After a disappointing outing the previous weekend, I had mixed feelings about a two race weekend, with Cyclonauts on Saturday and Housatonic Hills on Sunday. On one hand, I wanted to recover some semblance of pride after Balloon Fest, but on the other hand I didn't want to prove that my crappiness wasn't just an "off day."
Cyclonauts is a short race at only 56 miles, so a warm up was definitely required. For once, I think I did a decent job of this. Matt and I headed out on a stretch of road and put in a few good digs to get the legs ready. I should note that I had to stop at one point to take off my shoes since my feet were so hot and itchy. Still not sure what that was all about.
The race was pretty uneventful, save for a few attacks that were quickly covered. Oh, and I lost my water bottle within the first two miles. I've only ever lost two water bottles in races and they've both been at Cyclonauts.
Both Matt and Don were pretty active and got into a couple breaks, so I would attempt some pace slowing at the front. However, that usually didn't work, as small groups would almost instantly try to bridge up. Naturally I followed their wheels, and the field was together again. I made a couple efforts to get into small break groups, but the same thing happened, as no one was letting anything go away. Without any dominating teams with insanely strong riders like Fiordifrutta, this race wasn't a lost cause from the start.
A little under halfway through the race it began to rain pretty damn hard...like a classic Ithaca downpour. Between the rain from the sky and the spray off the tires, I had a really hard time seeing anything. When you're cruising around in excess of 30mph, good vision is important. I finally decided that the glasses were doing more harm than good and pocketed them for the remainder of the race.
Two prominent features of the cyclonauts course (aside from the fact that it seems more downhill than up) are the railroad crossings a few miles out from the finish. In dry conditions these are a pain to begin with. The tracks are heaved at spots and the pavement is pretty poor. In the rain...these things were deathtraps. The first crossing claimed 2 or 3 riders, and the second set took another 2, one of which was Matt. He apparently slid and wasn't hurt at all, but it put him off the back of a peloton moving at a rather quick pace. He gave chase, but that ultimately was the end of the race for him. He did finish the course, though. I imagine he would have had a very high finish if not a win had he stayed upright.
In any case, the hill through the lap/finish line caused some separations in the field. I was having a hard time with this hill for whatever reason, and several riders went up the road. I think their group was 4-5 guys strong. Before not too long, they were out of sight. I tried a similar thing in the 3/4 race last year, but the field never let us get far enough away. This time it seemed to work. Whether the field was lazy or being slowed by teammates of riders in the break, everyone seemed content that there were people up the road. Ok, so we're racing for 5th place or something like it...not bad I guess. After all, this isn't really my style of race, I figured.
Despite an apparent lack of concern, as we came to the final miles we began to see glimpses of the break. The SRAM car was the initial giveaway. People began to get interested once again. Attacks flew off the front, and the field countered their efforts as we got the race back up to a fast pace. This was like a perfectly timed catch in a professional race!
As we made the turn onto the final stretch (probably 2k from the finish), we began to reel in the break as they blew apart. Riders scattered everywhere on the initial pitch, and I began to weave my way to the front. This time I felt strong up the hill. I got to third wheel as we hit the small rest section prior to the final kicker to the finish. Since the speeds were pretty high on this section, everyone started to line up for the final sprint. I shifted up to the big chainring in anticipation of uncharacteristic finishing strength(!), haha. With a 27 in the rear, I figured that even if I could sprint the small ring, I could err and still not get too hurt by being overgeared.
As we hit the final pitch with probably 300m to go, I had the perfect position in third wheel. A CCB/VW guy had the front of the line and began to stand up and get some gap on the wheel I was following. He looked overgeared and was really chugging to turn it over. I stood up and came around to the right, passing both of them without killing myself too much. Before I knew it, I thought I was clear of everyone with maybe 150m left. For a second I thought, "I'm gonna win this damn thing!" Then, in my peripheral, I began to see a rider charging hard on the left, right near the yellow line. Unfortunately, I stupidly downshifted and found myself pushing too many gear inches- too many to respond and accelerate. Even if I hadn't messed up the shift, I think the other guy was definitely stronger over those last meters. I looked around and saw I had 2nd place locked up, so I coasted in, happy but mainly surprised with how well I did. Perhaps I'm not doomed to be permanent pro/1/2 pack fodder after all...there may be some hope yet!
