tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81574494130187771862024-03-13T00:16:34.828-07:00Speedbump's DumpMusings on bike racing, cycling in general, and anything else that enters my brainSpeedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-1917481500201955592012-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:002012-06-08T09:00:39.603-07:00Back to Tenino<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first Sunday of June found me in Tenino again for
this year’s Washington State Time Trial Championships. It was held on my
favorite course and one I had ridden many times before with my most recent
foray being four weeks earlier. I was hoping for improvement over that
recent time, but was realistic in my expectations for the day as my season has
been hampered by a lack of training volume caused by that pesky thing called
“life”. Conditions were pretty good, although a little windy. When
riding a long time trial, this one was 40 kilometers (24.5 miles), pacing is
always critical. Go out too fast and you’ll pay for it later in the race
and struggle. Given the reality of my training and my form, I was faced
with the choice of being conservative and easing into my pace over the first
several miles, or ride the race as if I had good form and hope for the
best. I chose the latter figuring if I went into it conservatively, I was
surrendering any hope of a good result right away. I started strongly and
settled into my rhythm quickly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">After around five miles, I had already
passed the two riders who had started in front of me (unfortunately, I had also
been passed by the rider who started immediately behind me.) The race
went very well for me and I must say it was the most focused and “in the
moment” I have been at any race thus far this year. I managed to take about
40 seconds of my time of a month earlier and earn an 8<sup>th</sup> place
finish in my group. I could not have gone any harder or ridden any better
on that day and that is all you can ever ask for.</span>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-65519171051982439072012-05-23T11:07:00.000-07:002012-05-23T11:07:10.487-07:00Enumclaw - It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Enumclaw Stage Race is my favorite race of the
season. It has great courses, is well run, and usually has strong
fields. Because it is a stage race that is scored on total elapsed time
rather than on points like an omnium, my time trialling ability usually
keeps me in the thick of things. Entering the weekend, I was sure my time
trial form was pretty good but was unsure how the criterium and road race would
go for me. The weekend began with all sorts of good omens. When the
time trial start times were posted, I discovered I was to be the final rider
off in my category. And as I rolled into town late Friday night, a shooting
star fell shot across the sky, surely a sign of good fortune. Saturday
morning dawned clear, sunny, and with little wind and I rolled to the start
line quietly confident. The time trial went very well for me and I
posted a personal best for myself on this course. The time was good
enough for second place and I only missed my first win by two seconds!
Having placed myself near the top of the standings, now the key was not to lose
time in the criterium or road race.<o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After getting a call-up and getting to start on the front
row due to my time trial result, the criterium started well. As the race
progressed, I thought to myself, this is one of the most civilized criteriums
I’ve ever ridden. The pace was very steady with little in the way of
surges due to attacks, etc. I avoided being caught up in or behind any of
the handful of crashes and finished safely in the bunch with the same time as
everyone else. The overall leader for the weekend picked up a 3-second
bonus in a sprint, but other than that no major time lost in the criterium was
just what the plan had been. Day one of the stage race could hardly
have been better for me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday’s road race was going to prove to be a different type
of experience. It was dry when we woke up, but by the start of the race,
a steady rain had started that would be with us the rest of the day. I
still felt good and optimistic as I had focused a little more on my nutrition
this year and was five pounds lighter than last season at this race.
Surely that was going to help me on the climbs. The race rolled out
uneventfully towards its first trip up the Mud Mountain Road climb about 7
miles into the race. I settled in near the front of the group and as we
headed up the climb, felt comfortable (as comfortable as you can be climbing a steep
hill in a race!). The pack was steadily shedding riders and as we reached
the steepest pitch about ¾ of the way up, only about half of us remained.
Suddenly, I went from being comfortable to being powerless. I popped off
the back of the group like a sinking stone. It was an odd sensation,
there wasn’t any period of struggling. One moment all was fine, the next
moment I had blown and was crawling up the hill. After topping out,
I tried to gather myself and hook up with other riders for the chase back
on. I had very little power though and found myself having to skip pulls
to even stay in contact with the chasers.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
we hurtled down the descent, I smacked a pothole and my “food” bottle of
Perpetuem bounced out of its cage and was gone. I now had only a single
gel in my pocket to get me through the race. I continued to struggle and
eventually lost contact with the chase group. As a final insult, I
managed to drop my remaining gel while trying to open it. All in all, a
day to forget and one that thoroughly scuttled my ambitions for a high finish
for the weekend.</span> </span>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-21879276137578501222012-05-09T11:27:00.000-07:002012-05-09T11:27:04.469-07:00State Warm-up TT<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend saw my teammate Karla and I headed to Tenino for the
final event in the Cascade Time Trial Series, a 40-kilometer test on one of my
favorite courses. This course has been used in the past and will be used
again this year for the State Time Trial Championship. It has great variety with changes in direction and terrain and really maintains your interest as you ride it.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We both had done
enough in the previous events of the series to secure podium places for the
series, the only question was what step would they be on. I needed a
second place finish on the day to secure second place in the series. With
that in mind, I fired off the start line and got to work. Within 5 miles,
I’d caught the two riders who started 30 seconds and one minute ahead of me and
had closed to within 30 seconds of the rider who started a minute thirty
seconds ahead of me. I felt pretty good the whole ride and it was
definitely the best I’ve felt on the bike yet this year. To my annoyance,
I never did quite catch that other rider, but he made a very good “carrot” to
keep me motivated and focused throughout the race.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the finish finally
came, I had posted a time under an hour and good enough for second place on the
day. The day’s finish enabled me to secure second place for the series by
a single point. Now my focus will shift a bit with the next event for me
being the Enumclaw Stage Race in a couple weeks, then it will be back to Tenino
for the State Time Trial Championships.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQg51yIqL_YmZifRv8yhlEkkOpO4bH1M1ALIDWZK7GFSGhi9-2zpkjSOjKCBNgLfMxFnI-qv65CMju8gsx8GPz-Ex2gtKW_WXQ3VynOOJ54qAQIFKh9uaLHlGnqPgIbZ64Vi3JWRGic/s1600/Warm+up+TT+podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQg51yIqL_YmZifRv8yhlEkkOpO4bH1M1ALIDWZK7GFSGhi9-2zpkjSOjKCBNgLfMxFnI-qv65CMju8gsx8GPz-Ex2gtKW_WXQ3VynOOJ54qAQIFKh9uaLHlGnqPgIbZ64Vi3JWRGic/s320/Warm+up+TT+podium.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-18977780853960660232012-05-02T11:23:00.001-07:002012-05-02T11:23:57.694-07:00Green Valley TT - Improving a little<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This past weekend was the fourth event in the
new Cascade Time Trial Series and once again, my MCS - Blue Star Coffee teammate Karla and I loaded up the car and
made the long drive to the west side of the mountains to Auburn to participate
in the Green Valley Time Trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
slightly longer than the first event in the series, the Icebreaker Time Trial,
this event took place on the same road so it would provide an easy comparison
as to how our form had improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much
goes into riding a good race and this day it seemed like it was finally coming
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a full and good warm-up
and rolled to the start line relaxed and focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt fast and powerful on the way out and
on track for a good ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon the turn
came and I headed back towards the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Partway back, I had a real ragged patch and struggled with my pace and
focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I snapped out of it when the
rider that started a minute behind me came past like he was on a
motorcycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got my head back in the
game and finished off as strongly as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My time ended up being good enough for second place in my group on the
day and the result moved me into third in the series standings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for improvement, my average speed went
from 24 mph at the first race to over 25 mph at this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better, but there is still work to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next up is the final event in the series, a
40-kilometer time trial in Tenino on the same course that will be used for
