In our first formal season, we have to send a congratulations out to Cheryl! Having a great year capped off by a solid race in Maui has landed Cheryl on the 2007 XTERRA All Americans list!
From insidetri.com:
2007 XTERRA ALL-AMERICANS LIST
Wow! What a rockin' year of off-road action! Now that the dirt has settled, the mud has dried up and the lakes have frozen, we bring you the top XTERRA age-group athletes of the '07 season. We've listed the top five athletes in each category. Selections were based primarily on points scored during the 50+ race XTERRA America Tour season, taking into consideration national and world championship contests and head-to-head competition. An asterisk denotes the XTERRA world champion in each group.
You can check out the site here.
Congratulations Cheryl! It's great to have you on the team. Hopefully this gives you and the rest of us something to shoot for in 2008!
As 2007 came to a close, it found Ted as the 30-34 M XTERRA Points Series Champion in and Cheryl as the 40-44 F XTERRA Points Series Champion, both in the North Central Region.
Ted had two 1st place and one 2nd place finish to his credit in Points Series Races to give him 217 points total. Cheryl had two 1st place finishes at Points Series Races, and a 2nd in a Regional Championship Race to end 2007 with 240 points.
Tim finished in 3rd position, Brandon in 4th, both in the 25-29 M. Tim had a 2nd and 3rd in Points Series Races, and 6th in a Regional Championship to round out his best three finishes (191 total points). Brandon had a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in Points Series Races to leave him 7 points behind Tim (184 total points).
I fully expect Tim and I to both move up next year, and have my fingers crossed for each of us to work at least one Points Series win into our schedules.
Ted has already voiced his points series goals for 2008, if I remember correctly he is shooting for 232, which would be two Points Series wins and a 3rd place in a Regional Championship. I'd like to see at least 209 (one Points Series win and two 2nd place finishes), and I expect Tim to do just as well, and hopefully better.
As for Cheryl, well anything short of the 240 points she posted in 2007 just won't hold water with me! ;-)
Best of luck guys training through the winter. My running is going well so far, I hope you all can keep up come spring!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
100/100 Challenge
Tomorrow will bring me to 30% complete! I just realized tonight though, that I've been posting about this challenge for a couple of weeks and I've never added a link!
Click here to go to the Google Doc and check out the progress of all of the athletes.
Speaking of Google Docs, if you haven't used them and share any documents within a group, I highly recommend checking it out. It allows a group to keep a document posted online without having multiple versions of the document floating around via email. You can edit and save online, just like you would on your own computer, and publish safely for your group to see only, or invite others to check if out.
Here is a screen shot from my computer tonight looking at the docs I share:
That's it for now. 13.4 miles today and I am beat. I had to get the miles in though, how often is it nearly 50 degrees outside in late December in Chicago?!
Click here to go to the Google Doc and check out the progress of all of the athletes.
Speaking of Google Docs, if you haven't used them and share any documents within a group, I highly recommend checking it out. It allows a group to keep a document posted online without having multiple versions of the document floating around via email. You can edit and save online, just like you would on your own computer, and publish safely for your group to see only, or invite others to check if out.
Here is a screen shot from my computer tonight looking at the docs I share:
That's it for now. 13.4 miles today and I am beat. I had to get the miles in though, how often is it nearly 50 degrees outside in late December in Chicago?!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
More than 20%!
The 100/100 challenge is well underway at this point. Yesterday was my 20th run, it turned out to be just short of 6 miles holding a steady 8:08/mi pace.
I'm seeing some improvements already, and I'm only 20 days in. I guess this "training" stuff really does work. I've heard "more is more" for quite some time, but never had the enthusiasm/work ethic/patience to test it out. With a summer PB 5k time of 20:40, I hope to see if all of this running actually pays off this winter.
Now, onto something new for me: RaceDay and TriUtilities software. I'm just in the free trial period right now trying to get the hang of it, but basically it's software that takes input from each of your training sessions, uses a training score for that workout, and logs net positive effect (fitness), negative effect (fatigue), and balances those out to predict future performance.
In the long run, it should aid in showing your fitness and fatigue, and could potentially be used to help with preparation, program design, and taper for a race. Will this work as advertised? We shall see!
Here are a few screen shots from Race Day. First is the basic home page:
Here is a shot of the "overview" page showing training effect (positive and negative) as well as performance prediction:
Next is a photo from the Training page, which is more or less a log of each days' activity level:
Where do each days "Training" numbers come from? For me, they come from TriUtilities. I have been using the TRIMP Calculator to find the net effect from each session. This is a simple plug of information and it spits out a number. That result gets plugged into the RaceDay software, and we're done!
Here is a screen shot from yesterdays run, slightly under 6 miles at an 8:08/mi pace:
That's it for now. The more I record, the more I tend to want to train the next day. Will all of this pay off in the long run? I sure hope so, but only time will tell!
I'm seeing some improvements already, and I'm only 20 days in. I guess this "training" stuff really does work. I've heard "more is more" for quite some time, but never had the enthusiasm/work ethic/patience to test it out. With a summer PB 5k time of 20:40, I hope to see if all of this running actually pays off this winter.
Now, onto something new for me: RaceDay and TriUtilities software. I'm just in the free trial period right now trying to get the hang of it, but basically it's software that takes input from each of your training sessions, uses a training score for that workout, and logs net positive effect (fitness), negative effect (fatigue), and balances those out to predict future performance.
In the long run, it should aid in showing your fitness and fatigue, and could potentially be used to help with preparation, program design, and taper for a race. Will this work as advertised? We shall see!
Here are a few screen shots from Race Day. First is the basic home page:
Here is a shot of the "overview" page showing training effect (positive and negative) as well as performance prediction:
Next is a photo from the Training page, which is more or less a log of each days' activity level:
Where do each days "Training" numbers come from? For me, they come from TriUtilities. I have been using the TRIMP Calculator to find the net effect from each session. This is a simple plug of information and it spits out a number. That result gets plugged into the RaceDay software, and we're done!
Here is a screen shot from yesterdays run, slightly under 6 miles at an 8:08/mi pace:
That's it for now. The more I record, the more I tend to want to train the next day. Will all of this pay off in the long run? I sure hope so, but only time will tell!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Surviving (and Enjoying) the Snow!
Well, Chicago was hit with 5-6" of snow last night. Many people will remain indoors and off the roads to avoid this mess. What does one do when trying to build their best triathlon off-season after getting hit with snow? They get creative.
Check out this blast from last night:
Running in snow can be fun for a little while, but when trying to log some miles I get tired of "dancing" around trying to stay upright. What makes it even worse is having a spastic dog pulling you around wanting nothing more than to sprint, leaving me flailing to keep from landing on my back.
In the true spirit of slowtwitch.com, I found I thread of a fellow "snow leopard" sharing his secret to winter running: sheet metal screws. With the correct placement you don't stab yourself in the foot and end up with great traction.
Thank you GregX for the recommendation, I'm going to be trying your method today! Here is a photo of GregX's shoes already done:
I only hope mine turn out well. Tonight I'm shooting for about 7 miles, and if these screws work it should save me 4-5 minutes on the round trip. Wish me luck!
Check out this blast from last night:
Running in snow can be fun for a little while, but when trying to log some miles I get tired of "dancing" around trying to stay upright. What makes it even worse is having a spastic dog pulling you around wanting nothing more than to sprint, leaving me flailing to keep from landing on my back.
In the true spirit of slowtwitch.com, I found I thread of a fellow "snow leopard" sharing his secret to winter running: sheet metal screws. With the correct placement you don't stab yourself in the foot and end up with great traction.
Thank you GregX for the recommendation, I'm going to be trying your method today! Here is a photo of GregX's shoes already done:
I only hope mine turn out well. Tonight I'm shooting for about 7 miles, and if these screws work it should save me 4-5 minutes on the round trip. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
What a Bunch of Idiots
Today I overheard a conversation at work where one broker was asking the other guy from the office who rides his bike in to work, "Did you ride in today?"
The dude replied that it was too cold and icy today.
Then the broker said, "yeah, I still see guys out there on their bikes. What a bunch of f_ _ _in' idiots."
After work I felt like a champ riding home in the rain.
The dude replied that it was too cold and icy today.
Then the broker said, "yeah, I still see guys out there on their bikes. What a bunch of f_ _ _in' idiots."
After work I felt like a champ riding home in the rain.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Only 10%?
I am officially 10 days into my 100/100 challenge. So far I am running injury free (thanks in part to my Newtons, a b-day gift from Nisha) and feeling good.
Last week was just a hair over 30 miles, roughly 4.5 hours of running not including warm-ups. I'm shocked at how well my body seems to be doing with this, but I keep reminding myself I still have 90 more days and at least 340 more miles!
With that said, here is a link to the spreadsheet tracking the runs:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pGfgkRUvLwmFwPN-1XWFWbQ&hl=en
Feel free to follow along! As you can see, we have about 180 people participating, I can be found on rows 117-119.
As of today, I am ranked 53rd in time, 49th in distance, 59th in speed, and 11th in total number of runs. As you can see, there is some room for improvement!!
Last week was just a hair over 30 miles, roughly 4.5 hours of running not including warm-ups. I'm shocked at how well my body seems to be doing with this, but I keep reminding myself I still have 90 more days and at least 340 more miles!
With that said, here is a link to the spreadsheet tracking the runs:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pGfgkRUvLwmFwPN-1XWFWbQ&hl=en
Feel free to follow along! As you can see, we have about 180 people participating, I can be found on rows 117-119.
As of today, I am ranked 53rd in time, 49th in distance, 59th in speed, and 11th in total number of runs. As you can see, there is some room for improvement!!
Montrose Cross
The last few weeks I have been questioning my effort in my races. I have moments where I'm at the limit, but at the end of the race I question whether or not I could have gone harder.
This being my last race of the season I decided I was not going to hold anything back. I'm going 100% from the gun and I'll have no regrets over the off season that I could have done better.
I had extra motivation too. This was my first big race in the 1/2 ranks. As an average cat 3 crosser, if I didn't want to get embarrassed by these guys I would have to really bring it so they don't drop me at the start. In addition to that I actually had a contingent of fans out along the course cheering for me. I have to have a good race and show them that I haven't been wasting my time training all year long.
I could tell this race was going to be different because I had butterflies in my stomach. Over the years I've become so numb to the excitement of racing that it has been a long time since i had the butterflies before the start of a race.
Tristan Schouten lines up next to me and I know I'm in trouble.
Off the line I went hard to the pavement section and surprisingly I was in fifth place. From that point on I was redlining it for the next hour just trying to hang with anybody who inevitably passed me. I would lose time on the run ups and the straightaways, but could catch back up in the slippery turns.