Unfortunately the payout was reduced since there were "only" 45 starters...the planned payout was $90, but 2nd place only got me $30!!! That didn't even cover my entry fee of $35...oh well, I guess I don't do this for the money after all.
Confidence restored.
Oh, and did I mention the race was fast? Our average speed for 57.71 miles was 24.81 mph...and that included the small cool-down after the finish.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Been a long time...
...since I've updated much. Well, now since I'm at a conference at Colby College I have a good amount of free time to do useless things like this. OK, here's my attempt at reviewing the last few weeks:
June 7- Balloon Fest Pro/1/2 race:
In a word- awful. This was the weekend where temperatures were >90 degrees, and I hadn't yet done any riding in heat like that. Also, I hadn't raced since Dartmouth, which was a little over a month prior. You can train all you want, but you can't fake race fitness...which can only come from racing.
Matt and I stayed at a lovely Motel6 the night before and got to the race with plenty of time to spare...but I still didn't get any kind of a warm up. Big mistake, I would later figure. Even the most casual readers of this blog will note my constant complaints about lack of warm up, and my failure to do anything to remedy it.
Despite the seemingly low importance of this race, all the big names of northeast cycling were out to ride. This included much of the CCB/VW team and also a lot of Fiordifrutta. Ugh. Right out of the start the riders at the front were turning the screws on some of the short, tough climbs and this made my legs hurt pretty badly. I fell off the rear for a bit, but chased back on without too much issue. However, as we came to the significant climb on course, I found myself fighting to keep from drifting back in the field (starting at the rear also didn't help matters). For whatever reason (I'll blame the heat) I couldn't make myself get to that point where I could hurt enough to stay in contact. The result- I was dropped on a climb, for probably the first time ever. Interesting that it should correspond to the first pro/1/2 race I do...
At this point I was pretty annoyed with myself and considered dropping out. Then I remembered that I paid for a hotel room, gas, race fees, etc. and that I shouldn't go down that easily. Note that it wasn't a matter of pride...it was a financial reason that kept me racing. I grouped up with one other guy from the Kenda/Raleigh team who met a similar fate on the climb. I pulled a majority of the time and we kept the gap to the field pretty constant. At times they were rather strung out- usually good evidence that someone was driving the pace pretty damn hard. Also, we began to pick up a couple riders who were also dropped ahead of us. They were good for one or two pulls before we left them behind as well. Finally, as we came off the descending section the field widened and coalesced again- this was it...we can catch back! We pulled to within probably 50m when things got bad...
At this point, a non-race vehicle had entered the gap between the rear of the field and us. Someone in the peloton flatted and pulled to the right. Naturally the wheel truck stopped to assist, pulling to the shoulder. Unsure of what to do, the random car directly in front of us stopped abruptly right along the yellow line. Decision time- do we go between the cars or go over the yellow line, into oncoming traffic? Given the time in which this happened, coupled with our speed of >30mph, this decision had to be made fast...and rather poorly.
I was in the process of pulling through when we both had mixed reactions to the situation upon us...we each decided to go the opposite way, we hooked handlebars, and hit the pavement. Well, I did. I was on the bottom of a me/bike/bike/other guy pile as we slid into the oncoming lane of traffic. In retrospect, I'm thankful we didn't get hit by any cars going the opposite way. And I'm also thankful I didn't hit my head in the process.
The slide was long enough that I recall having to time to reflect on the general unpleasantness of the situation. I began to think about what my leg would look like when all was said and done (pictures will come soon) and what would become of the season. As much as a I tried to reorient, the weight on top of me kept me in a pretty helpless position. Finally we ground to a halt.
The other guy seemed pretty much unscathed since he was effectively sitting on top of me and two bikes during the slide. I remarked that this was end of today for me. In a way, it was a mixed blessing because it saved me from another couple hours of riding pain...if I could even last that long. As for the damage survey- road rash on my left leg/hip, torn shorts, scuffed jersey, broken rear skewer, dented top tube. Based on the dent, I wonder if a carbon frame would have survived.
The wheel car guy picked me up and remarked that we should be more careful riding around the cars when we're chasing back on. Good, obvious advice. After getting dropped off, I spent the remainder of the day being the center of attention near the finish line and medical tent. Yep...that guy. Then I spent the next few days with oozing sores, painful showers, and uncomfortable sleeping. Oh yeah, and stabbing pains in my calf whenever I moved around.