state championships later in the season.</span>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-11574553759024099932012-04-17T22:34:00.000-07:002012-04-17T22:34:27.365-07:00Testing that training<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend offered up some serious opportunities to test the progress of my training with two time trials on Saturday and a challenging road race on Sunday. With the TT and road bikes on the roof of the car, Karla and I made a quick stop at Blue Star in Twisp to get a couple of iced coffees for the road and after some encouraging words from Meg headed off to the west side to see how far we’d come since the first race of the year six weeks earlier. First up on Saturday was the Skagit Valley Time Trial held on a course overlooking beautiful Padilla Bay. Conditions were nearly ideal with sun and temps creeping into the 50s and very little wind. I had raced on this course three years ago, taking a second place that day, so I was hopeful of a good ride. Of course that race was mid-season and this one was early on, but hope doesn’t trifle with details like that! I had a solid ride and felt pretty good, definitely better than the first effort of the year. My time was nearly a minute slower than my ride of a few years ago, so I wasn’t too sure what the results sheet would say. It said 6<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> place for me. Faster than most, slower than some. Five seconds faster would have gained me a couple places, but I was pretty satisfied with the early season result.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with the morning event, the afternoon event, the Northshore Hillclimb Time Trial was part of the Cascade Time Trial Series. I was not sure what to expect going into this one other than pain. It would be the second time trial of the day and was nearly all uphill and under two miles in length. It would be intense. I decided the road bike was the correct bike for this test, but installed my deep section carbon Easton EC90TT wheels on it. Their lightweight, stiffness, and aerodynamics were just the thing for this event. As I warmed up, I was pleasantly surprised to find my legs responding and not feeling too hammered from the morning time trial. Soon my start came, and I shot off the line across the short flat section before the start of the main climb. The bike rocketed along, but soon the hill approached and the speed began to bleed off. The course was not a steady climb and even had a flat to rolling section midway. As I came off the steep parts, I really appreciated the lightweight of my wheels and how fast they accelerated. Soon, I was in the final 150 meters, a very steep pitch, clawing my way to the finish. I had survived one of the most painful six and a half minutes I have spent on a bike and began the wait for the results. I was stoked to see that I had managed a third place with my effort. My results from the day’s two time trials had moved me into sixth place in the Cascade TT Series standings after three of the five events. The last two time trials are courses that I should be able to do good rides on, so a high finish in the series is in reach.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">We closed out the weekend with the Northshore Road Race on Sunday. The course in the hills along Lake Whatcom in Bellingham is a classic and challenging eight mile loop with two substantial climbs per lap. My group was slated for 4 laps plus one more trip up the first climb to the finish at the top. This race quickly turned into a training ride for me, as my legs were fairly trashed from the previous days efforts and I was unceremoniously dropped about halfway through the first lap. I eventually hooked up with another couple of riders and we worked well together throughout the rest of the race picking off stragglers as best we could. The results placed me an even 50<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> of 61 riders. Certainly nothing to be excited about for that race, but given the results of the previous day though, the weekend was a success.</span></span>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-55947038732775660682012-04-17T22:25:00.001-07:002012-04-17T22:27:23.578-07:002012 Icebreaker Time Trial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-6aHRLKxej3dNrt_opy08Of3Hny1013uRViEpZeNqcCDiedCKnOWGnyYnABg-CSWVvU-_GxLTM67CyXyQhqSqMLfIiy3zTyFbxW6J4krz1f9fE6Ggd7HvfO5DHHVQrhQxnuXDDYculs/s1600/2012+Icebreaker+TT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-6aHRLKxej3dNrt_opy08Of3Hny1013uRViEpZeNqcCDiedCKnOWGnyYnABg-CSWVvU-_GxLTM67CyXyQhqSqMLfIiy3zTyFbxW6J4krz1f9fE6Ggd7HvfO5DHHVQrhQxnuXDDYculs/s320/2012+Icebreaker+TT.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">My training has been in full swing for a while now and with Daylight Savings Time finally here, I’m getting in a significant volume of riding. This is good as the racing season is fast approaching. Those sentences are true and seem pretty reasonable. However, the quirk this year is that I did my first race over six weeks ago. The Icebreaker Time Trial in Auburn was the first event in a new five race time trial series this year and came early enough that I had nearly zero training for it. As it was part of the series I am planning on doing though, I felt it was worth going to and seeing if I could score any points at all. It was held on a dead flat 10 mile long course which was a plus for someone just climbing off the couch. I had hoped to be under 25 minutes for the race but turned in a time of 25:13 which was good enough for 11<sup>th</sup> of 20 racers in my group. Not what I hoped for, but let’s face it, hope is all I had, nothing useful like training! It was a good enough result for the start of the season and I scored some points for the series so the only way from there must be up. The next races in series were the Skagit Valley Time Trial and the Northshore Hillclimb Time Trial in mid-April and I knew I’d be better prepared for them.</span>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-33551687058645617982011-07-20T23:24:00.000-07:002011-07-20T23:24:05.968-07:00Tri-ing againLast year, I "competed" in my first triathlon, the Try-a-tri at the Chelanman Multisport weekend in Chelan. The Try-a-tri featured a 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run and was intended to introduce newcomers to the sport in a non-competitive way. Despite very challenging swim conditions and the fact that I am a very poor swimmer, I made it through and found it to be kind of fun.<br />
<br />
Thus, early this past Sunday, I again found myself standing in Lake Chelan waiting for my wave to start. This year, however, I was entered in the Sprint event (1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1mile run) and although many were there just to finish, this was definitely a competitive event. As I mentioned, I'm not a great swimmer and knew I would be near the back when we came out of the water and would have to rely on my cycling and to a lesser extent my running for whatever result I might achieve.<br />
<br />
The morning of the race blessed me with very calm waters and little wind which raised my confidence for the swim leg. Soon the countdown was complete and I was underway dropping to the back of my wave with a mixture of backstroke, sidestroke, and occasional freestyle. As the meters went by, I became a little more comfortable and gradually began to pass a few other swimmers. I certainly wasn't threatening the leaders, but at least I wasn't going to be last out of the water.<br />
<br />
The beach finally arrived and I headed for my bike with the knowledge that I was now going to be moving forward through the field. I quickly got my jersey, helmet, and shoes on and headed out on the course. My legs were a little noodly from the swim, but I was clearly going well and blasting by people like they weren't moving. The rest of the bike leg continued well and I headed into the final leg feeling pretty good about my position.<br />
<br />
I am lucky to not have difficulty transitioning from the bike to the run. I've heard that it is common for it to take people quite a bit of distance to adjust to the change to the running motion, but for me as soon as I'm off the bike, I'm ready to run. I headed out on the run and continued to steadily pass people and was only occasionally passed by others. Passing through the final aid station with about a mile to go, I passed a competitor in my age group and soon heard his footsteps following close behind. As the final short hill before the finish approached, I knew he would soon make his move and I just hoped I could match his acceleration. Unfortunately, I was just unable to manage that and finished 10 seconds or so behind him.<br />
<br />
All in all,though, my race had been a success, I was 85th overall out of a field of 386 and 7th in my age group. My swim leg was 358th overall ( I told you I was poor), but my bike leg was the fastest overall of the day. I 'll have to spend a little more time in the pool before next year.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-2020140554303913672011-06-09T23:49:00.000-07:002011-06-09T23:49:25.557-07:002011 Washington State Time Trial Championship<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past Sunday’s Washington State Time Trial Championships<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was my last “A” priority event for my 2011 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a good month of racing in May that included my best ever effort at the Enumclaw Stage Race, my plan was to do some focused time trial training in the weeks leading up to the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the plan, and as you go through life and racing, you learn that sometime the plan doesn’t come to fruition and you just have to adapt and make do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life’s other commitments and responsibilities intervened and in the two weeks leading up the State Championships, I rode only twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was rested for sure, but not at my best form.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
On the plus side, I got to travel to the race with two of my Methow Cycle & Sport – Blue Star Coffee Roasters teammates which was quite entertaining at times and definitely made the hours in the car pass quicker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sometimes, the journey to the race is the most memorable part of the race weekend. </span>Our dinner experience at a restaurant on the way to the race is one I won’t soon forget as one of the other customers answered the blues musician performing at the restaurant with, “ I don’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>play music, but I can appreciate it and I love goats”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when asked if he played an instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also added that he could hug a tree and eat a cheeseburger at the same time. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As it has been several times in recent years, the race was held on a course just outside of Tenino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a course that I really enjoy and most of it has been recently resurfaced which made the ride even better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the race itself, it was pretty unremarkable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off to a good start and settled into my pace easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught a few riders prior to the turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way back, I was passed by one rider, but I kept my pace high and felt strong all the way to the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time of 59:18 ended up being good enough for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> place in the age 40+ Category 4-5 group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An okay result from an okay time resulting from okay form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully, next year the plan comes to fruition and the result is a little better!