Catch-up

I had a "great" report about ECCC Easterns that was inevitably interrupted by other things. Oh well. Maybe it will surface someday.

Long story short: Penn State Easterns course-- 4 laps at ~21 miles each, with probably close to 2000 ft of climbing per lap.

I ate and drank well enough, made the right selections (it's not hard to figure out where this will happen when there's a 5 mile climb), and was only dropped with several miles left to get 5th place. Not bad for the company I found myself in- I'll leave you to stalk their results, but the top 4 were: Jim Camut (Land Rover/Orbea), Thom Coupe (BikeReg/Cannondale), Austin Roach, and Clayton Barrows (CRCA Empire/Rite-Aid). I think less than half the field managed to finish. I love the course, but contend that it's too hard and demoralizing.

So that was good.

Since then, I did a 6 hour enduro two weekends ago- the Highland Hex. I cruised around, ate some food, and ended up riding for 6 laps in 6.5 hours. Did I mention that I love races where there is absolutely no pressure to perform? I should note that Cameron lapped me twice. Ouch.

Finally this past weekend I did a modified Kancamagus ride with Jordan.



The above loop is 91 miles, but we totaled 104 miles. We supplemented the loop by adding a 5 mile climb up NH 118, made famous by the Dartmouth road race last spring. Spirits were high, but speeds were low. I think we bordered on randonneuring pace (16.? mph)...but I couldn't care less. I'm proud that I averaged only 167W for the ride. I felt great then, but unfortunately I must have left my legs in New Hampshire...

This coming weekend is the CT Stage Race, consisting of a time trial, a circuit race, and a 91 mile road race (for ALL categories). We got our TT start list today. I've never been passed in a TT, but that may very well change...

All the disc wheels and dimpled shoe covers in the world won't help me now.

Binghamton Circuit Race

The original plan for the weekend of April 24-25 consisted of MIT's road race and the re-introduced Quabbin Reservoir RR. Unfortunately, I succumbed to laziness and the pile of school work...so I stayed local. As it turns out, this was a wise decision, as the Quabbin P/1/2/3 race sounded like a disaster. As I gleaned from the CB listserv, the pace vehicles took the peloton on a detour off course. Mayhem ensued, and the majority of the field was presumably DNF'd, although somehow they got placed. Sounds kind of hilarious, though...I almost regret missing it.

Instead, a contingent of Cornell riders rode out to Watkins Glen on Saturday to do some course reconnaissance for our race bid next year. For those not familiar with our schemes, we are renting the Watkins Glen International track for the team time trial and the finish of the road race.

Now imagine the grandstands packed with rabid collegiate cycling fans...

With the exception of ~100m of pavement, the route is pretty great. Nothing too epic as far as climbing, but it's very scenic and has some interesting course elements like a dirt power climb and a state prison. With a >10% climb just several miles from the finish, the layout is perfect to set up some drama as the riders enter the Watkins Glen International track for the final drag to the line. We're pretty excited for the potential of that weekend.

All told, that was 71 miles for myself...while those who didn't drive halfway to WG ended up with 95. With the Binghamton Circuit race on Sunday, I figured I could do without those extra 24 miles.

On Sunday was the aforementioned circuit race...with the other 7 cat1/2/3's. Central NY events are notoriously under-attended among the cat 1/2's. I'm not sure if it's a function of population density or what...but it's nigh impossible to get a sizeable field in CNY. I guess I'm part of the problem, so I can't complain.

In any case, they lined us up with the Masters fields, which almost made it seem like a legitimately sized race. I was curious as to how a race like this would play out...do you go with attacks that are full of Masters racers? Does everyone sit around and wait for the young guys to make their moves? I guess it ultimately doesn't matter.

To contrast this race with every other one I've done in the last two years- usually I have a difficult time positioning myself near the front...I am most often found at last wheel when there's nothing going on. This time I couldn't get off the front. Myself and the other 1/2/3 young'ns were unofficially the pacesetters for the day. Or at least for 3 laps.

