simon Mottram

2010-11-26T10:13:00.003-06:00

I don't spend the money to wear Paul Smith or Rapha but I like their stuff. I mean, you've seen my cross bike right? It's a Fuji for fk-sake. The only piece of carbon on the bike is the seatpost.

Anyway Paul Smith is pretty cool. He has been designing some pieces for Rapha and in this video reveals what a huge cycling fan he is.

Rapha + Paul Smith - A Conversation from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Northbrook Swan Song Cyclocross race report

2010-11-24T10:17:00.006-06:00

Gritting through the sand, thinking about 312 ale, photo by Bill Draper

An interesting thing happened to me in this race which has never happened before. When the gun went off, my body simply did not respond. I was telling it to go apeshit and it refused. I felt really tired, exhausted as if it were the end of a race instead of the beginning and my legs flooded with lactic acid immediately. My 2nd row start became useless as riders swarmed past me. I told myself to keep hammering and wait for my body to catch up.

And it did. I started feeling normal again and picked up the pace to pass those who had left me behind. By the 2nd lap I was in the group with the usual suspects. I saw Max Riordan riding ahead of me with Justin from Bicycle Heaven. Just ahead of them was my teammate Ken Dawson. They caught Ken and I caught them. Just like at Indian Lakes I sat on the group content to let Max make the pace. The problem is that Max and I turn a similar pace so getting past him and dropping him is very difficult. And today he was feeling good because it hurt just to hang on. Max was digging hard and standing up out of corners and really giving it all.

Hey bunny hopping those railroad beams was great fun. I looked forward to that on each lap. We need more of that kind of thing. I loved hitting them at speed and skying as high as I could.
photo by mountaingoat_99

The 4th lap did me in. I had successfully rode the sand pit on every lap until that 4th. I just lost momentum when I started my turn and instead of just leaning back, powering hard and then pulling my front wheel over the top I allowed it to die and fell over on my right. Max and Ken were off and I held Justin up. I chased hard for the last lap, but never closed the gap. My philosophy is to focus on what is ahead of you, not what is behind, so I ignored Justin behind me and just chased. However, coming in that sand pit on the last lap, Justin had designs on getting past me. I had just ploughed through and out when I heard him go down behind me. He later said that he endo'd coming out of the sand. At least I could take the last turn easy and not be in a 2-up sprint with a better sprinter. Max beat Ken in a sprint, I came in about 5 seconds in arrears.

15th again. Great fun, I'm going to miss that course.

Full Results

photo by Ed White

Indian Lakes 2010 Day 2 race report

2010-11-16T22:10:00.005-06:00

The final group as we hit the sand trap

Damn, that was fun. I really enjoy any course that feels like a roller coaster, that undulates and breathes and encourages you to find the fastest lines.

I really enjoyed this race last year and hanging out afterwards. Thanks SCW for finding this course and bringing it back for 2 days.

Got a decent start but then I heard someone touch my back wheel and then the %#%$#$&%^&^% crackle of a nasty crash. I swear I heard spokes being broken and I let up 100 meters from the first turn because I fully expected to have some broken rear spokes myself. Alas, everything was ok but letting up was a bad idea because now I'm way back. I pushed hard and worked my way through people.

In the 2nd lap I caught up to my 2 nemesi, Andrew Yeoman and Max Riordan, two strong racers who usually finish near me at the back of that top 20. I sit on with Max leading. I've been through this before with Andrew and I know he will sit on. We pick up several guys and spit them out the back as the Max train rolled on. I am stretching the elastic often, sometimes getting gapped and then catching on, gap and catch.

The last guy to get swallowed up and join the train was Austin. He had some derailleur trouble which was preventing him from being in the right gear and doing his usual pace. He joined us for the last lap.

It all shook out when we hit the sand trap as you see in the photo. Max and Andrew got a little tangled up then Max curiously endo-ed after getting out of the trap. Austin ploughed through like butter and I was right behind him. I wanted to sit on before I attacked him but his pace had actually slacked and fairly quickly Andrew was back on. As we turned onto the muddy flat Andrew shouted encouragement from the back for Austin to dig hard and increase the gap. Austin's chain was crunching around the sprockets as he tried to get in a bigger gear and couldn't. I called out "on the inside" as I took over my shoulder barely grazing the tree on the inside of the right hander onto the cart path.

My plan wasn't to make an all out attack, but to lift the pace and see who followed, but I had a gap right away. As I remounted from the sharp left turn and barrier I saw that I had 2-3 seconds and I put the hammer down. The next section of the course I had dialed in on previous laps and I flowed right through it. With a little more time I might have caught the rider in front of me Mike Norman, but I could only close the gap to 3 seconds by the finish line.

Great stuff, 15th, which is not so great but it was very satisfying to attack out of a group and win the mini-race within the race.

Full Results

Woodstock Cross for Life 2010 race report

2010-11-16T16:44:00.005-06:00

Lungs weren't doing well, but race-able, barely. At least I got a good start, not really screwing anything up, maintained my position in the chaos, and went as hard as I could. At first, the leaders weren't very far ahead, then they were further away, then further. I buried myself for almost 3 laps. Almost.

Lap 3 I was in pursuit and catching McVey. I passed him and soon after began paying the price. He was determined to take back the lead and passed me on the right turn in the woods leading to the hill. And on that hill I popped. And suffered. And couldn't really recover.

By the time I hit the corkscrew thing, I was deep in oxygen debt and getting really sloppy. Someone ahead of me had burst the tape on that lap and I didn't see the turn correctly. I ran too close to that lonely and unconnected stake and it took a trip through my deraileur, ripping the hanger off the frame. Race over. DNF.

But Seegs won again!

1950 Scottish Cyclocross Race

2010-11-03T16:19:00.006-05:00

At least I think this is from Scotland. The river crossings are awesome. Check out the guy at 1:52 who chucks his bike in the water and then jumps in after it. This is really a cross-country race, like the Peaks race in England.

Re-blogged from Benjamin Ferencz

Campton Cross 2010 race report

2010-11-01T13:22:00.017-05:00

Really tired, I got my footwork wrong here as I usually lead with my left, photo by Bill Draper

Strange thing happened for the first time yesterday morning. I debated whether to race because I really didn't feel up to it. I guess this is a symptom of losing my obsession. I was resting in bed with my wife lying on me, my kids were playing around us, everything was warm and beautiful. I just couldn't break the spell to get up and go. However, we all had to get up eventually and I stuck with my plan, albeit off to a late start.

Late start - that's the story of my race. Late to arrive, I miss my pre-ride so I scout the course from the perimeter, then I pre-ride immediately before my race. (Thanks Eric for the rear tire pressure tip, I needed it.) Staging is half-full when I arrive and after all the costume call-ups, I'm in the 4th row. The start whistle goes off and the guy in front of me can't clip in and almost gets tangled in other bikes. I do my best to move from the 40s into the 30s before it all stacks up.

That's when the fun begins, pickin' 'em off one by one. Overall speed in cyclocross is largely a matter of cruising speed. Just as the guys at the front of the race have a higher cruising speed than I, the guys in this section of the field cruise slower. Passing is just a matter of finding some space. After 2 laps I start seeing some familiar faces up ahead of me - the usual suspects whom I usually race with and against. Mike Morrell is sitting at the back of a group of five. If I remember correctly, Forest and Max and a Bicycle Heaven rider and the Cuttin' Crew guy with the long hair Nico who just catted up from the 4s. As soon as I see them I'm determined to blow through the group. I catch onto Mike right before we enter the woods with the wooden steps. I think Max had a problem on the steps and we go past him. I go over the barrier side-by-side with Mike and we are racing to the next turn, but his teammate Nico is going backwards on my side and I have to back off. I pass Nico, then power around Mike after the next switchbacks. Then the BH guy and Forest. Later I see Andrew Yeoman ahead as I take the sharp downhill right turn at the baseball field and I step on the gas to pass on the long sweeper. Unbeknownst to Andrew, my lungs are in better shape today and my motor is revving.

I have maybe 4-5 seconds on Forest and I have to keep the pace up, but it is a long time before I see anyone ahead of me. Then it happens, I have Austin from Roscoe Village and teammate Ken Dawson in sight. It's gonna be tough, but I am going to try to pick them both off on the last 2 laps. It's a very slow catch because our pace is very similar. Last lap, I pick it up a notch and increase my lead to about 8-10 seconds on Forest who keeps up the pursuit. At the far south end, as we enter the off-camber switchbacks, Ken is just 2 switchbacks ahead of me when I see him bobble and dismount the short climb. My pulse quickens and I tell myself that I need to fly through these and get him. This tenses my body when I should have been staying loose. I bobble and dismount on each climb by overcooking the turn at the bottom and losing momentum needed to correct my line. Then on the final hill I overcook the turn at the bottom again and run into the tall grass. I have to dismount and run and now I have to regain the 4-5 seconds I have lost. The catch has failed. Forest sees all this and I'm sure it made him dig harder. I don't know how close he is now, but I don't care. I focus on what is in front of me and hammer on.

Luckily, I make no more mistakes as I slowly narrow the gap through the rest of the lap, but at the final switchback, they have too much of a gap and I know I cannot close it on the last straight. 16th place is numerically my best race this season. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to start training and finish the season strong. Nah.

I haven't raced at Campton since my very first cyclocross race in 2007, but I really like this course. It provides a good balance of technical and physical challenges. Great stuff. Thanks Rob Kelley and Bicycle Heaven. And Nikki, I love hearing "Go Chris" every time I pass the finish line. Thanks.

Chasing Adrian Redd, lap 1

Full Results

USGP Derby Cup 2010 - DNS

2010-10-27T13:24:00.006-05:00

Didn't make the trip to Louisville like I've been wanting to do for 2 years now. I came down with a bad cold after Carpentersville and my lungs starting filling up with that mucus stuff. I prepared and packed and was determined to go, but when I did a lung check in the morning, my reading was way down in the yellow zone. I can't even train when I'm in the yellow zone and I've only raced in the green zone.

I had to call it off.

However, on Sunday they gave somebody my number and he placed 98th. Now why couldn't they have given it to a fast guy instead?

Carpentersville 2010 race report

2010-10-23T00:05:00.017-05:00

Nice win, Mr. Seguin, photo my Bill Draper

With all the irony that the universe can throw at you, for all my thinking whether cross is a technical TT or a race, I found myself at Carpentersville inextricably linked in a head-to-head battle for 17th place with Andrew Yeoman.

And I lost.

Fate had decreed us to do battle. The first thing Fate did was place me at a disadvantage. On the first lap, after the whoops, after you cross the road, in that first 180 turn, who else but Andrew loses his front wheel and goes down right in front of me. I cannot stop, and I cannot change my line. I slam into his back with my left brake lever. We were probably just outside the top 10 at this point and a handful of racers go past us. I am back on my bike and off as quickly as I can. As I am setting up for the next turn, I notice that my lever is pulled all the way back, but I cannot feel the front brake engaged at all. Great, I am going to do this whole race with only a rear brake. Won't that be fun.

When things shake out I find that Andrew has come back up and is sitting on my wheel. I'm just doing my thing, gasping for air and coughing while he sits on. Having him on my wheel keeps the pressure high to go faster, so I decide to use another strategy and let him go past me. However, when he goes past, I cannot keep his wheel because when I stepped off the gas, something in my legs shut down. So now he's out there ahead of me and I've got to work to bring him back. Not quite a lap later, I am back on. He says "wow, good job coming back" So now neither of us wants to lead and we trade the lead a few times.

Without a front brake, I cannot go into corners hot and brake hard. The rear alone just does not have enough stopping power. So I overcook a few turns by not getting my speed down and I decide to scrub speed earlier. Coming off the hill in that tight left-hander I put a foot down and lean the bike more, just to be able to make the turn. My cornering was horrible this race, simply because I lost all confidence in my ability to corner. Everything felt awkward.

At the end of the penultimate lap, I pass Andrew on a long straight and I'm in the lead. My strategy is to somehow get a gap on him in the last lap and keep it. Doesn't work out that way because Andrew is determined to hold my wheel. He has also been following me long enough to know which turns I suck at the most. He smartly picks a turn at the end of the lap where I always run wide and he cuts inside to pass me. My last chance is to get him near the starting chute, but he opened up a gap on me in the last technical section and although I come back to him I ran out of room for a pass. I have one more chance on the sweeper before the final turn, but he is going hard too and I just don't have enough to do it. Bollocks. Nice race, Andrew, you're a good competitor, and I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again.

Andrew following me through the whoops with Fate shining down on us, photo by Katy Homanick

Full Results

Following the PROs

2010-10-15T21:35:00.000-05:00

From Velonews, Troy Wells leads Jonathan Page, Francis Mourey and Tristan Schouten through an off-camber section, photo by Wil Matthews

As I mentioned in my last race report, PRO cyclocrosser Barry Wicks showed up with us to race at Hopkins Park in the ChiCrossCup which everyone enjoyed. I noticed several young guns on the local scene following him around the course during his warmup like barnacles on a tall ship -- which reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my Planet Bike Cup race report.

Bonebell hero Paolo Urizar and I made like Burt Reynolds bandits and put the pedal to the metal all the way up to Sun Prairie on a Friday afternoon in hopes of pre-riding the course at the Planet Bike Cup before it closed. After 2 good laps, I began working on certain sections of the course and lo and behold who do I see up ahead but Francis Mourey, the 5 time French National Champion. Well, I gun it hard to catch him and I do my best to stay with him as he runs through the course, watching his lines and in awe of his smoothness. His practice speed is challenging in itself. Unfortunately he pulls off the course before we've done a full lap, but I've already reconn'd some important sections with him and I've changed my line in at least 2 places. Cool, what an experience.

The main thing I noted is that he is better at linking turns together. For example, on one slower technical section, I noticed that he took a sharper left turn than I had been taking. I had been starting my turn as if it were the only turn I was going to make. What his sharper angle gained him was a straighter setup for the next turn and allowed him to take the series of turns faster, linking them together more efficiently. Smart. Merci Francis. Sounds obvious, but it's not.

From Velonews, Francis Mourey fighting for position, photo by Wil Matthews

Is cyclocross a technical TT or is it a race?

2010-10-13T13:01:00.007-05:00

Ok, obviously since it's a mass start and riders don't go off in intervals, it is most certainly a race, but bear with me here.

I've been reflecting on my race strategy at Hopkins Park where I managed to stay on the edge of my redzone (threshold) without blowing up. While that was a good test of my fitness, I don't think it's the optimal strategy for cyclocross. However, I see a lot of people doing this, and if this were everyone's strategy, cyclocross would just be a technical time trail. Especially with everyone strung out racing on their own, some faster than others. Whether you think in terms of your overall time or how fast you can turn a lap, it becomes a race against time.

I like racing. I don't want to think of it in terms of time, so I've been questioning the strategy of go as hard as you can all the time. Maybe we do this because we are not in the lead group and we are just racing for the best place that we can achieve. Is it better to back off for a lap and then step on the gas later in the race? One reason Sven Nys is a great champion is because he often has something extra for that last lap to bury his competition. Should you let a few riders come up to you and go past you so that you can sit on the back of the group, recover for a lap, and then drop them all later? Is that better than having them pressuring you from behind, forcing you to keep your pace as high as you can to maintain your lead?

I don't know. I'm just asking.

Dan Ryan Woods Elvis Cross 2010

2010-10-08T13:11:00.006-05:00

Newt looking like a cyborg on the run-up last year, photo by Luke Seemann

Mini-vacation with the family this weekend, no racing. Good luck to all at Dan Ryan Woods, the course with the killer run-up. Hopefully the side path is still rideable. Hosted by the excellent Beverly Bike - Vee Pak team

Last year's race report

Hopkins Park Cyclocross race report

2010-10-04T10:38:00.013-05:00

Luke Seemann underneath the fly-over, photo by Paul M Photography

A fly-over. Great stuff! Another fun race with the ChiCrossCup, this time way out in DeKalb hosted by Half-Acre Cycling and North Central Cyclery. While it wasn't without mistakes, for where I'm at right now, I had a good race. My lungs had not been good for the last few days and I was coughing a lot in the morning. Then at the end of my warm-up I coughed up a huge mucus plug and the coughing stopped. Ah, much better. Things were looking up.

I turned myself inside out in the Cat 3 race yesterday. Last weekend in Madison at the Planet Bike Cup I made some progress with my inner game . Every time I needed to dig deeper, to reach inside myself for something more, I found some. Yesterday, I took it a step further and raced in the redzone, the whole race, without popping. There were short technical sections for short recoveries, but I never let off the gas. It was very painful.

Red-lining, photo by Paul M Photography

However, the resulting oxygen debt caused me to make a few major mistakes. I haven't got the dufus stuff out of my system yet. Once again, this time on the second lap, I couldn't get out of my pedal and tripped up going into the fly-over. I picked myself up with the bike laying on my back and ran up the stairs. I think I smacked Jack on the arm as I flipped my bike back over to remount (sorry). I dropped my chain once but I can't remember where or how. Memories get a little fuzzy when you're in the red, but I'll tell you what: you are fully present and fully alive.

I was clumsy through these barriers everytime, photo by Paul M Photography

I realize my race reports these days are all about my inner state and there is little about the events and details of the race, or tire pressure and the like. I guess I've just come to see them as insignificant details, but my goals are still focused on getting better. My practice goal for this week should come as no surprise: high speed dismounts with an ~~exaggerated ankle~~ hip twist (thanks Colm). I might even experiment with unclipping before I swing my leg around, standing on the left pedal before the dismount which is not the technique I currently use.

Also, congratulations to Nick Diedrich (unattached) for doing great in his first race. I hope you come back for more. And at the opposite end of the spectrum, it was awesome to see PRO Barry Wicks (Kona) show us what happens when he drops the hammer. Thanks for racing with us.

Full Results

USGP Planet Bike Cup 2010 race report

2010-09-27T15:27:00.032-05:00

The double barrier. I was told by one observer "you didn't look so good", photo by Menacing Buddha
Huge mistakes. Big doofus stuff. As in, crashing on the first lap. In both races. It was like one of those nightmare dreams where you miss your start or you crash out right away, except that it was real.

On the upside, my cornering was better, my cruising speed higher, my fitness a little better, and my ability to dig deep and push harder had improved. Most importantly, this course was fun. (Actually I can't say I enjoyed the run-up, but other than that. . .)

Day One
First lap, everything was going fine, I started in the 3rd row and I'm in the top 30 when I exit a switchback that transitions to gravel and I step on the gas before I am fully upright. I lose my back wheel in an instant - I didn't even know what hit me. I'm on the deck sliding through gravel and the announcer is yelling "A rider is down! and he is saaafe at third base. But he jumps right back up and he seems to be ok." I was so flooded with adrenaline I didn't feel a thing. I keep pushing on, but a lap later, I cannot feel my fingers in my left hand. That's not good, but I can still pull the front brake, so I'm ok.

Lucky for you, the rider behind me had a camera on his bars so you can watch me wipeout about 0:30 seconds into this video. Have a good laugh. I did.

This is a photo of the PRO race, but do you see that gravel strip at the top? Ouch.

My race was mishap after mistake after that. At some point in the middle of the race at the top of a hill with a tight, slow left hander I get my pedal caught on a stake and I get stuck in the tape. A dozen riders go by me. On another lap, I drop my chain on the run-up. And as I remount my bike I learn that the chain isn't on properly and I have to dismount again to fix it. More riders go by.