There wasn't anyplace on the course for me to recover. I blew up about halfway through the race for riding at a pace over my head, but since everyone came to watch I kept pushing through to the end battling to catch the guys ahead of me. I don't think I caught any, but I tried.
When it was all said and done I held on for 10th place.
Afterwards, my chakra was completely drained from my body and I was utterly exhausted for the next day and half. This is how racing used to feel like and even though my result wasn't so great, I was glad to see I could still push myself to the limit.
Chris from Turin designed a short but challenging course. I liked it a lot. Thanks to everyone who came out to the race and was cheering me on. I really needed it.
This being my last race of the season I decided I was not going to hold anything back. I'm going 100% from the gun and I'll have no regrets over the off season that I could have done better.
I had extra motivation too. This was my first big race in the 1/2 ranks. As an average cat 3 crosser, if I didn't want to get embarrassed by these guys I would have to really bring it so they don't drop me at the start. In addition to that I actually had a contingent of fans out along the course cheering for me. I have to have a good race and show them that I haven't been wasting my time training all year long.
I could tell this race was going to be different because I had butterflies in my stomach. Over the years I've become so numb to the excitement of racing that it has been a long time since i had the butterflies before the start of a race.
Tristan Schouten lines up next to me and I know I'm in trouble.
Off the line I went hard to the pavement section and surprisingly I was in fifth place. From that point on I was redlining it for the next hour just trying to hang with anybody who inevitably passed me. I would lose time on the run ups and the straightaways, but could catch back up in the slippery turns.
There wasn't anyplace on the course for me to recover. I blew up about halfway through the race for riding at a pace over my head, but since everyone came to watch I kept pushing through to the end battling to catch the guys ahead of me. I don't think I caught any, but I tried.
When it was all said and done I held on for 10th place.
Afterwards, my chakra was completely drained from my body and I was utterly exhausted for the next day and half. This is how racing used to feel like and even though my result wasn't so great, I was glad to see I could still push myself to the limit.
Chris from Turin designed a short but challenging course. I liked it a lot. Thanks to everyone who came out to the race and was cheering me on. I really needed it.
Illinois CX Championship and ’07 Season Sign-off
I finally got the upgrade points I needed last weekend in WI to race as Cat3. I was in 3rd place for the Cat4 series, but out of striking distance to take the overall, so I decided to upgrade before the IL State Championship at Montrose Park. This was a no pressure race and a measuring stick before heading into the off-season.
I helped create the course for about 4 hours on Saturday. Thankfully my back and shoulder felt fine. I got a late start on Sunday and didn’t have a chance to pre-ride. I knew most of the course layout, but I never took the time to ride it Saturday.
20 people line up and I allow the CHICROSS Cat3 Series contenders to take the front row. The official sends us off 2 minutes after the Cat1/2s and I quickly find myself dropped to near the back of the pack.
It would take too long to describe the entire course, but it was my favorite of the year, even better than JingleCross in Iowa City, IA. It had everything from deep snow to slop, mud and long run-ups. I thought that I had an advantage with the long uphill runs and technical turns on slippery mud.
Back to the race … after a lap I was able to catch and pass 3-4 people on the uphill run.
Coming back down the hill we were sent underneath a soccer goal with the metal base exposed above ground. I misjudged my approach, leaning in too hard when riding over the metal base and I paid for it. My back tire slid out and I was thrown from the bike and skidded off-course across the snow. I smashed my knee against something and my shifters were bent in at a severe angle. Everyone I had passed on the hill, re-passed me as I ripped at my shifters trying to get them straight again.
The bike was fine and my knee seemed ok. I hopped back on and started my chase again. For the next several laps I held my position and was able to reel in everyone that I had lost position too. I got lapped by pro rider Tristan Schouten who fly past like he was riding a dirt bike. There were no other major mistakes and I finshed the race in the middle, 10 of 20.
I’m content with my finish (for now) and confident heading into the off-season. I have a marathon scheduled for Feb 2nd and I’ll start bike racing again in mid to late March. If I can handle freezing temps in December, March will feel balmy in comparison.
I want to thank Get a Grip for their support. Thanks Jason, Matt, Saj, Kevin and Geoff. Our team only worked with the shop for half the racing season, but they have been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. I’m really looking forward to doing it again in ’08.
I also want to thank Nicole for coming along for many of my races and cheering me on, including a very long day and night in Madison during the Ironman, and harrowing adventures to the far west suburbs where we nearly ran out of gas. You’re a trooper.
Best Regards to All,
Tim
I helped create the course for about 4 hours on Saturday. Thankfully my back and shoulder felt fine. I got a late start on Sunday and didn’t have a chance to pre-ride. I knew most of the course layout, but I never took the time to ride it Saturday.
20 people line up and I allow the CHICROSS Cat3 Series contenders to take the front row. The official sends us off 2 minutes after the Cat1/2s and I quickly find myself dropped to near the back of the pack.
It would take too long to describe the entire course, but it was my favorite of the year, even better than JingleCross in Iowa City, IA. It had everything from deep snow to slop, mud and long run-ups. I thought that I had an advantage with the long uphill runs and technical turns on slippery mud.
Back to the race … after a lap I was able to catch and pass 3-4 people on the uphill run.
Coming back down the hill we were sent underneath a soccer goal with the metal base exposed above ground. I misjudged my approach, leaning in too hard when riding over the metal base and I paid for it. My back tire slid out and I was thrown from the bike and skidded off-course across the snow. I smashed my knee against something and my shifters were bent in at a severe angle. Everyone I had passed on the hill, re-passed me as I ripped at my shifters trying to get them straight again.
The bike was fine and my knee seemed ok. I hopped back on and started my chase again. For the next several laps I held my position and was able to reel in everyone that I had lost position too. I got lapped by pro rider Tristan Schouten who fly past like he was riding a dirt bike. There were no other major mistakes and I finshed the race in the middle, 10 of 20.
I’m content with my finish (for now) and confident heading into the off-season. I have a marathon scheduled for Feb 2nd and I’ll start bike racing again in mid to late March. If I can handle freezing temps in December, March will feel balmy in comparison.
I want to thank Get a Grip for their support. Thanks Jason, Matt, Saj, Kevin and Geoff. Our team only worked with the shop for half the racing season, but they have been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. I’m really looking forward to doing it again in ’08.
I also want to thank Nicole for coming along for many of my races and cheering me on, including a very long day and night in Madison during the Ironman, and harrowing adventures to the far west suburbs where we nearly ran out of gas. You’re a trooper.
Best Regards to All,
Tim
Pop Quiz!
What is Ted doing in this picture?
A) Making a landing strip for Santa’s sleigh.
B) Sulking about Illinois’ OT loss to Arizona
C) Helping to clear the CHICROSS course at Montrose Park
The answer is D) All of the above. We both showed up on Saturday and helped the Turin RD clear sections of the course, drive stakes (sometimes into frozen solid groud) and tape off. Part of the course was a blank canvas that we got to decide the layout. I can’t decide if we helped or hurt our own placing with the sections of course we created. I enjoyed helping and the race was top notch.
A) Making a landing strip for Santa’s sleigh.
B) Sulking about Illinois’ OT loss to Arizona
C) Helping to clear the CHICROSS course at Montrose Park
The answer is D) All of the above. We both showed up on Saturday and helped the Turin RD clear sections of the course, drive stakes (sometimes into frozen solid groud) and tape off. Part of the course was a blank canvas that we got to decide the layout. I can’t decide if we helped or hurt our own placing with the sections of course we created. I enjoyed helping and the race was top notch.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Hales Corner CX
If I didn't crash so much and I could avoid bike malfunctions, I would be such an awesome racer.
Ha, just kidding. I might move up a spot or two but i'd still finish far from glory, fame and beautiful women.
Under dry conditions Hales corner would be a nice fast course, but the previous days snowfall added an additional challenge. The day went to those who could churn out the most power while grinding through snow and mud at 8 or 9 MPH. Guiding my bike through the worn in, muddy track was a constant challenge.
When it was all said and done I was exhauasted but i still questioned whether or not I left it all on the course. And if I did, did I expend my energy at the right times to my maximum advantage. I think the key to racing is knowing when are the right times to expend your energy and when to ease off the accelerator. After all these years of racing, I don't know if I figured it out yet.
One small rant, when a race goes off in waves everyone should start in the wave they registered for. Don't pimp everyone else you're competing against by jumping in a different wave. That's cheating and you might as well just cut the course or take EPO too. I guess the blame lies partially with the officials for not checking race numbers before each start.
Ha, just kidding. I might move up a spot or two but i'd still finish far from glory, fame and beautiful women.
Under dry conditions Hales corner would be a nice fast course, but the previous days snowfall added an additional challenge. The day went to those who could churn out the most power while grinding through snow and mud at 8 or 9 MPH. Guiding my bike through the worn in, muddy track was a constant challenge.
When it was all said and done I was exhauasted but i still questioned whether or not I left it all on the course. And if I did, did I expend my energy at the right times to my maximum advantage. I think the key to racing is knowing when are the right times to expend your energy and when to ease off the accelerator. After all these years of racing, I don't know if I figured it out yet.
One small rant, when a race goes off in waves everyone should start in the wave they registered for. Don't pimp everyone else you're competing against by jumping in a different wave. That's cheating and you might as well just cut the course or take EPO too. I guess the blame lies partially with the officials for not checking race numbers before each start.
WI State CX Championship
The race that almost didn't happen (for me). Chicago got some nasty freezing rain on Saturday and I was questioning if I would be able to safely drive up to Milwaukee the next morning. Thankfully temps rose above 40 and the ice quickly thawed. Against better judgement, I left my warm bed and got ready to race.
As I was driving North I noticed that WI had received much more snow and much less ice. The course was under about 3 inches of snow with an icy crust on top, it was the consistency of a snow cone. I tried a test lap on my cross bike with comical results. My hubs, rims, brakes and bottom bracket were like magnets for this snow and it quickly built up, adding several pounds to the bike. I thought that the Orbea Alma would ride better in the snow. Wrong. It just spun and spun on top of the snow, never able to get purchase. I needed skinny tires that could cut through the snow down to the ground.
We lined up and the starters told us that we will only have 2 laps instead of a 30 minute race and then sends us off. Getting some momentum took a while and hammering didn't work because you would spin out if you applied too much torque.
The course would have been nice under ideal conditions. A couple switchbacks, a sand pit, a medium length climb and barrier sections with 3 barriers instead of just 2. During the climb on lap one I hopped off the bike and ran faster than the two guys ahead of my rode/spun it. A downhill left turn was interesting because my breaks were working at about 20% efficiency; it was more of a controlled skid.