Cory Burns (former Fiodifrutta, now Embrocation) was in our field, so everyone's eyes were fixed on what he was up to. He made a couple efforts on the short hill the first few times through, which most of us dutifully followed. Each time we lost a few more people until we finally had the break. Only 10 minutes in, we had 5 people clear. After a few more laps it was down to 4. Myself, Wayne Bray, Steve Sloan, and Cory- 4/6's of the cat 1/2/3's. Masters racers did their thing behind us.

We kept a good paceline over the next few laps to solidify the gap over what was left of the field. I kept looking at the lap cards, since I knew it was only a matter of time before the attacks started coming and my legs would pay for their effort on Saturday. Unfortunately I was looking at the wrong lap cards, and we were farther from finishing than I thought. Damn.

With three (actual) laps to go, Wayne attacked us and I was -- to quote the MAC cyclocross announcer -- "out the back faster than a bean burrito with a prune juice chaser". (Side note: the MAC needs a new color commentator). I was really feeling yesterday's effort and let them go ahead. As far as I was concerned, 4th place was good enough for me.

As we came down the hill to the backside of the loop, I could see the lead 3 about 150m ahead. From my vantage, it looked like Cory stood to put in another attack (into the headwind) when he went down in a heap. I got conflicting stories on the cause of the crash- it was either a chain slip or Cory just washed out his rear wheel. Steve went with him, and Wayne narrowly avoided the yard sale. Suddenly I went from fourth to second. As I passed through, I began to realize I probably would have been behind them in the crash had I managed to mark the attack. That would be the last thing I would have needed for me to further dislike road racing.

At this point there was no catching Wayne over the next couple of laps, so I checked my shoulder, dialed back the pace, and cruised in for my ill-deserved 2nd. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good!

Penn State ECCC easterns report soon.

Back on it.

It's been two months since anything. So let's recap.

-I did one 10k skate race at Prospect in February. It hurt and I realized I have about 5% of the upper body strength I used to have.
-I probably did not do a workout over 1.5 hrs from September through March. While every other cat2 is out there sleeping in altitude tents and training 20+ hours every week, I think I have yet to do a 10hr week.
-I passed my A-exam (yes, not cycling related), which means I get to stay at Cornell until I get my PhD or they really get tired of me. That is half the reason I have been "lazy" about training. Such is life.

Two weeks ago I did the Army ECCC race, which consisted of a 80 minute circuit race and a hillclimb TT. A short race and a hillclimb- perfect. The circuit race was tactical brilliance on my part.

The key to establishing a potential break is to let all the good riders (Driscoll, Lipka, Frey, etc) go off the front, and then snap up the remaining placings when everyone else is too lazy to care (or won't chase their teammates).

There they go

For the first few laps, things were a little crazy as the big guys attacked and the mere mortals did their best to find their wheel. A lot of times, this included people sweeping across the road and hitting my front wheel. Thankfully I can ride my bike well enough to not have things like that crash me. Eventually the instigators broke everyone's spirit and cruised off. With about 4 laps to go, I jumped with Steve Pingree (Army) and Jose Soltren (MIT) and we got some room on the field. I kept yo-yo'ing on the downhill/flats and finally I was popped off the back when we hit the stretch of road with a 40mph headwind. That's ok, though, since Steve admitted he spent some time in Tucson training and that guy Jose is a diesel engine. Luckily we were far enough off the front (yet so far from the front) that I held on for 9th place. Ha!

Bridging up to the second break

The Sunday hillclimb was relatively uneventful, as TT's usually are. I watched some D riders take off like they were doing a downhill TT, only to pass them back a few hundred meters later during my warm-up. So my course reconnaissance alerted me to the fact that you can't go too hard. However, I didn't ride enough of the climb to actually know what was coming.

Then I rode up the hill and got 10th place. So that was pretty good too. I could tell it's been a while since I opened up my legs, though. I couldn't quite get them to hurt like I know they can. But I suppose that will come.

I just saw this announcement about the NJ State Fair Cross Spectacle (Spectacross). A run-up over a car? Where do I sign up? Also- apparently the race is sponsored by Erwin Vervecken Web Design.

"Erwin Vervecken is a three-time World Professional Cyclocross Champion and a member of the Revor Pro Cycling Team. Fluent in several languages, Erwin Vervecken has proven to be as talented in website design as he is on the cyclocross course."