A few days following the crash, I began to suspect infection as my lower leg swelled to the point that I could not see my ankle (see: cankle). I debated getting it treated for a day of so before I went to the ER. I considered the possibility that it may just be lymph draining. The doctor didn't seem too concerned, but decided to err on the side of caution and wrote a prescription for some antibiotics. I am beyond any doubt that they were desperately needed. Within a day of starting the course, the swelling was almost gone and the wounds were healing up much better. As of now, only the scabs on my lower leg remain, the other regions leaving only reddish scarring, which I can show off with pride to some and embarrassment to others (others = other cyclists).
Soon to come- race reports from last weekends races at Cyclonauts and Housatonic Hills. Then this past weekend's exploits in Lake Placid at the Wilmington-Whiteface race. Spoiler alert- two podium finishes!
June 7- Balloon Fest Pro/1/2 race:
In a word- awful. This was the weekend where temperatures were >90 degrees, and I hadn't yet done any riding in heat like that. Also, I hadn't raced since Dartmouth, which was a little over a month prior. You can train all you want, but you can't fake race fitness...which can only come from racing.
Matt and I stayed at a lovely Motel6 the night before and got to the race with plenty of time to spare...but I still didn't get any kind of a warm up. Big mistake, I would later figure. Even the most casual readers of this blog will note my constant complaints about lack of warm up, and my failure to do anything to remedy it.
Despite the seemingly low importance of this race, all the big names of northeast cycling were out to ride. This included much of the CCB/VW team and also a lot of Fiordifrutta. Ugh. Right out of the start the riders at the front were turning the screws on some of the short, tough climbs and this made my legs hurt pretty badly. I fell off the rear for a bit, but chased back on without too much issue. However, as we came to the significant climb on course, I found myself fighting to keep from drifting back in the field (starting at the rear also didn't help matters). For whatever reason (I'll blame the heat) I couldn't make myself get to that point where I could hurt enough to stay in contact. The result- I was dropped on a climb, for probably the first time ever. Interesting that it should correspond to the first pro/1/2 race I do...
At this point I was pretty annoyed with myself and considered dropping out. Then I remembered that I paid for a hotel room, gas, race fees, etc. and that I shouldn't go down that easily. Note that it wasn't a matter of pride...it was a financial reason that kept me racing. I grouped up with one other guy from the Kenda/Raleigh team who met a similar fate on the climb. I pulled a majority of the time and we kept the gap to the field pretty constant. At times they were rather strung out- usually good evidence that someone was driving the pace pretty damn hard. Also, we began to pick up a couple riders who were also dropped ahead of us. They were good for one or two pulls before we left them behind as well. Finally, as we came off the descending section the field widened and coalesced again- this was it...we can catch back! We pulled to within probably 50m when things got bad...
At this point, a non-race vehicle had entered the gap between the rear of the field and us. Someone in the peloton flatted and pulled to the right. Naturally the wheel truck stopped to assist, pulling to the shoulder. Unsure of what to do, the random car directly in front of us stopped abruptly right along the yellow line. Decision time- do we go between the cars or go over the yellow line, into oncoming traffic? Given the time in which this happened, coupled with our speed of >30mph, this decision had to be made fast...and rather poorly.
I was in the process of pulling through when we both had mixed reactions to the situation upon us...we each decided to go the opposite way, we hooked handlebars, and hit the pavement. Well, I did. I was on the bottom of a me/bike/bike/other guy pile as we slid into the oncoming lane of traffic. In retrospect, I'm thankful we didn't get hit by any cars going the opposite way. And I'm also thankful I didn't hit my head in the process.
The slide was long enough that I recall having to time to reflect on the general unpleasantness of the situation. I began to think about what my leg would look like when all was said and done (pictures will come soon) and what would become of the season. As much as a I tried to reorient, the weight on top of me kept me in a pretty helpless position. Finally we ground to a halt.
The other guy seemed pretty much unscathed since he was effectively sitting on top of me and two bikes during the slide. I remarked that this was end of today for me. In a way, it was a mixed blessing because it saved me from another couple hours of riding pain...if I could even last that long. As for the damage survey- road rash on my left leg/hip, torn shorts, scuffed jersey, broken rear skewer, dented top tube. Based on the dent, I wonder if a carbon frame would have survived.