After the first lap I was in 4th place between the usual CHICROSS suspects. Lap two was a bit easier to ride as the snow was displaced, lines were created and the tires could get to the dirt. I passed Aspen who was hindered by a slipping seat, and I overtook 2nd who broke a chain (Props to "Newt" for shouldering the bike and running the next 1.5 laps instead of DNFing).
I thought that the race was over when I came in after lap number two, but the RD decided to let us go for three. I tried to chase 1st down but I couldn't do it and the race finished in the same order as the Jackson Park Chicross (Zoller, Yuska, Gorry).
Thanks to Aspen for the encouragement during the race. Unfortunately I didn't have enough in the tank, but I got what I needed, 7 upgrade points so I can move up to Cat3. It is usually the races in these crazy conditions that you will remember the most. I will always remember the '06 Chicross Championship at Montrose Harbor and the insane iced over course and chilling winds. It will be interesting to see what Mother Nature has in store for us this Sunday.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Check In
It's been a while since I've posted. No racing to speak of has turned me into a visitor of the site rather than a participating member!
With that said, I have my phase of burn-out out of the way and training is going strong. I've joined the 100 in 100 Challenge, 100 runs in 100 days, all a minimum of 30 minutes or running (no walks!), you can do two-a-days if you like to give yourself a day off.
This whole disaster started 12/1, so I'm 4 days in at this point with 5 runs under my belt. I figure since I am brimming with enthusiasm to train, I should get some extra work in. Tomorrow I have the morning off from work, so I'll get run #6 in then, and #7 tomorrow night.
I've been keeping the runs short, no more than 40 minutes, to allow for the possibility of a second run and to be sure the next day I feel fine. I've been doing a lot of speed work as well to keep my mind occupied on the "dreadmill".
As a final note, check this out:
The new Alma for 2008! Now I don't have to feel left out! This guy will look great next to my Oiz and I can be a part of the Alma Team with Tim and Ted.
With that said, I have my phase of burn-out out of the way and training is going strong. I've joined the 100 in 100 Challenge, 100 runs in 100 days, all a minimum of 30 minutes or running (no walks!), you can do two-a-days if you like to give yourself a day off.
This whole disaster started 12/1, so I'm 4 days in at this point with 5 runs under my belt. I figure since I am brimming with enthusiasm to train, I should get some extra work in. Tomorrow I have the morning off from work, so I'll get run #6 in then, and #7 tomorrow night.
I've been keeping the runs short, no more than 40 minutes, to allow for the possibility of a second run and to be sure the next day I feel fine. I've been doing a lot of speed work as well to keep my mind occupied on the "dreadmill".
As a final note, check this out:
The new Alma for 2008! Now I don't have to feel left out! This guy will look great next to my Oiz and I can be a part of the Alma Team with Tim and Ted.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Jingle Cross
Jingle cross in Coralville Iowa features one of the toughest cross courses in the Midwest. White knuckle descents, slick, muddy run-ups, log jumps and a technical sand pit favor the mountain biker skill set yet the many wide open power sections and relentless hill climbs favor the roadie type that can churn out huge power.
Big payouts in all categories and UCI status ensured a big turn out for the weekend of racing.
On both days the 3/4 field was over 100 deep. In terms of field size, it was probably the biggest cross race I ever lined up for. There was no cat 2 race at jingle cross so the field was probably filled with a bunch of cat 2 sand baggers such as myself who did not have the required UCI license to do the elite race.
It was the first time I got to line up next to Tim all season, and he gave me a beat down on both days. Well done Tim. You're performance shows you are ready to bump it up a category and do well in the 3's next year.
One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to see the elites race. I learned a few things by watching their technique, how they ration out their effort, and studying their bike set up. I also learned that I have a long way to go if I plan on racing with them in the future.
It was a good weekend of training and even though I was disappointed in my results, I am glad I went to this race.
I would like to send a special thanks to Tim for getting us a nice hotel room with all the sweet hook ups for a pretty good price. I would also like to send a thanks out to the Coralville police department for having pity on a poor bike racer and not issuing him a ticket for speeding.
Big payouts in all categories and UCI status ensured a big turn out for the weekend of racing.
On both days the 3/4 field was over 100 deep. In terms of field size, it was probably the biggest cross race I ever lined up for. There was no cat 2 race at jingle cross so the field was probably filled with a bunch of cat 2 sand baggers such as myself who did not have the required UCI license to do the elite race.
It was the first time I got to line up next to Tim all season, and he gave me a beat down on both days. Well done Tim. You're performance shows you are ready to bump it up a category and do well in the 3's next year.
One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to see the elites race. I learned a few things by watching their technique, how they ration out their effort, and studying their bike set up. I also learned that I have a long way to go if I plan on racing with them in the future.
It was a good weekend of training and even though I was disappointed in my results, I am glad I went to this race.
I would like to send a special thanks to Tim for getting us a nice hotel room with all the sweet hook ups for a pretty good price. I would also like to send a thanks out to the Coralville police department for having pity on a poor bike racer and not issuing him a ticket for speeding.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Cranksgiving from Iowa
I'm back home in rural Iowa for Thanksgiving and we received a nice snow cover yesterday. I went for a short gravel grinder ride this morning (after throwing on several layers). Everyone talks about the new XTR's mud shedding ability, but i wanted to test their snow shedding ability. I might turn this morning workout into a 2-a-day with some Wii Sports this afternoon.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Tim
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Asheville NC
Is it worth driving 10 hours to ride some sweet trails in the Appalacian mountains for just a few hours? Yes, it is, and that is what I did this past weekend.
Derrick, Eli and I went drove out to Asheville for a weekend of riding and partying. I was also able to fit in a cross race into the busy schedule.
On the drive there we stopped in Oak Ridge TN to ride at Haw Ridge Park.The trails were pretty good, but I didn't fully enjoy it because my brakes were not working. It felt good to break up the long drive and get the legs moving though. The trails were not too far out of the way located only about 10 miles off the interstate. We rode until sunset and continued on to Asheville.
When we got to Asheville we were hungry so we went to Limones, an upscale Mexican restaurant. Derrick's freind Amy owns the restauraunt and her husband Hugo is a really good cook. I had a lobster, crab and shrip quesadilla and it was awesome.
After that we explored the local bar scene looking for beer and women. What happens in Asheville stays in Asheville, but i can say that Eli made me an honorary member of Blue Racing for my exceptional wing man abilities.
The next morning I did a cat 2/3 cross race called the North Carolina Grand Prix. It was a really challenging course with lots of elevation changes, a steep hill called the wall and a sand pit. I had a last row call up so I spent the entire race trying to pick off the next person ahead of me.
My finish was middle of the pack, but I was happy with how I finished the race. With one and a half laps to go I caught three other riders. We rode together until I pushed it on barriers and the steep wall. After that it was just me and one other guy. We rode together until I attacked in the sand pit with about 1/4 mile to go. I got a gap, but when I tried to shift from my small ring to my big ring it kept misshifting and the gap I had was closed down.
The race finishes with 3/4 of a lap around a track. He was on my wheel and I couldn't shake him. Coming around the last turn he jumps with 50 meters to go. He moved ahead but I refused to give up. We came across the line in a photo finish and the officials gave it to me. The sprint was only for 24th place, but this finish means a lot to me because in most races this year when I'm in a group at the end of a race, I usually find some way to lose. It was a big race and the competition was tough so I think this was my best 24th place finish ever.
After the race Derrick was feeling sick and didn't want to ride so Eli and I went out for a 45 minute trail run along the Blueridge Parkway. I think running the undulating mountain terrain is going to help me next week at Jingle Cross when I'm running up Mount Krumpet.
The next day we went to DuPont state forest to ride the trails out there. These trails are nice. There are some long climbs but they are not too long. Once you get to the top the trails flows nicely and you bareley have to pedal to get back down the hill. Each trail connected to one or two other trails yet were connected to fireroads so you could ride all day and yet not get too far from where you parked. I've ridden a lot of nice trails in the western North Carolina area, but these are some of the best.
The next day I woke up early and did hill run repeats while carrying my bike. After that everyone else woke up and we drove home. It was a lot of fun and a great place to train.
Derrick, Eli and I went drove out to Asheville for a weekend of riding and partying. I was also able to fit in a cross race into the busy schedule.
On the drive there we stopped in Oak Ridge TN to ride at Haw Ridge Park.The trails were pretty good, but I didn't fully enjoy it because my brakes were not working. It felt good to break up the long drive and get the legs moving though. The trails were not too far out of the way located only about 10 miles off the interstate. We rode until sunset and continued on to Asheville.
When we got to Asheville we were hungry so we went to Limones, an upscale Mexican restaurant. Derrick's freind Amy owns the restauraunt and her husband Hugo is a really good cook. I had a lobster, crab and shrip quesadilla and it was awesome.
After that we explored the local bar scene looking for beer and women. What happens in Asheville stays in Asheville, but i can say that Eli made me an honorary member of Blue Racing for my exceptional wing man abilities.
The next morning I did a cat 2/3 cross race called the North Carolina Grand Prix. It was a really challenging course with lots of elevation changes, a steep hill called the wall and a sand pit. I had a last row call up so I spent the entire race trying to pick off the next person ahead of me.
My finish was middle of the pack, but I was happy with how I finished the race. With one and a half laps to go I caught three other riders. We rode together until I pushed it on barriers and the steep wall. After that it was just me and one other guy. We rode together until I attacked in the sand pit with about 1/4 mile to go. I got a gap, but when I tried to shift from my small ring to my big ring it kept misshifting and the gap I had was closed down.
The race finishes with 3/4 of a lap around a track. He was on my wheel and I couldn't shake him. Coming around the last turn he jumps with 50 meters to go. He moved ahead but I refused to give up. We came across the line in a photo finish and the officials gave it to me. The sprint was only for 24th place, but this finish means a lot to me because in most races this year when I'm in a group at the end of a race, I usually find some way to lose. It was a big race and the competition was tough so I think this was my best 24th place finish ever.
After the race Derrick was feeling sick and didn't want to ride so Eli and I went out for a 45 minute trail run along the Blueridge Parkway. I think running the undulating mountain terrain is going to help me next week at Jingle Cross when I'm running up Mount Krumpet.
The next day we went to DuPont state forest to ride the trails out there. These trails are nice. There are some long climbs but they are not too long. Once you get to the top the trails flows nicely and you bareley have to pedal to get back down the hill. Each trail connected to one or two other trails yet were connected to fireroads so you could ride all day and yet not get too far from where you parked. I've ridden a lot of nice trails in the western North Carolina area, but these are some of the best.