A lap later as I am setting up wide for an off-camber right hander, another rider thinks he can sneak past on my outside. The [expletive deleted] collides with my shoulder and clips my front wheel as he goes past flipping me over my left side and into the tape. More riders go past me.

On the far front side of the course I notice that my left glove is getting really tight, so I pull it away from my fingers. Later on the run-up I pull the glove off. My hand is a mess, bloody, purple and swollen. I finish the race in 57th.

I report to the first aid station which is overrun by Chicagoans needing bandages. I wasn't the only one who went down. It takes several minutes before a cooler of ice arrives. I drive to the U of Wisconsin Health Clinic for x-rays. Good news, no bones are broken, it's just a contusion. I iced the hand for 2 hours.

Day 2
The swelling is down, I can move my fingers and I can get my hand in my glove, so I am racing. On the start line I am as calm as a Belgian. My goal is to race hard, not let my injuries curb my aggressiveness and have fun. This time I have a 2nd row starting position.

When the gun goes off the guy in front of me not only doesn't launch, but he can't get in his pedal. I watch racers move past me on both sides as I wait for an opening, and then shoot through it. I am passing riders as we approach the right sweeper. I have a solid position on the inside and I defend it as we move through the twisties. I pass another rider on the straight leading up to the double barriers and I can see Brandon Leach up ahead and I keep the speed high to close the gap to him.

I was going a little hot into the double barriers, but my setup was smooth. When I step my right foot through and hit the ground, my left foot refuses to unclip. I have no idea what happened. Did my left ankle not twist? The affect is like being tripped while you are sprinting. My bike goes flipping over my right shoulder and my face is headed right at the top of the barrier. I put my hands in front of my face to protect it. Somebody crashes into me from behind and another rider trips over the barrier to my right. Sorry dudes. I jump back up, grab my bike and walk over the 2nd barrier, I keep walking and moving right until I can get safely to the side and out of everyone's way. I wrestle my left brake hood back into position and I put my chain back on. I quickly check the brakes for damage, remount and chase. I am now dead last, in 103rd place. Lovely. Best start ever.

Actually, this is when the race got really fun. I am racing with anger now, and I am determined to pick off everyone. I actually raced really well and turned 3 very hot laps (for me). When I heard the announcer say we had 6 laps to go, I knew I had to pull it back a notch. I had hit the run-up on the last lap without having recovered from the previous lap. So I pulled back from my redline for 2 laps but still made progress through the back of the field. The last 2 laps I went back into the red. On the last lap, I managed to pass 3 riders that I had in my sights for a while. Then on the way to the run-up (now called the hillside strangler since the course was changed so that you had to ride up the hill, ride back down, and then tackle the run-up) I rode through some leaves which got stuck in my brakes and derailleur. Stupid me, I was trying to pull it out of my back brakes when I ran wide in a turn and got caught in the tape. The three riders pass right by. The finish comes not long after the run-up so there is no time to catch them. I was a little deflated by that boneheaded mishap, but still pleased with my ride.

Day One results
Day Two results

The whole weekend was a great time, hanging with teammates and friends, meeting new people from other teams, watching great racing and enjoying great weather.

Swagger on a bike

2010-09-22T12:04:00.008-05:00

Humphrey Bogart cycling on the lot of Warner Bros. I suspect. One of my favorite actors, he reminds me of my grandfather.
Found this at an impossibly cool site, The Impossible Cool

Jackson Park Cyclocross 2010 Race Report

2010-09-22T10:43:00.008-05:00

Cat 3 start featuring fierce William, photo by Von R Buzard
Something is missing this year. My fitness? Jeff Holland? Yes, those, but something else. I think what is missing is my obsession. I just don't have it this year. Life has been getting in the way and pushed cyclocross into the background in the last month or so. I haven't had the luxury of thinking about 'cross when I've got much bigger problems to tackle.

The ChiCrossCup this year is blowing up huge. Massive. 540 something racers. I used to think 200 was a lot. Jackson Park was a great kickoff, great atmosphere, great execution, great weather (unless you're a foul weather 'cross purist) and had a fun course with many challenges.

About my race, there really isn't much to say. I worked the race before the race to get a 2nd row start, ended the 1st lap in 10th and moved backwards to 21st. I got a little sloppy at times but didn't make any mistakes. I just didn't have the fitness, didn't have the lungs, the engine, to step on the gas on the abundant and long straightaways and watched people overtake me every time. People like Luke Seemann who had a great race moving up to 6th. Awesome Luke.

I was also disappointed by my lack of power. I thought my strength training had helped, and it had, but I have since lost the power I once had in the middle of summer. It seems I need strength training all year round, in-season too, just to maintain what I have built in the off-season.

On the upside, I had a lot of fun diving into the turns faster than I usually do. There were times when I was even railing it. Taking some excellent technical advice from my teammate Kyle Wiberg, I was keeping my center of gravity lower and steering with my butt. Helped a lot. Also, even though I did't feel as strong as I thought I should, I actually do have more power this year, and I had enough in my legs to pick it up a notch on the last lap and pass 2 riders who had passed me on the previous lap. I actually sprinted the last 300 meters in an attempt to catch the rider in front of me, but I fell 10 meters short.

Another positive for me was that the Warrior voice dominated on Sunday and the little boy voice "ach, I can't take this pain, I don't think I can keep going" was heard not at all. Even when I was suffering I was pushing to keep my tempo high, keep the feet spinning in circles.

Following the tatooed man in black, photo by Mike Davis

I'm headed to the USGP Planet Bike Cup this weekend with zero expectations. I hope to get 2 good races, work on my skills, and race myself into better form. And check out the PROs.
Full Results

Quick update cause cross is just around the corner

2010-07-28T10:25:00.013-05:00

I have never watched so little of the TdF as this year. Just didn't get into it. With 2 stage wins Sylvain Chavanel was the highlight for me.
Took my road bike to Get-A-Grip Cycles for a full overhaul. The bike has never had one and was overdue. Shifting is smooth and quick again, click, thunk, click, thunk. New cables do wonders. Get-A-Grip is so awesome - they were playing a GvA Trofee race on all the TVs.

I went on a group ride Monday night. Everyone there was slow, I was just looking for an easy Monday ride, then Tracey from xXx showed up. Well of course I can't let him win the sprints uncontested. I was in my DeMarchi white and black kit and riding my cross bike with road wheels. I didn't tell him who I was. I don't look like much, so he didn't expect to have any competition. I enjoyed how surprised he was to see someone ride past him. Another guy in the group thinks he's fast but he clearly doesn't train properly. His matches flare up and immediately burn out. And he doesn't have many matches.

Did my first session of V02 intervals last night. Ouch. The patented Dugas intervals of course.

I stepped out from underneath the bar in early June, said bye to Jerry at No. 1 Gym and I was done. Strength training is over, all my workouts are on the bike now. I have to say that 4 months in the gym have done me well. I am as strong as I have ever been. I love ripping it open, getting in a big gear and spinning it up. Next off-season I plan to spend 6 months under the bar from December to May. This year's goal was to squat my bodyweight, next year I want to get to 1.5 which is about 225lbs.

Ah, but I will need to find a new gym. A proper one with power racks. You see, I am moving my family to the suburbs in a month. Yes, it's true. I'm going to miss living in the city, I've been here for 19 years, my wife, her whole life. Big changes soon come.

I'm planning to use a couple crits as a warm up. I should be on the startline in Grayslake August 7th and the Wood Dale Criterium on the 8th. No expectations.

Ok, what else? See you at the Tag Team?

Update: when you gonna start racing?

2010-05-11T21:10:00.008-05:00

I know I said I'd be racing in May, but that's not going to happen. Fox River Grove is coming up this weekend and there is no way I am ready. I haven't been training enough, I've been eating too much trying to build muscle and I've gained 10 pounds. I'll never get up that hill. Some of the weight is gut fat but most is muscle. Time to be cutting soon come, brethren.

I've had to cut back to 2 days/week in the weight room the last few weeks because of some tightness and a muscle pull in my glutes. I stalled in all my lifts and had to de-load and am just now making progress again. But I'm spending some time on the massage table and Courtney Nissen of AthletiCo is straightening things out for me.

Did I mention that I haven't been riding enough? Lungs have been a lot better than last spring, but not as good as they were last fall. Still I can't complain. The variability is gone, the asthma is more under control now.

When my kids are on summer break, I should be free to attend Northbrook track sessions or Matteson crits on Tuesdays. Come July and August I'll select some crits for training but with no expectations of results. I plan to race 2 UCI cyclocross races this year, the Derby City Cup in Kentucky and of course the Planet Bike Cup in Madison. Jingle Cross maybe?

Btw, my teammates have been killing it this year. Keep it up xXx.

Luke and Mike in Belgium

2010-04-06T10:01:00.002-05:00

What a great experience. Luke tells the story very well. Check it out

Strongman stuff: Turkish Get Ups and Farmer's Walk

2010-03-05T09:17:00.019-06:00

I know most of you are chomping at the bit for the spring crits, but I won't be racing until May and I'm still in my winter training mode. I've discovered a great exercise and incorporated it into my routine 3 days a week. They are called Turkish Get Ups and they are awesome strength builders. Whole body strength which is all I'm interested in. Picture an old-time strongman with moustache. That's where these come from.

It appears that Lance knows about them too. Here's a demo from Livestrong.com.

How to Do Turkish Get Ups for Strength -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

I've also added the Farmer's walk. They do these in the Highland Games and other strongmen competitions.

The Farmer's walk looks easy, but it's really quite strenuous. It does a lot for you:
o Stronger back
o Stronger abdominals
o Stronger glutes
o Increased muscle growth
o Increased metabolism
o Increased muscular coordination
Core strength is what I'm after. The foundation of my winter strength program has been squats and deadlifts - compound lifts that train several muscle groups. Not your typical cyclist's strength program for sure.

Winter training program - free weights

2010-02-10T13:06:00.005-06:00

My winter program has one big change in it this year. For the first time, I am hitting the weight room. And not just the lower body, I'm working on the whole thing. I'm not following a cycling-specific program though, I'm doing the StrongLifts 5x5 program. I don't care if I add bulk in my upper body, in fact that is one of my goals. I'm not riding the Tour, I don't need to look like a T. Rex.

And for the first time in my life, I'm enjoying weight training, it feels good. The last time I made a serious attempt at it was during my college rugby days. I've always been thin, and I was the lightest guy on the team. I hit the weight room to bulk up and get more solid because it's a punishing game.

There is no place to hide on a rugby pitch. My job was to run with the ball, kick, and cover kicks. Your skills are your only protection, and there is no running out of bounds. If you get the ball and you have no support, you are going to get hit. And after you get hit your job isn't over because you need to protect the ball and allow your team to retain possession. Ah, it's a great game.

StrongLifts 5x5 is the real thing. Free weights, big muscle groups. Squats, bench press, overhead press, deadlift, rows, chin-ups, pull-ups. Old school - pumping iron.

Looking forward to Cyclocross Worlds in Tabor

2010-01-28T08:58:00.018-06:00

Yes! UCI Cyclocross Elite World Championship this weekend. Jonathan Page has been going well lately, top 20 at Roubaix, and just last weekend finished 8th in Hoogerheide. Will the podium be a reshuffle of last year's, or will someone else crash the party?

Cyclingnews is reporting some dodgy, frozen conditions that could make the race look like a circus.

A small army of course officials and locals have been working around the clock to ensure the usability of the track, which has frozen solid in temperatures that have dipped as low as -18 Celsius, and has been subject to heavy snowfall in recent weeks.

With the mercury to remain below zero and no possibility of a thaw before the junior men kick things off on Saturday, the advantage has swung firmly in the favour of riders adept at dealing with slippery, technical conditions.

I would say this favors Nys and Stybar over Albert and possibly Kevin Pauwels who is technically very good also. I'll be rooting for the Americans because I am. I saw on the Bonebell that Universal Sports will be streaming the race online at 12pm Eastern. It's not live, but a same day broadcast. I hope it works. I'm also hoping Nathan Spear posts another beautiful version like last year.

Cyclocross: winning moves #2

2010-01-28T08:22:00.014-06:00

I was watching this seasons 2009 GvA Koppenbergcross race on the trainer last night. I think Sven Nys has won this for the last 6 years straight and I think he has said that this is his favorite race. I don't watch any of the pro races during the cyclocross season. I save them for my trainer sessions after the season is over, but I vaguely remember reading on cyclingnews that Nys had prevailed again. But as I was watching the race, I began to get very curious how he was going to win it, because he came into het laatste ronde with a large group of riders including Albert and Stybar. Did he win it by a sprint or did he somehow shake them off?

Near the start/finish the course is fairly fast with long stretches of pavement and the riders who were strung out in the technical section tend to come together in bunches. Not long after the start comes the Koppenberg hill itself then a descent and then the technical section with some leg busting undulations. It blows me away how fast they were sprinting up that hill on the last lap. Bloody hell.

Nys is probably the best technical rider in this bunch and he knows this course. His winning move was very impressive. The technical stuff starts with a small hill with a sharp left back onto the dirt and then a sweeping left hander. Nys rides to the front and just powers as hard as he can. Then he carves beautiful lines through the course. Powers and carves. He gets a nice gap in a very short time and that is all she wrote. Notice Nys' line in the downhill left-hander at 3:52. Perfect. Notice Albert's line and the others. Not so sweet. Some even put a leg out. Sven doesn't and he's noticeably faster.

Check it out. This vid is pretty good quality.

Still Champion

2010-01-15T21:51:00.007-06:00

I just got back from the Mayo Clinic after having my periodic lung tests. Good news. My exhaled Nitrous Oxide level has normalized. Bad news. My chronic sinus problems are getting worse and even worse, my max lung capacity is 20% lower, perhaps permanently.

But as my doctor tells me, I still hold the clinic's record in exhaled Nitrous Oxide (a marker for lung inflammation). In October 2008 I had bested the previous record held by a 70-year old lifelong heavy smoker who posted a 273 pbb (parts per billion). I shattered his record with a 596 pbb and it still holds. No one has even come close. I remember that day. The technician recalibrated the equipment twice and then tested it on himself because he couldn't believe the numbers he was seeing when I breathed into the tube.

2009 season results

2009-12-10T11:05:00.001-06:00

13 starts
Sep 20 Jackson Park - 11th 40+, 12th 4a
Sep 26 USGP Planet Bike Cup - 3rd Cat 4
Oct 10 Grafton WCA - 3rd Cat 4
Oct 11 BB/VP Bar-B Cross - DNF 40+, 1st Cat 4a
Oct 18 Carpentersville - 7th 40+
Oct 25 Sunrise Park - 8th 40+, 27th Cat 3
Nov 01 Campton Cross - DNS
Nov 08 Northbrook - 15th Cat 3
Nov 14 Indian Lakes CX - 18th Cat 3
Oct 22 Woodstock - 25th Cat 3
Dec 06 Montrose Harbor - 18th Cat 3

Montrose Cyclocross race report

2009-12-07T22:17:00.023-06:00

Sorry lads, too knackered to take a handup, photo by Velogrrl
Two weeks since Woodstock and my lungs have returned to "normal." Asthma normal at least, the best I get.

The Turin folks did a great job of designing a course at Montrose harbor. Similar to last year, yet different. I would have preferred to go straight up Cricket Hill rather than ride up it twice in more roundabout fashion which drained the legs more, but hey, that was a nice touch, design-wise. They included a lot of sand this year, and since this is the area where we at xXx Racing hold our Wednesday practices, I have had some practice in the sand. However, the section we usually run was only about a third of what Turin included in the course. The main sand feature they included was a short "cliff" which dropped off into a trough of soft sand, crossed a concrete path and then some more bumpy sand, followed by a right turn on grass followed by some more undulating sand. It was challenging to say the least and the sand got deeper and softer as the day progressed.

So, you hecklers of the Chicago Cross Cup, don't say I never gave you anything. On the first lap of the Cat 3 race, on the drop-off, I gave you a spectacular endo which brought rousing cheers from the crowd! I have to learn to put-down the instinct to try the most challenging line just to see if I can make it. Not on the first lap! Eejit! As soon as I hit the deep puff of sand at the bottom of the drop I knew I was doomed. Like a disembodied soul floating above my self, I could see myself flipping over the bike as I buried my front wheel, I could see the rear wheel swinging around and my body jumping up and lifting the bike to my shoulder. I was laughing at myself as I ran away and I heard someone in the crowd saying to a friend, "Ha, this guy is just laughing!" Yes, I was. That was probably the most exhilarating and painless moment of my race. When that "oh, shit" moment comes, you must have a sense of humor about it. Moments like that are like being a little boy again. Being in the pain cave comes later and engages the warrior psyche. Gavin Gould was onhand to capture the crash. Great stuff, thanks.

Third row start and I clipped into my new shoes/cleats nicely. Thank you Ted Burger for having sweet bike handling skills. He collided with the rider to the right of him, locked bars maybe, separated, unclipped his left foot, swerved left, almost lost it but somehow kept it together. I was right on his wheel so there was no way I could have avoided a crash if he went down. Well done, sir.

My only complaint about the course was that the 180° switchbacks came right after the start. This automatically strung out the field into singletrack and re-enforced starting position giving those at the front an even bigger advantage.

After my endo on the first lap, I got conservative and ran the sand cliff section the next 2 laps. The guys in front of me were. Then I thought, "What I am I doing playing it conservative? This is it, this is the last race, you won't get another chance, so ride that fucking thing." Taking the line I tried in practice, that sand was no problem and it was infinitely more fun to ride it than to run it. So after a brief failure, I stayed true to one of my life rules - to never live with regrets, do what you want to do, take what you want from this life.

The pain cave. Never in any cyclocross race has there been a time where I haven't been in the pain cave wondering if I can keep going. Always happens. Then another voice in my head says, "STFU, of course you can, don't be a pussy" You have to quiet that little voice of weakness and stick it out, no matter how it much hurts and how weak you are becoming. This is the inner game of cycling. My goal is to quiet that meek little voice forever. Ride fierce, like Nico. Warrior mode wailing so loud it drowns out any doubts.

My teammate Jeff Holland had some bad luck (again!). He got a good start and was looking strong until I lost sight of the front of the race. Then a few laps later he was behind me and coming on strong. Clawed his way back to 14th. Well done Jeff.

I had to leave after my race to see my girls in some ballet thing, so I missed the carnage of the main event. At least I didn't have to feel that deflated, depressing feeling when the last racer passes and you know there will be no more racing. For 9 months. Ach, what am I going to do to pass the time? Some crits will whet my appetite, but there is nothing like cyclocross. Full Results

Woodstock cyclocross race report

2009-11-23T11:16:00.013-06:00

Nothing much to say here. As I said in my last race report, my lungs are in pretty poor shape and I was debating whether to race at all. Then on Saturday, I decided that there are only 2 races left, even if I have no chance for a decent result, I'll just go out there, hack up a lung, and have fun.

I lined up for the Cat 3 and I let a bunch of people get in front of me in the fight for the 2nd row. I knew I wasn't going to be top 15 or even top 20 today, so I gave someone else the chance. Given where I was, I got a decent start and had a good first lap, but I was breathing extra hard and feeling weak from the reduced oxygen delivery. Every breath was accompanied by a gurgle deep in my lungs.