</span></span></span></div>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-6278559679603252732011-05-24T22:48:00.000-07:002011-05-24T22:48:38.639-07:00Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reasons to race bikes are as varied as the people who race them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course it’s easy to enjoy it when you get a high placing and your friends are telling you how well you did, but for me some of the most rewarding races are those where I’ve had nothing on paper to point to when all was said and done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past weekend at the Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race was such an occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Enumclaw race is a stage race and unlike an omnium where points are awarded in each event based on finish places and totaled for the weekend, all that matters is the total elapsed time for the events for the rider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ride a great time trial and don’t lose any time in the criterium or road race and you’ll have a high finish.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My time trials are usually solid and this year was no different with my ride being good enough for a 12<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> place finish in the Masters C/D field of 47 riders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the weekend’s other events, my previous attempts at this race have left me wanting in the “don’t lose any time in the criterium or road race” department which has led to bottom half of the field finishes for the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Road racing is full of moments where you are challenged to push just a little harder, hurt a little more to stay in the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ease up in those critical moments and the suffering goes away, but so does the pack and any chance of finishing well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, criteriums are full of those moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The races are usually about 30 minutes long and the middle third is the hardest and where the most doubt creeps in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the beginning, you’re fresh and have enough energy to hang tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere in the middle though, the strength begins to fade, the finish is still a long way off, and it would just be easier to let off a little and let the pack drop you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to battle through these moments, and there may be several each lap, and keep telling yourself it’s just a little bit more until the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it through that middle third of the race and the finish is close enough, you can take a little more hurt and get the job done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year I successfully fought off the self doubt and lost just 11 seconds to the leaders when a crash caused a split in the field early in the last lap.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The road race at Enumclaw is another race that has given me fits in past attempts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race consists of three laps of a 14.5 mile circuit that features a long, steep climb up Mud Mountain Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In previous attempts, I haven’t managed to top out on that climb with the field even once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have managed to chase back on before being dropped for good, but all previous attempts have ended in big time losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride up the climb is a lot like that middle third of the criterium,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lots of suffering and struggle while trying to focus on hanging on a few meters at a time instead of worrying about the miles to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the top of the first trip up the climb approached, I was fighting for all I was worth and although I was beginning to lose the battle, I crested the top within easy reach of the pack and caught back on within a quarter mile or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a significant step in the right direction.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second lap saw me lose contact about two thirds of the way up the climb and then join five other riders in a full throttle chase for the rest of the lap in an attempt to regain contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We worked very well together and managed to rejoin the main field a mile or so before the final trip up the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chase had left me drained and as soon as the final climb started, I lost contact as the front riders pushed the pace in their bids to set up victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the climb went on, the pack’s pace moderated and I actually began to close the gap a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was never able to close the gap, however, and was left to trail in a little over four minutes behind at the finish.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The results sheet shows that I finished 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> for the weekend out of 47 starters in the Masters C/D field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real story though, is that this was my best effort at this race and probably my best racing weekend in a couple years. </span></div>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-61868506752438004772011-05-17T22:22:00.000-07:002011-05-17T22:22:30.574-07:002011 Wenatchee Omnium<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was my fourth time participating in the Wenatchee Omnium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve done pretty well at this race in the past even though the road course really doesn’t suit me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather forecast for this year’s edition was pretty grim and for the most part, it lived up to the predictions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The time trial in Wenatchee is usually a windy affair and this year was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact this year was the windiest that I have experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a bonus, it was cool and rainy too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 9.5 mile course is oriented in such a way that you blast out to the turnaround with a big tailwind and then battle the headwind all the way back to the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the wind at my back and my new Easton TT wheels (this was my maiden ride on them) I pushed past 40 mph a couple times on the small descents during the outbound leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The return leg as you might expect was slower, at times I was down below 15 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time was the slowest for me of my four times at this race but was good enough for 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> in the Masters C category and got my weekend score off to a good start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I headed back to the hotel for a nap dreading a wet criterium that afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I was very happy to see the sun shining and dry pavement went I looked out the window after my nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually struggle with the speed of criteriums and this one was no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the criterium and the road race the Masters C field would be combined with the Masters D field but be scored separately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I survived about two-thirds of the race before being pulled out by the officials, but still managed an eighth place and a few more points towards my total.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik54BfJL0-n1AZSnSxvfSyGfkvPKv-H22aMP9e9CKZHqyNhzypBpLTSD2-H8iO2BIrsPhO_0gBSifVLGLuimx9YKv776Gp8X6Ilu1hhHq4ccxXOov888KCjg9nQKnDT_4UH_9JkEdtsYM/s1600/Wenatchee+Omnium+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik54BfJL0-n1AZSnSxvfSyGfkvPKv-H22aMP9e9CKZHqyNhzypBpLTSD2-H8iO2BIrsPhO_0gBSifVLGLuimx9YKv776Gp8X6Ilu1hhHq4ccxXOov888KCjg9nQKnDT_4UH_9JkEdtsYM/s320/Wenatchee+Omnium+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday morning brought the return of the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was going to be a soggy, challenging day on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road course consisted primarily of a loop that featured a five plus mile long climb that is very steep in spots and would be completed twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a larger rider and not really a climber, this road race is always a case of riding my own pace up the climb trying to limit my losses and bombing the descent to the best of my ability to regain time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that I struggled a little more on the climbs than usual and maybe had a bad day, but still managed a seventh place in the weather induced small field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of the weather, it’s not as fun to race in the rain, but on these miserable days, I always think of the volunteers and course marshals that make it possible for us to go racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As racers, we tell tales of battles in epic conditions, but the volunteers stand in the rain and cold for hours with no recognition or tales of glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always make a point of thanking them as I pass by and I hope that the other racers appreciate them as well and let them know.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for my final weekend placing, I ended up 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> in the Masters C field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pretty good result, but I would have liked a faster time trial and to have felt better on the climbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five days of recovery and I’ll do it all again at Enumclaw. </span></div>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-70199314040303017002011-04-06T23:24:00.000-07:002011-04-06T23:24:44.071-07:002011 Frozen Flatlands OmniumFinally! This past weekend it was finally time to get out and race on the road. I made my annual trek to the Frozen Flatlands Omnium in Cheney, Washington. The weekend’s events included a short time trial and a 24 mile road race on Saturday and a 50 mile road race on Sunday. Points are awarded for high finishes in each event and the rider with the most points at the end of weekend wins. This was the fourth year I had raced in this omnium and as usual I approached the weekend of racing with training as my primary goal. I wanted to ride a solid time trial, but I had no expectations of results in the road races. As a bonus, I would be introducing two of my Methow Cycle & Sport – Blue Star Coffee Roasters Cycling Team junior teammates to the world of road racing as this would be their first time racing on pavement.<br />