After visiting his site cyclocross.be I'm fairly certain he is more talented on the cyclocross course. That said, I haven't done HTML since high school, so he's better than me. Or maybe I'm just not crazy about "Courier New" font like the Belgians. His other sites look better, though.

A product review

It's feast or famine in the cycling-related blog. I don't think I'll be racing until at least April, so I will have to shift gears a little bit.

Since cross nationals (December 14), I have been on one 2 hour mountain bike ride. Aside from that, I've done some half-assed nordic skiing in North Sandwich, NH. While I loved the amazing (and free) trails behind Molly's home, a 3km loop is not super motivating. Yes, you ski every day, but you have to be motivated to endure anything more than half an hour.

After my random sampling of cycling acquaintances via facebook and blogs, I've determined that a lot of the people I race against are well into training regimens. The level of commitment varies from temporary relocation (e.g. to warmer locales) to the purchase of altitude tent systems! This is worrisome because it might force me to train against my will in some attempt to satiate my competitive drive. Short of injury, I can't help it. However, I need to remember that a lot of these riders didn't just finish 3 months of cyclocross. The point? I need my time off- stop training and making me feel guilty!

So,

Today I went for a really stupid ride outside. Really stupid because I haven't ridden in 3 weeks, it was 15 degrees outside, and it was snowing. But it was fun and I schooled the non-cross riders in the snow, if anyone who saw me at NBX Day 2 can believe. Now, as someone intimately familiar with the singular experience of winter riding, I will offer my very first product review-- the Wegmans plastic bag.

I still can't find my Louis Garneau booties that I got last year. And I refuse to buy useful gear that is less than the cost of a single race entry, because I have skewed values. As so many know, winter riding poses the issue of freezing feet.

In the past I've used plastic shopping bags in my shoes- usually going with a good wool/synthetic winter sock, followed by a plastic bag, followed by the shoe (and bootie, if available). Your foot will still freeze, although it's not terrible. The plastic bag is nice to keep your foot dry from road spray. It's also entertaining to people who are properly equipped.

Today I borrowed from the world of aquatics, adopting the idea of a wet suit. The setup was as follows: bag over naked foot, followed by a sock, a bag, a sock, and finally a shoe. I've had too success with latex gloves under ski gloves in the past- your hands will actually sweat and stay warm. I figured this would have a similar effect if the the sweat doesn't freeze in your shoe. But that's why I wore two (2) pairs of socks! It was a gamble.

My first impression was that walking around was uncomfortably weird...but it was accompanied by the familiar crinkling sound, which I liked.

Unfortunately this setup was awful. My feet never warmed up. They instantly went numb. And kept getting more numb. I don't have anything to compare against, though. Maybe I should have used a different setup on each foot, comparing the relative pain after the ride.

In any case, my feet were shriveled, cold, and white after taking off my shoes. White is typically a problem. Puffy red (and eventually peeling) ear lobes are pretty typical after a long day of skiing for me, but I've never actually gotten frostbite. Fortunately, it was my tight shoes that left my feet that color, not impending frostbite. Several hours later, it seems there's no ill effects. So I guess the plastic bag gets my endorsement.

So the next time you're at the market...don't annoy the cashier- take the plastic. That is, unless you shop at some high end store (or sZupermarket in Budapest) where they charge you for bags.

KCCX

Thanks to the deep pockets of the Cornell Cycling Club (not to mention the fact that practically no one races in the fall!), Jake and I got to travel to Kansas City for Cyclocross Nationals.

I flew out Tuesday, December 9 to get to KCI airport at night...just in time to get my bike box and catch a shuttle to the Econo Lodge ($42/night!...there's a reason it was that cheap).

Wednesday morning I took a shuttle back to the airport to get my car- a Chevy Aveo. What a piece of crap...I'll take my Subaru. At least my bike box fit in the back seat.


Now armed with transportation, I made my way towards Kansas City



From far away it looks big, like Boston or similar...but it's mostly just sprawl- the combination of Eastern and Western business influence made it a mecca of fast food and strip malls. This is America.

