Penultimate Race Weekend

With Church Creek on Sat and Dawg Days on Sunday it was sure to be an exciting weekend.  One, I get to do my first 40K and two after Luray and Iron Hill I finally got do an easy crit.  So everyone says your first TT is a bitch and surprise surprise…it was a bitch.  As I was striving for maximum punishment I borrowed a friend’s TT bike that was 2 sizes too small and test rode it two days before the race.  Fiddling profusely with stack height, saddle angle, and aero bar width something still felt a little…off.  Ah, the cranks were 1 size shorter than I normally ride.  Sweet, so with my excuses all set, I headed off to the TT on Sat to battle 14 other guys that actually “like” to do this.  In a TT, with all the race variables accounted for you can actually predict with probable certainty, your placing.  I knew I wasn’t going to beat Shelby, Gus, Wagner, or el Jeffe so the best I could hope for was 5th.

The Experience

The first 20 minutes felt supa-steller. All bike fitting oddities aside I was night and day faster than I would have been on a ghetto-TT rig (ala road bike with aero bars), BTW big thanks to Peter Nicoll for making that happen.  At 21 minutes though the facade wore off and I began  feeling a numbing sensation in my gonads.  At minute 28  it was if an army of Siafu ants were unleashed in my chamois….at 35 apparently I rolled over their ant hill…this can’t be normal? OK OK so everyone and their mom says “Don’t mess with your bike right before a race”  which I guess would also mean don’t ride a brand new bike before a race, but somehow I was hoping for somewhat of a muscle confusion effect and by the time my body realized what was going on I’d be powering through the last 1K.  Hmm more like a taint conundrum.  I got passed by my 30 second dude but managed to shadow him for a 5 or 6 miles before I passed him again (no I wasn’t drafting).  When we turned onto the finishing stretch back into a head wind the army of darkness in my chamois was a bit overwhelming and I tried all sorts of evasive maneuvers to subdue the pain.  My 30 second man passed me again but when I told him I really needed the BAR points he conceded the position (or he flatted on or the other).

My Friend o' Misery

After the finish my right quad was in full seize and I was walking around like a hobgoblin.  Asking some friends whether this was a “normal” feeling the overall response was “pretty much.”  Really? And you buy bikes JUST for this? Isn’t that like buying your own proctoscope?

Dawg Days

Ah, back to good clean fun.  Fast, no crashes.  When Rugg got brought back twice that pretty much sealed it for a field sprint.   Lady luck wasn’t on my side so I bagged it in for a pack finish. but on the bright side we didn’t get rained on and my quad about halfway un-seized from yesterday.

Next week’s the last race of the season for me, Claymont…w00t!

Death March Revisited

As hard as I could have gone, not as hard as I would have liked.  That was the theme this weekend.  In a race that typically conjures feelings of anxiety, misgiving, and naked truth, it sure as hell didn’t disappoint.  False gods and demigods unmasked alike, Page County has no tolerance of pack fodder.  To finish this race with the “pack” is to podium anywhere else. That said I showed up Friday to the pseudo track event apparently ready to do anything other than race my bike.  I thought it’d be kinda like hains point and I wouldn’t have a problem here…yeah, no problem getting beat…repeatedly. I was putting out sprints in excess of 1400 watts and not passing a dime.   I think at one point I got passed by Pete Custer while he was DJing. Did he just pass me AND flip a track?

Fast Forward to the main event, Page Valley Road Race.  After racing the PA State RR championships the week before with similar distance, terrain, and temps, I felt in the best form this race than I’d ever been.  With the exception of a brief lull in tempo during the first lap our race was animated through its entirety.  Yes we got neutralized and passed by the Masters race, but with Steve Robinson leading that bunch that’s pretty much to be expected.  I felt right as rain for the first 3 laps until fittingly enough, Hibbs (my own teammate) drove it hard through the feed zone on the 4th lap.  Hello Rivet.  I dug curds and whey deep to stay with the front group.  When we got to the top there was a visible schism in the field.  Unfortunately, Hibbs went so hard no one could be tempted to keep the pace and while I was still tasting my own blood the rest of the pack scrambled back into coalescence.  By the 5th lap we had attrited down to ~20 riders.  On the flat, while we were all mentally preparing for the final climb a lone HPC youngin slipped away and of course in a Cat 3 race its always the OTHER guy’s responsibility to chase.  Balls on ya kid.  He would stay away for the win, despite an eventual effort to chase and Brad Evans coming to the front to line us out.  I hung on for 8th.

Luray Crit. Did I mention how attricious this crit is?

Chris Gould must have only had a halfway miserable day because he decided to start us at the top of the hill this time.  Never the less, it was only a 20 second reprieve from the 56 minute death march to follow.

Andrew and I duking it out for scraps

I can honestly say the quality of guys I’ve been racing with this year is top notch.  The battle between Sjoberg and Netzer was legit and I got to witness it first hand.  While I came out the gate firing a Super Soaker 100 (top of the line for 1991 mind you), these boys were packing M-60s.  With about 8 laps to go Sjoberg went off the front closely followed by the time traveler dude.  I was already in the red and knew I could dig to catch but probably wouldn’t have enough to latch.  When it became apparent we weren’t going to bring them back, Netzer went off followed by another strong lad who I was later told was Ben King’s brother.   Beyond shattered I re-absorbed in the 8 man “pack,” and stuck it out for the field sprint.

Like I said, not as strong as I would have liked, but as strong as I could.  Still an epic experience, kudos to everyone that helped put it on.