I rode as hard as I could and I made no mistakes. My teammate Dave Moyer passed me on the 2nd lap and rode himself into 10th place. Nice ride. I told him after the race, "What were you thinking? You could have stayed on my wheel and I would have pulled you around the course for 25th place."

Towards the end of the race, I was going admittedly quite slow in parts. On the run-up someone heckled me with one of my favorite heckles, "Let's go, this is a race!". Fair play, touché.

The main event was a great time. Beer and meat handups. Ben Popper in a bunny suit and dorky aero helmet. Another beautiful day with the Chicago Cross Cup. Full Results

The run-up, photo by Luke Seemann

Indian Lakes Cyclocross race report

2009-11-16T09:09:00.013-06:00

Running the 2nd fairway trap
Cyclocross on a golf course? Yeah, buddy. The South Chicago Wheelmen did a very nice job of making this happen and it proved to be a very challenging course. Once again, the weather was beautiful.

I have cracked. I am so tired, sore, scraped and bruised. Saturday's race took a lot out of me. I think I have been pushing my body too hard and resting and sleeping too little. My lung health just plummeted. I'm hacking up some mucus from the bottom of my lungs and my general lung function has gone from green to yellow. My season may have just ended. "Oh poor baby, HTFU. What about the race?"

Ah, the race was cool (Cat 3) despite my shortcomings in power. Bombing the first fairway trap was really fun. It had a high front edge and at speed you'd get air for the first 3 meters before landing in the sand and powering through to the back edge which required some power and skill to get over. The hill was cool too, but only once did I climb it while clipped in. My cheap beginner shoes fell apart last week and I was racing with new shoes and cleats. Needless to say I had some trouble clipping in.

I managed to get a 2nd row start behind Kurtz who did not disappoint. He got a good start and I was right behind him, seventh or eighth when it all shook out . . . and I went backwards from there. I pushed very hard on the first lap to keep in contact with the leaders but they were moving away. On the start of the 2nd lap Henry Loud goes past and I continue to push hard to keep pace with him. Futility. Now Brian Parker goes past me (great ride Brian) and I am hurting badly. No chance of keeping up, I am just trying to keep it together. In the switchbacks at the end of the 2nd lap I take a left sweeper too fast and low-side. I curl up like a turtle as my pursuers crash into the back of me. Ouch, sorry Max and Mike.

Anyway, the card says 5 to go and I've popped. I don't know how I'm going to last for 5 more laps. Max and the 2 Brandons and eventually Mike Conroy come past me on the next few laps as I try to settle in and keep the engine running. I grab a Red Vines hand-up at the sand trap (sweet). On the 2nd to last lap I'm feeling better and pick up my pace. I re-pass a few riders who are now struggling at the end. Max has about 8 seconds on me and I have 2 pursuers 10 seconds in arrears. I close the gap to Max to 3-4 seconds but I cannot catch him and then it's over. 18th, out of the money.

Great stuff this cyclocross. Pure pain. Like I said I would, I pushed myself hard and then even harder, brought myself to the brink of total shutdown, pulled back from the edge and then pushed again. Ride fierce, go hard. That's what it's all about.

Oh, and New Belgium was there selling Fat Tire Ale. Lovely beer for watching the Cat 4s.Full Results

Northbrook cyclocross race report

2009-11-09T09:57:00.009-06:00

One of my teammates (Natalie?) screamed at me during the race, "Come on, you aren't suffering enough!" Maybe she is right. Maybe I need to push myself more. It sure felt like suffering, but I must admit that this race didn't hurt as much as the others.

I look ahead of me and I see all fast riders. The guys behind me are fast too. I finished 15th in the Cat 3 race. Not bad considering my training has really fallen off in the last 2 weeks.

I rode a good race until the last lap. Got sloppy on the barrier in front of the ditch run-up and dropped my chain. Dave Moyer and his huge engine go motoring past me on the long power section. When I hit the next technical section, I found 2 women blocking my way. I got past the first by taking the inside. I tried to pass the 2nd on the off-camber straight. She took the high line and I took the low, but before I could get past, she came down to the low, taking me out. This cost me one more position as Al Urbanski came through as I was lying on the ground trying to get out of my pedals. Dave would have passed me anyway without these 2 mistakes. Al, probably not.

Ah, so, I got a few seconds of footage in a Paul Michna film. He is doing a series of short films on cyclocross. I dropped my chain by accidentally kicking my cranks on the short run-up after the 180° barrier. You don't usually make his footage unless you provide something to laugh at. In this case I provided material for Jason Meshberg's heckling/speaking in tongues. My hairy legs seen from the back are at 1:18.

The upside is that Jason gave me a sweet push to get me going again. Thanks dude!
Full Results

Campton Cross DNS

2009-11-02T08:21:00.007-06:00

Ah, I'm really sorry I missed everybody this weekend at the Campton Cross in St. Charles. My wife has suddenly become very, very sick (H one N one) and I was needed at home. My girls and I should be ok, because we received the vaccine as soon as it arrived in Chicago. My wife was not eligible and look what happened. (She pulled through).

Damn shame too because Campton Park is one of my favorite courses. I was also looking forward to returning to the site of my very first cyclocross race. I also had to cancel my plans to race in Milwaukee at Washington Park.

Bummer. I'm sure there were good times and good racing. I look forward to seeing the reports, pics, vid, etc. Full Results
My buddy J.D. in the muddy woods - photo by Tipping Point

Why we do it

2009-10-29T21:37:00.005-05:00

The Main Event of the Chicago Cross Cup week after week is the 4b race. This is the race where new cyclocrossers start, kind of like the Cat 5 road category. It is the last race of the day, and racers who have finished for the day line the course and densely populate the hot spots, yelling, heckling, cheering, giving hand-ups, you name it. The stars of this race this season have been Greg Teiber, Rodrigo and Flannel Mike who prefers a flannel shirt and jeans to the more common lycra kit.

These guys personify the essence, the beauty of cyclocross. If you want to understand why we do it, just look at their faces.
Greg on 'Heckle Hill' at Barlett/Sunrise Park - photo by Luke Seemann
Read their story here

Bartlett/Sunrise Park race report

2009-10-27T09:33:00.016-05:00

Hey, that's nice form
Simply put, I didn't have the legs for 2 races. A long power course doesn't play to my strengths, and it trashed my legs. But I did my best and I had a great time. Oh, except the 3s race. That was quite painful and mentally demoralizing.

I stood on the start line for my first race in category 3. 2nd row, right behind Jeff Wat who is known to be very quick off the line. Without a callup, you couldn't ask for more. Gun goes off, I stand up and kick it. My legs immediately burn and refuse to give me anything. People go flying past me on both sides and I'm giving it everything. But there's nothing there. This boggles my mind, nothing. Then, that sinking feeling. I ride as hard as I can, but . . . you know. It didn't matter that Luke Seemann, my teammate in the same race, was hecking me as we passed in different directions, "Come on Chris, you're getting beat by juniors!" I just didn't have it.

I still manage to catch the 4th place womens 1/2/3 racer, my teammate Julia, in the last lap, so my pace is not glacial. After I cross the finish line, I stop and watch the riders behind me finish. There aren't many. I was clearly at the back of the field, which is a first for me. Oh well, it didn't kill me and hopefully made me stronger.

I overheard a spectator on my way up 'Heckle Hill' on the last lap. "Check out this dude, he's still smiling." But of course, this is cyclocross! It may hurt, but it hurts so good.

Bringing the Fuji down on the top of the hill
The earlier race, the 40+ was great fun. I started 2nd row next to xXx coach and racer Randy Warren, a great guy. I got a decent start, slotted in around 15th and started working my way up. I tried to ride the hill on the first lap but had to abandon about three-quarters of the way up because I had no traction. I went down once in the off-camber right 180° turn, but that really didn't cost me anything.

I spent the last 3 laps chasing Pete Rolewicz from Comcast who had at least 10 seconds advantage. There was a time when I seemed to be gaining, but I was pushing very hard, getting closer and closer to blowing up. I had to ease off my pace and settle in, the result being that I never caught him, he maintained that 10 seconds all the way to the line. I talked to him after the race and this is one of the things I love about cyclocross: the people we race against and with are really great people. Cheers, Pete. Full Results

Carpentersville Cyclocross race report

2009-10-18T20:44:00.019-05:00

The sand pit, photo by Velosnaps
It was cool to warm-up listening to the National's "Mr. November". Great song, very intense chorus. Increases the revs a bit. The folks in Carpentersville and the fine people at North Branch Cycling put on an excellent race and integrated it into a Octoberfest. If my girls weren't suffering from colds right now, this would have been a good race for the whole family to attend. It was like an outdoor Pump-It-Up out there.

Coming after the Dan Ryan Woods race, this course felt easy. The only place I suffered a bit extra was the sand pit, and then only because I ran it (being conservative, I found it most effective). The whoops were fun and I give the organizers points for trying something new, but they didn't factor into the outcome. I wish they were evenly spaced or in logarithmically decreasing frequency, but that's asking too much, innit?
The whoops, photo by Velosnaps

Masters 40+, due to other commitments the only race I had time to do. I lost the race to the race and started in the 3rd row, hoping the guys in front of me were fast. No dice. Anticipating a decent start from they guy in front of me, I started too quickly, rode straight into the back of him, crossed wheels, rubbed tires, but I backed off and kept it together.

So I rode hard to work my way through the field. I put in 2 hot laps and moved up to 6th. I was riding with Erik Enyedy who had an early mechanical problem and was trying to chase back up to the front. Well, as I tend to do, I was pushing too hard, cornering too aggressively and lacking some smoothness due to fatigue. With Erik on my wheel, I lost the front in an off-camber 180° and Erik was gone. In the next twisty section with the off-camber switchback, I lost it again. This time I did some damage to my rear derailleur and when I was back on the bike I found that I couldn't pedal, the chain was jammed in the pulleys.

After I had worked that out, everyone I had rode so hard to pass went by. So I started over. Now my teammates were screaming their heads off at me, getting on my case for being so far back. Of course I responded, but I rode patiently, settling into a pace that would keep me moving up and not blow up. The next 2 laps, I had caught everyone I was going to be able to catch except one. I sat on a Killjoy rider's wheel for most of the lap and was going to save my attack for late in the last lap, so that I didn't overcook it again. Turns out I didn't even need to attack him. In the sand pit, he abandoned his attempt to ride it and I just ran past him. A quick remount and I put the hammer down for the rest of the lap finishing comfortably in seventh.

Despite making two big mistakes, I am satisfied with my race. I probably finished where I would have finished without the crashes. Now if only I could get a good start, I might have a shot at cracking that top 5. I'll keep trying. Full Results

The best part of the race was that the organizers made the prizes 10 deep. And somebody has good taste. I'll take this over a pair of socks anyday:
Just another chapter in the Driss van Vlaanderen saga.

BB/VP Bar-B Cross at Dan Ryan Woods race report

2009-10-12T09:58:00.013-05:00

Soloing to victory! photo by Luke Seemann

Cold, frosty morning. I felt better than I had expected after racing in Wisconsin the day before. Lungs felt ok. I lined up for the 40+ race, 2nd row and I got the worst start ever. I couldn't clip-in, I slipped off the pedal twice and everyone behind me cursed the dork who can't ride a bike. So I'm way back and working my way up every opportunity, but I have this creaking bottom bracket sound that I don't like. I was feeling good and hammering away when I feel my left crank turn on an eliptical axis. Something is very wrong and I look down to see my crank coming off. I dismount the bike, lay it down and start stomping the crank back on. Anyway, I have to do this twice more and then the thing finally comes right off. DNF. I don't think I even finished 2 laps.

I love these local races. Thanks to the Beverly Bike-Vee Pak crew for stepping up to put on a great race. I was able to drive home, take care of some things, eat lunch with the family, put the kids down for a nap, and head back for the Cat 4a race.

I learned a valuable lesson in that masters race and I used it get the vacant front row spot as I lined up for the 4a. This time my start was flawless and there was no one next to me as I downshifted one more time. Holeshot . . . sweet.

The run-up (ride up on the left?) came early in the lap and I didn't run my hardest. Paid the price as 4 or 5 guys go past me. I don't remember who was on the front that lap, but we had a selection of 7 or 8 guys on the front. My teammate Newt is ahead of me but I notice he is letting a small gap open in front of him. I suspect he must be having a bad day.

Newt on the run up - photo by Luke Seemann

Then in the twisties after the double barriers Mike Morell goes down on the gravel turn and creates a selection of 4 on the front. Newt, myself, Andrew from Pegasus and an Iron Cycles rider. Next time on the run-up Andrew was very strong and beat us all to the top by a decent margin. I am quickest to remount and I ride back up to his wheel. I follow his lead on this lap but I notice his pace slacking a bit in the straights. I also notice that Newt is allowing a small gap behind me. I plan to pass Andrew on the double barriers, where I usually go quicker than other cat 4s. However, Andrew is not one of them. He's quickly through and I cannot pass him, but I notice that the 2 behind us are not as quick and we've just gained another 2 seconds on them. After the remount Andrew doesn't step on the gas so I jump around him and put the hammer down. The twisties are coming up and I go real hot into every one of them and stand up to accelerate out, trying to open the gap as much as I can.

The rest of last 2 laps I keep pushing hard. Focusing. Staying loose. Newt has dropped the others and is in pursuit. Brandon Leach seems to appear everywhere on the course screaming "Sandbagger!" I am getting gap reports of 15 seconds which is good because now I am feeling the burn. I put thoughts of victory out of my mind until I hit the final turn. Then, there it is. Joy and relief. My first win and it was so sweet.

Post up was the tarzan followed by the crucifix - photo by Luke Seemann

A special thanks to Jeff Holland and others who were yelling encouragement and measuring the gap for me. Helps a lot, eternally grateful.

When the season started, I really didn't know if I would be strong enough to compete in Cat 3. I'm still having consistency problems due to the persistent asthma. But I told myself if I ever won a Cat 4 race, I would upgrade. ~~It's pending~~ Wow, thank you Mr. Fowkes, that was fast. I am now a Cat 3. See you all next Sunday.Full Results

Grafton PumpkinCross race report

2009-10-11T21:14:00.008-05:00

Usually my race reports say that I made no big mistakes, which is a big marker for how well you rode. If you rode as hard as you could and didn't make any big mistakes, you can be satisfied, right? Well, not this time.

I learned two lessons today: Never hold back, push yourself harder than you think is possible on the most difficult stuff, and also, never let your concentration lapse, not even for a second.

The folks in Grafton put on a very good race. These are some of the same people who also organize the Grafton Twilight Criterium, which I have never done, but which I've heard good things about. They also put together a good course, twisty with some long straights, a short sandpit and the killer, a long hill which was guaranteed to jack your heartrate and test your legs. The course was fairly long, I believe we did 6 laps.

In the Wisconsin (WCA) Planet Bike series, they have a category for olefellas like me, the 40+ Cat 4. However, I opted to race the Cat 4 race since I would be racing the same categories as in the ChiCrossCup and could better compare the competition. Also, I thought the young fellas would be tougher competition.

The start line was open on one side, so I slimed into the front row, far left. There were no callups. When the whistle blew, I kicked hard and found 1 guy on my right who was still with me. Being on the inside, he had a better angle on the holeshot and I had to let up - which was fortunate since if I had dug harder to get in front I would have surely eaten it on the first corner. As it happened, the first turn was a tight right sweeper that closed quickly. He overcooked it and I was following slightly outside of his wheel and I really overcooked it. I recovered at the last second, but five or six guys flew past me. They guy to my right says "Maybe you should have pre-rode the course." I wanted to check this wise-ass into the tape, but I said nothing and just put him behind me.

The lesson I take away from this is: if the first turn is more challenging than a simple 90, practice it at speed.

The first two laps, I spent picking off the guys in front of me until there was only one. By the time I got to the front, Matt Brawn, who won last week, is out front by around 10 seconds. I am chasing and chasing, but still he maintains that 10 seconds. Sometimes I bring it back to 6 or 7, then he pulls away again. I see that a rider in orange and gray is moving through the field behind me. He is going strong, but I have at least 10 seconds on him.

2 laps to go, I'm feeling ok, but starting to wonder if I'm ever going to catch Brawn. I've been going very hard and I'm looking for places to recover. I take it a little slower in the turns before the sand pit. As I approach the sand pit, I pick a rut to follow. I usually ride the right side because I preferred the exit line in my pre-ride, but this time there is a fat rut on the left calling me. I follow it and I'm flowing through like butter. Then, it's not the man with the hammer, but the man with the hook who grabs my handlebars and yanks them to my left. I fall down on top of my bike with a big ughghhgh. WTF just happened? I jump up and grab my bike to get going again. I think to myself, ok only lost a few seconds, then I notice my bars and my front wheel are pointing in different directions. I have to put my wheel between my legs and yank the bars straight. As I remount, guess who goes past me? There goes my 10 seconds and now I'm third. (Never let your concentration lapse, not even for a second).

Ben Marchewka, age 26, is racing his 2nd race ever, I follow. When we get to the leg-breaking hill, I can't ride the entire length anymore and I jump off. Ben keeps riding, opening a small gap which I later close. Last lap, I'm thinking about where to pass when the opportunity just presents itself to me. For some reason, Ben stalls in the sand pit whereas I zip through this time. I focus. Here comes the hill. (Here comes my 2nd big mistake.) I'm riding the hill and I see him pulling alongside me. I feel like I can't go any faster so I jump off the bike. He keeps riding and I hear the locals screaming to him, "He's running it, go, go, go!". At the top of the hill, he's got a 4-5 second gap. With only a half a lap to go, I cannot close it and settle for 3rd. (Never hold back, push yourself harder than you think is possible on the most difficult stuff).

I should have rode that hill until my legs busted, then jumped off the bike. I could have kept that gap to 1-2 seconds, caught back on and have had a chance to sprint for 2nd. But in cyclocross the strongest always wins. Nice ride Ben.

I had planned on doing the 40+ Open later that afternoon, but I couldn't imagine going up that hill 9 more times, so I decided to save it for Sunday. I collected my prize money and ordered a burger and a PBR. Delicious. Full Results

Lungs are now like legs

2009-10-08T13:28:00.005-05:00

Cyclist don't usually know before a race if they are going to have good legs or not. Sometimes you can develop an idea in your warmup, but the race might prove you wrong. Sometimes the legs feel dead in the warmup and halfway through a race they start to feel good. The only way to know is to race.

My lungs are like that too. I am learning that, whatever my training and preparation, how fast I can go is entirely dependent on the state of my lungs. This is particularly evident during the Wednesday xXx 'cross practice. Some days I can ride with others at my level. I am grateful for that. Other days, I feel an overwhelming weakness. I just cannot create any power and I watch others ride away from me, even those below my level. Subjectively, just like with the legs, I don't know if I have good lungs until I push them to the limit, then I just work with whatever I've got.

One practice a couple weeks ago, I had good lungs and good legs. I felt strong for the first time in a long time and I was even passing riders at my level. That felt great, that's where my potential is. I wish I always had days like that.