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In all my previous visits to this race, weather has been a factor at some point and this trip was no different. Saturday we awoke to temperatures in the upper 30s and sideways rain with high winds. By the start of my time trial, at least the rain had ended but the cold and wind was still in full effect. This year, the organizers had required that “mass start legal” bikes be used for the time trial which meant no specialized time trial bikes with aero handlebars. Essentially, everyone rode their regular road racing machines. When the weather is crappy, it tends to dampen my enthusiasm and I’m a little slower to get my act together for my pre-race routine and thus my usual 45 minute warm up was more like 15 minutes. Despite that, my time trial went pretty well and I managed an eighth place in the Masters 40+ field.<br />
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The weather continued to improve and by the afternoon we had sunshine and dry roads for the weekend’s “short” road race of 24 miles. The wind was still howling and as the conditions had been identical last year, I was pretty confident of how the race would develop and where I would need to be when. Last year, the race broke up during the last 5 miles of rolling hills and crosswinds. I expected this year to be no different. Unfortunately, some inattention on my part found me bridging to rejoin the main field as we entered the last five miles when I realized that the half-dozen riders around me were no longer attached to the main group. I rejoined the main pack soon enough but the damage was done. As the pace hotted up and the wind and rollers did their part, I yo-yoed off the back a couple times and then was gone for good. I trailed into the finish off the back.<br />
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The “long” road race on Sunday was blessed with sunny weather and significantly lighter winds. Although it was another off-the-back finish for me (I’ve never finished the long road race in contact with the pack), I was very encouraged to have ridden comfortably in the pack for the first 40 miles to the key climb in the race before becoming detached. The weekend had met my goals going in: a solid time trial and some valuable road race training miles which will serve me well as the season progresses. As for the weekend omnium standings, my time trial netted me enough points to finish 19th in the Masters 40+ field.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-45267731712168732232011-03-25T08:56:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:56:16.961-07:00Coming along nicelyThis past Sunday was my second race of the year and the third race in the Singletrack Cycles Westside Mountain Bike Series. It was held on the trails at King County’s Soaring Eagle Park near Sammamish. Having last raced nearly a month ago, I was hoping to see a little improvement in my riding and my results just to let me know my early season training is progressing as it should. While this is event was still “just for fun” in my mind and having no real expectations for it, I decided I needed to approach it a little more seriously to test my early season fitness appropriately. The race started up a gradual climb for maybe a ¼ mile before entering the singletrack that made up nearly all of the course. Another feature of this opening stretch was a fairly significant muddy section over the upper half that tried to slow you down just when you were fighting for position to enter the singletrack. <br />
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I charged up the hill with the rest of the field, trying to hold my position through the sticky mud and be as far up as I could entering the singletrack. I certainly went out harder than I had at the first race of the season. I was moderately successful and entered the singletrack approximately mid-pack. This course was far less technical than the Dash Point course had been and really had only a few spots that were really muddy or rooty. I tried to push as hard as I could throughout the race, but kept developing bouts of nausea. Whether it was from effort or too big a breakfast, I’m not sure. I’d ease my pace a bit and then begin to feel better. <br />
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For two and a half of the three laps, I felt pretty good, not great, but good enough for this point in the season. For that last half lap though, I really began to feel the effort and lost any sense of smoothness or flow on the trails. All my turn ins were late and I began to miss my lines. I made my way through it though and ended up 14th in the Sport 40-49 field. Definitely an improvement over a month earlier as was the gap to the leader. All in all, the training seems to be progressing right on schedule with my first road race less than two weeks away now and I’m excited for my “real” racing to begin.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-71834230756579823752011-02-22T16:45:00.000-08:002011-02-27T10:48:07.321-08:00Getting a little dirty....<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I decided to begin my racing season at this past weekend’s opener of the Singletrack Cycles Westside Mountain Bike Series. It was a great chance to stretch my legs a bit in anticipation of the 2011 road racing season. The race was held at Dash Point State Park on a really fun course made up of slightly muddy and rooty singletrack with just enough elevation change to give the heart and lungs a real workout. The weather gods even cooperated, providing racers with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 30s. All in all, a great recipe for an early season mountain bike race.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKG70CSyABHSVcTYOllRZgjF5YLfCNTNnCxmrKrAh4vhIaoUN8rg0ZSv2t2f9wMxzs-8T7FkztR8tzcg1mD1bfDKMTVhElHasiKS_q5EHCgeD11rf1z6m_f4TQjiz-FmtnqqLaIlA_44/s1600/Dash+Point+2-20+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKG70CSyABHSVcTYOllRZgjF5YLfCNTNnCxmrKrAh4vhIaoUN8rg0ZSv2t2f9wMxzs-8T7FkztR8tzcg1mD1bfDKMTVhElHasiKS_q5EHCgeD11rf1z6m_f4TQjiz-FmtnqqLaIlA_44/s320/Dash+Point+2-20+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Being primarily a roadie, I generally don’t race my mountain bike more than a few times a year and then usually with no real expectations. My approach to this race was just to use it to add a little intensity to my training and as an excuse to escape the snows of the Methow Valley, if only for a day. My race started pretty calmly with me settled in near the back of a thirty or so strong field strung out nose to tail on the twisty singletrack trails. It took a good part of the partial lap that opened the race before enough space was appearing between riders to get a good look at the trails and to begin to think about passing. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>As the course began to reveal itself (I didn’t get a chance to pre-ride), I was reminded of just how much fun the correct amount of mud can be. You need enough to get dirty and make the ride a little tricky, but not so much that it bogs you down. I was very happy to have left large aggressive tires on my bike as opposed to the faster rolling tires I might have usually opted for. Although this early season effort put the hurt on me at times, playing in the mud for most of the race left me giddy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaUOJqjRcTkGoT7_xDdREaqYLWu2IPXJ_YJw1FEWYZkbHxr7eHu9HFQkef6G7Ext6UoveinhwCfeo3qsUT1vgMYa0tpYYL7Qaf2cio4wu_FB-G2YtI91_B6pOwNjXuUcgYmFxFU1ohew/s1600/Dash+Point+2-20+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaUOJqjRcTkGoT7_xDdREaqYLWu2IPXJ_YJw1FEWYZkbHxr7eHu9HFQkef6G7Ext6UoveinhwCfeo3qsUT1vgMYa0tpYYL7Qaf2cio4wu_FB-G2YtI91_B6pOwNjXuUcgYmFxFU1ohew/s320/Dash+Point+2-20+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>From a competitive standpoint, the race passed pretty unremarkably. I passed a few riders here and there, got passed by others, and continually swapped places with a couple more. When the end finally came, I’d finished 20th of 27, or about what I would have expected for my current fitness. I had a lot of fun and may try to add a couple more mountain bike races to my schedule before the road season kicks off for me in a couple months.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-24422796039047043312011-01-30T11:40:00.000-08:002011-01-30T11:40:33.792-08:00Getting the riding season started.......on snow!Although snow storms have been sparse in the Methow Valley this January, it is still the middle of winter and icy roads have kept the bike riding options somewhat limited. This year I decided to try a couple of new (to me) ideas to open up some other outdoor options for riding my bike in the middle of winter. The shop I work at, Methow Cycle & Sport, has a demo Surly Pugsley, which for those who are unfamiliar with them, is a bike designed for soft surfaces. It features tires that are nearly four inches wide and are run at very low pressures to get better traction and flotation on soft surfaces such as snow. For my first ride of the year, I decided to take it out and see what it could do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMVXJ56p_E2KPgd_kUwXyPMAeQY_eYv_mqs32Ek4uC833Zap5bXqWfanXX8zwQVX-1ikDfRQ_dd8CMDTCTHj9XK51nT3ymYBSIPky-ZxiKFvmZ-5n2qFjOvkZeY1J33EMoB2_KRLpfs/s1600/Snow+Biking+MVWA+1-5-11+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMVXJ56p_E2KPgd_kUwXyPMAeQY_eYv_mqs32Ek4uC833Zap5bXqWfanXX8zwQVX-1ikDfRQ_dd8CMDTCTHj9XK51nT3ymYBSIPky-ZxiKFvmZ-5n2qFjOvkZeY1J33EMoB2_KRLpfs/s320/Snow+Biking+MVWA+1-5-11+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I took it to the local wildlife area and found some trails that had been packed slightly by snowmobile traffic. These were not "groomed" snowmobile routes, but just areas that had been tracked a few times by snowmobiles passing by. It was a ridiculous amount of fun. Given the couple feet of snow cover, it was essentially like riding on an elevated trail. The occasional soft spot or steering mistake was rewarded (not punished) with a short flight into a pillowy soft landing. I probably only took one or two diggers at any significant speed, but they left me laughing not cringing. It was so cool being in an area that I typically only access this time of year on snowshoes or touring skis. If you have the opportunity to try one of these "fat bikes", I highly recommend it.<br />