The next day I woke up early and did hill run repeats while carrying my bike. After that everyone else woke up and we drove home. It was a lot of fun and a great place to train.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Estabrook Park cross
I straightened my derailleur hanger and adjusted my brake which were both messed up from the crash yesterday, but I decided to skip today's race in Milwaukee.
I just finished up an intense training block and I need a recovery week RIGHT NOW. Yesterdays lackluster results could have been the result of cumulative fatige, so racing today won't help my training at all.
This will be the transition to the second half of the season. I have some big races coming up and I'll need to have fresh legs.
The remaining 6 races on the schedule looks like this:
North Carolina Grand Prix 2/3 race (2)
Iowa Jingle Cross 3/4 race (2)
Wisconsin State Championship master's race
Illinois State Championship 1/2 race
My goal for the remainder of the season is to start accumulating as many points as I can so I can upgrade to cat 1 next year.
I just finished up an intense training block and I need a recovery week RIGHT NOW. Yesterdays lackluster results could have been the result of cumulative fatige, so racing today won't help my training at all.
This will be the transition to the second half of the season. I have some big races coming up and I'll need to have fresh legs.
The remaining 6 races on the schedule looks like this:
North Carolina Grand Prix 2/3 race (2)
Iowa Jingle Cross 3/4 race (2)
Wisconsin State Championship master's race
Illinois State Championship 1/2 race
My goal for the remainder of the season is to start accumulating as many points as I can so I can upgrade to cat 1 next year.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Campton Cross
Today I figured I would try to do 2 races in one day and see how that goes. Looking at the results sheet I see that a lot of people do it. How hard could it be?
This will be the first time I am racing in the master category and the 1/2 category this year so I'll have a chance to race against different people.
1) Master's Race. This was the first race of the day and the course was very slippery from the morning dew. I crashed three times and lost a little skin, but my bike was fine. My goal was to start out slowly and build to a hard pace by the end of the race while saving something in tank for the afternoon race. My competitiveness got the best of me and I was quite spent by the end of the race with just a 9th place finish to show for it. The masters guys may be old, but they're still quite fast.
2) Cat 1/2 Race. I was in trouble from the beginning. I didn't have the gas in the tank to power the open sections and was dropped quickly. Welcome to the elite race. My legs were dead and I probably would have quit then, but my parents came to watch this race. I rode tempo and eventually caught one guy who also looked pretty tired from doing the earlier race. Half way through the race I had trouble dismounting coming into a downhill, high speed barrier. I barely clipped out before the barrier, but I couldn't get the footing to jump over and ran straight into the barrier and somehow landed on top of my bicycle. I was right by the pit, and I could have swapped bikes, but I was hurting pretty bad and figured it would be better to call it a day and recover.
My friend Kelsall said I took a chunk out of the barrier. I'm lucky I didn't break any bones and that I only did minimal damage to my bike.
I learned today that if I am going to race the 1/2's, I will have to focus all my energy on that. 2 races is too much for me at this point in the season. I give much respect to all those who do 2 races. Your endurance is impressive.
This will be the first time I am racing in the master category and the 1/2 category this year so I'll have a chance to race against different people.
1) Master's Race. This was the first race of the day and the course was very slippery from the morning dew. I crashed three times and lost a little skin, but my bike was fine. My goal was to start out slowly and build to a hard pace by the end of the race while saving something in tank for the afternoon race. My competitiveness got the best of me and I was quite spent by the end of the race with just a 9th place finish to show for it. The masters guys may be old, but they're still quite fast.
2) Cat 1/2 Race. I was in trouble from the beginning. I didn't have the gas in the tank to power the open sections and was dropped quickly. Welcome to the elite race. My legs were dead and I probably would have quit then, but my parents came to watch this race. I rode tempo and eventually caught one guy who also looked pretty tired from doing the earlier race. Half way through the race I had trouble dismounting coming into a downhill, high speed barrier. I barely clipped out before the barrier, but I couldn't get the footing to jump over and ran straight into the barrier and somehow landed on top of my bicycle. I was right by the pit, and I could have swapped bikes, but I was hurting pretty bad and figured it would be better to call it a day and recover.
My friend Kelsall said I took a chunk out of the barrier. I'm lucky I didn't break any bones and that I only did minimal damage to my bike.
I learned today that if I am going to race the 1/2's, I will have to focus all my energy on that. 2 races is too much for me at this point in the season. I give much respect to all those who do 2 races. Your endurance is impressive.
Friday, November 2, 2007
2007 Xterra World Championships Race Report
We arrived on the island of Maui on Wednesday before the Sunday race. I spent three days flipping between bouts of anxiety over the race, and being able to relax and enjoy some sightseeing around the island.
They have a practice course available to ride (no pre-riding of the actual race course at Maui). But it’s only about 4 miles, and gives you just a very small taste of the real deal. So, going into Sunday, I really felt like I had no idea what was in store for me.
On Friday I went to the xterra university mtb clinic, hosted by pros Jamie Whitmore and Mike Vine. They struck the fear of god into me, about being prepared for mechanicals, flats, and crashes. They both recommended 36-40psi, which threw me for a loop, because I practiced the course at 26psi! They also said don’t go out with spare tubes that don’t have slime, because if you flat once, a regular tube won’t hold up. So I panicked and bought 2 slime tubes – those are not light weight to carry! I was way over-prepared for flats and mechanicals, but better than being unprepared! After the session I inflated the tires to 40psi, but stewed over it. On Saturday I went to my second clinic, on the art of xterra, hosted by Conrad Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid. I asked for advice to Maui first timers. They both said ‘have fun!’ and ‘do whatever you have to do to finish!’. So, that was my mantra for race day. They also both recommended 29-32psi! Ack! Now what to do??? After the session I asked the Maui bike mechanic, and he said I should go with 30-35 when I’m on tubeless, and if I have to put a tube in, pump that up to 40 psi. So, I did that, pumped to just 32 and went with that. (and no flats!)
I organized myself Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning had my cheerios and poptart, and rode down the elevator to set up my transition area, talked with a few people I knew, and went back to the room and watched some football to escape the race craziness for a while.
Once it was time to really get ready, I headed down to the beach. I wanted to seed myself right behind the pro men, and get a nice clean start. They kept inching into the water, and everyone followed. Someone on a bullhorn called us out of the water, so I walked back out, and stood next to a pro woman, and she laughed that no one was getting out. She said this happens every year, and they just shoot the cannon anyways. And sure enough – they did just that – with me on the beach and about 100 people already in the water in front of me! I was so pissed! The first ten minutes were fighting a losing battle with a mass of people who were slower than me. I can’t even call what I was doing swimming. We were all fighting the 3 foot swells, and I was fighting to find a way through the pack, when some guy next to me hit my head with his arm. And again, 4 more times. The last time he just pulled my goggles right off! Uh-oh!!!! Somehow my hand found them, and I started swimming water polo head-up freestyle with goggles in one hand, eyes getting sprayed with salt water, and people all around me, I was looking to the right, I had to swim through maybe ten people to get clear of the mass. Finally clear, I got on my back, put my goggles on, and started swimming. I swam the rest of the lap and the entire second lap out to the right of the pack, no drafting. I just swam on my own. No doubt I gave up 3+ minutes on my swim time, with precious energy wasted fighting through all of that. This was a huge lesson learned!
Out of the water, with a less than stellar 25 min swim (for me), and running the path to transition, I was pushed out of the way by several men who didn’t seem to think there was enough room on the 5 foot wide path to get by big ole me, without throwing a few elbows!
Finally onto the bike, and now I was going to learn what this race is all about. The first mile or so takes you out of the hotel and up the street. Then you start climbing. First on a small golf cart path, then gravel road, then dirt and sand road, then red dirt/silt path, with lava rocks marbled throughout. It goes up. And up. And up. Sometimes its gradual, sometimes it jumps up steeply – steeply enough that sometimes you have to walk a section – and lots of people do. This first climb seems to go on for about 5-6 miles. It was a much longer initial climb than I expected, without any real flats to give you a break. Heartbreak hill comes in that section. I’m not even sure which steep section was heartbreak hill, because there were a few sections I thought were going to break my heart! My heartrate felt maxed out the whole race. A little respite now, and some rollers, some short and steep, some less so. Plenty of lava rock scattered about, but no stretches where you have lava rock covering a hill from top to bottom and side to side – that was to come later! I think Ned’s climb comes next. I swear you climb steeply most of that climb for several miles. It is a brutal climb, on sand and loose debris. By this point several women I knew had passed me, and I was trying to key off another woman with a 40 on her calf. We went back and forth, until after one stretch on Ned’s climb that we walked, I couldn’t get clipped back into one pedal, and had to stop and operate on my shoe and unwedge a rock from my cleat. I lost contact with her then. The plunge is next, and it’s steep, and sometimes not too steep, the top was not bad, if I stayed relaxed, and only used my rear brake. I made it through without any catastrophes, but I was cautious, and probably should have gone faster. Then a section with softball and larger and smaller sized lava rocks, covering an entire steep slope. It looked scary, and about half way down, I drifted too far left, and started to head off the trail, into grass and rocks (and possibly the dreaded kiave thorns). Somehow I managed to stop the bike without wiping out, let a couple of folks go by, and then got going again. You’d think you are done climbing by now, 16 miles into it, but somehow they manage to throw in a few more climbs, not long, but long enough that you have to really work each one for several minutes, putting in some real effort to make it up the rock strewn hills. About one mile out, you are at the top of a hill, that is now turning into sand/gravel, and runners are going up the same one. A little demoralizing to know they have close to 2 miles on you, but you keep going. I can’t count the number of people on the bike course I saw stopped fixing flats, and some riding home on flats. I felt so fortunate to have escaped without any problems – despite carrying my camelback with what must have been 10 extra pounds of spare tubes and tools, just in case!