The wheel car guy picked me up and remarked that we should be more careful riding around the cars when we're chasing back on. Good, obvious advice. After getting dropped off, I spent the remainder of the day being the center of attention near the finish line and medical tent. Yep...that guy. Then I spent the next few days with oozing sores, painful showers, and uncomfortable sleeping. Oh yeah, and stabbing pains in my calf whenever I moved around.
A few days following the crash, I began to suspect infection as my lower leg swelled to the point that I could not see my ankle (see: cankle). I debated getting it treated for a day of so before I went to the ER. I considered the possibility that it may just be lymph draining. The doctor didn't seem too concerned, but decided to err on the side of caution and wrote a prescription for some antibiotics. I am beyond any doubt that they were desperately needed. Within a day of starting the course, the swelling was almost gone and the wounds were healing up much better. As of now, only the scabs on my lower leg remain, the other regions leaving only reddish scarring, which I can show off with pride to some and embarrassment to others (others = other cyclists).
Soon to come- race reports from last weekends races at Cyclonauts and Housatonic Hills. Then this past weekend's exploits in Lake Placid at the Wilmington-Whiteface race. Spoiler alert- two podium finishes!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
VT Six Gap
A couple weekends ago I headed out to VT to join Jordan for a little GMSR recon. The plan was to ride the 64.7 mile road course (abbreviated from the p/1/2 version) on Friday, take Saturday easy, and then possibly do the LAMB (Lincoln, App, Midd, Brandon) ride on Sunday. Plans change...
Friday was a great ride. I'm not sure I've done a ride that was long with that much climbing, but yet felt like an easy spin. We got rained on a few times and got quite cold, but the weather cleared up for the ascent and descent of App Gap. Unfortunately, the wet pavement precluded any awesome descent down into Waitsfield. Overall, pretty casual though. I think we did 70 miles in 4:10. To think that I did that race in ~2:50 last September is crazy. As a side note, Appalachian Gap is really manageable when you're not racing it. I think I like it better when my HR is below 200bpm...
As planned, Saturday was a ridiculously easy spin for 45 minutes. After all, we had this 4-gap ride tomorrow, right?
As we discussed plans for Sunday, it dawned on us that we had no idea how long this ride was going to be. After consulting with gmaps-pedometer, I roughly calculated the distance to be ~115 miles. Wow, we had no idea it was going to be that long. But then we thought...what's another 20 miles to do the fabled 6 gap VT ride? That's a good idea, right? So there it was- we randomly decided to tackle the 6 gap ride, not 12 hours before our departure.
For those not aware, here's some info on the 6 gap, including a link to Colin's report from last year. I don't think I'll do quite that much detail, mostly because it was a couple weeks ago and I don't remember every single detail. This will be more of a Cliff's notes version.
- The EASY way to do this ride is to start in Rochester and do Brandon, Midd, Lincoln, App, Roxbury, Rochester. This is normally the way people do it. Then, you hit Lincoln and App Gap (the hardest/steepest and the second hardest climbs) at ~60 miles and ~75 miles. Since we started from Warren, we had the option of doing those climbs first...or last. We chose last. We would eventually hit Lincoln gap with a full 1oo miles in our legs. Beautiful.
-I've become a real fan of riding dirt roads since I became a more competent bike handler, thanks to cross and mtb. The ascent of Roxbury was really fun and so was the descent. The descent of Lincoln was awful, though. We stopped halfway down to cool the rims and brakes.
-I don't remember too much of Rochester, although I recall a really steep finish and a fun descent. I bet that's a great way to finish the ride for those that do it based from there.
-Brandon gap is a joke. I don't know if that should even qualify as a gap.
-We became temporarily lost after the descent of Brandon gap, as we missed a turn in the road. That added about a mile to our ride. Even more hardcore.
-The worst section of the ride for me was from the base of Brandon to Midd, along Lake Dunmore. As I recall, we only had 60-70 miles and my upper back and neck were making this really difficult for me. A 10 minute stop for water/coke/food right before the turn off VT Rt. 7 provided the necessary break for me to feel like I could finish this thing. I would have hated to quit because of a neck issue, because my legs were fine.