This weekend I am going to attempt something I know I should not do because it is going to trash my lungs. I plan to race 4 times this weekend, doing the double at the Grafton PumpkinCross and then again at the ChiCrossCup. One race alone will have me coughing mucus for days, but I don't care, I want to see how my body responds. As long as I don't end of with a massive exacerbation and need corticosteroids again. The way I see it, I have no other obligations this weekend, why not go for it? Cyclocross is the most fun you can have on two wheels.
Trying to keep up with fast guys like Conant

Bonfires baby

2009-10-04T21:23:00.009-05:00

I post this in the spirit of sharing. As we transition to fall, this music is perfect. The new Clientele release Bonfires on the Heath is brilliant, sublime, and it has been in heavy rotation on my systems since I first heard it. Enjoy the 320kbps rate.

For fans of George Harrison, the Byrds, Love, Nick Drake, Kingsbury Manx, Iron & Wine perhaps, maybe Galaxie 500, Belle & Sebastian.

USGP Planet Bike Cup race report

2009-09-26T20:48:00.021-05:00

Leave me alone, I'm in the pain cave, photo by Nikki Cyp
Saturday morning in Sun Prairie Wisconsin was wet and cool. It had rained most of the previous evening which left the course slick and squishy. As I pre-rode it in the wee hours with the morning dew, I didn't know how I was going to be able to manage the turns at race pace, because I could barely manage at a reconnaissance pace. To make things even more difficult, there were 4 steep, off-camber sections which were completely mud. After 4 practice laps I still hadn't solved how to ride them. Unclip and stay high was the best I could do.

I'm normally very cool before a race, but this one was giving me butterflies. Maybe it was the huge field of 90, maybe because it was such a big USGP race, maybe it was the challenges of the course, maybe because this was the start of my comeback to racing. Surely all those reasons, so I had to get my head straight, remind myself that this was only another Cat 4 race that meant nothing. I cleared my head of all that noise and I became present. I started 2nd row middle, but ready to go apesh*t at the gun. I wish the guy in front of me knew how to clip in and accelerate but he didn't. I got around him but I couldn't find any space to shoot through before the first turn.

The course was totally PRO. The first third was fairly wide and didn't create an immediate selection at the front. You could gain (or lose) as many places as you were able. There were long straight sections. I took advantage of every one that I could. I lost a few places at the start and had to take them back on the straights. A hairpin turn transitioned to gravel and then to grassy mud and to the only barriers on the course, which I also used to my advantage to move up.

The last third was narrower and more technical, ending with a run-up which pegged my heart rate to the max. Ouch. It was here that the pain really set in.
I was actually running here, really I was (obviously I need more work), photo by Nikki Cyp

Two riders got off the front right after the gun. My weak start meant that I never saw them until I moved through the chasing group from around 15th up to 3rd. Occasionally I could see 2nd pace a few turns ahead of me. However, most of the time I no longer had anyone within sight to chase. Instead of pursuing the carrot, I was now the carrot that others were chasing and I was very afraid of slackening my pace with nothing to measure against.

I saw Brandon Leach of Johnny Sprockets chasing hard behind me and this motivated me to keep pushing. He had passed the guys that I had passed and was now in pursuit of me. I dug deeper. I resolved to give up nothing, not my podium spot, nothing. I pushed and pushed and tried to ignore the pain. Then, out the corner of my eye, I saw Brandon go down on the off-camber section behind me. I stood up and dug even harder, giving it everything to increase my gap. It worked. In the last 3rd of the course I started to get some feedback from spectators. "Big gap behind, keep it up". "30 seconds to 2nd". I just kept going as hard as I could sustain for the next 3 laps increasing the gap behind but never caching 2nd. I eventually crossed the finish line with a gap of around 45 seconds to 4th.

My goal was to win, but I'm fine with 3rd. I gave it everything I had, and I had fun doing it. Isn't that what it's all about? Full Results

Jackson Park Cyclocross Race Report

2009-09-20T22:09:00.021-05:00

Chasing Pegasi, photo by NDO

Wow, that hurt. 9 months since I've been in the pain cave and I forgot what it was like.

But I'm glad to be racing again, it was a rush and the atmosphere was bombastic. I did the double. First race Masters 40+, then the Cat 4a race in the afternoon. Each race was exactly the opposite of the other. In the 40+ I got a great start, found myself in 3rd during the first lap and went backwards from there as 7-8 people with bigger engines passed me on the fast sections. In the Cat 4a race, I got a bad start and clawed my way forward, moving from somewhere in the 20s to 12th.

My teammates Greg Heck and Mike Seguin did a great job on the course design. They made a grass field with several clusters of trees into a challenging course. It was, by no fault of theirs, very bumpy, especially the first race of the day. Tubulars baby. I was running 20psi on my Grifos and still got jolted around a bit, but for cornering they were great. I took as much out air as I needed during my practice laps. I hooked up the pump, saw 20psi and I didn't have the confidence to go lower than that. I would guess that actual pressure was around 25. I suspect my pumps gauge isn't very accurate at low pressures.

Steve Feehery said that this was the biggest Chicago Cross Cup race ever at 406 starters. Great stuff, this sport is taking off here and it's because we have a great series like the Chicago Cross Cup and great teams to host the races.

I raise my glass to a great season for everyone. Full Results

Setting up for the pass, photo by Mike Campbell

Digging, photo by Mike Campbell

Disillusioned

2009-09-14T15:01:00.004-05:00

A lot has been going on in my personal life which has been quite stressful, but it doesn't fully explain my recent lack of excitement for cyclocross. Last year I was obsessive before I was hospitalized. This year my interest rather than building as the season approaches has been falling.

Maybe it is because I have been freed of any illusions that I will ride strong or fast this fall. I have no power. I cannot climb well anymore. I ride around my practice course in the 38x17 or 38x19. I never use the big ring because I cannot push it. I find myself wanting to shift to the 38x21 at the end of a session! Guys that I beat at Montrose last year after I had been off the bike the whole 'cross season are now killing me.

Maybe it's a matter of perception. Maybe I expect too much. I look over my training log from last year and I'm doing about the same quantity in my intervals and hill repeats as I was then.

HTFU or is this a classic case of over-training?

Solitude

2009-08-31T10:02:00.003-05:00

I spent last week on vacation in Northern Indiana doing my own mini training camp. I logged 300 miles during long solo rides through the countryside, which isn't bad considering this was a family vacation. It was lovely except for the rain, and the need for arm warmers and knee warmers.

These were also my first rides on my new Reynolds Solitude aluminum wheels. In short, they are smooth and comfortable. The first couple rides, I thought I had lost tire pressure, the ride was so rubbery, so absorbent. I re-checked the pressure. No, they were still at 120psi. I am accustomed to the stiffness of Mavic Kysriums and the Solitudes feel soft in comparison. Combined with the carbon cockpit and steel spine of the Lemond frame, my bike is now a very smooth (vertically compliant) ride.

Oh and I love the sound of the freewheel. Sounds like my old Mitchell fishing reel when a big fish hits and runs.

I don't know if I will race with these wheels though. I feel them flex when I am cranking up a short power climbs and although they are a bit deeper at 31mm, they don't feel any faster rolling on the flats. Ah, but for long training rides, they are perfect.

Preparations for revelations

2009-08-20T12:19:00.022-05:00

It's that time of year again. I can feel it. We closed the books on Downers Grove National Crit Championships and everywhere cyclocrossers are making preparations. The season starts in exactly one month. Bikes are being built. New parts are being ordered and installed. People are making wheel and tire choices, contemplating tubulars, like I did last year

My own preparations have been simple. New chains, a new cassette, fresh bar tape. Also, since I switched my Kysriums to the cross bike, I pulled the trigger on the wheels I have been wanting for the road bike. Reynolds Solitudes aren't much, but they are light, cheap and should be pretty fast.

However, I really signed up for a torture test when I tried to mount new Vittoria Open Corsa CXs on them. My god that bead is tight. I blistered my thumbs and had to resort to a tire lever to mount them. Nevertheless, the Reynolds look sweet on the LeMond.
Anybody looking for an affordable pre-built aluminum tubular should check out the Williams Cyclo-cross wheelset. Don't know much about 'em, but you could do a lot worse for $369 (for the wheelset) and besides what other pre-built sub 1k tubulars are out there?.

Well, if you can spend a little more at $600 a pair, the Ritchey WCS Protocol Tubulars are very nice. Running 32mm Challenge Grifos on them last year, I had the tubular revelations. Easton also makes a tubular version of the EA70 for about the same price. Fulcrum offers the Racing 1 in a tubular. If you have 1k to spend, Mavic Ksyrium ES or SL tubulars will be wonderful I'm sure. My Ksyrium clinchers have been great. But sub-$400 tubulars? Wow. For whatever it's worth, CX Magazine reviewed them. Targeted directly at people just getting in the sport, which is cool.

Of course you can't go wrong with custom built wheels e.g. Mavic Reflexes laced to Dura-Ace hubs. Deep section Velocity Escapes are another option. But you can't build with Dura-Ace for under $400. Other than a few pre-builts and the custom option, you have to dig deep in your pockets for carbon tubulars which are, of course, all the rage. If anyone knows of another sub-1k tubular wheelset, clue me in.

Oh, and by the way, Church Cross is back this Sunday. Spring Rock Park, Western Springs which is where certain stellar individuals were holding Wednesday practices last year. If you are a local, you really should go. Unfortunately, I will be out of town, but I am going to be practicing in my secret space and taking the new Solitudes for long solo rides through the countryside.

Church Cross

2009-08-10T10:06:00.012-05:00

There are a few stellar individuals in the Chicago cyclocross community who are organizing some 'bandit' cross practice races on Sunday mornings. No fees, no prizes, no numbers, no officials. I showed up to the first one, great stuff.

The course they set up was surprisingly challenging, especially since it was just in an ordinary suburban park. It had a several tree slaloms, triple barriers with a 90° turn, a low speed off-camber section, a staircase run-up, a volleyball sand pit, and a double set of bunny hop barriers. Sweet.

I wasn't going to take the 'race' seriously, wasn't going to fight for places or make any aggressive moves. This was going to be a good test of my fitness and my first skills practice. My plan was to go until I blow. Lap times were estimated at around 6 minutes so the plan was for 10 laps, 60 minutes, less if you want. I lost count but finished 8 or 9 laps, so I got in a good 50-55 minutes. I blew up after 25.

We did a Le Mans start and it didn't take long before Ben Popper was leading the race. I was going hard trying to keep up with the lead group following Ben. I had settled into 7th place and there was a large gap behind me when everything went wrong. You know that you are blowing up when your body feels like a wet noodle and you get stupid sloppy. At the end of lap 4, I was so sloppy that after I bogged down in the sand pit, I ran out and came down super hard on the remount. My saddle was now pointing towards the sky. So I rode to my car, pulled out the allen wrench, fixed the saddle, and got back in the race.

I didn't have anything left in my legs to push the pace the rest of the race. I was riding alone, cruising along, and just having fun at a reduced pain level. This was a good pre-season tuneup which handed me the harsh reminder that cyclocross is bleedin' hard, and I have a lot to work on.

Cool thoughts in the hot summer

2009-08-07T10:35:00.003-05:00

Last years Superprestige at Hamme-Zogge had epic conditions. Of course, Sven Nys prevailed. Let this keep you cool as the temps climb into the 90s here in Chicago.

Pedaling technique continued

2009-08-07T10:16:00.005-05:00

Just read an column at CX Magazine by a cyclist who has begun working with a coach and training with power for cyclocross.

What is the first thing his coach does? Analyze his pedaling technique with a spin scan!

Since I wrote that post, I have been paying more attention to my pedal stroke. Guess what? Yeah, it needs some work. Never stop working on technique.

Newbie Tip: pedaling technique

2009-08-05T10:51:00.015-05:00

Brief: How not to get dropped on a group ride.
Learn to accelerate while in the saddle.
How to improve your pedaling technique.

I recently noticed that some new riders will get up out of the saddle every time an acceleration is required. Even a small acceleration. They do this because they lack the power to accelerate without using the weight of their body to provide more force. The solution is simple: develop better pedaling technique. To supplement practicing your pedal stroke, I suggest joining group rides, once or twice a week.

A group ride may be fast, but it's not a race and its a good place to learn group dynamics which are important. There will be accelerations, and you will need to follow. But before you jump out of the saddle, remain sitting and try to increase your cadence instead. Concentrate on applying more power to the pedals to spin them faster until you are on the wheel in front of you. Then you can ease up a bit. Accelerations don't usually require an all-out effort to follow, and there is usually some time (but not much) to ramp up your speed. A group ride is an ideal place to practice this. Once you know how to accelerate while in the saddle you will understand what a jump is and when it is necessary to jump out of the saddle to follow an attack. By then you will have forgotten what it was like to get dropped on the group ride.

Cycling looks easy, and it's hard to see what other riders are doing that makes them so fast. What they are doing is a fundamental pedaling technique that you practice as a beginner and you keep practicing even after it becomes automatic. There is always room to become smoother and more efficient. The French word for this smoothness is suplesse. It is the nirvana of pedaling technique, a perfection we spend our whole lives trying to achieve.

The first step is to consciously think of pedaling through 360° of the pedal stroke. To see how well you can do this, unclip one foot and pedal with only one foot. Obviously most of the force is being applied to the forward and down portion of the arc. Our goal is to apply force through the weaker areas of the arc. One legged drills are a good way to practice, but they are best practiced on a trainer. Practice arc drills on your solo training rides. Visualize your pedal stroke, connect your mind to your feet and feel what they are doing. I have heard two helpful ways to improve technique in the weak points at the bottom and the back of the stroke. One comes from Greg Lemond and is often repeated that you should imagine scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe. The other which I have found even more useful is from Keven Perez, a local racer and coach, who says imagine pulling your foot out of your shoe at the heel. That is, pull back hard with your heels in each stroke. Use either one of these tips or both, you can't go wrong.

When consciously practicing the pedaling arc pay attention to your cadence. If you haven't been coached on cadence, you are probably pedaling too slow. Pedaling a fast cadence aka spinning is more efficient since you can achieve the same speed with less muscle effort. Less effort means less fatigue. Less fatigue means not getting dropped. In your training session, raise your cadence every few sessions. Aim to raise your cadence to somewhere between 90 and 100 rpms and be as smooth as you can. There is a lot more to cadence, but that is all I will say here.

As you practice, you may find that you are using muscles in your thighs and hamstrings that you haven't used that much and that may be a little weak and get tired quickly. Don't worry, this is a good thing because these muscles will get stronger as you learn to pedal smoothly and being stronger will make you faster. I guarantee it.

When you feel like you have made great improvements in your pedaling stroke but you want to build more power in your legs its time for hill repeats. Stay in the saddle, powering through the whole stroke at a reasonable cadence, somewhere between spinning and grinding. Maybe start with 5 repeats and increase to 10 week over week. Let your heart rate come down before each repeat. More than 10 is not necessary, just do them faster.

I am not a coach, just a cyclist, and this is just my advice. If you are new to cycling and you found this post and you are becoming more serious, there are many sources of info that explain these and other topics in more depth. The late Edmund R. Burke wrote a book called "Serious Cycling" that is a good place to start.

Climbing rate and power analysed

2009-08-03T16:00:00.001-05:00

Not by me, by The Cozy Beehive If you aren't scared of math, put on your concentration cap and check it out.

Cyclocross: winning moves #1

2009-07-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to hold myself to any schedule with this, as in "Winning Moves Wednesday" or anything like that. I'll do it when I feel like it, but I suspect that as I watch PRO race footage, I'll come across several winning moves worthy of mention.

A group of 3 riders are together as the bell rings for the last lap: Lars Boom, Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels. Which one is your money on?

Boom attacks first, trying to open a gap on Nys. He gets about 3 seconds before Nys starts closing it. Pauwels who was on the front before the attack is now a passenger. There is no change in this order for most of the lap. On an uphill section, you can see Boom in the saddle, grinding hard, trying to put the hammer down. He knows Nys is still on his wheel, and he looks back to see if Pauwels was able to follow. He was.

Then, at the very last place where you could easily make a pass, a transitional straight before they re-enter the woods, Pauwels flys up the side and takes the lead into the twisty, downhill, woody section. Through bike handling alone, he opens up a 3 second gap on Boom. They transition to pavement and head towards the homestretch. Boom looks like he's going to chase hard, then he sits up and looks at Nys who doesn't chase either. At that moment, it's game over as Pauwels holds the gap for a sweet victory over the World and Belgian champions.

Pushing a bigger gear

2009-07-31T10:47:00.015-05:00

My track bike has been hanging in the garage for at least 5-6 weeks now, but last night I took it down and today I rode it. I never meant to stop riding it, but when we had a rainy spell a while back, I put the fenders on the 'cross bike and never switched back. It's just a Bianchi Pista, fixed, running 86.4" which is a little small for the track, but fine for the street.

Still, when your legs are used to spinning your optimal cadence, pushing 86" from a dead start feels a little big. I was a surprised at how weak my legs are. It wasn't like this when I was riding the fixed gear on a regular basis. Now I know what I need to work on before 'cross season. Mashing.
I think a trip to is in order to get a new cog and start pushing a bigger gear. Next gear up is 92.6".

Cyclocross distractions

2009-07-29T09:22:00.005-05:00

As I have surfed around for some cross distractions, I see that a lot of sites I have bookmarked in Delicious haven't been updated a in while. But I found a portal site which pulls together stories from different journalistic sources, pro blogs, fan blogs, etc. called The Cyclocross News. Looks promising.

When I was there, I found a story on VeloNews about Katie Compton being hospitalized for asthma after being forced to drop out of a race. This was a while ago in early June, so I hope it was a one-time incident and that she can keep it under control. I wonder if there was some grass or pollen on the course that triggered it.

IL/WI cyclocross calendar

2009-07-27T10:42:00.075-05:00

Like the 12 o'clock drinking rule, the "no cyclocross until after Tour de France" rule is no longer in effect. Le Tour is over, now we can obsess about cyclocross without violating any standards of etiquette. I made this up, but it sounds appropriate, no?

Both the WCA and the ChiCrossCup have posted tenative schedules and I try to pull them all together here. ChiCrossCup events in light blue, WCA events in navy blue, and national events in orange.

2009 Cyclocross schedule for Illinois/Wisconsin

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Sep 17

Sep 18

Sep 19

Sep 20

Jackson Park

Sep 24

Sep 25

Sep 26

Planet Bike Cup

Sep 27

Planet Bike Cup

Oct 1

Oct 2

Oct 3

Oct 4

DeKalb

Lapham Peak SP

Oct 8

Oct 9

Oct 10

Grafton Fall Festival

Oct 11

BB/VP CX

Oct 15

Oct 16

Oct 17

Badger Prairie Park

Oct 18

Carpentersville

Cam Rock Cross

Oct 22

Oct 23

Oct 24

Derby City Cup

Gibbs Lake Park

Oct 25

Derby City Cup

ABD Sunrise Park

Tripp Lake Park

Oct 29

Oct 30

Oct 31

Washington Park
Halloween CX

Nov 1

Campton Cross

Nov 5

Nov 6

Nov 7

Nov 8

Northbrook

Estabrook Park

Nov 12

Nov 13

Nov 14

Indian Lake (SCW)

Kletch Park
"Regional" Championships

Nov 15

Nov 19

Nov 20

Nov 21

Nov 22

Woodstock

WI State Championships
at Hales Corners

Nov 26

Thanksgiving

Nov 27

Jingle Cross

Nov 28

Jingle Cross

Nov 29

Jingle Cross

Dec 3

Dec 4

Dec 5

Dec 6

IL State Championships
at Montrose Harbor

Dec 10

CX Nationals
Bend, OR

Dec 11

CX Nationals
Bend, OR

Dec 12

CX Nationals
Bend, OR

Dec 13

CX Nationals
Bend, OR

I threw in Jingle Cross because many people make the trip to Iowa, and Nationals just to remind me what I'll be missing. The Derby City Cup in Louisville is the only other national race that is reasonably close to Illinois.