For the next few days I stayed with probably the best host housing you could ever imagine- Todd and Wanda. Peter O and Jeremy found the family last year when they signed up for host housing as part of the volunteer crew. I'm usually skeptical on host housing since I feel like I'm imposing on the family, but it was amazing. Despite our efforts to remain "out of the way" of their daily activities, they went out of their way to be accommodating- they made us great food, washed our clothes, and even took us out to dinner (more on that later). And they're crazy about bikes. Wanda even made us complimentary lockring rings in exchange for us spreading the word about her budding jewelry business- http://soldergal.com/index.html. Sweet.

The first race:

Thursday was the 10-29 B race. I was secretly hoping it was a 19-29 race since it would keep us from getting beaten up by 15 year old phenoms like Jeff Bahnson and various Clif Bar Devo team kids. No chance. There went any chance of the much coveted "B National Champ"/sandbagger title. I lined up next to Jeff in the third row. I figured this would be the last time I would see him. That was fairly accurate.

When I rode the course at 8am it was frosty but frozen ground. If you started to slide, your tires would chatter but you would ultimately remain upright. The course looked to suit me- the lap began with a few flat turns before winding back and forth along a rather long uphill grind. There was a set of "stairs" at the top before a classic down/up on a steep uphill- I think running was faster, but there were riders doing both in all races (Trebon ran, Driscoll rode). Following all this climbing was a fairly long descent with a variety of technical turns, a set of barriers, another stairset, and a few more technical turns before you were dumped back on the start/finish stretch. A really fun course that would favor power riders on dry days and technical riders if the loop got slick.



In accordance with my preview laps, I had my pressure set in the low 40's. Unfortunately I had not factored in the warming of the course- now the frost was water, and it turned the course way slick. It was slippery, greasy mud on top of frozen ground...and every lap became progressively worse. I guess this is the situation where a pit bike would be handy.

I had a fair enough start coming from the third row and encountered more than a fair share of bumping in the hole shot and first few turns. Unfortunately, since it was a B race, a lot of the riders were doing me no favors by jamming up the turns. There was also a major crash on the inside of turn 1 which forced everyone to the outside, transforming the hole shot to a rather significant bottleneck. I could see the 15 year olds getting away at the front. Ah well.

I missed the train off the front, but I eventually worked my way through the masses to get into that small group of people who went out too hard and subsequently got shelled. Eventually I made my way up to probably 7th or 8th position. Unfortunately it was becoming clear that my legs were more than a little stale from not riding since NBX on the Sunday prior. There was a rider just ahead that I just could not catch for the longest time- even on the uphills.

When I finally did make contact I was further humiliated- he was riding a single speed with flat bars! At least it was a nice bike- a Moots Ti frame. For the next 3 laps of the race we would yo-yo quite a bit- I would try to escape on the uphills while he slowly reeled me in on the downhill. I mainly wanted to stay ahead because his tires were pretty damn wide and they were throwing mud everywhere (mainly in my face).

Our cat and mouse ended when I was catching up to a lapped rider- who fell right in front of me on the slickest part of the downhill. I had few options other than ditching, although I tried as best I could. Down I went, and my nemesis went by, never to be seen again. I ended up having to sprint in for 8th place- but I won that minor battle. Not a terrible race, but I know I could have had much better legs. I hoped that Sunday (the collegiate and last race of the season) was my chance for redemption.

As for the teenagers-It turned out that Jeff Bahnson DNF'd, leaving the win for a Clif Bar kid.

Friday/Saturday:

When I wasn't working on my take-home final for turbulent fluids, I spent time at the course, watching a super muddy day on Friday, where the 17-18 Junior race turned out to be a great battle. I rode the course about 7 times during the open course time, falling a ton of times as I tried to ride the outrageously slick turns faster and faster. Even putting a foot down didn't work because your foot couldn't get enough purchase to keep you upright. As the day progressed the wind and ample riding served to dry out the course and make it a slow, tacky mud for the remainder of the day (and the next couple). If it stayed like that for Sunday, it would definitely work in my favor.