Back toward t2, and I saw Todd and he had recruited some folks standing near him to cheer for me. At my rack, I wanted to sit down and stretch my back, but there was so much activity, I thought I better get my ass going, and stretch at the finish. So off I went. The first three miles are up hill. Yes, three miles. Up hill. Maybe a short flat section, or maybe it was just a false flat. But plenty of steep up hill. And it was not pavement, or hard packed dirt trails like we have. It was broken pavement, sand and gravel. I had to walk a few stretches, as I thought I might implode at any moment if I didn’t. There was no shade yet. Thankfully, mother nature found it in her heart to send cloud cover – 85 degrees and cloudy was better than 90 and sunny! I was so happy to hit the turn at mile three, because I knew I was going to head back down toward the beach now. But first the down hill was at least one mile of lava rock, and red dust. Jeez, that red dust is messy. Its so fine, and just rises up like a powdery cloud, and coats your skin, your nostrils. Ick. I was already covered in it from the bike – only the lead cyclist and runner don’t have to deal with that red dust! I was happy to enter spooky forest, some sand trails through the crazy Maui trees. Then the sand beach. This was energy sucking at its best, especially after what we’d already been through. Now it was maybe a little over a half mile on the sand beach. Just painfully slow. I was happy (yes I was happy at this point) to get off the beach, until my calf twinged and scared the crap out of me. I did not want to hobble the last mile to the finish. Just one step more, and it was ok. Now I was smiling (inside) again. Next surface was a rocky point of hardened black lava that you had to pick your way over. Its short, but jagged, and you don’t run this section. Another calf twinge! Ugh. Its walk and pick your way for 20 yards or so. Then the little salt and pepper rock beach, a little more sand, and then you see the resort – its right in front of you! And the twinges that kept coming to the calf through that last half mile, don’t matter now, because I run up the path and cross the line with a smile – I think I was smiling!
Wow!!! That was incredible. It is the hardest race I have ever done. I felt like I gave it everything I had on this day. I also learned what this course is about. And that my training next time must be better, and different. And I will work hard next year for another shot at this now not-so-mysterious-Maui course.
Finish time was 4:08. 8th out of 15 in my AG, 62 out of 131 for all women.
They have a practice course available to ride (no pre-riding of the actual race course at Maui). But it’s only about 4 miles, and gives you just a very small taste of the real deal. So, going into Sunday, I really felt like I had no idea what was in store for me.
On Friday I went to the xterra university mtb clinic, hosted by pros Jamie Whitmore and Mike Vine. They struck the fear of god into me, about being prepared for mechanicals, flats, and crashes. They both recommended 36-40psi, which threw me for a loop, because I practiced the course at 26psi! They also said don’t go out with spare tubes that don’t have slime, because if you flat once, a regular tube won’t hold up. So I panicked and bought 2 slime tubes – those are not light weight to carry! I was way over-prepared for flats and mechanicals, but better than being unprepared! After the session I inflated the tires to 40psi, but stewed over it. On Saturday I went to my second clinic, on the art of xterra, hosted by Conrad Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid. I asked for advice to Maui first timers. They both said ‘have fun!’ and ‘do whatever you have to do to finish!’. So, that was my mantra for race day. They also both recommended 29-32psi! Ack! Now what to do??? After the session I asked the Maui bike mechanic, and he said I should go with 30-35 when I’m on tubeless, and if I have to put a tube in, pump that up to 40 psi. So, I did that, pumped to just 32 and went with that. (and no flats!)
I organized myself Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning had my cheerios and poptart, and rode down the elevator to set up my transition area, talked with a few people I knew, and went back to the room and watched some football to escape the race craziness for a while.
Once it was time to really get ready, I headed down to the beach. I wanted to seed myself right behind the pro men, and get a nice clean start. They kept inching into the water, and everyone followed. Someone on a bullhorn called us out of the water, so I walked back out, and stood next to a pro woman, and she laughed that no one was getting out. She said this happens every year, and they just shoot the cannon anyways. And sure enough – they did just that – with me on the beach and about 100 people already in the water in front of me! I was so pissed! The first ten minutes were fighting a losing battle with a mass of people who were slower than me. I can’t even call what I was doing swimming. We were all fighting the 3 foot swells, and I was fighting to find a way through the pack, when some guy next to me hit my head with his arm. And again, 4 more times. The last time he just pulled my goggles right off! Uh-oh!!!! Somehow my hand found them, and I started swimming water polo head-up freestyle with goggles in one hand, eyes getting sprayed with salt water, and people all around me, I was looking to the right, I had to swim through maybe ten people to get clear of the mass. Finally clear, I got on my back, put my goggles on, and started swimming. I swam the rest of the lap and the entire second lap out to the right of the pack, no drafting. I just swam on my own. No doubt I gave up 3+ minutes on my swim time, with precious energy wasted fighting through all of that. This was a huge lesson learned!
Out of the water, with a less than stellar 25 min swim (for me), and running the path to transition, I was pushed out of the way by several men who didn’t seem to think there was enough room on the 5 foot wide path to get by big ole me, without throwing a few elbows!
Finally onto the bike, and now I was going to learn what this race is all about. The first mile or so takes you out of the hotel and up the street. Then you start climbing. First on a small golf cart path, then gravel road, then dirt and sand road, then red dirt/silt path, with lava rocks marbled throughout. It goes up. And up. And up. Sometimes its gradual, sometimes it jumps up steeply – steeply enough that sometimes you have to walk a section – and lots of people do. This first climb seems to go on for about 5-6 miles. It was a much longer initial climb than I expected, without any real flats to give you a break. Heartbreak hill comes in that section. I’m not even sure which steep section was heartbreak hill, because there were a few sections I thought were going to break my heart! My heartrate felt maxed out the whole race. A little respite now, and some rollers, some short and steep, some less so. Plenty of lava rock scattered about, but no stretches where you have lava rock covering a hill from top to bottom and side to side – that was to come later! I think Ned’s climb comes next. I swear you climb steeply most of that climb for several miles. It is a brutal climb, on sand and loose debris. By this point several women I knew had passed me, and I was trying to key off another woman with a 40 on her calf. We went back and forth, until after one stretch on Ned’s climb that we walked, I couldn’t get clipped back into one pedal, and had to stop and operate on my shoe and unwedge a rock from my cleat. I lost contact with her then. The plunge is next, and it’s steep, and sometimes not too steep, the top was not bad, if I stayed relaxed, and only used my rear brake. I made it through without any catastrophes, but I was cautious, and probably should have gone faster. Then a section with softball and larger and smaller sized lava rocks, covering an entire steep slope. It looked scary, and about half way down, I drifted too far left, and started to head off the trail, into grass and rocks (and possibly the dreaded kiave thorns). Somehow I managed to stop the bike without wiping out, let a couple of folks go by, and then got going again. You’d think you are done climbing by now, 16 miles into it, but somehow they manage to throw in a few more climbs, not long, but long enough that you have to really work each one for several minutes, putting in some real effort to make it up the rock strewn hills. About one mile out, you are at the top of a hill, that is now turning into sand/gravel, and runners are going up the same one. A little demoralizing to know they have close to 2 miles on you, but you keep going. I can’t count the number of people on the bike course I saw stopped fixing flats, and some riding home on flats. I felt so fortunate to have escaped without any problems – despite carrying my camelback with what must have been 10 extra pounds of spare tubes and tools, just in case!
Back toward t2, and I saw Todd and he had recruited some folks standing near him to cheer for me. At my rack, I wanted to sit down and stretch my back, but there was so much activity, I thought I better get my ass going, and stretch at the finish. So off I went. The first three miles are up hill. Yes, three miles. Up hill. Maybe a short flat section, or maybe it was just a false flat. But plenty of steep up hill. And it was not pavement, or hard packed dirt trails like we have. It was broken pavement, sand and gravel. I had to walk a few stretches, as I thought I might implode at any moment if I didn’t. There was no shade yet. Thankfully, mother nature found it in her heart to send cloud cover – 85 degrees and cloudy was better than 90 and sunny! I was so happy to hit the turn at mile three, because I knew I was going to head back down toward the beach now. But first the down hill was at least one mile of lava rock, and red dust. Jeez, that red dust is messy. Its so fine, and just rises up like a powdery cloud, and coats your skin, your nostrils. Ick. I was already covered in it from the bike – only the lead cyclist and runner don’t have to deal with that red dust! I was happy to enter spooky forest, some sand trails through the crazy Maui trees. Then the sand beach. This was energy sucking at its best, especially after what we’d already been through. Now it was maybe a little over a half mile on the sand beach. Just painfully slow. I was happy (yes I was happy at this point) to get off the beach, until my calf twinged and scared the crap out of me. I did not want to hobble the last mile to the finish. Just one step more, and it was ok. Now I was smiling (inside) again. Next surface was a rocky point of hardened black lava that you had to pick your way over. Its short, but jagged, and you don’t run this section. Another calf twinge! Ugh. Its walk and pick your way for 20 yards or so. Then the little salt and pepper rock beach, a little more sand, and then you see the resort – its right in front of you! And the twinges that kept coming to the calf through that last half mile, don’t matter now, because I run up the path and cross the line with a smile – I think I was smiling!
Wow!!! That was incredible. It is the hardest race I have ever done. I felt like I gave it everything I had on this day. I also learned what this course is about. And that my training next time must be better, and different. And I will work hard next year for another shot at this now not-so-mysterious-Maui course.
Finish time was 4:08. 8th out of 15 in my AG, 62 out of 131 for all women.
Monday, October 29, 2007
ABD Sunrise Park Cross
A strong field toed the start line on Sunday. All the usual suspect were there plus a few fast mountain bike racers.
The course starts with a series of switchbacks after about a 200 yard, modererate incline leadout. I wanted to take the holeshot and see if I could create a gap through the turns. I got a good start and went through the switchbacks first. Unfortunately due to the skill of the other riders, the small field, and my lack of a burst of speed, I didn't create the gap I envisioned. Half a lap in other riders came around me but I guess I was too gassed from the start and I couldn't hold their wheel.
I fell back to 8th or 9th place, eventually worked my way up to fifth, but lost the sprint for fifth and finished 6th. This was a tough course that put less emphasis on cross skill and more emphasis on power and fitness. There were lots of long straightaways with very few places to recover.
Dougherty is in awesome shape right now kicking everybodies butt and looks like a strong contender for the state championship race next month. Knauft is riding into shape and he will be fearsome once he gets a cross bike or at least takes the water bottle cages off his mountain bike.
In the 4A race Tim rode a solid race to place 5th. He should be ready to upgrade to the 3's soon. Also, my friend Adrian, who has been training with me and Ken on Wednesday nights at Humbolt Park, had a great race and finished 4th in the 4B race.
The course starts with a series of switchbacks after about a 200 yard, modererate incline leadout. I wanted to take the holeshot and see if I could create a gap through the turns. I got a good start and went through the switchbacks first. Unfortunately due to the skill of the other riders, the small field, and my lack of a burst of speed, I didn't create the gap I envisioned. Half a lap in other riders came around me but I guess I was too gassed from the start and I couldn't hold their wheel.
I fell back to 8th or 9th place, eventually worked my way up to fifth, but lost the sprint for fifth and finished 6th. This was a tough course that put less emphasis on cross skill and more emphasis on power and fitness. There were lots of long straightaways with very few places to recover.