Note that the South Chicago Wheelmen's race is changing from Lansing to the Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale and is on a Saturday. Otherwise, the ChiCrossCup schedule hasn't changed much, and last season was a very good schedule. The Ponyshop blog poll had Northbrook, Woodstock, Montrose and DeKalb as its readers favorite courses and except for the Northbrook course the other 3 are returning this season. I hope Albertos/Flatlandia get permission to use the same Northbrook course as I missed that race and I want a crack at those stairs.

Also I see that the ChiCrossCup site has Oct 11 listed as TBD, but I saw a permit pending at USA Cycling for the Hawthorn race so I listed it as so, but this may change.

That is nearly a completely full schedule for 12 weeks!
Hup!

Training again, thinking about 'cross

2009-07-14T12:26:00.013-05:00

I called off the road season in April and spent the rest of that month and May in pretty bad health. The asthma was bad and I had developed some major sinus problems also. I went back to Mayo Clinic and spent the month of June on a low dose of corticosteroids which very quickly brought me back to decent health. I also started taking Singulair - so far, so good. I came back from a vacation in California and I began training again. I'm keeping up with some fast riders on the team ride, so it's quite encouraging. Now my focus is all on cyclocross.

I know there should be no talk of cyclocross at least until Le Tour is over, but to whet my appetite, I just watched some vintage cyclocross video on Cyclotube. Great stuff from 1994. Want to flaunt your victory in the face of the guy chasing you for 2nd? You can post up, punch the air all you want, but to really rub it in, do like Paul Herijgers does. He dismounts and then remounts the bike in the last 75 meters! My word, only in cyclocross. Check it out. I'll embed part 2 here, it starts with Herijgers' big move, the dismount/remount is at 4 minutes.

To see part 1 when 22 year old Richard Groenendaal catches Herijgers, see it on You Tube or Cyclotube.

The End

2009-04-21T21:29:00.006-05:00

It may be too early to call it, but I am going to anyway. It's over. This is the end. It is nearly the end of April and there is no way I can compete with these lungs. Until now I have been hopeful of having a road season, but 'twas just a dream. I am not getting better, in fact, I may even be getting worse.

I cannot tell you how depressed this has made me. I vacillate between anger and depression. To no longer be able to race is unthinkable, but it is real. A huge chunk of me has just been ground to pieces.

The worst part is, the harder I train, the harder I work, the more I give of myself, the worse my lungs get. My reward for a strong block of training is a block of non-training because my breathing degenerates to such a level that I can no longer train. I cannot build fitness, I only make my health worse.

Enough complaining. For those that occasionally followed my story, I thank you. I started this blog to share my cycling experiences in the hope that I might provide some entertainment and knowledge to my fellow racers.

I still hold on to the hope that I can be healthy enough to 'participate' in the cyclocross season, like I did in the last 3 races of the ChiCrossCup, but I know that the cold air destroys my lungs so I don't know what to expect.

So I will continue to ride, I look forward to long rides through the Indiana countryside this summer, but as a racer, I am finished. This blog is finished. If cyclocross season finds me a healthy rider, I might revive it, otherwise goodbye, good luck, ride safe.

De Ronde

2009-04-06T20:39:00.010-05:00

Since there's not much to comment about in my own racing which is non-existent now, I thought I'd make a few comments on my favorite PRO race, de Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Is it any wonder? This race suits Stijn Devolder perfectly. He simply powers up the helingen. Remember Boonen's victories? He won them in the flat sections from a small group after the Kapelmuur (if I remember correctly). Stijn crushes his rivals when the elevation kicks up. They cannot compete with his power to weight ratio, and when he is alone he can motor on the windy flats as well as anyone. That combination is devastating.

Remember him with team Discovery competing in the classics? He would show his strength at the wrong time, long before the deciding sections of the course, and he'd always be caught only to finish buried in the pack. Brave, but no so smart.

Now he focuses that extraordinary energy into the critical sections of the race and he is unstoppable. He knows when to go, and if he fails, he tries again.

It was a great move to bridge to Chavanel with no one in tow and with everyone watching Boonen, his escape was assured.

Cyclocosm has a video analysis of the victory. Check it out.

Every week is a rest week

2009-04-06T14:09:00.004-05:00

A quick update if anybody out there is checking. My winter training was going somewhat poorly, certainly not as well as last year, had a couple bouts with sickness, one documented here. Everytime I finished a good block of training I would have to scale it back as my health would start to suffer. My holistic approach seemed to have some benefits as I subjectively 'felt' better, but it probably needs more time to show any measurable affects. Then I had my lungs tested in early March and all my motivation fell apart.

The inflammation was way down, to 68 ppb (max was 596 ppb), but my lung function test showed no improvement from December. In fact it might have been even worse, but I don't have the printed results as I have been too depressed to ask for a copy. So the incongruity in the results probably indicates that I have permanent lung damage and will never recover full capacity. I have somewhere between 75-80% of normal lung function.

Which means any attempt to get to a competitive level in cycling will result in failure. Try having 20% of your breathing ability taken away and see how fast you go. It feels like being out of shape all the time, even though you are semi-trained with thousands of miles in your legs. You blow up too soon, you feel weak and most depressingly it feels like you can never get fit, never get to peak fitness.

So, best wishes to everyone racing this spring. My teammates were killing it at Hillsboro. I'll test my legs (lungs) at Matteson starting in June and if I feel like I can race without getting dropped by mid-summer, I'll be there at Fox River Grove, Cobb Park. I'll give it my best shot at Downer's Grove. Then my season starts. Cyclocross is where my heart lies and where I'll have my fun, no matter what my lungs are doing.

The 300 SL, Wow

2009-02-25T19:21:00.011-06:00

I can't really say that I enjoyed Louis Malle's "Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud" (Elevator to the Gallows). It was well constructed, well filmed, but the film developed no empathy for any of the characters in me. Except perhaps for the rich German bloke who drove an absolutely beautiful sports car that I was not familiar with. It was a mid-50s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe. Wow. Stunning.

In the film, Malle rightly gives us a good auditory sense of the car's thrills during a chase on the highway. Long and slightly narrow, you really have to be pointed correctly before you mash on the pedal, but when you've got it right, it corners like it's on rails. The specs say that it has 215 bhp and weighs only 1300 kilos. Mon Dieu, I'd love to drive one of those.

Films for the trainer

2009-02-24T14:44:00.005-06:00

Did you download a copy of the world championships from Nathan's site (the BIG file)? It's gorgeous, high-quality DivX -- blew me away how good it looks.

Alas, but I have run out of cyclocross races to watch and I've exhausted my collection of spring classics, so I have turned to film to pass the time on the trainer. Here in Chicago, the main library branch has an interesting film collection on DVD, because there are no popular American films. The collection is entirely foreign and classic American. There is rarely more than one copy of a film and such a high turnover, that you may never see the same film twice. Browsing is quite fun. Like the thrift shop, you never know what you're going to find. You simply pick from what is there.

I am mainly interested in Le Nouvelle Vague, but I will pick up anything by certain foreign directors. I also keep an eye out for Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films.

Recently, I have viewed:

Le Samouri by Jean-Pierre Melville
Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud by Louis Malle
Hiroshima, Mon Amour by Alain Resnais
Viva Laldjérie by Nadir Moknèche
Shadows in Pardise by Aki Kaurismäki
The Cyclist by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Roman Holiday by William Wyler
The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Henry King

All were good, "Le Samouri" was outstanding.

HRM and my 2009 goal

2009-02-06T08:16:00.003-06:00

I've finally taken the plunge. After 2 years of racing and training on perceived effort alone, I've purchased a heart rate monitor, albeit a basic model.

To me, cycling is freedom, cycling is joy. There is nothing like pushing your limits to affirm that you are truly alive. I've always been a proponent of riding and racing for the joy of it. To race, structured training is of course a must, but for an amateur the danger lies in becoming too clinical, or worse yet, becoming a slave to it, such that it sucks the joy out of it. If you are always burying yourself, forcing yourself to ride, slogging through workouts, and beating yourself up mentally when you don't race well, are you having any fun? What are you doing it for?

I don't ever want to take the fun out of cycling. But I've got shit for lungs so I have to get more clinical about my training. I've got to make up for my disadvantage by developing my oxygen delivery systems to their fullest. There is no longer any room for slack. I'll be off the back all season if I can't get fit. I need these tools to optimize specific aspects of performance and I'll do my best to keep it all in perspective.

The HRM is just for the base phase. Saris is a beloved xXx Racing sponsor and I plan to acquire the ultimate training tool, the CycleOps PowerTap.

Soon come.

My main goal for 2009 is simple: to be able to race, to be competitive, just to have a shot. Otherwise, to be a non-racer, it is unthinkable. The emptiness . . . .

Trainer music

2009-02-03T12:14:00.011-06:00

The last time I was talking about music, I was listening to some pretty low-key stuff. Lately, it has been more high-energy. Here's what's been working on the trainer:

Los Campesinos! "Hold On Now, Youngster" and "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed". Great energy, good riffs, solid tunes.

I didn't like it at first, but TV on the Radio's "Dear Science" really grew on me. Mostly midtempo, good for base mileage.

I checked out Vampire Weekend because they were highly rated by Pitchfork. Good stuff. I just heard "Campus" on WXRT the other day so I can see that everyone knows this band by now.

Do you know where to get this music? I gave a hint in the last post, this time I made it more obvious.

I've also been enjoying the latest "Secret Earth" from one of my favorite bands The Dead C. All the great elements of their thing are in there. Don't go there if you don't know this band. Listing to The Dead C is kind of like wandering through a gallery of abstract black-and-white photography. A stark, harsh beauty.

Setback

2009-01-31T12:01:00.003-06:00

How is base going for you? Here in Fergus land, not so well. I came down with some kind of infection a few weeks ago. I thought it was the flu but it might have been only a sinus infection. Whatever it was, it knocked me on my ass with a constant fever, kept me out of work for a week and exacerbated my asthma. At the lowest point in my lung functioning I was, by my estimate from previous experience, about a week away from another hospital stay. However, this time we were prepared. Oral corticosteroids, antibiotics and lots of rest turned it around and now I am back to where I was in early January, lung-wise. Lost 3 weeks of training however.

The problem is, my lungs just aren't getting any better. My asthma is still in a severe state. Six days before the Montrose harbor cyclocross race, I was at the Mayo clinic doing the FeNO test and registered a 208. Before I posted a 596, 273 was the highest value they had ever tested, so I still have massive inflamation in my lungs and I don't know what is perpetuating this condition.

So I am trying new things, drugs alone aren't doing it. I know this might sound crazy, but if I am ever to return to health, I have to take a holistic approach to my well-being and this has led me to more spiritual endeavors. I have restarted my yoga practice which has lay dormant for several years. Pranayama, meditation, herbal medicines, detox, purification, the elimination of all unhealthy foods in my diet, sleeping more, that kind of thing.

Swami Vivekananda gives some advice:
"Think of [your body] as being as strong as adamant, and that with the help of this body you will cross the ocean of life. Freedom is never to be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself."

My will is not lacking. May I have faith and hope.

First ride 2009

2009-01-01T21:42:00.010-06:00

I joined some teammates for the first ride of 2009 and rode the Waterfall Glen nature preserve southwest of the city. My companions were these: Brian Parker, Paolo Urizar, Dave Norton (the Bonebell crew), Mike Seguin, William Pankonin, Mike 'Soupy' Campbell, and last but not least singlespeed cyclocrosser Keith Ortiz. Mountainbikers and cyclocrossers all. I was the only non-dirtbag.

Weather in the low 20s, a little biting but not painful. However, it was mentally tiring. For much of the 2 hours, we were riding on ice and frozen snow which required intense concentration, smooth technique and accurate lines. It reminded me of my kayaking days of reading a Class III+ rapid which allows very little room for error and requires that technique and timing be quick and accurate.

Good for skills, not so good for base. We could have used more miles and a quicker pace, but I can't complain, I had a good time.

Seguin shot some video during a 'natural break'. Unfortunately, the audio sounds like we were transmitting from space.

Happy New Year!

Music for 18 Trainers

2008-12-16T21:23:00.007-06:00

Ah yes, as my fair but toxic city sits under several inches of freshly sprinkled snow, 'tis the season for the trainer (or the rollers). Although I enjoy taking the cyclocross bike out in the snow and I commute year-round, that's mostly a skills and thrills thing. If you have fitness goals, you have no choice but to ride indoors, and the key to surviving the winter is, of course, sensory overload.

Although if the music is really good, I can zone out, immerse myself for a good chunk of time. Last January, the Cure's "Bloodflowers" was the soundtrack of the month. This was one of those albums that I had bought at the time (2000) simply because I'm a long-time fan, but it didn't spark my fancy on the first audition. 7 years later, I gave it another shot. Now I associate those dark, moody songs with the cold roads of Belgium, because that album was the soundtrack to all the spring classics I watched on the trainer last year. This also led to the revival of the Pornography album and my favorite Cure song, 'The Figurehead'. Recommended for Cure fans only.

In my younger days, I was always looking for new music, snatching up old vinyl, buying new stuff, taking chances on stuff, and selling back whatever I didn't like. Then I got married and started a family. Since then, I have only kept up with my favorite artists, but I have recently been discovering new music through certain digital resources. If the bitrate is high enough (like 320kbps), the vocals have presence and things sound pretty good. If not, whatever, it's free. And of course, every time I tune back in to what is going on in music, I am wide-eyed and incredulous, because there is lots of great stuff out there and so much talent.

So, I am not saying this is heart-pumping, bpm-blended spinning music (quite the opposite in fact), or that it is undiscovered and brand-spankin' new, but, you know, it's some good shit, maybe you'll dig it.
Dark Captain, Light Captain - Miracle Kicker
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's (The record label is right, Non Animal is a better selection than Animal) and the Daytrotter Sessions EP
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The Notwist, The Devil, You + Me

Sherman Park Criterium video

2008-12-09T09:00:00.003-06:00

Were you at Sherman Park this year? It's such a lovely place for a criterium, you'd think it was built for bike racing. And I think it was. It's a great course to try out your first crit or to mix it up with the cat 3s and see what you got.

This is a video produced by a non-racer outside of the xXx Racing team. It's not your typical racing video with a crunching, thrashing, hard-core soundtrack. It's a little more poetic to say the least.

Check it out on YouTube

The top of the hill

2008-12-08T12:05:00.017-06:00

When is an athlete 'over the hill'? Where is the top of said hill?

I agree with Arsene Wenger's (Arsenal) policy of only offering a 1 year contract to any player over 30. With Bergkamp, every year the question was asked, 'does he have one more year in him?' I've seen some convincing stats that strikers' goal scoring rate drops drastically after age 30. I loved watching Thierry Henry, but his days as a top striker were numbered and thus I wasn't that sad to see him traded to Barca. And in the following season, I think Arsenal played better without him because they were a more unified squad and not providing service to a superstar.

So I was very interested to see the subject being explored in cycling by the Podium Cafe.

I think the article makes a good case for 30+ cyclists being statistically past their prime. However, the data they provided shows a recent trend for older winners in Grand Tours. I think you can grok it better in chart format, so I whipped one up.

Also, if you like cycling history, check out this fantastic blog The Virtual Musette

Montrose Cyclocross Race Report

2008-12-08T10:28:00.035-06:00

I feel so lucky to have raced the last 3 races of the ChiCrossCup. It was so much fun, and I have no regrets. I think it would be a long, dark winter if I had missed the season entirely. Thanks to all the people who make this stuff happen.

I didn't even suffer yesterday, I was concentrating so hard on my bike handling that there wasn't time to think about my body and I was enjoying it, being in the zone for almost 30 minutes. Yeah, it was cold, but I had the right clothing, opting for thermal tights and a long-sleeve jersey instead of the skinsuit with legwarmers.

I ran into Colm again before the race as we were both scouting the course while the P123 race was going on. He must be a renaissance man because he told me that he is planning to build his own lugged steel frame for next season. Great stuff.

Nice action photo of Colm by Ed White

I would scout a section, watch how the elites were riding it, and shout encouragement to my buddy JD as he went by and then move on to another technical section to observe.

JD, motoring in the drops - photo by amos scattergood

The race. Since I didn't get to the course early enought to pre-ride it before the P123, I really needed a warmup lap, but this cost me a good spot on the line. So I lined up in the middle and my plan was to fight wheels for the good line - which worked out ok as I just missed a crash that happened right of center before the 1st turn. As things settled down I picked off a few riders and found myself on a more experienced teammate's wheel. He is a strong rider, but I should have passed him right away because he was having bike handling problems and holding me up. It wasn't until I rammed into the back of him that I wised-up.

Buried in the middle at the start - photo by Chris Ege

I wasn't counting the laps, I think we did 4 or 5. I think it was at the start of lap 2 that Seguin called to me "15th". At some point in the middle of the race, I got stuck behind a lapped rider on a mountain bike in jeans. He was going so slow up Cricket Hill that his rear wheel was slipping. I tried to go around him near the top, but at that speed my wheel was slipping too. The next lap I figured out where to pass so that I didn't get stuck behind another rider. The problem with passing was that the snow was deeper and it stole your momentum, but there was a spot on the hill before it kicked up that was perfect. I used this spot on the next lap to pass Sliwinski who was fading (hats off to you sir for all your work).

I don't mind following a good wheel. I know this is not a good strategy, but left on my own, I go too hard and overcook the turns and/or blow up. Having a good paceman prevents this. Case in point: for the last half of the race my paceman was Andrew from Pegasus. With 2 laps to go, I use the finishing straight to pass him. But now I am setting the pace and I have picked it up notch. Sure enough, 2 turns later, I lose my front wheel, I go down and he goes right past. What gained? Nothing. So that's one of my challenges for next year.

Passing at the end of the finish straight with 2 to go- photo by Chris Ege

There was a rider in red kit (Johnny Sprockets, Alberto's?) who was very strong, but kept dropping his chain. We would pass him as he was putting it back on and he would later force his way through us. He overtook me on the descent of one of the bridges (my breaks squealing the whole way down - I don't know why they did this, they were fine at Woodstock and I didn't change anything). I could have overtaken him on the pavement after Cricket Hill but I stayed put and followed. By the time we got to the sand section, he was frustrated and trying to get around Andrew. He achieved that by running into him and forcing him off the line. I know all is fair in 'cross, but, imho, if you can't pass someone without taking them out, you wait until you can.

On the last lap, I didn't mind following Andrew and I didn't pass on the finishing straight. He paced me to Cricket Hill where I passed him at the passing spot, he yelled "Go triple X" which I though was cool, and I went after Redkit. I must say, with momentum and no one in front of me I flew up that hill, pulling back a big gap, and caught Redkit at the top. Now I just had to follow him and outsprint him. In the sand section, however, he proved to be better technically and got a gap on me. I crossed the finish line in 12th which I am perfectly happy with.