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Given the success of the "fat" tires on a moderately packed trail, I decided to see how my 29er with 2.4" tires on it would fare on a more firmly packed surface. A recent warm period followed by cold had left the groomed trails at Loup Loup's South Summit Sno-Park very firm. To my delight, the riding was excellent. The tires sunk just enough to provide excellent traction without unduly slowing my progress. To be fair, riding a regular mountain bike on groomed snowmobile trails is going to be very dependent on conditions that provide the firmest platform possible. However, I got in a couple hour ride on a beautiful Methow winter day outside in the middle of January. I'll take that over the indoor trainer anytime!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgeSfx4qkHznLicZhvw0ox3_89uq2P7zQf96kBwE1FWePsQVQQGPn8hBjIKGFuTzM7Et0QXBy53vnzNb6X5U9i4DfxyZxgucfdzWLazYKNr9z08Nrm7Z9brW9-1v0zrMlfRBYZVl_KiE/s1600/South+Summit+1-19-11+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgeSfx4qkHznLicZhvw0ox3_89uq2P7zQf96kBwE1FWePsQVQQGPn8hBjIKGFuTzM7Et0QXBy53vnzNb6X5U9i4DfxyZxgucfdzWLazYKNr9z08Nrm7Z9brW9-1v0zrMlfRBYZVl_KiE/s320/South+Summit+1-19-11+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-14445569004918421722010-12-31T23:17:00.000-08:002010-12-31T23:19:03.755-08:00Putting a wrap on 20102010 was a great year on two wheels for me. I had a solid and enjoyable racing season on the road, I completed my first triathlon, rode my first century in many, many years and got in some great mountain bike rides in the fall.<br />
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I didn't set the world on fire with my racing results, but I feel I am still progressing as a rider and improving. I think my favorite race of the year was the Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race. It was a pleasing weekend of racing for me. I had a strong TT, finished my first crit in contact with the pack in forever, and had a fairly strong road race. I'll definitely try to put by best effort forward at that race in the new year as I think I can do well there. The return of the state time trial championships to Tenino was a highlight as well. Although my form was not at my best, I really enjoy racing on that course and put in a solid and rewarding effort.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ0EWPPC4FNkdsRWKI_jOaq_GdHwVYXFt4O8aQYl2Xm7nAtN8lnoTi4ZV12Hwk2RjKpM6ujYHNlSnFizrx7pi4SA7KkSV-df5V2iH8-k8Tw5Zy5iLKc6e1-ezmZ61TR21m0LIXLiH8os/s1600/Frostbite+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ0EWPPC4FNkdsRWKI_jOaq_GdHwVYXFt4O8aQYl2Xm7nAtN8lnoTi4ZV12Hwk2RjKpM6ujYHNlSnFizrx7pi4SA7KkSV-df5V2iH8-k8Tw5Zy5iLKc6e1-ezmZ61TR21m0LIXLiH8os/s320/Frostbite+2010.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>The middle of the year brought a new two-wheeled experience for me as I completed my first triathlon in Chelan. Triathlon doesn't light my fire the way road racing does, but I had a great time, bought a wetsuit, and will do a couple more in 2011. The variety of the experience helps break up the monotony of training as well.<br />
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In the fall, my sister and I headed to Hood River, Oregon to ride in the innaugural Echelon Columbia River Gran Fondo. It was the first time in many, many years that I had ridden 100 miles in a day and also the first time getting to ride an event with my sister in a long time. It was a great event with a beautiful route and a wonderful way to spend a day with my sister.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjSEe2V_3k4yxi359MUy5-YgYABh5Kr9s60Tj6ZKoMqtPbKw8XgEdECWsSKnHTbeKQ5v9TGbbTv02ySJJGwBdLnTbK2LW8bZQMAiszeFSf6n3xf9q1KQ_ibDPuprtrtm9XfYheUlvtW0/s1600/0_IMAGE_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjSEe2V_3k4yxi359MUy5-YgYABh5Kr9s60Tj6ZKoMqtPbKw8XgEdECWsSKnHTbeKQ5v9TGbbTv02ySJJGwBdLnTbK2LW8bZQMAiszeFSf6n3xf9q1KQ_ibDPuprtrtm9XfYheUlvtW0/s320/0_IMAGE_062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Also in the fall I got a new mountain bike and got in some great riding before the winter closed in. I am really looking forward to spending more time on the trails in the coming year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZLu4FulSY30/TR7UN43vQ2I/AAAAAAAAAJc/4sgSETsl7vk/s1600/Starvation+10-6-10+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZLu4FulSY30/TR7UN43vQ2I/AAAAAAAAAJc/4sgSETsl7vk/s320/Starvation+10-6-10+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As the year draws to a close, I am filled with excitement for the two-wheeled experiences that await me in 2011. Bicycles are an indispensable part of my life and I look forward to many more memorable miles in the new year. May all of you have a safe and rewarding 2011.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-87841362682910846182010-09-29T10:29:00.000-07:002010-09-29T10:29:17.958-07:002010 Ride 542 - Mt. Baker HillclimbFor the past three years I've headed over to Bellingham to do the Mt. Baker Hillclimb, also called Ride 542 because the route is up state highway 542 from Glacier to Artist's Point at the road's end. Each year the weather has been more spectacular than the one before. Given that the ride takes place in September and its on the western side of Mt. Baker, each year I wonder when the other shoe will drop and the weather will be miserable. This was that year.<br />
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My sister and I left the hotel in Bellingham in a steady rain and temps in the low 50s. As we drove east on 542 towards Glacier, more and more cars with bikes joined the stream of traffic, but the weather did not improve. It was truly a gloomy, depressing atmosphere to be tackling such a challenging ride in. For my sister, it would be her first time doing the ride. I was sorry that these were the conditions for her debut. We arrived in Glacier and picked up our registration packets and materials, put some spare clothes in the gear shuttle to the top, and got ourselves ready for a soggy, cold day on the bike. My sister was doing the summit ride which is one of the earliest waves, starting a full two hours before my start in the competitive wave, the last start of the day.<br />
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As I hung around the start area, it began to become clear that this day was not going to be as originally planned. I began to hear snippets of conversations indicating that the course was being shortened and that the start waves were being changed. Eventually, an official announcement of sorts was made. Some of the starts waves were being delayed and combined. Also, due to zero visibility at Artist's Point, the upper three miles of the course were being chopped and we would finish at the employee lodge at the Mt. Baker ski area. This was somewhat disappointing news, but given the conditions and the expected temperatures at the top, I was pretty sure I'd get over it.<br />
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The summit ride, with my sister in it, rolled out under somewhat moderating conditions. At least the rain had eased. By the time my start had come around, however, the rain had returned in its previous steady, depressing state. I "warmed up" a bit and rolled to the start. The competitive start usually has a couple hundred riders in it with a variety of pack riding experience levels. Given the gloomy weather, I didn't really feel like mixing it up in the pack and thus lined up near the back of the group. As you would expect, I was gapped very early on in the ride, after only a couple miles, and spent the rest of the ride in groups no larger than three or four riders. This was just fine with me, as it was safer and more comfortable than being in the spray and close quarters of a larger group. It did greatly reduce my pace however. The first 14 or so miles of the ride are kind of a rolling stairstep climb, before starting the final 10 miles (7 this year due to the shortened course) which is all uphill. I was about 5 minutes off my usual pace reaching the base of the final climb without the benefit of a large pack to ride in.<br />
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As we climbed, the rain continued but at least the effort kept me comfortably warm. As we neared the final few miles, I really began to feel enthused for the first time during the ride and began to lift my pace and pick off several riders. The rain also eased and the sky even began to brighten. By the last mile or so below the ski area, I was wondering why we were finishing there, as conditions really didn't seem that bad. Entering into the ski area and arriving at the finish at the lodge though, my opinion changed. Although the rain had eased, there was a strong cold wind blowing that made things quite unpleasant. I found my spare clothes, put them on in the lodge, grabbed a little food, and headed cautiously back down towards Glacier.<br />
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With the wet weather, I had very little braking power and had to be quite cautious with my speed. Also, even with the extra clothes, the cold and wind was quite penetrating and soon I was shivering, at times fairly violently. All in all, the descent off the final climb was not pleasant and at times a little scary. I was relieved to be back down on the rolling section of road back to Glacier. Typically, the little climbs on this stretch back to the start are very annoying and uncomfortable with the fatigue of climb in my legs. On this day however, each one was welcomed as it provided an opportunity to generate some heat in my body and keep the cold at bay.<br />
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A couple miles before Glacier, I caught up with my sister who had started her descent a little while before me. We chatted about the ride and the conditions and rolled into Glacier together, Ride 542 in the books for another year.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-74287150966577911802010-09-08T23:39:00.000-07:002010-09-08T23:39:45.799-07:002010 State Time Trial ChampionshipsThis seems to be the year that I take a really long time to get around to writing my blog posts about my races. Seeing that it has been well over a month since I rode the state time trial championships, it must be about time for a post on that subject.<br />
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This year's race was back in Tenino on a course that I really, really like and had raced on twice before. Its mostly flat with only a few small hills and is on fairly winding roads which keeps things interesting. It is far more enjoyable to race on than the straight featureless shoulder of a highway somewhere.<br />
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I headed to Tenino with pretty limited expectations. Preparations for my triathlon experiment during the previous couple months had diverted my focus away from my cycling training in favor of swimming and running. This meant I knew I wasn't going to set the road on fire and was probably going to be "pack fill".<br />
Still, I knew the course well and enjoyed racing on it so I felt it was worth the trip.<br />