Dougherty is in awesome shape right now kicking everybodies butt and looks like a strong contender for the state championship race next month. Knauft is riding into shape and he will be fearsome once he gets a cross bike or at least takes the water bottle cages off his mountain bike.
In the 4A race Tim rode a solid race to place 5th. He should be ready to upgrade to the 3's soon. Also, my friend Adrian, who has been training with me and Ken on Wednesday nights at Humbolt Park, had a great race and finished 4th in the 4B race.
Monday, October 22, 2007
How not to train for CX ... (Carpentersville Report)
It has been a while since I've posted, so here is my latest report. I did the Carpentersville CX race, but unfortunately I wasn’t as prepared as Ted. I took a 17 day road trip through Europe after finishing a respectable 2nd place in the Jackson Park Cat4 race. The Euro-Trip included stops at Oktoberfest and several more liters of beer through Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium (I understand CX originated here, but I only went to enjoy their brews), Holland … oh and Liechtenstein!! Apparently lots of drinking and only 1 day of biking during that time was not a good training plan.
Fast forward to Carpentersville … I watch Ted race and chug a few bottles of water trying to hydrate myself, it was almost 80 degrees and very windy. We line up at the start and I’m already parched just standing there. The starter yells “GO” and I’m already buried behind 30+ other people hell bent on redlining and blowing themselves up by the first barrier. (Can we please get some callups and staged starts?) Crap! Halfway through the first lap I’ve managed to work my way past most of the field, but the contenders that I recognize have already ridden away. Crap Again! I’m following a Turin rider who seems to be riding stronger than me, but I’m catching him in the transitions and sand pit. I eventually pass him, but there is too big of a gap to catch the next two riders ahead of me. I hold on for 6th place and another jug of power gel (I’ll be stocked up through ’09 at this rate, winning one at Jackson Park too).
I felt really weak in the second half of the race, and was watching the guys behind me more than focusing on the guys ahead of me. I now realize how much fitness I have lost over the last three weeks and I’m now hell-bent on regaining it. How much can I accomplish before Bartlett and St Charles? We’ll find out.
Congrats to Aspen for another strong 3rd place and Devon for continuing to dominate the Women’s field and then stepping up to race again in the Men’s Cat3.
Until next week…
Fast forward to Carpentersville … I watch Ted race and chug a few bottles of water trying to hydrate myself, it was almost 80 degrees and very windy. We line up at the start and I’m already parched just standing there. The starter yells “GO” and I’m already buried behind 30+ other people hell bent on redlining and blowing themselves up by the first barrier. (Can we please get some callups and staged starts?) Crap! Halfway through the first lap I’ve managed to work my way past most of the field, but the contenders that I recognize have already ridden away. Crap Again! I’m following a Turin rider who seems to be riding stronger than me, but I’m catching him in the transitions and sand pit. I eventually pass him, but there is too big of a gap to catch the next two riders ahead of me. I hold on for 6th place and another jug of power gel (I’ll be stocked up through ’09 at this rate, winning one at Jackson Park too).
I felt really weak in the second half of the race, and was watching the guys behind me more than focusing on the guys ahead of me. I now realize how much fitness I have lost over the last three weeks and I’m now hell-bent on regaining it. How much can I accomplish before Bartlett and St Charles? We’ll find out.
Congrats to Aspen for another strong 3rd place and Devon for continuing to dominate the Women’s field and then stepping up to race again in the Men’s Cat3.
Until next week…
Carpentersville
Photo by CarolynCarpentersville is a flat and bumpy course that is a good test of a riders turning and transitional skills. My race strategy is to not let the leaders get away from me and to ride in a group to stay protected from the strong winds.
I get a good start off the line and am in second through the first barrier. The field strings out quickly and I'm with the lead group. So far so good. 3/4 through the first lap I think I'll try to ride the sand pit. I drop into the pit and I topple over. By the time I get up I lost contact with the group and am in no man's land riding by myself in fifth place with no protection from the wind.
The gap remains the same for four laps but by the fifth lap I start to gain ground. I move into third with one to go and fourth place is right on my wheel. I hit the sand pit holding my position and I am confident I can muscle out the final 250 yard sprint to the finish. I jump on my bike and the chain falls off and gets wedged between the crank and bottom bracket. I debate whether or not I should fix it or shoulder it and run it in. I fix it in time so I can ride in and hold on to 4th. An anticlimatic finish, but still an improvement from last year.
I made a few mistakes here that I can learn from and hopefully use to make me a better rider.
I get a good start off the line and am in second through the first barrier. The field strings out quickly and I'm with the lead group. So far so good. 3/4 through the first lap I think I'll try to ride the sand pit. I drop into the pit and I topple over. By the time I get up I lost contact with the group and am in no man's land riding by myself in fifth place with no protection from the wind.
The gap remains the same for four laps but by the fifth lap I start to gain ground. I move into third with one to go and fourth place is right on my wheel. I hit the sand pit holding my position and I am confident I can muscle out the final 250 yard sprint to the finish. I jump on my bike and the chain falls off and gets wedged between the crank and bottom bracket. I debate whether or not I should fix it or shoulder it and run it in. I fix it in time so I can ride in and hold on to 4th. An anticlimatic finish, but still an improvement from last year.
I made a few mistakes here that I can learn from and hopefully use to make me a better rider.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Carpentersville Preview
I am pretty pumped up about the race in Carpentersville this weekend. For some reason, I seem to do fairly well at this course. Two years ago I placed 6th and last year I was fifth and even won some money. This year my goal is to place 4th or better.
I was contemplating racing Whitewater, but I think I am going to minimize my travel this weekend and just focus on the local race.
I looked at the race flyer and I noticed they changed the starting times. They are starting the 3's right after the 1/2's but they are racing for different amounts of time. Bike racers aren't that smart. I wonder how we will be able to tell how many laps we have to go.
I was contemplating racing Whitewater, but I think I am going to minimize my travel this weekend and just focus on the local race.
I looked at the race flyer and I noticed they changed the starting times. They are starting the 3's right after the 1/2's but they are racing for different amounts of time. Bike racers aren't that smart. I wonder how we will be able to tell how many laps we have to go.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Badger Cross
I woke up this morning, looked out the window, and it was raining. I didn't know rain was in the forecast. This could be a good day for me. I love racing in bad conditions.
I pre-rode the course and it wasn't deep mud or sticky mud, it was just kind of slippery. I've decided to go with wide tires with low air pressure. I'm also prepared to use my pit bike in the second half of the race if my bike gets clogged up with mud and grass during the race
Once again I had a bad start in the middle of the pack when we hit the first grassy double-track section. One guy went down and there were a lot of riders grabbing their brakes through the first few greasy turns. Within the first minute of the race I could see the leaders were already 100 yards ahead of me. Dang.
This race I am really focused and I feel strong. I am confident in the corners and I work my way up to the top ten after 2 or 3 laps. I was about to make contact with a group that was in 4th - 8th. While I drifted off and started think about how nice it would be to draft off them, I lose my focus and wipe out on a straight away section. That was pretty stupid.
The adrenalin kicks in and I start chasing hard. My brake levers are bent inward at an extreme angle, but other than that my bike works surprisingly well. Going through the start area downhill I pay the first penalty for the adrenaline rush. On the muddy turn at the bottom of the hill I miss grabbing my brake levers because they are not where I expected them to be and I fly into 3 foot tall grass. To the delight and/or disappointment of the spectators, I didn't wipe out, but now I'm way off course and get passed by another guy. I work to catch him but then I pay penalty number two for the earlier adrenaline rush. Now I'm completely blown and there are still 2 or 3 laps to go.
I take it easy on the next lap to get in a little recovery. I'm also banging on my handlebars while I ride trying to straighten out the levers. Lucky for me there were a lot of spectators out on the course today and whether they are rooting for me (rarely) or against me (usually the case), I find it motivating and I got a second wind with 2 to go.
I regain my focus and work my way into 8th. When it was all said and done, that's where I finished. No mechanicals and a minimal amount of crashes. Given the conditions I'm pretty happy with how this race went. Again, not a great result, but it gives me upgrade points and it was a blast riding in the mud. This was a true cyclocross race. Now that's entertainment.
I pre-rode the course and it wasn't deep mud or sticky mud, it was just kind of slippery. I've decided to go with wide tires with low air pressure. I'm also prepared to use my pit bike in the second half of the race if my bike gets clogged up with mud and grass during the race
Once again I had a bad start in the middle of the pack when we hit the first grassy double-track section. One guy went down and there were a lot of riders grabbing their brakes through the first few greasy turns. Within the first minute of the race I could see the leaders were already 100 yards ahead of me. Dang.
This race I am really focused and I feel strong. I am confident in the corners and I work my way up to the top ten after 2 or 3 laps. I was about to make contact with a group that was in 4th - 8th. While I drifted off and started think about how nice it would be to draft off them, I lose my focus and wipe out on a straight away section. That was pretty stupid.
The adrenalin kicks in and I start chasing hard. My brake levers are bent inward at an extreme angle, but other than that my bike works surprisingly well. Going through the start area downhill I pay the first penalty for the adrenaline rush. On the muddy turn at the bottom of the hill I miss grabbing my brake levers because they are not where I expected them to be and I fly into 3 foot tall grass. To the delight and/or disappointment of the spectators, I didn't wipe out, but now I'm way off course and get passed by another guy. I work to catch him but then I pay penalty number two for the earlier adrenaline rush. Now I'm completely blown and there are still 2 or 3 laps to go.
I take it easy on the next lap to get in a little recovery. I'm also banging on my handlebars while I ride trying to straighten out the levers. Lucky for me there were a lot of spectators out on the course today and whether they are rooting for me (rarely) or against me (usually the case), I find it motivating and I got a second wind with 2 to go.
I regain my focus and work my way into 8th. When it was all said and done, that's where I finished. No mechanicals and a minimal amount of crashes. Given the conditions I'm pretty happy with how this race went. Again, not a great result, but it gives me upgrade points and it was a blast riding in the mud. This was a true cyclocross race. Now that's entertainment.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Cam-Rock Cyclocross
Today I cross the cheddar curtain and enter the land of cheese curds and Point beer. It's a double race weekend and the first race is Cam Rock, Wisconsins longest running cross race.
Last year this course was a slippery mud-fest. I was having a pretty good race on the slick course until my rear derailleur blew up, taking my hanger, chain, and rear spokes with it. This race set me back pretty far last season, in terms of money and missed races.
This year the course is dry and fast. It feels like a totally different course. It's like a mountain bike course on rooty, wooded double-track and XC ski trails with the occasional artificial barrier or log jump to deal with.
