A large contingent of GetAGrip racers came to NewCastle for the xterra race Saturday – and I got to meet a few new faces from the team – Derrick even introduced himself with a handshake as he blew past me on the run! I had won the woman’s race here last year, so was hoping for a repeat. I had spoken with Bev earlier in the week and she had a calf muscle pull, so I knew she would just be managing herself on the run, and I had to wonder if any of the new faces at the race would be my competition. I exited the water same time as last, and heard them announcing the first woman was already heading out on her bike! I knew I had my work cut out. I did catch her within probably 3 miles on the bike, and I noticed her long skinny legs, and thought she must be one of those fast swimmer/runners! So I better get a good lead on the bike. I rode pretty well, nothing spectacular, I think with a couple of reroute they put on the course, it was a couple minutes faster than last years course. Heading out onto the run I heard Bev coming in from the bike –she out split me by 2 minutes – I better get working harder on the bike! I suffered on the run, my run has just abandoned me at every race this year. I’ve been working hard in training, but its just not showing on my run splits – 2 minutes slower run this year compared to last. But I did manage to hang on for the win by 4 minutes.
The team had a great showing! I admit its fun to have all you guys blast by me on the bike and run shouting encouragement – it gives me a lift each time someone goes by. Next up is Logansport Aug 16.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
DINO New Castle XTERRA
I haven't been posting much, for no good reason. Well, other than being lazy I guess.
Ted did a nice job with the write-up for XTERRA ONE. Seems like whenever I make a decent trip with Ted the result is a good thing. Last year we went to Tennessee together and I got my first ever podium finish. Well, we made a trip to Ohio, and I once again came home with a 2nd place finish. I've decided that road trips racing with Ted are a good thing, even though the long drive sucks.
Coming off of my 2nd place in Ohio, Ted talked me into going to New Castle. I wasn't feeling it and was ready for a weekend off. Nisha made a good point though: once winter rolls around and 'cross season is over, I'll be kicking myself for not taking advantage of ever race I could. Sold.
Ted, Ken, and I made the drive down Friday night. We got a late start, we had planned on leaving around 1 pm to get a good pre-ride in. Arriving around 7:30 left us enough time to get in the first 3 miles of the course just in time to turn around and get stranded on the trails in the dark. We made it back safe and got ourselves a hotel.
The morning of the race, Tim showed up for the pre-ride early (he left later and slept in his car) while we set up in transition. With nearly the whole team assembled, we were ready to make an impact in New Castle. Tim, Ted, Ken, Cheryl, Derrick, and myself all showed up ready to race.
The gun went off and into the water we went. I haven't done any swim training this year (save for about 6,000m in 7 months...total), so I haven't seen Ted after the swim start since '07. I'll happily give up that minute or so in the water for my other gains, though.
The swim was uneventful through the swim out. At the first turn I took a foot to the face and incurred a rush of water into my goggles. I stopped for about 5 seconds to get them fixed and was back off. At the second turn I picked out some green sleeves and realized it was Tim. I latched onto his feet and made my way to shore.
Tim and I made our way into T1 right next to each other, and left in quick fashion together as well. That was all I saw of Tim's trail. I calmed my HR and got into a groove for about a mile, when I heard Tim yell to keep pushing. I looked up to see where he was and promptly lost my balance in a tight, uphill switchback. DOH!
Back onto the bike and I was off. About 6 miles in someone comes up behind me and tells me he lives across the street from the park and essentially gives me a guided tour for about 3 miles. The final mile I rode right behind him with Brian Hanson right behind me. I got a chance to meet Brian at Torn Shirt about a month back and knew if I was with him at this point I was happy with my positioning.
The final mile or so was pretty uneventful and I came into T2 easily in the top 20. I leave T2 with with Brian who wastes no time dropping me, but I also left T2 with Cheryl. We run together for about a quarter mile, and I was lucky enough to have the legs to pull ahead of her for the first time!
The remainder of the run went more or less as planned, and was very lonely. In 2007 I got used to being further back in the pack which meant a lot more people were around. I was passed by 2 people, passed 2 others, and finished all alone.
Once all is said and done, Ted won his AG, Tim took 2nd in ours, I took 3rd. Derrick 3rd in his AG, but none of this compares to Cheryl taking yet another overall female win!
Team Get a Grip Offroad left New Castle with 5 people in the top 10 overall, which seems pretty solid for a team if you ask me. Right now we are on pace to finish well in the overall standings in the North Central Region, but I'll bite my tongue until we can finish off with our best.
Ted did a nice job with the write-up for XTERRA ONE. Seems like whenever I make a decent trip with Ted the result is a good thing. Last year we went to Tennessee together and I got my first ever podium finish. Well, we made a trip to Ohio, and I once again came home with a 2nd place finish. I've decided that road trips racing with Ted are a good thing, even though the long drive sucks.