It was great to hear the cheers of the crowd and especially my teammates - dedicated 'crossers all. Congrats to the Bone Bell guys who took 1st and 2nd in the 3s race and to my teammate Eileen who won both the series and the state championship in her first season.

Greg Heck is PRO, rockin' the skinsuit with kneewarmers. Races fierce, like Niko - photo by Nikki

Full Results here

CX: In the Crosshairs

2008-12-05T15:07:00.004-06:00

Enough about me, have you seen this new cyclocross blog, In the Crosshairs? It's cool. If you like reading what other people say about racing cyclocross, you will enjoy it. The author's stated goal is to interview the winners and top placers in local 'cross races to learn what they did right that contributed to their success. Great stuff. Spread the knowledge.

Planning next year's program

2008-12-05T07:00:00.005-06:00

As my last race of the year looms on the horizon, I have started thinking about my racing and training program for next year. Having been unable to train for most of the fall, I'm surprised my current fitness isn't worse, but I will be starting base training from a fairly low fitness level. However, there is a lot of time to train the engine before we start racing again. I hope to keep the asthma in check and be able to ramp up the intensity in April. And as a change in my program from last year, I think I am going to forgo the spring road races (like Hillsboro) to concentrate on the spring criteriums.

Also, having missed out on most of this cyclocross season, I really want to make 'cross a target next year and race as much as my family schedule will allow, which means all of the ChiCrossCup and as much of the Wisconsin series as I can.

So, the way it looks now, next year's schedule has me training to peak at the end of June for Cobb Park, Fox River Grove (2 of my faves) and Proctor (which I have never done), then taking a short break, skipping SuperWeek entirely, and finishing the season with the Chicago Criterium, Glencoe Grand Prix and Downers Grove Nationals, all great events on great courses which I thoroughly enjoy.

Then I'll take a short break and come out to Jackson Park with some decent form (hopefully) which I will develop through the fall. Sure beats sitting in a hospital room like this year.

Fierce, like Niko

Midwest Cycling Series

2008-12-04T09:11:00.010-06:00

I saw a story on cyclingnews.com today about the Midwest Cycling Series, a new series which looks very promising.

Actually, I believe this is an event organized by Bill Ochowicz which has evolved from 1 race to 2 to a weeklong series. The Grafton Twilight Criterium has received strong reviews from racers the last 2 years, and last year they added a Sheyboygan crit for a 2-race weekend event.

However, in 2009, with 11 days of racing, from June 18-28, this is a series to rival SuperWeek. In fact, the supporting points for racers to come out and race sound like a direct assault on Superweek's failures.

From the site:
- All race categories in all age groups from Juniors to Women to Masters 50+
- High dollar purses and attractive primes
- Affordable entry structure
- On-time race day schedules
- Supported and endorsed by the Wisconsin Cycling Association and United States Cycling Federation

Grafton Twilight Crit - Photo by Nick Schweitzer

It looks like at least 4 races are confirmed in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac and the Downers Avenue course in Milwaukee, which is supposed to be one of the top crit courses in the midwest. Oddly, the Grafton Twilight Crit has not yet been announced.

I will have to give preference to local races at Cobb Park, Fox River Grove and the IL state criterium championship during this time, but I may have to take some vacation days to race the midweek races.

Cyclocross course design

2008-11-27T22:07:00.011-06:00

It's Thanksgiving Day in the USA. I have much to be thankful for, and believe me, I am. However, I've completed that ritual and now my thoughts turn back to cyclocross.

Since I was sitting in the hospital breathing through an oxygen tube, I didn't get to race at Jackson Park. I had been planning to join up with Greg Heck and preview the course design a week before the race but I blew up trying to get there. However, I read in a race report that there was an 180 degree turn at the bottom of a hill. If that is true, great job Greg! He really knows his 'cross. Watching last weekend's race at Hasselt, I was impressed how the course designers put these 180 degree turns at the bottom of a short hill. I was also impressed that due to the muddy conditions, the pros chose to dismount and run through these turns.

Of course the stairs at Northbrook gave it a very European flavor, which I also dig. Not as steep as in Belgium, but what can you do? You work with what you have.
Greg Heck on the euro run-up

Montrose cyclocross preview

2008-11-25T12:48:00.002-06:00

Our friends at Turin sponsor the last race of the ChiCrossCup which is also the State Championships at Montrose Harbor, Chicago. This is it. Le final. Most likely no more racing until Hillsboro (April 4).

Will it be like Sunday's Hamme-Zogge SuperPrestige, muddy with snow flurries?

Photo by Michael Stahl

Or frozen snowpack like last year?

JT @ Montrose 2007 - Photo by Luke Seemann

If you are interested in the Men's Cat 3 contenders, The Bonebell has a breakdown. Knauff will be hard to beat, and I mean no disrespect to the Cat 3 contenders, but I will be rooting for my teammate Greg Heck for the jersey. I raced my first 'cross race last year because he loaned me his bike to try the sport. He also does a great job organizing the Jackson Park race and has been instrumental in the success of the ChiCrossCup from the beginning. On top of that he has been going like a scalded cat this season and his chances are very, very good.

In my category 4a, I know I don't have a chance. Maybe one of my teammates can do it, I dunno. Our friends at Mission Bay, Troy and Mike, definitely have a shot. Our former teammate Max has been riding really well and will be looking to succeed. The Pony Shop and the Johnny Sprockets guys are going very strong. Maybe someone who has never raced cyclocross before will show up and smoke everyone. It will be a good race. I just hope to have a view of the front.

Woodstock cyclocross

2008-11-24T10:26:00.026-06:00

Tough course, well planned. Another well organized and executed ChiCrossCup event. Thanks to the race organizers. This course really strung out the fields and brought the pain. The hills were leg busters, the off-camber stuff was challenging. The cold, hard ground was very bumpy - it disrupted the pedal stroke and sapped the power. Great fun. I hope this one stays on next year's calendar.

Ah, the tubulars. They really showed their stuff yesterday. In my warmup, I tried running them at 35psi, then 30, then 32, then I settled on 30, which to me is quite low. I think it worked out fine. I felt the sidewalls slip a few times when I was climbing, turning and putting the power down at the same time, but it was not a problem. I touched the rim once - without flatting of course. Hats off to Ritchey for making a superlight, affordable, aluminum tubular wheel which is perfect for cyclocross.

A funny thing happened as I was gearing up. I was parked next to a guy whom I've never met before but who knew my name. Turns out this transplant from Boulder named Colm had found my blog. Bizarre. That what I get for posting pics of myself. Now I have 3 readers. Anyway, he's a good guy, a good racer and I hope to run into him again.

Colm - Photo by Velogrrl

The 4a race was 4 laps, too bad I had only 3 in my legs. I rode near my limit (and beyond) the whole race. My only big mistake occurred before the race even began. I dropped my spare wheels in the pit and thought I had time to try the first section through the woods again at race pace. When I got back to the start line, they had already finished call-ups and everyone was on the line. So I started from the back with a self-inflicted handicap. The only thing I could do was burn matches at the start and try to get in a decent position before the race strung out into singletrack.

At the gun, I was hoping for some gaps that I could shoot through, no luck. I found some space on the first straight and gave it full gas to move up. Then I took the inside line up the first hill to move up further. Picked off 2 more before the long downhill. Took a few more places up the next hill. I had to pay for that effort however. I found a good wheel to follow in a Pony Shop rider and tried to recover. I was at my limit just to follow him. My lungs are not yet at full capacity and I'm sure he could hear me breathing very hard behind him. After the hill coming out of the woods on the western edge of the course I could see the front of the race and all the riders strung out in a broken line ahead of me. I counted 9.

On the next lap when a Cuttin' Crew rider came past us, I had to leave the Pony Shop guy and follow CCC's wheel. If only I could. I lost contact with him after a few minutes, but I was still 10th. I had slowed towards the end of the third lap and I knew the last lap was going to hurt. What was worse was that there was a guy in blue catching up to me and would be putting pressure on me in the last lap.

Suffering at the end of lap 3 - Photo by Velogrrl

I turned up the power to try and keep him behind me. On the flat sections near start/finish I bore down into the pain to go faster and it worked - he was not gaining. But the first hill in the woods burned my legs badly and I was losing power. As I approached the left turn to the downhill I felt tingly goosebumps all over and I knew I was blowing up. That downhill section was too short to recover and when I started the next hill, the biggest on the course, my legs just blew up. They couldn't make enough power to keep me going forward. I was forced to dismount and run up the hill as my chaser rode past. Now I was 11th.

I was suffering but determined to hold on. I was sloppy through the tight S turns. I clattered over the triple barriers. I made it through the jackhammer section in the NE corner of the course without dropping my chain. I strained up the next hill, and then tried to recover a bit, leaning heavily on my bars as I approached the off-camber left turn around the hill. My body felt like it was made of noodles but I tried to be strong on the next few tricky descents and not crash. I crossed the finish line for 11th with a sore back and nothing left in the tank. Ah yes, this is cyclocross - where the pain is very satisfying. Now somebody please hand me a beer.
Full Results

Grass criteriums

2008-11-19T09:01:00.007-06:00

In criterium racing, which I also love, other riders can really bother you and get in the way. Repeatedly. There are always places on the course where those at the back of the race swarm the front. Especially on the last lap. Often they are desperately reckless.

Not to knock it at all, but in some ways the Lansing race was a grass criterium. But this brought out one of the lovely things about cyclocross: generally, when you drop someone, they stay dropped. I love that. They might put in a huge effort to make contact again, but if they are successful, then they probably deserve to be where they are and they aren't getting something for nothing.

Of course the same goes for me. When I get lose contact, there's not much hope for coming back. I'm sure that those who are stronger than me are glad to put me behind them too.

Finally! I'm racing again

2008-11-16T20:41:00.020-06:00

I raced the cat 4b race today in Lansing in the Chicago Cross Cup. I'm still far from 100%, but it was great to be back. I would have raced in the 4a group but I couldn't make it to Lansing early enough.

Given my current fitness, the 4b race was just right. Of course I haven't trained all of September and October, and so I didn't have any objectives except to have fun and do my best.

The course was flat with longer power sections and really didn't suit me well. The more vertical St. Charles course would have suited me better, but my lungs weren't ready by then. A brief snow flurry started falling which was fun. I got in the front row and had a decent start to put me in the top 10 or so. My strategy was to try to keep up with the leaders, conserve energy and try to recover where I could. The riding I have done lately has done nothing but show me my limitations and so I planned to keep within myself. My legs have little power, they tire quickly and my breathing is always labored and in the red zone. Could be worse, the lungs feel smoother now and the gurgling is gone.

There is not really much to say that was eventful in this race. Early in the race I was on the back of a group of 3 others. I noticed in the first lap that there was a significant gap behind me, so I was at the back of the leading group. However as the lap progressed the top 5 got strung out a bit and we were chasing. I was using those in front of me to pace me. Unfortunately, at times the group would string out and there would be gaps in front of me that I would have to close to remain in the hunt. I made moderate efforts to close gaps but this always required some recovery time and so I made no big moves. I was glad for the several barriers on the course because they provided opportunities for my opponents to make mistakes. Which they did. I only passed 2 riders by overtaking them. The rest just made mistakes and once behind me, stayed behind me.

That is the one thing I did right this race - I made no major mistakes. I rode as hard as I could but conservatively. But when I came to the sandpit, I was a wimp - I chose to run it every time. I don't have the fitness to burn matches spinning through the sand like a madman for the crowd. In retro, I should have tried it my warmup to find out if I could do it.

Running the sand pit - Photo by Luke Seemann
The last lap was painful and I was getting sloppy. I could see the rider in front of me (Adrian), the last remaining of our original group of 4 slowly pulling away from me over the last 2 laps, but I held my ground with those who had fallen behind and finished 4th. Most importantly, it was great fun and so satisfying to be racing again!

I think I can salvage my cyclocross season with these last 3 races and not feel like a total loss. Hup, hup! Full Results

The steam rising from my skullcap was visible but didn't show in the photo - Photo by Luke Seemann

Mayo Clinic

2008-11-07T09:11:00.002-06:00

At the risk of making this blog a running update of my health problems, I must report that I have been diagnosed by Dr. Kaiser Lim of the Mayo Clinic with adult-onset, persistent asthma. I am responding to drugs (corticosteriods), just very slowly. So slowly it seemed like they weren't working. However, my condition is reversible, manageable, and Dr. Lim tells me I will race again. He is a pulmonologist and an allergist and is one of the top asthma specialists in the country. He is an intensivist which means he usually doesn't see patents who are able to function normally like I am, but he was intrigued by my case. I am lucky to have his help.

The exacerbation that landed me in the hospital was severe. The inflammation in my lungs is off the chart. Literally. In addition to the standard pulmonary function tests, I did a test at the Mayo Clinic that measures the amount of inflammation in the lungs by measuring the amount of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). In the 4 years since this test was put into practice, the highest reading they have seen was 273. Mine was 596 (parts per billion). And this test was 4 weeks after I got out of the hospital. See what I mean about slowly getting better? After that test, he quadrupled my dosages.

I was very impressed by the Mayo Clinic - it is in a class by itself. I'm going back in early December to repeat the tests and re-tune my treatment. My hope is that we can get this under control before more long-term damage has been done.

So, how did I get it? Dr. Lim is fairly certain that the virus that I caught this past spring and which got into my lungs left me with this reactive airway disease. He has seen adults develop asthma from a common cold. He says I raced all season with untreated, mild asthma. No wonder I struggled in my return to racing in May and in my efforts to reach top form in August.

I have about 83% of my lung function right now and I am riding again. I even managed to keep up with my teammates at Wednesday's 'cross practice, but I am so de-trained from 2 months off the bike that I have no strength and no endurance.

My Lung 'Disease'

2008-10-02T22:17:00.008-05:00

I have been diagnosed with a lower respiratory disease. The last time I was physically capable of riding was September 11th. I woke up on September 12 and could hardly breathe. I was hospitalized, treated and released on the 22nd. The doctors are calling it asthma, but they don't quite understand exactly what I have or how I got it. It started as a cough and slowly intensified. It was like having a severe asthma attack that didn't go away. However to characterize my problem as asthma may be inaccurate since I don't seem to respond to any asthma drugs or bronchiodilators. I was hypoxic to the point where I was just above the level of oxygen saturation required to stay conscious. Climbing a flight of stairs, super slow, would leave me dizzy and breathing like I had just crossed the finish line after a 300 meter sprint.

At first I was depressed that my cyclocross season was in jeopardy (If you have read any of this blog, then you know that it has been the outlet for my cyclocross obsession.) Then I was concerned that my humble amateur racing career was over. Then I was concerned that I might never be able to live an active life again. At one point I was awaiting the results of a CT scan which might have revealed either a lung tumor or a blood clot. Gladly, both scenarios were negative. I have been tested for many other weird auto-immune deficiencies and genetic diseases and all are negative.

Now, I don't know where I stand. The corticosteroids which counter-acted the inflammation and constriction in my lungs have really messed with my body, my joints and my muscles, and I have lost 4 weeks of fitness. I am hoping to get back on the bike this weekend and see how my legs and lungs feel, but I don't expect much.

Meanwhile, I have scheduled appointments with some of the best pulmonary and allergy specialists in Chicago and I am going to spend a week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota in 3 weeks to see if they can help me. I hope they can.

Game over

2008-09-12T08:29:00.003-05:00

I am no longer physically capable of riding a bicycle. There is nothing more to say.

I blew up at 14mph

2008-09-11T10:18:00.008-05:00

My preparation for the cyclocross season is going very badly. Last week I developed a nasty, wet cough which I thought started to get better as it turned into a dry, hoarse cough. Then the gurgling in my chest started and I knew I was in trouble. I'm on my 3rd day of antibiotics but so far no better.

My doctor thinks I am having a recurrence of the upper respiratory infection that kept me off the bike last April and delayed the start of my crit season until late June. This time it's even worse. I have the lung capacity of a 2 year-old. I can't even keep up with old ladies on the lakefront bike path without blowing up. The shortness of breath is amazing, depressing. It's like I just sprinted across the finish line at 35mph and yet I'm only walking upstairs. Now I know what asthma is like.

Yesterday, I was struggling to maintain about 14mph (estimated, I don' have a computer on my 'cross bike). Going that slow takes forever and I was running out of time to get to my team's first cyclocross practice - not that it mattered if I was late but come on, 14mph? Then the coughing fit started. Then I could no longer get enough oxygen to sustain the pace. I pulled over and almost hacked up a lung, but having spat much sputum I felt better.

Back on the bike, I kept the pace super slow and tried to stay way clear of the red zone. I focused on my breathing and gradually, to my surprise, my lungs started to clear up. I was able to make 14mph again, this time without blowing up.

However, at the 'cross practice, riding and running a short course with 2 sets of double barriers was all it took to have me gasping for breath.

This sucks. The season is in jeopardy.

CX: Going tubular, skills practice

2008-09-05T20:44:00.010-05:00

Oh yeah, the Ritchey Protocols have arrived, the Grifos are being stretched, the guys at Mission Bay are going to be applying layers of glue next week. I checked out the wheels yesterday after work and damn are they light. Racing the tubulars will shave a half-pound off the bike.

I'll probably have the wheels in time for the xXx Racing cyclocross clinic that coach Randy is giving next weekend, but I'm too afraid of getting a flat to try them out. Those ain't no $30 clinchers. They will debut at Jackson Park, which all Chicago-area cyclists who own a bike with knobby tires should race. It's going to be great fun.

Tonight I built 2 PVC barriers per Mr. Laatse Ronde's specs. So easy, so cheap. Tomorrow I'm going to work on starts, run-ups and the barriers at speed.

Also, next Wednesday night at 6pm, xXx is starting a weekly Cyclocross practice session at Cricket Hill in Montrose harbor. It will probably run through October - until DST changes to CST and there is no light in the evenings.

CX: Running with the bike

2008-09-04T23:13:00.015-05:00

I don't expect to be doing much running with the bike on my shoulder in the ChiCrossCup series, but you never know. I want to get this skill to the point where it's familiar and leave it at that for this season. However, it would be advantageous to run fast with the bike. To be faster on the run than others who are trying to power through sand or mud sections is a good arrow to have in your quiver.

In his book, Simon Burney says he asked some Dutch riders about running with the bike and they described it as "running like a woman." "You know . . . swinging your spare arm and using your whole body to run, like women do!"

I don't see this statement as sexist so let's put that aside. I was just watching the video for Jaarmarkt Cross from Niel, Belgium, on November 10, 2007 won by Bart Wellens. It was a muddy course and Wellens always seemed to be the first to give up riding through the mud, shoulder his bike and run. His running skills didn't win the race for him (they helped keep him at the front though), but with him fighting for the lead with Lars Boom there was plenty of camera time of him running these long mud sections with the bike.

And he ran like a woman! When I look at Bart Wellens in this race I can easily imagine him wearing high heels running through the slop. Imagine if you were wearing high heels and carrying a purse on your shoulder and needed to get somewhere fast. I'm talking high heels. Slutty, tip-toe, tiny strap, ridiculous things. How would you run? Short, quick steps with your purse clutched tightly on one shoulder while the other arm swung free and counter-balanced your motion-less, purse-clutching arm, right?