I haven't trained much since Xterra Nationals, so I was not too sharp at the start. Once I realized I was in a race, I grabbed the wheel of a group of 3 that passed me. We were in 8,9,10, and 11th place and stayed in that position for about 4 laps. They were faster than me on the open sections but I was faster going through the turns. I couldn't think of a strategy to break away from them.
Eventually we caught one guy ahead of us, but none of us in the group knew how many laps were left in the race. Coming through on one lap a fan started yelling "this is it, go." there was less than 100 yards to the line, but I wound it up going as hard as I could stomp and tried to come around the guy in front of me. I dropped my chain so I had to use my momentum and get a good throw at the line. I didn't make it and got beat by a wheel. Oh well, 8th place gets me points toward the up grade I think. I'm happy with that.
Photo by Robyn
Last year this course was a slippery mud-fest. I was having a pretty good race on the slick course until my rear derailleur blew up, taking my hanger, chain, and rear spokes with it. This race set me back pretty far last season, in terms of money and missed races.
This year the course is dry and fast. It feels like a totally different course. It's like a mountain bike course on rooty, wooded double-track and XC ski trails with the occasional artificial barrier or log jump to deal with.
I haven't trained much since Xterra Nationals, so I was not too sharp at the start. Once I realized I was in a race, I grabbed the wheel of a group of 3 that passed me. We were in 8,9,10, and 11th place and stayed in that position for about 4 laps. They were faster than me on the open sections but I was faster going through the turns. I couldn't think of a strategy to break away from them.
Eventually we caught one guy ahead of us, but none of us in the group knew how many laps were left in the race. Coming through on one lap a fan started yelling "this is it, go." there was less than 100 yards to the line, but I wound it up going as hard as I could stomp and tried to come around the guy in front of me. I dropped my chain so I had to use my momentum and get a good throw at the line. I didn't make it and got beat by a wheel. Oh well, 8th place gets me points toward the up grade I think. I'm happy with that.
Photo by Robyn
Friday, October 5, 2007
Get a Grip Off Road seeks new members for 2008
Chicago's premier Off-Road racing team is looking for new members for 2008. We are seeking off-road triathletes, cross country runners, mountain bikers, and cyclocross racers of all ages and skill level who have a passion for off-road athletics and plan on racing a full schedule in their chosen sport next season.
If interested in applying to the team, submit a race resume with past results and goals for next season to:
offroadcoach@gmail.com
If interested in applying to the team, submit a race resume with past results and goals for next season to:
offroadcoach@gmail.com
Monday, October 1, 2007
Xterra National Championship
Tough race. Got my butt kicked by everybody. The funny thing is that I though I was having a good race until the moment I was closing in on the finish line and I saw my time on the clock. Then I looked at the results and saw that lots of people I beat earlier in the year had beat me at this race. Oh well, that's racing. You have good days and you have bad days.
I have to keep it in perspective and realize that the best athletes in the country were here.
At least I go home with a brand new Regional Champion jersey that they gave me at the Night of Champions dinner. This is the fourth jersey I can add to my collection.
That's it for the triathlon season. I met some goals, and fell short of others. The goals I missed out on are already motivating me for next season.
I'll take a week off, evaluate my season, and then get back to training for cyclocross.
I finished 16/32 in the age group and 122/350 overall
Swim 33:29
Bike 2:11:10
Run 47:34
Overall 3:32:13
I have to keep it in perspective and realize that the best athletes in the country were here.
At least I go home with a brand new Regional Champion jersey that they gave me at the Night of Champions dinner. This is the fourth jersey I can add to my collection.
That's it for the triathlon season. I met some goals, and fell short of others. The goals I missed out on are already motivating me for next season.
I'll take a week off, evaluate my season, and then get back to training for cyclocross.
I finished 16/32 in the age group and 122/350 overall
Swim 33:29
Bike 2:11:10
Run 47:34
Overall 3:32:13
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
4 Days Until Nationals
| The weather forcast for Sunday is a low of 32 and a high of 57 in Incline Village NV. That means it will probably be around 40 the morning of the race when we dip our feet in the frigid waters of Lake Tahoe. According to the Xterra message board, the trails by Marlette Lake are covered in snow. This should be fun, and by fun I mean painful. You gotta love these extreme triathlons. I train half the year in conditions much worse than this so this race won't throw any suprises at me. What I wear will be crucial to my race day performance. I don't want to wear too little and go hypothermic on the mountain descents, but i also don't want to be overdressed and be too hot on the long arduous climbs. Do I wear leg warmers, tights, or just shorts? How will I keep my core warm? Do I go with the winter gloves and winter shoes on the bike? These are all questions that can have a major impact on race performance. Today i experimented to see how quickly my tights would dry. Before I went for a ride I sprayed my legs down with the hose. It really sucked for the first ten to fifteen minutes of the ride, but after that the tights started to dry and I warmed up. They passed the test, so I think I will wear tights under my wetsuit. Now I need to figure out what Jersey to wear. I heard that at the Tour de France, they stuff newspapers under the jersey for wind protection and heat retention on cold mountain passes. Maybe I'll try that. |
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Chicago Cyclocross Cup Jackson Park
| The Get a Grip Off Road Racing team sent out notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with this fall in the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series. Two of the teams three members raced this weekend and both ended up on the podium. In the Cat 4 race Tim rode a solid race to take 2nd place. In the Cat 3 race Ted finished strong and won a sprint to take 3rd place. |
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Renewed Vigor
For the last few weeks I have battled with the desire to train.
I was starting my workouts with the best of intentions. The desire to work hard would quickly fade, and I was left with a less-than-stellar training session.
Well, that was all until this past weekend. I had a great ride going on Saturday when toward the end I got dropped on the lakefront path by a 40-something on an older Trek hard tail. Time to prevent that from happening again.
Sunday came with Tim leading my run workout. According to Tim via Jack Daniels, my VDOT is 48 leading to a 7:02 threshold pace at mile intervals. Tim decided we'd meet at the track downtown and run mile repeats at 7 minutes with 1 minute rest.
It's safe to say that was hard enough to make me realize I'm not training the way I need to be. He kicked my ass, then made me ride some hills down by Soldier Field before we could rest.
Yesterday I followed the VDOT training again and did 7 miles just off of my predicted marathon pace (7:32). It felt good even though I started with sore legs.
Either way, this blog starts my VDOT training. As of today that number is 48 via Jack Daniels. The goal by the first XTERRA of '08? VDOT of 54. That would estimate my 5k time at 18:40, 10k of 38:42, and 1/2 marathon at 1:25:40. We'll see what a winter of scheduled, strict, and intense run training can do for a guy that would never classify himself as a runner.
Oh, and a big thanks to Tim in advance for some good '08 XTERRA finishes....I can already see what this winter may bring.
I was starting my workouts with the best of intentions. The desire to work hard would quickly fade, and I was left with a less-than-stellar training session.
Well, that was all until this past weekend. I had a great ride going on Saturday when toward the end I got dropped on the lakefront path by a 40-something on an older Trek hard tail. Time to prevent that from happening again.
Sunday came with Tim leading my run workout. According to Tim via Jack Daniels, my VDOT is 48 leading to a 7:02 threshold pace at mile intervals. Tim decided we'd meet at the track downtown and run mile repeats at 7 minutes with 1 minute rest.
It's safe to say that was hard enough to make me realize I'm not training the way I need to be. He kicked my ass, then made me ride some hills down by Soldier Field before we could rest.
Yesterday I followed the VDOT training again and did 7 miles just off of my predicted marathon pace (7:32). It felt good even though I started with sore legs.
Either way, this blog starts my VDOT training. As of today that number is 48 via Jack Daniels. The goal by the first XTERRA of '08? VDOT of 54. That would estimate my 5k time at 18:40, 10k of 38:42, and 1/2 marathon at 1:25:40. We'll see what a winter of scheduled, strict, and intense run training can do for a guy that would never classify himself as a runner.
Oh, and a big thanks to Tim in advance for some good '08 XTERRA finishes....I can already see what this winter may bring.
Monday, September 17, 2007
2 weeks until Nationals
I raced the Xterra National Championship twice.
2004
swim 36:15
bike 2:24:39
run 55:28
3:56:22 finish ranking 24/28 in my age group
2005
swim 37:49
bike 2:14:06
run 52:11
3:45:06 finish ranking 15/24 in my age group
Both times the course kicked my ass. I'm ready to step it up a level and rock this course.
Goal time 3:10
2004
swim 36:15
bike 2:24:39
run 55:28
3:56:22 finish ranking 24/28 in my age group
2005
swim 37:49
bike 2:14:06
run 52:11
3:45:06 finish ranking 15/24 in my age group
Both times the course kicked my ass. I'm ready to step it up a level and rock this course.
Goal time 3:10
Ithaca Grand Prix
Cross season is finally here. I drove to central Michigan to put my new Blue cross bike to the test against some of the top local racers in the area. The bike feels fast, my fitness is pretty good and my cross skills are pretty good for this early in the season.
The course had a nice layout that required a well rounded cyclocross skill set. 3 dismounts per lap, a hill run, a stair run, and lots of difficult turns kept the course challenge all the way around. To top it all off, there was a rock and roll band playing in the middle of the course.
I rode steadily the whole race and ended up in 3rd. Within the first lap the top 2 guys put a 15 - 20 second gap on me and they held that same gap for the whole race. Little things like falling on an uphill switchback and dropping my chain twice prevented me from ever pulling closer. I need to work on starting more aggresively and taking practice laps at race speed. Given equal fitness, that will prevent the gap from opening up in the first place.
I'm happy with 3rd though, I took home $25 and and Alpha Q hat and it got me some upgrade points so I'm half way to getting the upgrade to cat 2.
The rest of the weekend was pretty good too. The day before the race I rode at Cannonsburg ski resort to work on my climbing, after the race i ran about 8 miles on the Ithaca jailbird trail, and on the drive home I stopped at Ft. Custer to get a little more mountain biking in.
The course had a nice layout that required a well rounded cyclocross skill set. 3 dismounts per lap, a hill run, a stair run, and lots of difficult turns kept the course challenge all the way around. To top it all off, there was a rock and roll band playing in the middle of the course.
I rode steadily the whole race and ended up in 3rd. Within the first lap the top 2 guys put a 15 - 20 second gap on me and they held that same gap for the whole race. Little things like falling on an uphill switchback and dropping my chain twice prevented me from ever pulling closer. I need to work on starting more aggresively and taking practice laps at race speed. Given equal fitness, that will prevent the gap from opening up in the first place.
I'm happy with 3rd though, I took home $25 and and Alpha Q hat and it got me some upgrade points so I'm half way to getting the upgrade to cat 2.