Coming off of my 2nd place in Ohio, Ted talked me into going to New Castle. I wasn't feeling it and was ready for a weekend off. Nisha made a good point though: once winter rolls around and 'cross season is over, I'll be kicking myself for not taking advantage of ever race I could. Sold.
Ted, Ken, and I made the drive down Friday night. We got a late start, we had planned on leaving around 1 pm to get a good pre-ride in. Arriving around 7:30 left us enough time to get in the first 3 miles of the course just in time to turn around and get stranded on the trails in the dark. We made it back safe and got ourselves a hotel.
The morning of the race, Tim showed up for the pre-ride early (he left later and slept in his car) while we set up in transition. With nearly the whole team assembled, we were ready to make an impact in New Castle. Tim, Ted, Ken, Cheryl, Derrick, and myself all showed up ready to race.
The gun went off and into the water we went. I haven't done any swim training this year (save for about 6,000m in 7 months...total), so I haven't seen Ted after the swim start since '07. I'll happily give up that minute or so in the water for my other gains, though.
The swim was uneventful through the swim out. At the first turn I took a foot to the face and incurred a rush of water into my goggles. I stopped for about 5 seconds to get them fixed and was back off. At the second turn I picked out some green sleeves and realized it was Tim. I latched onto his feet and made my way to shore.
Tim and I made our way into T1 right next to each other, and left in quick fashion together as well. That was all I saw of Tim's trail. I calmed my HR and got into a groove for about a mile, when I heard Tim yell to keep pushing. I looked up to see where he was and promptly lost my balance in a tight, uphill switchback. DOH!
Back onto the bike and I was off. About 6 miles in someone comes up behind me and tells me he lives across the street from the park and essentially gives me a guided tour for about 3 miles. The final mile I rode right behind him with Brian Hanson right behind me. I got a chance to meet Brian at Torn Shirt about a month back and knew if I was with him at this point I was happy with my positioning.
The final mile or so was pretty uneventful and I came into T2 easily in the top 20. I leave T2 with with Brian who wastes no time dropping me, but I also left T2 with Cheryl. We run together for about a quarter mile, and I was lucky enough to have the legs to pull ahead of her for the first time!
The remainder of the run went more or less as planned, and was very lonely. In 2007 I got used to being further back in the pack which meant a lot more people were around. I was passed by 2 people, passed 2 others, and finished all alone.
Once all is said and done, Ted won his AG, Tim took 2nd in ours, I took 3rd. Derrick 3rd in his AG, but none of this compares to Cheryl taking yet another overall female win!
Team Get a Grip Offroad left New Castle with 5 people in the top 10 overall, which seems pretty solid for a team if you ask me. Right now we are on pace to finish well in the overall standings in the North Central Region, but I'll bite my tongue until we can finish off with our best.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Xterra One
Brandon and I traveled to the greater Cleveland area for the inaugural Xterra O.N.E. at West Branch state park. I like racing in Ohio because one of my first Xterra's was at Paint Creek state park back in 2000, and in 2006 I won my only Xterra ever at the Mad Dog Triathlon.
After Brandon and I pre-rode the course on Saturday, I knew this would be a mountain bikers course. The track is scary fast with lots of tight turns between trees, and many roots and boulders to disrupt your momentum. This will be a fun race.
Race Day
At the gun I mark Cayo Ramirez, but I can't stay with him because he is drafting off Peter Hanson. At the turn around they have about 50 yards on me. I finally get past some dude who kept swimming into me and I get into a groove. I exit the water in 6th but my awesome transition skills get me to the single track in second place (I think).
Riding the middle ring, I feel good and quickly catch Hanson. After I pass him I lose control in a muddy section and crash into a tree and he catches up to me. Just as I build another lead a pedal catches a rock, nearly throwing me over my handlebars and derailing my chain off the crank. I get off the bike to fix it and Hanson catches me again. I take off riding a little more cautiously than before.
At about the halfway point I realize I'm in first because I surprise the spectators and course marshals as I ride by. At the only open section of the course I look back and see I have a big cushion because no one is in sight. The rest of the ride is lonely and I focus on riding smart to avoid any crashes or mechanicals. At T2 I confirm I'm in first because there are no other bikes in the rack.
I take off out of T2 like I stole something because I don't know if any of these local Ohio racers are good runners. I attack the boulder climb in the first mile and I feel good. About 3 miles in I get comfortable and put it on cruise control. All of a sudden someone sneaks up behind me and they are less than 30 seconds back. Fear and adrenalin kick in and I take off. I drill it to the end and end up taking the tape.
Mad props to Brandon for taking second in his age group. These points put us both in 1st in our respective age groups for the Xterra regional point series.
Next up Xterra DINO New Castle.