There you have it. Slutspeed.

CX: Practice with the Pony Shop

2008-09-03T21:03:00.016-05:00

Great stuff. The Pony Shop guys practice on Wednesday nights at James Park in Evanston. Great group, open and friendly and fun. They have a really good course setup with most of your basic challenges: single barrier right after a tight s-turn, double barrier after a fast section, 3 total fast sections and a 6 tree U-shaped slalom (3 on each side of the U). Surfaces: grass, concrete, woodchips, fine limestone gravel (maybe, depends on your line).

I met mtb expert Mike Campbell from xXx for the first time and he gave me some helpful pointers, then I joined them riding around the course, each at his or her own speed working on the skills. After this warmup, we did a 1 lap race simulation from a dead stop. I missed Alister's introduction and didn't know we were doing a lap on the course. Before I knew it I was heading towards the double barriers at speed. I had been practicing this clumsily, screwing up at least one key component of the sequence each time, and now I had to do it really fast. I totally bungled it and almost didn't clip out. Luckily no crash, but a full stop nonetheless.

Several more 1 lap dead starts and my barrier technique at speed was getting better. I tried not to think. Empty the mind and just do it. Then we did 20 minutes at tempo. I know I need a lot of work on technique, but I pushed fairly hard. I wanted to get a good workout and get the body used to the rigors of cross racing. I don't know which is more important when I need both. I definitely felt much weaker at the end than I did at the beginning. I was gasping the whole time, not even trying to recover.

As I was getting more tired on each lap, I noticed that I was spending most of the lap in the 48x25. Makes me think that a 46 is needed. Will the magical Dura-Ace 46T fit my FSA Gossamer? Cyclocrossworld.com is selling them for $150. Ouch. Wait and see.

I had just put the Maxxis Locusts on my Kysriums today. I don't have much experience for comparison, but I thought they rode well. I was running too much pressure because I rode up to the park from home and didn't want to ride too soft on the street. If someone brings a floor pump, next time I'll let some air out and put it back in for the return trip.

Labor Day weekend

2008-09-02T13:09:00.011-05:00

Ah, what weather we had. Sunny but not scorching, dry, wind from the south, perfect. The country roads of Porter and Laporte county Indiana were my personal playground. Indiana is a roadie's dream. Not much in the way of hills, it cannot compare to the longer power climbs in some parts of Wisconsin that us road racers are familiar with, but it's lovely and has several environments to offer. Cool, damp forested roads, wide-open roads with cornfields on all sides, steep but short hills, dunes and lakeshore, blue harbors, blue skies, and fireball sunsets. And the best season for riding is yet to come. Fall is just gorgeous. The temps are perfect for long rides. The colors are spectacular. In the early morning hours, cars are almost non-existent. Deer, I see them all the time. Foxes. Now, spotting a fox is rare, but I have seen several.

Harvest time is almost here. This summer's been good from the start.

CX: Bike setup

2008-08-28T20:38:00.011-05:00

Still waiting for the new tubulars to arrive, I have been tinkering with the setup and fit on my cyclocross bike. I felt I had too much weight on my hands the way I had the bike setup as my winter training B-bike. I read somewhere that you should set up your 'cross bike just like your road bike with a few possible adjustments, like seat height, but that the frame geometry should make your position more upright. I have 2 things making my body position on the cross bike more upright: the stem is 1cm shorter and the effective top tube length is 1/2cm shorter. So I put the bikes side-by-side and noticed the reason that there was too much weight on my hands on the 'cross bike: the bars were much lower on the stem. So I decided to make them match.

The longer wheelbase of the Fuji on the left is apparent. Bar height is now very close, the differences being more from the classic bar bend on the 'cross bike versus the anatomic bend on the road bike and the placement of the hoods. The new position feels pretty good, very close to the road bike, just a little more upright. I still may have to play with the fore/aft saddle position, but I'm going to give this a try.

CX: The Start

2008-08-24T20:46:00.033-05:00

They say that, unlike road racing where the sprint occurs at the end of the race, in cyclocross it occurs at the beginning. I haven't yet watched many of the races on Nathan Spear's site, but in the few I have watched, I have payed close attention to the start. And I was surprised to learn that they sprint on the hoods. I've been practicing my starts in the drops, just like any sprint. I feel that I can make more power in the drops with a proper sprinting position. Hmmm. Obviously the best in the sport know a little more about this than I do, but it leaves me wondering why. Any insights out there?

One thing I learned from the Koksijde race, is that a less than perfect start is not the end of the race. I don't intend this to be a star stroking, but Sven Nys (who else) got a lousy start in that race and after things got sorted out, found himself in the 3rd group of achtervolgers. He spent the early part of the race at least 20 seconds behind the leaders. The leaders looked very fast, maybe unreachable for Nys as he was chasing with least 10 riders between him and the leader. At first it looked like Boom was going to run away with it. When he faltered, Wellens took over and got a nice gap.

But this was a difficult course, with 5 sections of sand. Nys just rode strong and patiently and when the riders on the front struggled and made mistakes he gained ground. He make mistakes too, falling twice in the same tricky short downhill right turn in the sand. This is what he said about it, ". . . I never panicked and once I wanted to be back in front it worked out in one lap. From then on the selection was done automatically as everybody makes mistakes sooner or later." With 4 laps to go, guess who was right at the front?

Guess who won.

CX: The Sand

2008-08-22T10:32:00.009-05:00

This weekend is a family weekend, so I am not racing the State Road Championship, Tour of Oak Brook or whatever. Maybe next year, I'll have a go at the jersey, but the course this year is a joke. You can call it a tour or a road race if you want but it is not. A 3.2 mile mostly flat circuit is not a road race. I hope my teammates take home all the jerseys anyway. Go xXx.

My team is also doing a really cool thing, called "Take a Roadie Off-Road" and it is organized by the dirtbags on xXx to demonstrate the thrills of mountain biking. (these guys at the Bone Bell). I'm sorry I will miss it.

In order to prepare for Koksijde (just kidding), I'm taking the 'cross bike over to the Indiana Dunes this weekend. Do some riding in the sand, some runups and some single track. This roadie is going off-road anyway.

Boom and Vervecken in the sand at Koksijde.

Cyclocross in a velodrome?

2008-08-20T22:00:00.014-05:00

I found some helmet-cam cyclocross video. Its old but still cool. Chapeau to Hans for shooting his races with a helmet-cam. Hans is not racing where the action is, but the San Francisco courses are interesting. Lo and behold, as I am watching one race I see them turn into a velodrome and do a half-lap! Are you kidding me? Cyclocross in a velodrome? Is this what the new Northbrook course has in store for us?!

Check out the
2006 Pilarcitos Cyclesports Super Prestige Series #1 - Men's Senior B race on 8 October 2006
Thanks to Hans Kellner for sharing this footage. So cool.

Doubling up at the ChiCrossCup

2008-08-20T20:31:00.010-05:00

Greg Heck and the rest of the ChiCrossCup organizers did a great job with the series schedule and the race categories. I know there was a debate about whether to keep last year's decision to break up the Cat 4s in to an 'A' and a 'B' race so that the field wouldn't be so big and so that new 'crossers wouldn't have to race against more experienced 'crossers, strong roadies and dirtbags racing their first 'cross season. I think they made the right decision.

I also like that they have a Men 1/2/3 instead of just a 1/2. The 1s and 2s may not like it, but it offers some flexibility for 3s to do the double.

Here is the schedule as it looks today on www.chicrosscup.com
10:00 Masters 30+ (all 45min)
10:02 Masters 40+
10:02 Masters 50+
11:00 Cat. 3 (All 45 min)
11:02 Women 1/2/3
12:00 Women 4 (all 30 min)
12:02 Juniors
1:00 Men 1/2/3 (60 min)
2:15 Men 4a (30 min)
3:00 Men 4b

The 2nd race is only $10, so let's look at doubling up opportunities:

Juniors can race at noon and in their category
Women can elect to double up in an equivalent men's category, right?
A Masters Cat 4 racer can race at 10am and 2:15pm
A Masters Cat 3 racer has a tough double at 10am and 11am, but can race either one, skip the other, and double up in the Men 1/2/3 at 1pm instead
A Masters Cat 1 or 2 racer can race at 10am and 1pm
A 19-29 Cat 4 racer can race at 2:15 or 3pm (not sure about both)
A 19-29 Cat 3 racer can race at 11am and 1pm
A 19-29 Cat 1 or 2 racer has only the 1pm race, but is probably travelling to bigger races anyway

Wow. With 11 races on the schedule and chances to double up, that's 22 races in the Chicagoland area alone. Great stuff.

Jumping hurdles

2008-08-19T21:58:00.018-05:00

I took the 'cross bike out tonight to a nearby school field for my first 'practice.' I came home from work, gave the girls some dinner, put them to bed and sat down with Simon Burney's book and studied the Techniques chapter. I haven't built my PVC barriers yet, but I wanted to work on the technique without actually having to time my jump for an actual obstacle yet. Last year when I did my first race, I could unclip and swing my leg over the back of the bike, but my dismounts and remounts were horrible, stumbling and stutter-stepping.

This year I need to develop technique and tonight was an eye-opener. The photos of Tim Johnson clearing a barrier on page 71 of the 3rd edition are poetry, especially frame E. Unclip and swing the leg over, right, left, leap with the right, left, remount by swinging the right leg over, pedal. That's tight. It's going to take a lot of work. At least I've got the remount without the stutter step working for me.

Also did a dozen or so dead starts in the 48x21 which were pretty good. I just have to keep more weight over the back wheel on these bumpy surfaces. And I'm already learning the value of running lower tire pressure for a better ride.

CX: The bike

2008-08-19T09:00:00.031-05:00

Last year, as my first road season ended, I got interested in finding out more about this type of racing called cyclocross. I started reading some of the websites and watching videos. It was the video that got me. Even the crashes looked like fun.

My teammate Greg Heck was kind enough to loan me his Curtlo to try out the sport. At the Campton Park 4a race I crashed on the first lap and found myself DFL. I managed to get my act together though and passed half of the field to finish 19th. What a rush! I was instantly hooked. It reminded me a lot of the BMX thrills of my youth (with a lot of pain thrown in). The problem was I needed a bike and didn't have the money last season to get anything together quickly. However, I began looking and after the 'cross season was over, I was able to find a great deal on a decent production bike and I have been slowly improving it to my liking, changing the cockpit(seat, seatpost, bars) and making an upgrade where it counts the most, the wheels.

This is what I will be racing in 2008:
Frame: 2007 Fuji Cross Pro A-6 Quaternary Phase Alloy
Fork: F-770 Fuji Bonded Carbon Cross
Headset: Tange IS-24 integrated 1-1/8
Crankset: FSA Gossamer Cross MegaExo, 172.5mm, 39/48T
FD: Shimano Ultegra
RD: Shimano Dura-Ace
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra STI
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 12-25T 10 speed
Brakeset: Avid Shorty 4.0
Bars: Ritchey WCS Classic 44cm 31.8
Tape: Bontrager Gel Cork
Stem: Ritchey Pro 100mm 31.8
Saddle: Ritchey WCS Streem
Seatpost: Bontrager X-Lite Carbon
Pedals: Crank Brothers Candy SL
Wheelset: Mavic Kysrium Elite
Tires: Maxxis Locust CX 34mm
Race wheels not shown -->
Wheelset: Ritchey WCS Protocol tubular
Tires: Challenge Grifo tubular 32mm

Nothing spectacular, the Fuji is still mostly stock, but it should be a solid ride. How fast it will go is up to me.

2008 season summary and results

2008-08-18T10:44:00.052-05:00

On the start line, Hillsboro Roubaix - Photo by Luke Seemann
Well, I had 3 good races this season. I trained my base fitness from late December through March, raced Hillsboro, got popped off the back of the lead group with a hamstring cramp on the last climb. I suffered through the month of April with some lung infection which caused me to take a couple weeks off of the bike. Every time I rode, I made it worse. Then I raced the Tour of Sauk in Baraboo Wisconsin because I had always wanted to do this race and it was to be a test of my fitness. I discovered that my endurance was gone and my hamstring cramped on me again. My first ever DNF. I could have finished the race after getting dropped, but right after I got dropped, I saw my teammate Calvin Smythe on the side of the road with a flat. I gave him my wheel and a PRO push and he chased for an eventual 8th. He made better use of the wheel than I would have.

I started over, rebuilding my fitness and didn't race again until I felt I was ready in mid-June. A tough time to come back as everyone who had been racing was coming into some very good form. The pace was fast and I was riding way too timidly and losing wheels. As I was yo-yo'ing on the back of the 4s race at Cobb Park, I realized that I hadn't raced a criterium since last August. No wonder my cornering and pack racing skills were weak. Eventually the accelerations drained my legs of all power and I could no longer catch back on. I got my nerves and cornering together for the Masters 4/5 race later that day to finish 12th and then had good legs the next day at Fox River Grove where a steep hill and fast descent suited me well.

Superweek and the Glencoe Grand Prix were similar. I wasn't feeling strong and wasn't riding well strategically, thus I was pack fodder. At least I brought my 'A' game to the big races. I rode strong and smart at the 2 biggest criteriums of the season, the Chicago Criterium and Downers Grove National Criterium Championships, to salvage an otherwise mediocre season.

Date	Race	Cat	Result
03/29	Hillsboro Roubaix	E 4/5	23
05/03	Tour of Sauk	E 4/5	DNF
06/21	Cobb Park Criterium	E 4	DNF
06/21	Cobb Park Criterium	M 4/5	12
06/22	Fox River Grove	M 4/5	5
07/12	Richton Park Criterium	M 4/5	12
07/14	Bensenville Criterium	M 4/5	15
07/21	Tour of Holy Hill	E 4/5	31
07/23	Whitnall Park Circuit Race	E 4/5	21
07/29	Chicago Criterium	E 4	5
08/10	Glencoe Grand Prix	M 4/5	15
08/10	Glencoe Grand Prix	E 4	28
08/16	Downers Grove Nationals	M 4/5	4

On the start line, Downers Grove - Photo by Luke Seemann

Downers Grove was a bit of a downer

2008-08-16T20:49:00.019-05:00

This was my target race, unfinished business from last year. My only goal was to win. I certainly had my chance. Instead, I watched my teammate make the move that I should have, could have made, but I chose the wrong strategy.

Presciently, Willems had told me before the race, "If you don't fancy your chances in the sprint, go at the top of the hill on the last lap." Shrewd man Bob is, but my reply was that I didn't fancy my chances of staying off at the end of the race, but I did fancy my chances in the sprint. As things worked out, wrong choice.

Race started fine, 2nd row, the guy in front clipped in well (which never happens to me) and we were off. My legs, however, felt terrible the first 3 laps. This was a race where the legs would feel better as it went on but I never felt great, never felt strong. My teammate Newt got off the front with Tower rider, and they were joined soon after by a third. Teammate Kyle Wyberg and I did some blocking along with a few Tower riders and the break stayed away for about 4 or 5 laps. This was great because there wasn't a good chase going on (what with the blocking of course) and no hard efforts were required so my legs could start to feel better.

With 2 laps to go however, some riders got motivated to chase and the group was caught in turn 7 and swarmed on the homestretch. I was in the middle of the pack and stuck behind the breakaway which was coming backwards through the middle. Riders swarmed on both sides and I went from riding in the top 5 to twenty-something. I needed to make a big move on the last lap.

Photo by Luke Seemann
After turn 2, I put my face in the wind and rode up the right side. The pace wasn't as slow here as it had sometimes been, but it wasn't that high either. I blasted up the hill and swung around on the outside, with riders yelling warnings of my move. This is where I should have kicked it, Cancellara-style, but I thought any move on the last lap would be brought back by turn 7 and I was trying to insert myself into 2nd or 3rd wheel for the sprint. The rider on the front was wanting to pull off and 2nd wheel was Voytek. I stall on the front 'cause I don't want to lead out this sprint, Voytek doesn't either and the pace slackens. Kyle makes a great move on the inside and gives it full gas down the slope just after turn 4. I do the best thing for my teammate and maneuver Voytek onto the front while I sit 2nd wheel. You see, Voytek doesn't take pulls and he doesn't chase. Ever. Making him pull on the last lap and chase my teammate was precious. However, he was saving it for the sprint and I certainly don't blame him. He soft pedaled as much as he could and never put his head down to chase hard - which allowed Kyle to increase his gap.

State champ or not, Voytek is not the wheel I want to be on when we make turn 8, not today, so when an ABD rider wants to come forward I let him in front of me. The ABD rider was riding aggressively, but I didn't know if he was fast or just aggressive. Turns out it was fastman Jay Corgiat, and he jumped real hard out of the turn and I didn't and I lost his wheel. I didn't even know he was in the race, I thought he had upgraded.

None of us catch Kyle by the line (great stuff man, congrats). Jay jumped so quickly out of turn 8 that I lost his wheel. I gave it a good effort but somebody came up on the left and beat me to the line. I threw my bike (ach, a lousy throw and too soon) for 4th place, just missing the podium. I was so much in oxygen debt I don't really have a clear picture of the sprint finish. Newt is so strong he hung on for 6th even after being in the break. A good showing for xXx, clearly the best team in this race.

Look at those beefy sprinters I was up against. Photo by Luke Seemann
3 points and $75 bucks. Close but no cigar. My best finish of the season should feel good, but it doesn't. 4th is nothing. I failed. Season over.

The Turin Ride (my first)

2008-08-13T21:55:00.010-05:00

Wednesday night group rides are generally not possible for me due to my family schedule, but this week my evening was free, so I joined the fastest training ride in the area. I was told that about 10-15 people were missing tonight including some fast guys. For a while it was kind of hard to tell. After we passed the Plaza Del Lago the pace ramped up and kept on going. I rode hard near the front most of the time and got a good workout. There are some great guys on this ride and I enjoyed meeting and talking to them. And I learned that Radio Freddy of BKW is local and a member of 2CC. I love that site and I had no idea!

The pace slowed down and there was a lot of talking in the bunch as we rode through the whole Lake Forest area. Perhaps because people have been racing a lot and it's the end of the road season, there seemed to be some impetus missing. On the way back, we got some rain south of Highland Park, but it wasn't bad. The final sprint point ending near the Plaza Del Lago on Sheridan Road got very fast. I was sitting at the back riding conservatively on the rain-soaked roads when the pace got really hot. Then I noticed that there was a huge gap in front of the group of riders I was following. We had slowed to 29mph, but I felt good and so I came around and cranked it up to 32. Just like at Matteson, here I go on one of my bridge attempts. I go flying past the leader of my group and I am motoring head-down towards a VitaminWater and 2CC group. I held 32 without too great an effort for quite a while and bridged to that group only to realize there was another group with a gap further up. I pulled up short and joined this group, but I actually had more gas and I could have pulled straight through and attempted another bridge. I would never have made it by the end of the sprint and I didn't try, but feeling strong at the end of a fast group ride like this was very encouraging. Maybe I'm stronger than I think.