I later read that Katie Compton recommended only limited pre-riding since the course was "very heavy on your legs". Good to know, since my legs were destroyed from Thursday and Friday. I hoped some good rest on Saturday would have me in form for Sunday.

I also hoped a (un)healthy dose of bbq'd pork would give me ample protein to fuel my muscles. On Friday night, Todd and Wanda took us out to Oklahoma Joe's- a classic Kansas City BBQ place inside a gas station. I got the ribs (and a strawberry soda).

(Ok, I split this with Todd since it's about 3 feet long and a foot wide)

Sunday- Collegiate CX Nationals:

Sunday started out at 65 degrees. Then, in probably 10 seconds, the temperature dropped 30 degrees when a cold wind blew in. In the course of an hour, it dropped 40 degrees down to probably 25! I still lined up without leg warmers and no embrocation- eventual winner Will Dugan also went bare-legged (no word on embro). Northeast solidarity.

I had a second row start, which was great. No front row pressure, like Verge. This was my chance to nail the start and hopefully ride into a top 15. Not knowing the competition I figured that sounded about right. Unfortunately I didn't nail the start, and I ended up in the middle of the field, as usual. If I learn anything from this season- I need to work on starts.

I definitely had better legs today, and was passing a ton of riders on the uphill. The downhills were nice and tacky and you could really nail all the turns. Pretty large ruts and berms built up over the last couple of days so it was pretty non-technical- check out the photos of the pros for a good look at the ruts.

Over the first few laps, I moved my way up to 14th place. Todd and Wanda kept me constantly updated on my progress as I picked off riders on each subsequent trip uphill. I was surrounded by a ton of Fort Lewis and Lees-Mcrae riders- as it turned out I was the highest placed ECCC rider except for Dugan. With 1.5 laps to go, I had a small group of 3-4 riders ahead- prime for the uphill taking. Could I possibly go top 10 at D1 collegiate nationals?!?

Then it all came crashing down. Literally.

As I was railing through a right turn halfway down the hill I was squarely planted in the rut...unfortunately I was going a tad fast to stay in said rut. I popped out and went down in a heap. Dammit. My chain was off. So I fixed that. Then I went to ride and noted that my front wheel was not moving at all. Then I saw that my tire wasn't on my rim anymore!!! I rolled my first tubular...what a momentous occaision.

I was decidedly in "oh shit" mode and delayed my run to the pits being in a bit of shock. I was more focused on the riders ahead that were getting ahead- and the riders behind that were blowing by me. Then I realized I wasn't terribly far from the pits...so I ran.

While running I managed to unhook my brake and front skewer in anticipation of the wheel change- super pro. I also vainly tried to keep with the riders through the slower turns and almost fell. I finally ran into the pits with enough desperation to eventually get attention from the SRAM guy, who kind of fell asleep. He grabbed a 404 with a 55psi mud2 (it was HARD) and I was on my way again, trying to regain my positions. I suspect I lost a minute...but that was a significant minute with such tight placing.

Unfortunately my legs enjoyed the "rest" a little too much...they were pretty unwilling to get moving again for the remaining lap. Also, I can personally attest that a mud2 at 55psi does not turn as well as a Grifo at 30psi (you heard it here first). If I had another lap after, maybe I could have salvaged some positions, but there was just no going anymore. I rolled in for 22nd place. I can't say I'm disappointed since I was racing well prior to that point, but I CAN say that I'm pissed that my tire couldn't stay on for ONE MORE FUCKING LAP!

I guess I have 10 months to perfect my tubular gluing- best watch out next year!

I can't wait.

Catch-up

So.

I've gotten behind again.

To recap the weekends:

November 22-23-Whitmore's Super Cross Cup
Day 1:
Thanks to Dylan McNicholas missing the start on Saturday (and my front row start), I managed to get out well, make the front group, and finally get off on my own and get my first win of the season! Let's just say my legs felt great that day. I rode solo (e.g. damage control mode) for what seemed like forever (with no lap cards) before the official signaled that I was done. Which was good because I lost a contact lens and I couldn't see- note the picture.

(photo from cyclingcaptured.com)

It ended up that I had a 40 second gap to second place. The key to winning? Have the main competitors not register (Jeff Bahnson), DNS (Dylan), or start in the last row (Colin).