After Brandon and I pre-rode the course on Saturday, I knew this would be a mountain bikers course. The track is scary fast with lots of tight turns between trees, and many roots and boulders to disrupt your momentum. This will be a fun race.
Race Day
At the gun I mark Cayo Ramirez, but I can't stay with him because he is drafting off Peter Hanson. At the turn around they have about 50 yards on me. I finally get past some dude who kept swimming into me and I get into a groove. I exit the water in 6th but my awesome transition skills get me to the single track in second place (I think).
Riding the middle ring, I feel good and quickly catch Hanson. After I pass him I lose control in a muddy section and crash into a tree and he catches up to me. Just as I build another lead a pedal catches a rock, nearly throwing me over my handlebars and derailing my chain off the crank. I get off the bike to fix it and Hanson catches me again. I take off riding a little more cautiously than before.
At about the halfway point I realize I'm in first because I surprise the spectators and course marshals as I ride by. At the only open section of the course I look back and see I have a big cushion because no one is in sight. The rest of the ride is lonely and I focus on riding smart to avoid any crashes or mechanicals. At T2 I confirm I'm in first because there are no other bikes in the rack.
I take off out of T2 like I stole something because I don't know if any of these local Ohio racers are good runners. I attack the boulder climb in the first mile and I feel good. About 3 miles in I get comfortable and put it on cruise control. All of a sudden someone sneaks up behind me and they are less than 30 seconds back. Fear and adrenalin kick in and I take off. I drill it to the end and end up taking the tape.
Mad props to Brandon for taking second in his age group. These points put us both in 1st in our respective age groups for the Xterra regional point series.
Next up Xterra DINO New Castle.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Doubling up on Superweek weekend
Superweek –
Blue Island Cat4/5 - 14th
Blue Island Cat4 – 14th
Olympia Fields Cat4/5 – 2nd
Olympia Fields Cat4 – 8th
I was only able to race these two Superweek events, so I decided to double up both days and do the 4/5 and 4 races back to back.
Blue Island Cat4/5 - 14th
The pace was pretty fast and there were several attacking attempts, including a couple myself. A Wild Card rider gets off the front and his teammates are blocking. Only 1 or 2 guys are working to reel him in. I help despite being outnumbered because I don't want to accept second place as the best possible scenario. I trade a few pulls with Loukas from XXX and we eventually retrieve the solo rider. I'm with the final group of 14 when the announcer calls the final lap. The pace slows to a crawl immediately, and a rider tried to squeeze through a quickly closing gap directly ahead of me. Of course the slight contact caused a meeting with the pavement for the poor fellow. I swerve to avoid and someone else rides into me from behind. My rear skids out a bit but I keep it upright and try to chase the pack who have now dropped the hammer. Frustratingly, the harder I pedal the more they pull away. I finally concede when I see no one else is chasing and I soft pedal through the line. Upon inspection I see my rear wheel was knocked out of true causing break rub. Damn. 14th place (They paid through 12)
Blue Island Cat4 – 14th
I rushed to my car and switched bib numbers to do the Cat4 race. I had just enough time to swap my wheel with neutral support and take a spot on the line. Compared to the 4/5 race, it seemed lethargic, which was fine for me because it allowed me some time to recover. Another hour of going around the rectangle and I stay with the lead pack of 20+ riders but get bad positioning and end up 14th in the group sprint. Not the results I had hoped for on the first day but a good 2hr training effort.
Day 2
Olympia Fields Cat4/5 – 2nd
I will let others disparage the course, I had my best road racing result yesterday so maybe the layout suited me. J The pace started out blazing fast with XXX intent on splitting the field early. I bridged a couple small gaps to hold onto the leaders (3 XXX riders, 1 VeePak, 1 Pegasus guy and some other dude) Outnumbered again, I still took a few pulls to help ensure we weren’t caught. We worked pretty well together, but I was always getting gapped on the 120 degree turn that had already claimed several other riders’ skin. I was able to sprint back on, but I didn’t have the nerve to lean in without scrubbing some speed first. With about 10 laps to go Loukas from XXX wrecked and took out another XXX teammate directly ahead of me on the 120degree turn. I had to swing wide and sprint even harder to make contact with the remaining 4 riders. The VeePak guy attacked immediately after the crash, so three of us worked together to reel him in. In the beautiful karmic justice, the solo VeePak rider took himself out of the race 5 laps later on the same 120degree. The remaining 3 of us shared 1 lap pulls and worked well together. At the start of the last lap the XXX rider jumped and managed to hold his lead. I was able to take second.
Olympia Fields Cat4 – 8th
Another quick change and I was back on the line. The pace started just as fast and I had to work even harder to keep from being gapped. I was using blockers on the back straightaway to bring me back to the pack. 7 riders got off the front and I was in the second group of about 6 with 3MetCycling riders. We were a bit disorganized, but everyone put in an effort. I took a lesson from the last race and attacked at the same spot as the winner from the previous race. Suprisingly only a 2CC rider was able to match and then pass me. He took the final turn quicker but I dug in and beat him to the line. The 2 man break was absolutely flying, almost lapping the entire field.