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I'll spare you the blow by blow account of my ride, but I felt great. It was one of my best efforts and I don't see how I could have ridden any harder or any faster. I was really pleased with my race and enjoyed it, but with so little training leading up to it, I finished the 40k course in just over an hour and placed 15th of 28 in the category 4-5 field. About what I should have expected and still a pretty good way to spend the first day of August.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lv2HDjiqijdBg_OUFrEaWMISaHsIathMYsNZGR6IgzbijbZ6KH1xSYwvirZum8GaTWbGjrBPHCa1rFctDaeENdnlwFqno6pRFgdrK4RrFUB4j1ldB0xqryylHeNH0TN-KXtwqCZF96E/s1600/state+tt+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lv2HDjiqijdBg_OUFrEaWMISaHsIathMYsNZGR6IgzbijbZ6KH1xSYwvirZum8GaTWbGjrBPHCa1rFctDaeENdnlwFqno6pRFgdrK4RrFUB4j1ldB0xqryylHeNH0TN-KXtwqCZF96E/s640/state+tt+2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to David Longdon for the photo. Be sure to check out his blog: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/velocity/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-60382749700320993532010-07-26T00:33:00.000-07:002010-07-26T00:33:55.742-07:00Tri-ing something newOne day late last summer, I came home from work to find my wife watching TV coverage of a women's triathlon. I sat down and started watching it with her. As we watched it, I could see the wheels turning in her head. I said to her, "You're thinking you could do that aren't you?" Well that's exactly what she was thinking. Soon after that day, she had set herself a goal of completing the Danskin Women's Triathlon in Seattle this summer. She also said she'd like to do the Chelanman Try-a-tri, which is about a month prior to Danskin, as an introduction to the sport. Well, I'd always thought I could do a triathlon, but thinking about it and doing it are two different things. So, being a supportive husband, I said I'd do the Chelanman Try-a-tri with her. I now had ten months or so to get over my dislike of running and my even stronger dislike of and discomfort with swimming.<br />
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Throughout the fall, I worked on my running to be prepared to comfortably complete the 5k distance required for the Try-a-tri. I started working on the running so early because I knew the big challenge for the spring and early summer was going to be turning my non-swimmer self into someone who could survive the 1/4 mile swim required for the event. I was going to have to do this despite being a 2-hour drive from the closest swimming pool until June when our local outdoor pool would open.<br />
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The running training through the fall and winter went well and I even began to enjoy it for the short distance required. I even competed in a 5k in December and had a really enjoyable time. I started working on the swim in late April with once a week trips to the nearest pool (100 miles away). As expected, I was not very secure or strong in the water when I started, but gradually I was able over the weeks to increase the distance of my swim workouts and plan for a combination of backstroke and freestyle to get me through race day. Eventually, the local pool opened and I increased my workouts to twice a week. Outdoors I discovered that I have real difficulty swimming straight on my back. I tend to wander a bit. My plan for race day was going to have to involve more freestyle or I might end up way off course.<br />
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A couple weeks before the tri, my rental wetsuit arrived, and I headed for the local lake. I knew that it would be a big help buoancy wise, but was really surprised at what a difference it really made. I now felt really confident that the swim was not going to be that big a deal. A few days before the race, I had a chance to swim the race course in Lake Chelan. The water was definitely rougher with frequent boat wakes, but still not all that bad. I looked forward to race day with great optimism.<br />
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Race day arrived with a strong westerly breeze and swim conditions that were described by experienced competitors as "choppy". Most rookies were using terms like "oceanic". The wind had piled up a steady series of 2 to 3 foot waves. I got in the water early and tried to acclimatize and figure out what strokes and methods in my limited skill set were going to help me through this. After being in it a bit, it really didn't seem all that bad. Soon the start was upon me. My wave had maybe 50 people in it and I lined up at the back and waited for the traffic to clear a bit before starting out. The first 50 yards or so were straight into the teeth of the waves and then the course took a 90 degree turn to the right and began parallelling the waves. Although I had waited before starting, I was soon stuck in traffic with many other struggling swimmers. As we cleared the first turn, the conditions became very challenging. My wife and I talked about it afterwards and decided it was what we think being shipwrecked must be like. You couldn't really make much forward progress. It was kind of just treading water with a little forward motion while periodically being dunked. I had hoped to make the whole swim distance non-stop, but soon found the conditions and lack of forward progress very tiring. I "rested" a couple of times hanging onto the course marshal kayaks. Even while hanging onto them however, it was very physical and hard to recover.<br />
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Eventually, I reached the second 90 degree right turn on the course and began to swim with a following sea. Here, I could swim a bit on my back and make pretty good progress. The challenge for this part of the course is that it was straight into the morning sun and was very hard with the rough water to spot the buoy line that we were following. Finally, I had passed the last of the bouys and could head for the beach. I staggered out of the water and made my way into the transition area towards where my bike was racked. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see I had only been in the water less than 15 minutes. That was the longest 15 minutes of my life!<br />
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Heading into this race, I obviously had plenty of confidence in my bike leg. I brought my TT bike, but left the fancy wheels at home. The Try-a-tri is designed for newcomers to the sport and is not really a competitve event. Everyone is timed and gets a full set of splits, but there are no awards. The sprint event also taking place the same day used the same bike and run legs but started with a 1/2 mile swim. I wanted to be serious enough about my bike and run that I could compare my times with the sprint competitors to see if I should keep doing tris if I enjoyed my debut.<br />
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I got my helmet, shoes, and gloves on and grabbed the bike and headed out on course. As expected, I steadily passed all sorts of riders. I didn't ride full gas, maybe 85 or 90 percent as I wanted to do a good run as well. Soon the bike leg had passed and I was back at transition for another change of shoes. I sucked down a gel and headed out on the run.<br />
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Most triathletes you talk to and articles about training for triathlon that you read talk about how difficult the transition is from biking to running. Both in training and on race day, I never experienced it. I just leave transition and take off running smoothly. The only problem I seem to have is the temptation to run faster than I can sustain. I think after the speed of the bike, I'm trying to keep that sensation going instead of settling into the slower speed of running (part of the reason I get bored with running very far!). Other than a couple of brief patches where I walked for 50 yds. or so at a time, the run went really well. I caught a couple more people in my age group and soon had turned back into the park towards the finish line. I crossed the line and received my finishers medal. My first triathlon in the books!<br />
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The times were posted very quickly and to my astonishment, I was the fastest in my age group, and 17th fastest of the nearly 300 who did the Try-a-tri. Although, 13th out of 15 out of the water and several minutes back, I'd had the fastest bike and the fastest run in my age group. My bike leg was the fastest for all the Try-a-tri participants, and would have been the 8th fastest out of the 338 Sprint triathlon finishers. I'm going to have to work hard on my swimming to be ready for the increased distance next time and hopefully find a little more speed as well. Yeah, that's right, I said next time. It was a lot of fun and I will certainly try to mix in a few triathlons each year with the bike racing. In fact, I bought my wetsuit just an hour or so after the race, so as one friend told me, I guess I'm committed.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-49440723213748146262010-07-04T23:23:00.000-07:002010-07-04T23:23:32.241-07:002010 Mutual of Enumclaw Stage RaceSeeing how it has been 6 weeks since I raced it, I should probably write a post on my experience at this year's Mutual of Enumclaw State Race. This race weekend is probably my favorite of the year. The race is really well run, the courses are interesting, and the fields are usually large and competetive. Last year was my first crack at this race and I competed in the master c/d field. This year, I opted to race category 4 instead.<br />
Another change is that last year's race was based on points awarded by finishing positions in the stages and this year was a true time-based stage race.<br />
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Like nearly all weekend omniums or stage races, the Enumclaw race consists of a time-trial, criterium, and road race. Typically, in an omnium, I hope for a strong TT result to gain enough points for a decent foundation for the weekend's competition and try to defy the odds and gain a few more points in the crit or road race. Because this was going to be time based, however, a strong TT would only need to be followed with staying in contact with the bunch in the crit and road race to garner a strong result.<br />
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The weather forecast for the weekend was for cool and damp conditions and the TT conditions didn't miss the mark. A light drizzle and temps in the low 40s greeted me as I arrived at the race site. Being unenthused because of the weather, I was a little slower than usual getting my bike on the trainer and starting my warm-up, and ended up with a little shorter warm-up than I probably should have. I rolled to the start line hoping that wouldn't come back to haunt me. As in Wenatchee the week before, I rode the TT without a heartrate monitor or a computer, just my body's sensations to guide me. The course is a nearly dead flat, 6.5 mile u-shaped course around Mt. Peak. There is not a lot of time to spare settling in to a rhythm. The clock counts down, you hit the gas, and you've either got it right for the day or you don't. Luckily for me, I was on a good day. I quickly caught the two riders that started ahead of me, kept my pace high, and took all 3 technical corners on the course at top speed. In fact, I slid sideways a bit through the final corner. Immediately after the finish I was not all that thrilled as my time of 15 minutes even was around 20 seconds slower than the previous year. Once the results were posted, however, my mood improved as my time was good enough for 7th out of 76 starters in my category.<br />