-Possibly because of the pb&j I ate in Warren, I had awful stomach cramps while climbing Lincoln Gap and for much of the remaining 30 miles. I also tried to not use my 39x27, but was ultimately forced into it. I think I made it within 800m of the summit before I had to give up on the 24 and downshift. That climb was no joke. I laughed at the report that said you had to concentrate on not getting a wheelie, but there were several points that my front wheel came close to unweighting as I pulled up on the bars so much. As a side note- I drove up Lincoln on the way home, taking a video with my digital camera...but it doesn't do it justice at all. As usual, the camera severaly flattens the appearance of the terrain.
-App Gap is appreciably harder with stomach cramps and 125 miles in your legs. Who knows what it will feel like with ~100 miles of racing come late August this year... The last pitch to the summit/GMSR finish was pretty painful, but I 'sprinted' it out to get it over with. It was all worth it for the descent, though. I couldn't bomb down it during GMSR last year without the risk of losing GC points.
Friday was a great ride. I'm not sure I've done a ride that was long with that much climbing, but yet felt like an easy spin. We got rained on a few times and got quite cold, but the weather cleared up for the ascent and descent of App Gap. Unfortunately, the wet pavement precluded any awesome descent down into Waitsfield. Overall, pretty casual though. I think we did 70 miles in 4:10. To think that I did that race in ~2:50 last September is crazy. As a side note, Appalachian Gap is really manageable when you're not racing it. I think I like it better when my HR is below 200bpm...
As planned, Saturday was a ridiculously easy spin for 45 minutes. After all, we had this 4-gap ride tomorrow, right?
As we discussed plans for Sunday, it dawned on us that we had no idea how long this ride was going to be. After consulting with gmaps-pedometer, I roughly calculated the distance to be ~115 miles. Wow, we had no idea it was going to be that long. But then we thought...what's another 20 miles to do the fabled 6 gap VT ride? That's a good idea, right? So there it was- we randomly decided to tackle the 6 gap ride, not 12 hours before our departure.
For those not aware, here's some info on the 6 gap, including a link to Colin's report from last year. I don't think I'll do quite that much detail, mostly because it was a couple weeks ago and I don't remember every single detail. This will be more of a Cliff's notes version.
- The EASY way to do this ride is to start in Rochester and do Brandon, Midd, Lincoln, App, Roxbury, Rochester. This is normally the way people do it. Then, you hit Lincoln and App Gap (the hardest/steepest and the second hardest climbs) at ~60 miles and ~75 miles. Since we started from Warren, we had the option of doing those climbs first...or last. We chose last. We would eventually hit Lincoln gap with a full 1oo miles in our legs. Beautiful.
-I've become a real fan of riding dirt roads since I became a more competent bike handler, thanks to cross and mtb. The ascent of Roxbury was really fun and so was the descent. The descent of Lincoln was awful, though. We stopped halfway down to cool the rims and brakes.
-I don't remember too much of Rochester, although I recall a really steep finish and a fun descent. I bet that's a great way to finish the ride for those that do it based from there.
-Brandon gap is a joke. I don't know if that should even qualify as a gap.
-We became temporarily lost after the descent of Brandon gap, as we missed a turn in the road. That added about a mile to our ride. Even more hardcore.
-The worst section of the ride for me was from the base of Brandon to Midd, along Lake Dunmore. As I recall, we only had 60-70 miles and my upper back and neck were making this really difficult for me. A 10 minute stop for water/coke/food right before the turn off VT Rt. 7 provided the necessary break for me to feel like I could finish this thing. I would have hated to quit because of a neck issue, because my legs were fine.
-Possibly because of the pb&j I ate in Warren, I had awful stomach cramps while climbing Lincoln Gap and for much of the remaining 30 miles. I also tried to not use my 39x27, but was ultimately forced into it. I think I made it within 800m of the summit before I had to give up on the 24 and downshift. That climb was no joke. I laughed at the report that said you had to concentrate on not getting a wheelie, but there were several points that my front wheel came close to unweighting as I pulled up on the bars so much. As a side note- I drove up Lincoln on the way home, taking a video with my digital camera...but it doesn't do it justice at all. As usual, the camera severaly flattens the appearance of the terrain.
-App Gap is appreciably harder with stomach cramps and 125 miles in your legs. Who knows what it will feel like with ~100 miles of racing come late August this year... The last pitch to the summit/GMSR finish was pretty painful, but I 'sprinted' it out to get it over with. It was all worth it for the descent, though. I couldn't bomb down it during GMSR last year without the risk of losing GC points.
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