I wish I could continue with Superweek but work wouldn’t allow it. I had a great time and was able to meet some cool people from the local road scene. Part of the Criterium poker game is knowing who the real threats are. Tough luck to Loukas for the wreck, but thankfully his sweet powder blue Indy Fab bike is fine. Next up … Whitewater Rafting in Maine and then the Chicago Criterium
Blue Island Cat4/5 - 14th
Blue Island Cat4 – 14th
Olympia Fields Cat4/5 – 2nd
Olympia Fields Cat4 – 8th
I was only able to race these two Superweek events, so I decided to double up both days and do the 4/5 and 4 races back to back.
Blue Island Cat4/5 - 14th
The pace was pretty fast and there were several attacking attempts, including a couple myself. A Wild Card rider gets off the front and his teammates are blocking. Only 1 or 2 guys are working to reel him in. I help despite being outnumbered because I don't want to accept second place as the best possible scenario. I trade a few pulls with Loukas from XXX and we eventually retrieve the solo rider. I'm with the final group of 14 when the announcer calls the final lap. The pace slows to a crawl immediately, and a rider tried to squeeze through a quickly closing gap directly ahead of me. Of course the slight contact caused a meeting with the pavement for the poor fellow. I swerve to avoid and someone else rides into me from behind. My rear skids out a bit but I keep it upright and try to chase the pack who have now dropped the hammer. Frustratingly, the harder I pedal the more they pull away. I finally concede when I see no one else is chasing and I soft pedal through the line. Upon inspection I see my rear wheel was knocked out of true causing break rub. Damn. 14th place (They paid through 12)
Blue Island Cat4 – 14th
I rushed to my car and switched bib numbers to do the Cat4 race. I had just enough time to swap my wheel with neutral support and take a spot on the line. Compared to the 4/5 race, it seemed lethargic, which was fine for me because it allowed me some time to recover. Another hour of going around the rectangle and I stay with the lead pack of 20+ riders but get bad positioning and end up 14th in the group sprint. Not the results I had hoped for on the first day but a good 2hr training effort.
Day 2
Olympia Fields Cat4/5 – 2nd
I will let others disparage the course, I had my best road racing result yesterday so maybe the layout suited me. J The pace started out blazing fast with XXX intent on splitting the field early. I bridged a couple small gaps to hold onto the leaders (3 XXX riders, 1 VeePak, 1 Pegasus guy and some other dude) Outnumbered again, I still took a few pulls to help ensure we weren’t caught. We worked pretty well together, but I was always getting gapped on the 120 degree turn that had already claimed several other riders’ skin. I was able to sprint back on, but I didn’t have the nerve to lean in without scrubbing some speed first. With about 10 laps to go Loukas from XXX wrecked and took out another XXX teammate directly ahead of me on the 120degree turn. I had to swing wide and sprint even harder to make contact with the remaining 4 riders. The VeePak guy attacked immediately after the crash, so three of us worked together to reel him in. In the beautiful karmic justice, the solo VeePak rider took himself out of the race 5 laps later on the same 120degree. The remaining 3 of us shared 1 lap pulls and worked well together. At the start of the last lap the XXX rider jumped and managed to hold his lead. I was able to take second.
Olympia Fields Cat4 – 8th
Another quick change and I was back on the line. The pace started just as fast and I had to work even harder to keep from being gapped. I was using blockers on the back straightaway to bring me back to the pack. 7 riders got off the front and I was in the second group of about 6 with 3MetCycling riders. We were a bit disorganized, but everyone put in an effort. I took a lesson from the last race and attacked at the same spot as the winner from the previous race. Suprisingly only a 2CC rider was able to match and then pass me. He took the final turn quicker but I dug in and beat him to the line. The 2 man break was absolutely flying, almost lapping the entire field.
I wish I could continue with Superweek but work wouldn’t allow it. I had a great time and was able to meet some cool people from the local road scene. Part of the Criterium poker game is knowing who the real threats are. Tough luck to Loukas for the wreck, but thankfully his sweet powder blue Indy Fab bike is fine. Next up … Whitewater Rafting in Maine and then the Chicago Criterium
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
PALOS MELTDOWN 2008
Hey everyone the Palos Meltdown Registration is up. Last year was a mess if you tried to register late. I would suggest that if you plan to race you get on it. I pasted the link in to help out a bit.
http://cambr.org/SMF/index.php?action=irace
Just click on Registration at the top of the page and you should be all set.
http://cambr.org/SMF/index.php?action=irace
Just click on Registration at the top of the page and you should be all set.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