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With a solid position now established in the overall, I set my sights on the afternoon's criterium and not losing any time in it. It had been many, many years since I had finished a criterium in contact with the main bunch so I certainly would not be taking it easy. The weather gods smiled on us and we had dry, sunny weather for our race. Criteriums frequently start off blindingly fast for the first several laps and starting position can make a big difference on how easy it is to hang in there during this initial intensity. Another benefit of my strong TT in the morning was a front row start for the criterium as the top 10 TT finishers were called to start line ahead of the field. The race started very fast as usual, but instead of struggling to maintain contact with the tail end of the field, I was able to gradually drift back through the pack over several laps. By then, the pace had eased some and maintaining contact was easier. Then the crashes started. Our race was only 30 minutes long, but there were at least four different crashes. The first took place in the middle of a straight away, right near the front of the pack involving quite a lot of riders and took a little faith on my part to keep my pace up while shooting through gaps between fallen riders. I managed to stay out of trouble and in contact with the second group to the finish, losing only about 19 seconds to the leaders. In the overall, I still maintained a top 10 position with only the next day's road race remaining.<br />
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Sunday's road race would be 44 miles in length and feature three trips up the Mud Mountain Road climb. The conditions that greeted us at the start line could not have been bleaker, steady rain and low 40s, this was late May right? It felt like March. We rolled out and were soon soaked through by the rain from above and the water off the wheels from below. The first trip up the climb soon arrived and unfortunately, just like last year, I came up about 200 meters short of cresting it with the pack. As the field disappeared up the road, I was soon caught up by a group of other dropped riders and we began the effort of chasing. Unlike a similar effort last year, however, we were able to regain contact and get back into the field a couple of miles before the second time up the climb. This time I was only able to hang on until about halfway up the climb. I resigned myself to the fact that they were gone for good. I was able to hook up with a couple of other riders as we began the final lap. We worked well together, but certainly without the urgency of the previous chase. As we approached the last intersection before the base of the climb, the corner marshal asked us which group we were with. We answered 4s and she said, "keep it up, they're neutralised". I thought to myself, "Sure, but they're ten minutes or more up the road". We came around the corner, and there they were only a few hundred meters ahead just starting the climb. It might as well have been 10 minutes, though, I was pretty cooked from the chases and the weather and we never caught on. At the finish, I was about 4 1/2 minutes behind the field. As you might expect, this doomed my overall result, but I still ended up 35th out of the 76 cat 4s that started the weekend.<br />
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Other than the weather, it was another great weekend of racing in Enumclaw and with a little more climbing training before next year's edition, I may just get this race figured out. Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-61839311944329218532010-05-22T23:03:00.000-07:002010-05-22T23:03:40.103-07:002010 Wenatchee OmniumI have conflicted feelings about the Wenatchee Omnium. On the one hand, I really enjoy racing in it, but on the other, I've had very little success at it, other than strong time trials. The criterium is a particular nemesis of mine as I have never made it much past half distance without being lapped. The road race course, with its climb to the sky, is a gas to ride, but because I'm a big guy, its usually a lonely ride. This year's event went pretty much along those typical lines.<br />
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The time trial was a slightly different experience for me. I had broken my computer mount on my TT bike recently so I did not have a computer to tell me distance and speed and my heartrate monitor chose to act up reading only about 60 beats per minute for most of the race. Having these "distractions" eliminated, I just rode by feel and actually turned in a very strong ride for me. I was nearly 30 seconds quicker than last year and ended up 5th out of 48 in the cat 4 field. I sometimes tend to think too much during TTs and, at least this time, being forced to just race based on feeling may have helped me get on with the job at hand.<br />
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There's not much to say about my criterium. I got a better start than in the past, but my lack of speed work and cautious nature on this course led to another early departure from the race at the official's whistle.<br />
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Sunday's road race was slightly different this year than the previous editions I had done. Instead of one large loop with a really long climb, we did two smaller loops with 1/2 the previous climb. The race starts with an out and back on the flatish 9 mile long TT course from Saturday which generally makes for a nice warm up as everyone knows whats coming. This year, however, the boys from the dEVo team had other ideas. Within a mile or two of the start they lined up on the front and started hammering. I guess the big tailwind to the TT course tailwind was making them feel good, but I'm not sure what the tactical purpose was. As soon as we turned back into the wind, they disappeared for the most part. The rest of the race was pretty unremarkable for me. The second time up the climb actually wasn't as painful as I expected. I ended up being about 33rd or so out of the 55 riders that started, so not too bad for a "big guy" on a climbers course.<br />
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On the strength of my TT result, I ended up 16th out of 55 in the cat 4 field for the weekend's omnium. Despite my challenges with this race (or perhaps because of them) I'll be back next year!Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-25116378212083067212010-04-06T15:57:00.000-07:002010-04-06T15:57:46.140-07:00Frozen Flatlands Omnium Road Race #2 - An Easter miracle?After Saturday's involuntary solo sufferfest, my morale was a bit shaken and I wasn't quite sure to expect for the final event of this year's Frozen Flatlands Omnium. Usually, the second mass start event at this race is a circuit race held at Spokane Raceway Park, the local car road racing track. This year however, that venue was unavailable so the organizers set up another road race on a 25 mile loop to the north and west of Cheney. The terrain was pretty mellow with few hills to break up the pack, but the winds were back for a second day and they did the trick.<br />
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The wind had changed direction though, and was now blowing stoutly from the southeast instead of the southwest. We rolled out on the course which started out by following the time trial course from the previous day. It was a wide two-lane highway with a good shoulder for the first 10 miles or so with a strong quartering tailwind. The pace was high but steady and it was quite easy to sit in the pack and watch the miles tick by. At the end of this stretch, the course turned onto some narrower county roads with a few small rollers, but still nothing serious enough to break up the group. With the race now nearly half done, various riders did try their luck at getting off the front, but none of the attacks stuck.<br />
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The course gradually arced back towards Cheney and more and more back into the wind. Most of the race thus far had passed through forested areas and therefore the winds were somewhat moderated. Soon, we passed across about a 1/4 mile wide open field which exposed the pack to the wind and gave a hint of what was to come. The wind was blowing from the right and soon those of us near the back were lined out along the centerline trying to get what shelter we could behind the rider ahead. We fought through it and entered the trees again. A couple more miles passed uneventfully and soon the course headed directly back towards Cheney for the final five or so miles. The run in was on a fairly narrow county road with some small rollers on it and through completely open fields.<br />
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The wind was now full force from the right and as the inevitable attacks began, the pace picked up and soon the entire field was lined out along the centerline. This was the first time I had raced in crosswinds this strong where you gained no benefit at all from the rider directly ahead of you. At about 5k to go as we headed up a slight hill, the pace began to ease and I decided since there was no draft anyways, it was time to try and move forward in the group. I pulled out of line and began to move forward. Several riders ahead of me, I could see a gap in the line opening and decided I had to get across it. Further ahead, I could see a small group of perhaps 5 or so riders going clear from the front. The gap I was moving across was to the chase group or second group on the road.<br />
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I realized that the course dropped away a little on the other side of this hill and that if I didn't close the gap before the top, I would never see that group again. I dug in and gave it everything I had and just caught onto the group as we crested the hill. I sat on briefly and tried to recover from the effort. At the 3k to go mark, I could see the breakaway several hundred meters ahead but had nothing in the tank to try and bridge with. I traded pulls with one or two other riders in the group in an effort to make sure that no other dropped riders would get back to us. Entering the final kilometer, I found myself on the front realizing that at least a couple of the riders in our group had teammates in the break and therefore had not been working at all the last few miles. I swung off the front hoping to get a bit of a breather before the sprint. Two riders pulled through giving me at least a little shelter and a chance to catch my breath.<br />