Shits n’giggles

PA RR:  Distance: 60 miles, NP @ 269, avg HR: 158 , avg speed: 21.4 mph

ToPC RR: Distance: 65 miles, NP @ 286,  avg HR: 154, Avg speed: 21.66 mph, Max speed 54.6?!  Last time I hit that I was bombing down wintergreen.

2010 Cat 3 Luray Crit: NP @335 , avg speed: 21.5 mph

2011 Cat 3 Luray Crit: NP @ 345, avg speed: 22.5 mph

Tour of WashCo Race Report

Kick-Off Crit Friday

First this was an awesome crit, hats off to Joe Jefferson and AVC for making this happen.  Great little downtown podunkedunk vibe.  The crit itself had a slight uphill drag to the start/finish, followed by a fast downhill into a decreasing radius right hander that everyone rushed for each lap.  A break of 2 got established midway with a sizable 30 second gap that kept going the wrong way each lap.  Hats off to Joaquin for the monster effort to reel it back, we traded pulls for a 1.5-2 laps but couldn’t get any cooperation from the field so we settled in for a sprint for 3rd.  With 3 laps to go Joe announces its actually 1 to go (they cut it since the break was going to win and I guess they were short on time), I was way too far back at about 20 or 30 to vie for the last podium but gave a mad-dash to the line for 10th.  What sucks is I had a monster sprint and could have managed better with better positioning and those last 2 laps.

Prologue and RR Sat

My belly was full of anger and I took off like a bat out of hell for the Prologue…unfortunately there were 17 other people whose bats were from deeper, darker recesses of hell than mine

I started this race as a “B” race iso of Hibbs, Jordan, or Owen for the GC….all of whom missed their Prologue start times. Great, our belly’s were collectively recharged with anger and maelstrom.  Going into the RR with 2 of the better time trialers out of contention our tactics turned to plan B, stage hunting.  Jordan, Hibbs, and Owen took turns either launching themselves in a break or bringing one back. John Larson would have been there, as he was at the front to start but his elbow crossed the center line and he was relegated, had a mechanical, subsequently flatted, was car-jacked, had his identity stolen, got fired from his job, and his wife left him.

At one point Jordan saved me from an imminent flat by warning me of a pothole just in time for me to swerv, sight unseen.  Callum Ingram, Cat 3 Cup Leaders Jersey, who was right in front of me hit it and flatted out of the RR.

With 1 lap to go there were a break of 2 up the road with 30-40 seconds on us, it was coming down but not quick enough.  Jordan steamed rolled up the right side and instantly strung out the pack.  His spark was enough to reignite the chase effort and catch the leaders a mile out from the finish.

   Going into the penultimate climb I was in a cush little pocket of 7 or 8 guys, dead center. Dan  Drumright, Haymarket kept the pace high for Darion Flemming.  Sprinting up the final climb to the line that cush little pocket was turning into a steely barricade.  With about 150 meters to go it opened up on the left side and I came out and around. I pulled even with Darion and gave it a second effort to take the W by a half a bike length! Sweet, after 11 years my first real win.  Without a doubt if it wasn’t for the team it would have been a sprint for 3rd (or actually a DNF from a flat).

TT

Goose egg.

Jordan and Hibbs mentioned afterward I looked a “tad un-aero.”  They were putting it nicely. Picture a walrus on a unicycle with a TT helmet and you about have my TT position figured out.  The only thing funnier than watching a triathlete sprint is watching a sprinter time trial. Since I was 6th on GC at that point it meant the top 5 guys were ALL excellent TTers.  I know because I observed their awesomeness as they ALL passed me (you do the math).  I’m pretty sure the SRAM chase vehicle thought I had a mechanical because they drove by me TWICE.

Crit (CAT 4 CRP momentary pause)

So we had a chance to watch Geoff Hughes rip the freaking legs off the Cat 4 field.  While normally Geoff shoots himself in the foot by spending too much time on the front, this time with the attritious nature of this crit he single-handily made mince meat of the field (ok so he had some help from a few DVR guys, but still) , making it easier on himself in the end.  In all my years watching races I’ve never seen a 4 race, strung out the ENTIRE time.  Geoff won’t tell you this, well bc he probably had no clue what was going on as he was at the front, but he cut the field from 50 or so to under 20.  Kudos, look forward to your CRP

Crit 

Hard.  Attritious (still trying to find that word in the dictionary? don’t bother). The number 2 guy on GC going into the day, the guy that whizzed by me in the TT and had my unicycle cowering in fear, was out the back in 5 laps.

Attack, chase, bridge, attack, chase bridge. 800-1000 watts every time out of the 120.  This race played out like a 1/2/3.

FF 2 to go, Hibbs comes out of nowhere and launches an all or nothing move.  He’s joined by 5 other guys and instantly has a gap of 5 seconds and growing.  I’m sitting pretty 5 wheels back in the field, unfortunately watching NO ONE else in the break ahead do any work, mudderfuckers.   We catch them on the last turn of the last lap.  I’m about 7 wheels back now. We start our sprints 200/250 meters from the line, I’m boxed in for 3 seconds by the same guy that let me out yesterday (not so nice today I guess). When the hole opens up I gun it and pass 7 through 4.  I’m too late for the win but if I dig I can see a chance at 3rd.  I grab the last spot on the podium by about an inch.   Sweet!  I went from 18th to 6th down to 20th back up to 13th in GC, I’ll take it.