Day 2:
Dylan made it to the start on Sunday. Also, Will Dugan rode for UVM so he could qualify for collegiate nationals. And unlike Saturday, he was there to ride on Sunday.

Just like on Saturday the split occurred somewhat early and before not too long we had a group of 5 riders (Dylan, Will, Rob Collins, Alex Crooks, and myself). I was hoping we had gotten a good jump on the last row starters but when I slid out on an off camber...sure enough there was Dylan and Will. Then they decided they had enough riding at our pedestrian pace. Will put in a few attacks that popped everyone but Dylan, myself included. I managed to claw my way back and join them again on the steep hill when I found that Will had broken his chain from the application of too many watts. So then it was down to just Dylan and me. We rode together for most of the race (Dylan would later tell me he was feeling ill) before I tried a few attacks in the last lap. After finding out that attacks were futile (if Dugan couldn't drop him, how the hell could I?), I got on his wheel and figured I'd take my chances in the sprint. That is why I put a 48T outer ring on, after all.

As we came into the final pavement section I set up on Dylan's wheel. There was a long straight drag, a gentle right hand onto some bumpy grass, and then a short pavement finish. I emphasize short, because I imagined it was longer, despite riding it so many times. Thus, I planned on coming around after the grass. Long story short- didn't work. As we came off the grass I thought I had a chance, but Dylan stood up and put in a couple good pedal strokes to shut the door. Ack. Oh well...taking Dylan to a sprint for the win is pretty good anyday...even if it was an off-day for him.

November 29-30- NOTHING!
I think I lost my chance for third place in the Verge series by not going to Baystate. Meh.

December 6-7- NBX
Day 1: Decidedly a power course. Yes.

Despite my epic fall(s) in the sand thanks to overzealous running (see Colin's end of the season recap ~3min in) I was able to recover and constantly re-attach myself to the front group either through said running or riding very hard in a straight line. The first few laps were pretty tame and there was a rather large group at the front of the race- not what I wanted. I could see no one wanted to come around Dylan, so I took the initiative and went right to the front. I'm not sure how effective the initial attack was, but I eventually got the group down to 5, then 4, and then just Dylan, James Tosca, and myself. With a podium position effectively in hand, I was willing to let them get back in front and take some rest. So I let them fight each other over the last few laps until they pulled away in the last 300m and I slotted into third. Regarding the battle for the verge podium? James "Slim" Patterson flatted earlier in the race, Colin was 5th, and Jeremy Dunn was 7th- no one was out of contention. It really would come down to the final race of the season. Pretty cool.

Day 2:
This was the polar opposite of the previous day, although the course retained (and in fact lengthened) its running sections. It also snowed 2" overnight. When you take out practically all the power sections and replace them with tight turns covered in mud/snow it wasn't shaping up to be great for me. Colin expressed that he was worried about my MAD running skills. I didn't tell him that I was worried about his riding skills.

Right out of the start I got swarmed and slid back in the field. So it didn't help that the attacks started early (from what I heard). Then I couldn't clip into my pedals for half a lap. I was instantly out of contention for the battle for the win between Patterson, Tosca, and Dylan, but everyone who really mattered was still in relative sight. Colin was in a two man group 50m ahead, and I was constantly yo-yo'ing with Jeremy, Cary, and a few others. If I could beat Jeremy and remain within a couple places of Colin (if he doesn't podium), then I could maybe get third for the series. Unfortunately this race was a series of one mistake after another.

The running sections kept me in contact with the group (when I was on my feet), but not with Jeremy since he is apparently a very strong runner as well. The procedure was as follows:

1. ride into sandpit (usually in second wheel)
2. botch dismount, hit course tape/stake, or trip (or combination thereof)
3. get passed by Cary et al.
4. get up
5. empty mouth of sand
6. run past Cary et al.
7. lose 5m to Jeremy

With every fall JD would extend his gap on me by just a little bit- enough that I couldn't ride back on without long power sections. Jeremy was pulling away and Colin already had his gap, although it was slightly coming back. Cary reminded me to stay calm and ride smoothly, but I kept trying to power through technical sections and riding really sloppy. Not my finest day.