Anyway, talking to Newt on this ride about the Glencoe Masters 4/5 race, I am starting to realize that I shouldn't be afraid to be in the wind a little more in order to maintain a good position. I shouldn't be trying to follow wheels and conserving energy the whole race. I didn't have it early in the season, but I have the endurance now. I can make hard efforts and recover and do it again. I did it last night and again tonight. I've got to be more aggressive and get to turn 8 at Downers Grove no futher back than 3rd or 4th wheel. It's the only way to have a chance at the win. I am hoping the slight uphill sprint will work in my favor and my sprint has gotten better recently. Even on the Turin ride tonight I noticed that when the road kicked up a bit, riders started coming backwards at me - even strong riders who race in the higher categories. But Downers Grove will be tough because there are many riders who are very close in ability.

We shall see. I can only try my best.

Sprinting at Matteson

2008-08-12T22:14:00.013-05:00

I have no coach and I make my own training schedule the best I can around the more important things in life and I can't claim to have a handle on this periodization method, but I think I'm in the best form of the season right now. I wouldn't call it peaking, but I feel pretty good. Not superman, but good.

At Glencoe this weekend, I was focused on conserving, not feeling so strong, while my stronger teammates made the effort to stay at the front, take some wind if they had to while I was following wheels further back. Based on the efforts I made tonight and my recovery times, I'm a little stronger than I thought. Because I made some huge efforts tonight, way more than I would have made in an actual race. Perhaps I have more power on tap than I thought.

Tonight, I went down to Matteson to get a workout. I raced with teammates Brian Boyle the Good and Brian Smith for the 2nd week in a row. It feels funny when they call me the sprinter, 'cause I am not, but compared to their big diesel engines, I am the fast-twitchiest. Based on who showed up for the A race, I knew it was going to be fast. Several P12 guys ready to toy with us. Being a lowly Cat 4, I'm not used to racing for more than 45 minutes because our races are so short, so I didn't have much left in the tank for the last 10k race. I couldn't follow the break when it happened, and I couldn't chase anymore. The best I could do was take my pulls at 27mph, recover and do it again and finish as strong as I could.

The first 2 races went much better. I saw a group of the strongest riders go off the front in the first race and I decided to try to bridge. I took off and had nobody on my wheel. It took about a lap to bridge and when I got there I was just a passenger, sitting on Mindeman's wheel, trying to recover. The group eventually slowed down and was caught by the pack several kilos later. My successful bridge burned a few matches but was a confidence builder. Problem is, it takes an 100% effort on my part to match their 90% efforts and while I'm trying to come down from the red zone, they can do it again. Ah well, that's why I'm here. I could be toying with people in the B race or busting my ass in the A race. Which will make me a better racer? I remember that it took me a very long time for my heart rate to come down after the work I had done, so I wasn't able to make a big move at the end of this race and was outside of the top 6 and didn't contest the sprint.

Second race was a blur, I think this was the race that after things settled down Mindeman went on a flyer, I decided to do the work to chase and brought him back and stayed near the front for the intermediate sprint. I got third in that sprint passing a rider whom I have never out-sprinted. I don't know his name but he looks like an experienced trackie and he is strong. I think he was having an off night though 'cause he usually has a bit more snap.

Later in this race, I did some work chasing again and sat in to recover, but this time 4 guys were off the front in a break. I swear this rider from ADB/Geargrinder pulled the 'chase' group (which was not chasing) for at least 8k before pulling off the front. Nick Gierman was getting himself in position for the last 2 or 3 laps and when another City Cycle(?) rider pulled off the front it was Nick, Joe Bippus, the SCW trackie and me ramping up for the scraps. Nick and Joe jumped after turn 3 and the SCW trackie couldn't jump with them and a gap opened up in front of us. When we cleared turn 4, I jumped after them. I had a huge gap to close and I gave it full gas. I was going pretty well, but I wasn't going to catch them, and then I felt a rider try to come around me in the last 50 meters so I gave it all I had and threw for the line. I edged out the ABD/Geargrinder rider who also threw his bike. We later joked how silly it was to be throwing for 7th place at Matteson. But you know, I was actually quite pleased as mine was a good bike throw. You can practice these things but to pull it off, automatically in a split second, in an actual sprint with another rider coming on fast is good. My timing was right at the line in my final pedal stroke and my seat hit my chest at full extension.

Tomorrow, I plan to join the Turin ride for another fast workout, intervals on Thursday, easy spin on Friday and Masters 4/5 on Saturday on my favorite criterium course, Downers Grove. I might not be racing the State Road Race Championship, so this might be the end of my season. Cyclocross soon come.

Glencoe Grand Prix sans barbe

2008-08-10T16:54:00.033-05:00

Disappointing. I am thankful because I know the outcome could have been worse, but I am disappointed nevertheless. Like everyone else I am trying to tune my form for the Downer's Grove National Criterium Championships. That's the end of my road season and Glencoe was my last chance to get some points. I know I'm not ready to upgrade to the 3s yet, but I'd like to score a few more points at the end of this season to get within a shout. $20 in cash is nice, but for points, I got nothing.

I pre-registered to do the double, Masters 4/5 and Elite 4s. Honest crits at 40 minutes each, no short 20 or 30 minute races here, thank you Glencoe organizers. You did a great job with this race. It's an excellent course and I felt everyone involved was top notch. I really enjoyed this race and I want to put it on my calendar every year.

I rode up to the course carrying as many bottles as I could. Ironically the ride from Wrigleyville is about 18 miles and so were the races. So I have 36 racing miles and 36 miles at E2 for the day.

Legs didn't feel so good in the first race, just a bit weary, but at least I got first row. So did Dugas, Newt, Morrisey and we were running a lead train as this race got started. When Dugas pulled off on the 2nd lap, Newt accelerated on the front and opened a gap in front of me. I yelled to him to either bring it down a notch or get going. He gave it some more gas and I rode tempo but tried to bring the pace down just a notch to help his gap grow. 2 other riders came flying by to bridge and I slipped back a handful of spots as others took up the chase. This early break didn't last long but contributed to a high pace for this race.

I found it very easy to be falling back in the pack in this race. Whichever side I was on, inside or out, the wheels I was following seem to be going backward and the line was flowing forward on the other side. When I would switch sides, the other line would then start moving forward. Frustrating. Every time I would make a big move when the pace accelerated, it would slow shortly thereafter and people would be swarming on both sides to erase the gains I had just made.

So as we got to the last few laps to go, I was further back than I wanted to be. In fact, as my bad luck would have it, I was behind one of the sketchiest riders in the pack, the plump Venezuelan champion (of what I don't know) and before I knew it he had let a huge gap open up down the backstretch on the last lap. I came around him, but the gap was so big that I could not close it before the last turn, so I could not contest the sprint with the leaders. I had no impetus for the sprint and got passed by my teammate Kyle Wyberg and finished 15th. Little did I know, I got the last money place. A volunteer came up to me later and asked why I hadn't claimed my money yet. What a great volunteer staff! Newt and Dugas finished on the podium, chapeau.

Photo by J. Rowland
The 4s race was actually 1 mph slower on average than the masters race. The field was also about 10 riders smaller. I got first row again and started well. The legs felt surprisingly better this race and I was hopeful of a better result. I rode this race a lot better, I knew the course better and knew where to take places and stayed closer to the front the whole race. At one point near the end of the race I was 3rd for the E.J.'s points competition but needed to recover after that since I only wanted to move to the front, not burn matches going after primes.

With 2 to go, a prime for some bread (!?) was announced and I was pretty close to the front at that point. After we rounded Amen corner, I could have followed some wheels to the front and I chose not to, wanting to save my legs for the last lap, maybe this was my big mistake and my only chance to get a position in the top 5. At this point the Glacier National Park rider won the prime, found himself way off the front and maintained a decent gap. Since I hung back, I didn't even know we were racing for 2nd place. I had a little better position in this race on the last lap setting up for the last turn. I was around 10th wheel and I was on the outside lane. I was following a young guy in white who seemed to be ready to contest the sprint and Henry of Pegasus was just 2 riders in front of me. I had planned to hop on those wheels if I could. I felt good and I was ready. Well I didn't even get a chance.

Some riders, I don't know who, decide to bomb up the inside of the 120 degree final turn and they caused chaos as they ran wide and pushed riders to the outside. It felt like I was playing hockey again as I got body checked hard on my left side and I was slammed into the grass and hay bales on the outside of the turn. I landed on my right shoulder and helmet very hard. My race was over.

Hay and grass are not pavement and for that I am thankful. Body ok, bike ok, I remount and roll in for 28th. Thanks again to the Glencoe Grand Prix volunteers who picked up my bike and made sure we were ok. Everything about this event was top notch.

Alberto Segura is a great guy. I'm glad he's a bike racer and I'm glad he's on my team. We had a good ride home. Oh yeah, I shaved by beard yesterday. Which was kind of fun because people could hardly recognize me today. I haven't see my face without a beard for 15 years. Now that I've seen it, it looks 15 years older. I'm growing it back.

Photo by Ed White

Wheel decision

2008-08-07T10:16:00.015-05:00

I pulled the trigger and ordered some Ritchey WCS Protocol tubular wheels. I don't have the coin for carbon tubulars, so 26mm deep aluminum will have to do.

After all I said about building a custom wheel, I chose these due to the lighter weight and because the more-aero rim and bladed spokes should make them accelerate quicker which will make them better for road racing as well.

Also, Ritchey is a sponsor of my team xXx Racing, I think highly of their products which are all over my road and cross bikes, and I get them at a very attractive price.

And they come with titanium skewers - should be here in a couple weeks. Jackson Park CX is only 6 weeks away. I'm going to have an expert glue the Grifos for me. I'm not ready to learn the art of gluing.

Sprinting

2008-08-06T15:48:00.009-05:00

I can't seem to pass anybody in a sprint. Whatever position I start the last 200 meters is the position I seem to finish, even if the order in front of me gets shuffled a bit.

First let me say that I seem to be mostly slow-twitch and I don't generate a lot of peak power. So I shouldn't expect much from my sprinting. In fact, in my first season, I was awful at sprinting and would die before the line almost every time.

Improving my sprint was one of my goals this season and Randy Warren's sprint clinic for the xXx team was extremely valuable. Already I am a much better sprinter, but now I am looking for more speed. I seem to have a top end of around 34-35 mph. It seems like a lot of other riders go about that fast since there doesn't seem to be anyone moving that much faster when we are all going full gas. And I'm not just talking about the Cat 4 field. I tested myself last night against the other racers in the 'A' race at Matteson which is mostly Cat 3s. Same thing. I contested all 3 final sprints and I wasn't able to get past the rider in front of me, he wasn't able to catch the guy in front of him and the guy who hit the last turn first usually kept it for the win.

I know there are some guys who will eat us alive in a sprint, but thankfully I haven't been up against them lately. I know because I've seen riders with a wicked sprint move from Cat 5 to 3 in a few months. They have such a kick that they just need to be somewhere in the top 10 when they open it up down the strech and see you later.

Ah well, back to the basics. I haven't done a sprint workout since I started going to Matteson on Tuesdays (early June) and I need to get 2 sprint workouts in the next 2 weeks, revisiting the fundamentals. I'll see how it goes at Glencoe and Downers.

Contemplating cyclocross wheels

2008-08-05T09:23:00.021-05:00

I should be focusing on the last few remaining road races, but I've already got cyclocross on my mind. I have been spending way too much time contemplating wheels and tires for this season. Way too much for a guy whose season is nothing more than the local Cat 4 'cross series.

After surveying the pre-built tubular market and failing to pull the trigger on a pair of Ritchey Protocols, I started thinking about building some custom tubulars and I was amazed at how reasonably this could be done. Consider that you can build the following wheelset for around $450:

Front
Mavic Reflex CD rim 32 hole 390g
Dura-Ace 7800 hub 32 hole 190g
DT Revolution 14/17 spokes 141g
DT standard aluminum nipples 10g
est. weight 731g

Rear
Mavic Reflex CD 36 hole 390g
Dura-Ace 7850 hub 36 hole 328g
DT Revolution 14/17 spokes 159g
DT standard aluminum nipples 12g
est. weight 889g

Wheelset without skewers 1620g

I wish I could shave 200g off of that total, but not for $450 I can't - although the pre-built Ritchey's at 1454g are 166 grams lighter than that. However, the custom wheels should be totally reliable, serviceable, rebuildable and the Dura-Ace hub should roll sweetly. Glue some Challenge Grifos on there and I'm ready to experience how arousing supple casings can be.

In the wheel pit, I will have a choice of clinchers for my Mavic Ksyriums: Maxxis MiMo CX (mud) and Maxxis Locust (dry).

Chicago Criterium

2008-07-28T15:15:00.007-05:00

Ok, I know Padfield won another one, and 5th place is really nothing, but I was quite pleased with my race. Huge field 100+, fast pace, so many riders currently on good form, and unknown riders from neighboring states made for more than a few challenges. Hearing about nasty crashes in previous races from teammates made it even more nervy.

Sometimes, given the circumstances and race situations, I ride for my teammates, trying to help them be more successful. This time, I was riding for me.

J.D. if you are out there reading this, you are the man! I followed your race strategy the best I could and it was perfect. If I could actually sprint, I would have made the podium. Your assessment of the course and how to race it was dead-on. And a great course it was.

I was 3rd row on the start line and I had planned to go all-out for the first corner like a cyclocross race, but of course I was behind 2 riders who still don't know how to clip in. I lost 30-40 spots in the first 100 meters, so much for starting near the front. I am told there were 119 starters in this race, definitely the biggest field I've ever been in. So now I was mid-pack or worse and my goal was to stay safe (of course) and follow good wheels. That's all I did, follow good wheels and stay in the middle, away from the outside lanes. I filled gaps and fought for the wheel I was following, but I burned no matches and made no moves. When I wasn't stuck behind someone going backwards on Balbo, I usually took some positions there. And you know what? I was moving forward in the pack.

Primes had helped the pace accelerate and I was able to improve my place more just by filling gaps, taking wheels. Patiently. In Lithuania they have the expression 'ramus kaip Belgas', 'calm as a Belgian'. Yeah, like that. I eventually got within sight of the front and soon thereafter didn't have to break as much anymore for the turns. That's when I knew I was getting close to the sweet spot. And just ahead, teammate and fast man Jon Dugas.

Coming down the homestretch with somewhere around 3 to go I saw a gap behind a Spidermonkey and I came around to fill it, now I was very near the front. I think it was a lap later that a small break went off. The pursuit kicked into gear on the final lap. I followed the pursuit and somewhere in the backstretch the gap to the 4 leaders was closed.

The overpass at Balbo was going to be my big move. I flowed as fast I as could through turn 3 and set myself up to have some room on the inside, no wheels in front of me this time. I gave it full gas moving past as many as I could and setting up safely for turn 4. I could see Padfield had a gap on the field into the last turn. I was about 5-6th wheel in the pack going through this turn and right on the wheel of Cuttin' Crew Stanley Shultz. The sprint was on and I was going full gas. I tried to move around him on the left with 100 meters to go but I didn't have the acceleration and was never able to draw even with him. He got 4th, I got 5th and I turned to my right to see Dugas take 6th just ahead of 2 other riders. At least I had enough of a sprint not to be passed by anybody, and they were right behind me.

Prize money, a few upgrade points, I'll take it. This week, I rest.

Superweek's road races

2008-07-25T10:41:00.008-05:00

Last year as a Cat 5, my best race was in the Alpine Valley road race during Superweek where I finished 9th in a final selection of 14 riders. Since then I have contemplated how this race could be won and I was looking forward to repeating the attempt this year. Alas, the Tour of Alpine Valley was not raced in 2008, so I signed up for the only road races in the schedule, Holy Hill and Whitnall Park.

I don't consider myself a climber, but I do better than most of the pack when the race goes vertical or gets technical, so I try to race courses that give me an advantage. Holy Hill doesn't have a hill big enough to shatter the field like Alpine Valley, Spring Prairie or Baraboo . Whitnall Park has a sharp change in elevation but I wouldn't call it a hill. Even the largest riders can power up it as fast as any little guy. All these courses offered were ways to drain the power out of your legs.

Holy Hill was going well. I rode strong, stayed near the front, took only one short pull and didn't have any trouble. On the 4th and final lap of the 8.1 mile course my body gave me a little warning, but it was the only warning I got. In the southeast corner, the course took a 90 degree right hander at the bottom of a hill. With the smell of brake pads in the air, accelerating out of this corner, I felt some tightness from fatigue in my left calf. I didn't get concerned, after all 38 miles of racing are already gone. Soon after we hit the first of the 2 short, sharp hills on the course. Being the last lap, the pace up these next 2 hills was hotter so even though I start in the saddle, I soon have to downshift and stand to keep up. It's not like getting hit by the man with the hammer, more like being stabbed with a knife. My right hamstring cramps up again. Like it did in Hillsboro. Like it did at Baraboo. This time it is really bad.

The pack goes blowing by as I grab my leg and try to keep the bike straight until everyone is past me. Then I pull over to the side of the road to stretch it and make the pain go away. The neutral support car checks to see if I am ok. I get back on the bike. Wham. I stretch some more, get back on the bike. Wham. One more long stretch and I ease back into my pedalstroke this time. Ok, I think it's going to be ok. I'm at least two minutes behind the pack, but I can still see them on the long stretches of road. I settle into a rhythm and I am surprised how weak I am. I thought it was just a muscle cramp, but it seems my whole body was on the verge of blowing up, because I feel like I have blown up.

There must have been 30 riders in the main pack because I come home 31st.

Whitnall Park was a very uneventful race. Bolivar from Leo & Jo's goes on a flier at the gun. He comes back on the 2nd lap. We are doing 13 laps of a 2.3 mile closed course through a botanical garden. It's really a circuit race and it is not one of my favorites. 74 riders on the start line, I start on the 2nd row and go straight to the front through the first turn. There is some sketchy riding at the back resulting in a crash that takes out several teammates of mine. Another teammate sat on the start line like looking like Natalie Portman. I repeat my mantra, stay safe, stay near the front. When I fall back into the 30s, I make a move to get to the front again.

With less than 5 to go, more riders are moving up the sides, people I haven't seen up front before. One of them tries to come up my left side where the course constricts and has a field of potholes, He bangs his handlebars into mine and my front wheel whips to the side. I quickly correct and everything is fine, but I give this kid a strong "Dude, come on." The place on the course to move up is just after this constriction, which I do. Gladly, I don't see him again.

The last lap is hot and I am 20-somethingth in the pack. I'm on the left and looking for a opening. A junior from a Wisconsin team moves up and sits on my left right before the spot where I want to move out. You can take 10-15 places easily here but he just sits there boxing me in. A pox on 'ye lad. I see Voytek on the front into the last turn. I'm on the inside lane of the turn and a pass a few riders up the incline. When we reach the top, I shift into my big ring and take a big breath. My strategy here was a find a strong sprinter's wheel to follow through the front of the pack up into the top 10. Bad idea. I should have been full gas at this point because I wasted time looking for a good wheel. Alex from the Spidermonkey team passed me and I got on his wheel, but he doesn't really open it up as fast as I thought he would and we finish 20th and 21st. Nothing. At least my legs were fine.

The hamstring: first two times it cramped up on me were cold and/or wet spring road races where my fitness was questionable. Holy Hill was a big wake up call. I need professional help. Time to get on the massage table at AthletiCo. and get these muscles fixed.