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The final 200 meters were uphill on a nice wide city street. I was pretty sure I was hosed if I waited to sprint late as the other riders in our group had been sitting on my wheel for the most part, so I gambled at about 250 meters to go and attacked with whatever I had left. From the spectators' standpoint, I'm sure my attack was undetectable. I was immediately passed by a couple of riders and shortly after by the rest of my group. Fortunately though, the work had paid off and no other riders had rejoined our group in the late going. I ended up ninth for the day. It was really a great surprise to me to find myself near the front of the race at the end and my biggest mistake was not recognizing the team dynamics in my group of who might have teammates in the break. Even if I had figured that out though, I'm not sure I had the gas in the tank left to do anything differently.<br />
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It was kind of a roller coaster weekend for me confidence wise. A great TT result had me on a high, then a dismal road race that afternoon had me questioning why I even bother, and then the next day an unexpected and strong result in the second road race had restored my faith. After all was said and done, I finished 8th in the weekend's omnium for the 40+ Masters field. Not too shabby at all for the first full weekend of racing for me for the season.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-18716822557774244432010-04-03T23:20:00.000-07:002010-04-03T23:20:19.523-07:002010 Frozen Flatlands Saturday Road Race - Wind sucks as it blows!After my solid result in this morning's time trial, I was cautiously optimistic that this afternoon's road race might be an enjoyable affair. I've yet to finish in the pack in my previous two attempts, but hope springs eternal!<br />
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As we lined up for the start, the day's wind was still howling 20+mph and a very dark cloud seemed to be headed our way. Most of the riders were chatting about how much clothing they had on and would it be enough with the wind, precip threatening, and temps in the low 40s. I opted to start with my rain jacket on and that proved to be the right decision even though the dark cloud staring us down at the start missed us.<br />
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The course started through a forested section for the first few miles and was fairly directly into the wind. This and masters proclivity for easing into their races made for a comfortable pace early on. Soon though, someone had had enough and launched an impressive solo attack. The pack chased intermittently, but seemed content to let the rider go up the road a ways. Soon we emerged from the trees and onto a more windswept landscape. The wind was still from mostly ahead, but had a pretty good cross from the right which meant I spent a lot of time trying to hang near the centerline and get as much shelter as possible. I'm always amazed at how unaware of wind direction some riders are. The pack steadily shed a few riders in this section as they were unable to figure out where the draft was, even though the pace was still reasonable. that was about to change.<br />
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Soon, the course made a 90 degree turn to the left and entered a rolling section. The wind went to being a quartering tailwind. The collective will seemed to be that it was time to reel in the break. The pace spiked and their was almost no shelter from the wind at all. I yoyoed a bit, but was soon dropped for good after only about 15 miles of racing. With the wind and squall clouds all around, I seriously considered pulling a 180 and heading back to the start. Many other dropped riders were choosing this option. Stragglers off the pack were tantalizing close and I continued on hoping to catch on and have a group to ride with. Alas this was not to be and soon I had passed the halfway point on the course and the shortest way home was to finish. The wind and occasional bouts of hail, some heavy, made the solo ride less than enjoyable, but I finished it off.<br />
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I'm sure I was the absolute last finisher in my field as surely no one else was stupid enough to ride the rest of the course after being dropped that early in today's conditions. Tomorrow is a short road race of only 25 miles, so hopefully that will go better. At any rate, its all good training mileage which is what I need most this time of year.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-82926269402861490752010-04-03T12:32:00.000-07:002010-04-03T23:21:12.449-07:00Frozen Flatlands Omnium TT - Where the wind comes blowing across the plainThe weather forecast for today's racing was quite fear inspiring. Temperatures in the 30s, snow showers, and wind. Fortunately, we only ended up with two out of three. At this morning's TT it was in the mid 30s and partly sunny, but the winds were 20 to 25 mph. The first challenge was finding a windbreak in the parking lot to set up the trainer behind so that warming up might actually be possible. I found a fairly sheltered spot and set up camp.<br />
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The next issue was wheel selection. With the wind howling I wasn't super psyched about trying to control my usual TT setup. I chickened out and decided to run just a standard low profile alloy rimmed front wheel instead of my usual deep section carbon wheel. I'm so glad I did!<br />
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The course was a nearly flat 12.4 miles (out 6.2, back 6.2) that was a mix of crosswind and headwind on the way out. The first mile or two of the race (and therefore the last couple miles) featured a nearly dead cross wind in the vicinity of 25 mph. On the way out, I was forced to get off my aero extensions a couple times in this section and for nearly all of it coming back. With the deep section front wheel, it would have been really, really scary and not all that fast given the control issues.<br />
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At this race, they just start racers in alphabetical order, so I'm the first one off in my class with a nearly 4 minute break ahead of me so there is no one to chase. As such my race was pretty uneventful, fight hard into the headwind on the way out, try to make the most of the tailwind on the way back. Oh, and try to stay on the road and out of traffic in the crosswinds!<br />
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My time for the race was 31:57, about a minute and a half slower than last year, but it was good enough for 4th in the 40+ masters group so that was a great confidence boost heading into the season. Next up is this afternoon's 48 mile road race (also in the wind!)Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-10399804121475378562010-03-06T23:57:00.000-08:002010-03-06T23:57:39.259-08:00Launching My Season at the Frostbite TT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVnkHSs5yrjgxjGPBLZbr9nq09FVaD3m-wC6M0yBMGnYa40QnxmrQ5E5xoUBxllJVABWDNUV34SUcbSV4vWklOZKm41FBWIrFRm7w98BPhkR4HK_nO6sg5zCv0BmdXfF3e8RFpC4Rv2E/s1600-h/Frostbite+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVnkHSs5yrjgxjGPBLZbr9nq09FVaD3m-wC6M0yBMGnYa40QnxmrQ5E5xoUBxllJVABWDNUV34SUcbSV4vWklOZKm41FBWIrFRm7w98BPhkR4HK_nO6sg5zCv0BmdXfF3e8RFpC4Rv2E/s640/Frostbite+2010.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br />
Last Sunday, I launched my 2010 racing season with a ride in the Frostbite Time Trial in Everett. Since it was only the end of February and I had only decided to do the race about a month before, I wasn't too sure what to expect. With 64 riders in the cat 4/5 field, I certainly had lots of company to compare to.<br />
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The course is a fast, dead flat nine mile trip on good pavement east of Everett. The weather was about as good as you could hope for in late February with sun, little wind, and temperatures pushing 50 at race time. I started well and quickly found my rhythm in the familiar sensations of a maximum effort against the clock.<br />
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At this race, instead of start times grouped by category, the entire start list was randomized so you had no idea what level of riders were just ahead or behind you. In a lot of ways, it eliminated the distraction that other riders can cause to my focus as if you caught someone you had no idea if it was to be expected or not and the same was true if you got caught. As it turned out, I only passed one rider, just after the turnaround, and was passed by one rider just before the finish.<br />
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The race passed rather uneventfully for me. I was able to ride full throttle the whole way without any fading in my effort towards the end which was encouraging for so early in the season. My time of 22:01 was nothing stellar, but I felt it was a solid time for where I usually expect to be at the beginning of my season (usually April!). It was good enough for 24th in the cat 4/5 field. As a bonus to my day, I won a professional bike fit from Herriot Sports Performance in the post race raffle. All in all, a very successful launch to my 2010 racing season!Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8157449413018777186.post-12566476326992429252010-02-16T16:54:00.000-08:002010-02-16T16:54:48.740-08:00On the road for another seasonHere in the Methow this winter, we've been blessed (or cursed if you're part of the skiing community) with a light winter and road conditions conducive to bike riding. This has enabled me to get back on the bike outdoors about a month earlier than I have the previous two years. This January start to my outdoor training has mercifully spared me riding on the trainer except for a couple occasions and has me eagerly looking forward to the beginning of the racing season. In fact, given the work I've been able to accomplish already, I've decided to launch my season at the Frostbite Time Trial in Everett at the end of February. Last year I rode an MTB race at the end of February, but that was more of a lark with no real expectation of any results. While I am tempering my hopes for my season debut due to the early date, I am quite confident that I will be able to put in a good ride and expect a solid result out of myself. We'll see how it goes in a week and half.<br />
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Regardless of the result in Everett, the following weekend I'll be back competing as part of a team at the MVSTA's winter triathlon. Last year the team I was part of won the team classification (due to our outstanding skier). This year it is a new course and I will have different teammates, so we'll see how it goes. Again, I'm confident I'll be riding a little stronger which should help. At any rate, the event is a lot of fun and will be a great way to continue to get back into the swing of another racing season.Speedbumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136079372424540876noreply@blogger.com0