In the end, both Tosca and Dylan flatted which allowed Colin to pull into 2nd and Jeremy into 3rd. Of course Dylan had such a huge gap prior that he rode the entire lap on the flat and still beat me for fourth. No matter...even if I got that place I would have ended up 5th for the series. The only thing I could have done was actually beat Colin and Jeremy...which wasn't going to happen that day. In any case it doesn't matter (although the cowbell would have been nice), but it was a ton of fun racing against those guys all season. I'm sure we all cannot wait to get killed in the elite races next year.

Maybe I'll go re-read Matt Kraus' article/interview in CXmagazine to inspire me to upgrade next season...

Mercer Cup USGP

Aside from nationals, this was probably the biggest weekend of the season, at least as far as the professionals go. For us lowly amateurs, we could only bask in their awesomeness while "prepping" the course for their races.

It rained the night before, which meant mud...but there shouldn't be this much!


From the week prior, I had been dealing with sub-par shifting thanks to old shifter housing. With this fixed, I was excited with the prospect of changing gears. Unfortunately, this weekend came down to the fact that my bike never wanted to stay in ANY gear...

Day 1:
Tip #1 for having a good race- make sure you are at the start when the gun goes off!

I was busy warming up on the course when I heard "1 minute to the start of the Men's 2/3/4 race!" Unlike the Verge series, there was little to no time scheduled between races for course preview. This threw off my usual warm-up of getting onto the course when the previous race winner crosses the finish line. I frantically rode over to the starting pavement area to see the entire field gridded up and waiting for the signal to go. I stripped down to my skinsuit just to hear the whistle and watch the race go by. A spectator held up the course tape as I ducked under the joined in, already 50m behind the last rider in the field. Richard Fries instantly commented on my remarkable start, noting that I was a "podium finisher in the New England Verge series" but was dead last here.

The holeshot accordian allowed me to make contact with the field and proceed to weave through. I pulled up next to Jeremy Dunn and was only a few wheels behind Colin. I should note that most of my progess was made by running through (and over) others- not by riding. After only a few hundred meters it became apparent that you could run most of the course faster than you could ride. I began to wish I'd gone to the nordic practices and actually run in the past year.

Running was fine. Riding was not. As I tried to churn through the thick mud, my chain would slip on EVERY pedal stroke, causing more than a few disastrous unclippings. So I stopped and played with my barrel adjustors. Then I tried to ride 25m more and realized that didn't help. So I did it again. And again. Linnea can testify that I actually flipped the bike over to do this at one point. The only gear I could use was my 15 tooth. Unfortunately that was far too big a gear to turn at any section of the course, save the pavement finish. Turning a 39x24/27 was hard enough. My bike was a big muddy weight, incapable of helping me in any way. Anyone have a spare pit bike?

In any case, I slipped and ran my way around the course 4 times, for a total race time of probably 1 hour (note that the race was supposed to be 40 minutes). The top riders were turning in 14+ minutes laps, so I can only figure it was far worse for me (since I was probably almost lapped!). Either way, I didn't get placed since I missed the start. Probably good...I don't really want existing evidence of that race.

Day 2:

I took my bike to the SRAM mechanics after the race on Saturday to find out that my derailleur hanger was significantly bent. After riding around on the road a little, it seemed that my situation was resolved. Or not.

I actually made it to the start on Sunday and rode to the first mud section in a pretty decent position. Then I realized the same thing was happening with my rear cluster. Every pedal stroke felt like my chain was breaking. So I ran a little (ok, a lot). Then I tried to ride down the false flat and someone ran by me. Then I gave up. I didn't feel like fighting my bike for another 40 minutes. So that was it for the weekend.

As it turns out, I didn't consider the fact that my cassette is probably 3 years old, and my chain barely a month. I guess that could explain why it was slipping...

Richard Fries put it in perspective when he saw me walking around during my race- "Everyone has a shitty weekend- forget about it, and come back next week."

Here's a picture of local pro/hero Dan Timmerman on the first day. If these guys won't ride this stuff, what hope do the mere mortals have?