The rest of the weekend was pretty good too. The day before the race I rode at Cannonsburg ski resort to work on my climbing, after the race i ran about 8 miles on the Ithaca jailbird trail, and on the drive home I stopped at Ft. Custer to get a little more mountain biking in.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Cyclocross
Cross season is almost here. I can't wait for it to get started. Yesterday Tim and I went to Jackson park to work on our skills... because to get the girls you gotta have skills.
Here is Tim (on the left) getting smoked by someone in a Cookie Monster jersey at the Jackson park race last year:
Here is Tim (on the left) getting smoked by someone in a Cookie Monster jersey at the Jackson park race last year:
Berwyn All-Stars:
Not so perfect form at Jackson Park:
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Xterra Point Series Champion
| I am officially the Xterra point series champ for the 4th year in a row. Turns out that due to the fact I did so many races, I win the tie breaker. I need to relish this victory because the competition in Xterra racing is getting really good. Who knows if I'll ever win again. I'm going to the National Championship in Lake Tahoe so I can attend the night of champions dinner and receive my regional championship jersey. This race will also be my last chance to qualify for the World Championship this year. |
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Xterra Blackhawk
This race was not on my schedule. I was signed up for the Accenture Chicago Triathlon, but the Blackhawk race could determine the final standings in the North Central point series so I have to do this race instead.
Yaro Middaugh is right behind me in the standings so I'll be looking out for him this race. I don't know much about him, but I know he is the brother of Xterra pro Josiah, so if speed runs in the family, he must be fast.
How the point series works: you get points at each race based on how well you place. Your 3 best races are counted to determine your ranking.
Currently I'm in first place with 217 points. Yaro is right behind me and if he finishes in first at this race, he will pass me in the final standings. If he finishes second, we will be tied and it will go down to a tiebreaker. If I finish first at this race, then I will clinch the series and successfully defend the title I have held for the past 3 years.
As soon as I left for this trip, nothing was going right for me. During the drive there, the interstate got shut down due to flooding, so I was parked on the 80/94 at the IL/IN border for 3 hours before traffic was rerouted. This made a 3 1/2 hour trip into a 7 hour trip.
The morning of the race I noticed my front wheel was slowly leaking air. I had the same problem at the Torn Shirt race and it essentially ruined my race. I did not want to have that happen again so I went to work trying to fix it. After about an hour, I could not fix it to my satisfaction so I switched to my heavier back up wheel.
After that, I got on my bike to start my pre-race warm up. After less than 10 minutes of riding I get a stick jammed in my derailleur and it bends my hanger. I bend it back in place but the damage is done. The bike ghost shifts any time I apply pressure to the pedals and is unrideable. Luckily I travel to races with 2 bikes so I hurried back to my car to swap bikes.
I make it down to the beach in the middle of the pre-race meeting. Even though nothing went right so far, I still have my focus. At the gun I'm looking for Jim James and I go as hard as I can to stay on his feet. It's nice to be racing at sea level again. An effort like this last week in Utah would have destroyed me. I exit the water in 6th place.
I get on the bike a little worn out from the swim, but I see Bruce Pisarek right in front of me. He's a great mountain biker so I need to stay with him. He might be able to help me bridge the gap to the leaders. About 1 mile in I get another stick jammed in my derailleur on a steep uphill. Luckily no damage was done to my bike, but now Bruce is out of sight. I ride solo for about five miles until I catch Brad Myers, another excellent mountain biker. He says he's gassed, but when I pass him he is able to stay on my wheel. As long as we work together we might be able to reel in some of the leaders. With about 5 miles to go, two guys I never raced against come up behind us. One of the two guys passes us decisively and starts to break away. I can't stay with him, but fortunately Brad catches a second wind and bridges the gap to him and pulls me along. After that I sit in at the back of this group making sure I stay fed and hydrated all the way to T2.
Of the group of 4, I come out of T2 first. I'm currently in 5th place. I saw Bruce and Jim running out of transition as I went in. I don't know if Yaro is in front of me or behind me so I am going as fast as I can. About 1/4 mile into the run I'm passed by one guy like I'm standing still. 1 1/2 miles later I'm passed by another guy. I try to pick it up, but I'm at my limit. As I approach a water crossing I have my first crash of the day. Looking for the best line through the water, I don't notice a root and I go down hard on the shoulder I always seem to fall on (the left one). I get up angry and try to use this anger to help me run a little faster. After 4 miles of running alone I finally catch one of the guys that passed me earlier. He pulled up with a cramp and started stretching by the side of the trail. I put in a finishing kick thinking I could still catch someone. It didn't happen.
I finished 6th overall, and 3rd in my age group. Yaro finished 2nd in the AG and the guy who passed me 1/4 mile into the run (Scott Gall) came in first in the age group and 1st overall.
I had the 6th best swim, the seventh best bike and the fourth best run on the day. However the best bikers really out-rode me and the best runners really out-ran me. There is a lot of room for improvement for next year.
After the last race of the year in our region, the standings are:
Ted 217 pts.
Yaro 217 pts.
The way the tie breaker works, I win in the event of a tie. It looks like I should be the champion again provided Yaro or Scott Gall don't travel to Onteora NY and finish in first at the final Xterra point series race of the year.
So far this has been the hardest fought of all my titles and the level of competition is going way up in Xterra.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Mizuno Cross Country Series Race 4
| Recent storms in the midwest really changed this course from 2 weeks ago. There was a 3 foot stream crossing where there was no water before, fallen trees and mud everywhere. This is what all cross country courses should be like. Slipping and sliding all over the course I posted my worst time of the series (21:10) and finished 11th. I might as well just throw away the shoes I raced in today. They are completely trashed. Some people came across the finish line completely covered in mud because they went down in the stream. The Muddy Buddy has nothing on this race. Except for the mosquitos, this was hands down the best race of the series. |
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Xterra Blackhawk
| I skipped the Accenture Tri that i had already registered for so I could do this race. My lead in the Xterra point series depends on this race. If I win my age group, I clinch the series title. Race morning was a disaster. First I notice my tire wasn't holding air. Having flashbacks to the Torn Shirt race where I exited T1 and my tire was completely flat, I go to work to prevent this from happening again. After about an hour of messing around with the sealant trying to fix it, I give up and put my heavier back up tire on the bike. After that I got on the bike to go for a warm up ride. After about 10 minutes, a stick gets jammed in my rear derailleur and mangles my hanger. Now my bike ghost shifts constantly and is unrideable. I hurry back to my car to get my back up bike ready for the race. I maintained my focus and was able to go hard for the entire race. I had the 7th best swim, 7th best bike and 4th best run. I gave a good effort, but those stats are deceiving because the best biker in the race really outrode me and the best runner really outran me. Overall I finished 6th and 3rd in my age group. Not the result I had hoped for. After the last race in the region, I am tied for the series lead with Yaro Middaugh with 217 points each. I'll have to see how the tie breaker goes to see who is declared the regional champ. |
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Fleet Feet Inspiration from the Pros
| Last week I was talking to Conrad Stoltz at Utah and he said he was coming to my hometown, Chicago, for the Accenture Triathlon. Knowing this guy can throw down at the dinner table I offered to take him out for a meal while he was in the city. He e-mailed me his phone number and said to get in touch with him when he gets in the city. I gave him a call and it was the wrong number. I called Brandon and our conversation went something like this: Ted: Brandon, the caveman's just like a woman. Brandon: Why's that? Ted: He gave me his phone number, but he gave me the wrong number. Brandon: Ha, Ha. You should be used to that by now. That's funny stuff. I caught up with Conrad at a Fleet Feet seminar featuring him, and Tri pros Jen Shoemaker and Andy Starykowicz. After the seminar Conrad and his home-stay Paul were heading to a party put on by the race sponsors. I gave them a ride to the Chicago Hilton and they let me tag along. It was a pretty nice party with a chef cooking pasta, a desert table, and an open bar. While I was there I met Triathlon legend Barb Lindquist. She's a really nice lady. I also met Tim McMahon, a guy who works for one of my sponsors, the Active Network. I told him thanks for everything Active has done for me. Afterward I drove Paul and Conrad home. Paul invited me upstairs to see his place. Wow, if all home stays are like this, this can motivate me to turn pro and get a home-stay instead of staying in the fleabag hotels i usually stay at. His place overlooks Millennium park, has a roof top garden, and a 25 yard pool. Sweet. Before I left I traded Conrad some of my Snickers Marathon bars for some of his Cliff products. I had a good time hanging out with Conrad and Paul. Overall, it was a pretty good day. |
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Xterra Utah Mountain Championship
I went out west to do the Mountain Championship in Ogden Utah. I never do well at the Mountain Championship, but i had a really good feeling about his years race. In all my years of doing Xterra, I never qualified for the World Championship, and I thought it was my time. I figured I could do well because my fitness level is really good this year, my last few races have been pretty good, and i focused on losing a lot of weight (163). It's funny how reality has a way of kicking you in the face sometimes. I went out there, got my butt kicked and came home with my tail between my legs. The race was kind of weird because it had 2 transitions separated by a 30 minute drive. Despite getting to the race 2 1/4 hours before the start, I nearly missed the starting gun. Without a good warm up, the swim went fairly well. I came out of the water about where I expected and looked forward to catching people on the bike. Once I got on the bike I started going backwards. It seemed like everyone was passing me. I was impressed by the climbing prowess of the competitors at this race. Pro women were passing me like i was standing still, and even age group women and dudes with 50's and 55's marked on their leg were passing me all day long. Today I just didn't have the legs to climb that mountain. With T1 at 4500 elevation and T2 at 7000 elevation, the course designers were able to create a course that was about 15 miles of climbing and 5 miles of descending. That's exactly what I didn't need today.  After what seemed like endless climbing followed by a disproportionately short descent, I pulled into T2 and headed out on the run. It starts with a steep climb up the ski hill for about one mile, then it flattens out for another mile and you can finally get the legs moving fast. After that you slow down again and run a couple miles of false flats, followed by 1 mile straight downhill. I gave it all I had, hoping to catch at least one person in my age group. To make a bad day even worse, I was passed by one guy with about a mile and a half to go. I finally passed someone in my age group about 200 meters from the finish line but i didn't really feel like celebrating. I finished in 3:16, 69th overall and 8th in my age group. It's time to go back to the drawing board with my training plan. Since Nationals is similar to this course, I have to decide if I want to do it, or if I should skip that race and start focusing on the upcoming cyclocross season. This is a bikers course and I thought I was a pretty good biker. After this race it is pretty obvious that climbing is my weakness. I need to keep working on that power to weight ratio. Tomorrow I go back on the diet. |
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Ted goes to Utah
Our buddy Ted is heading West to stunning Ogden, UT to compete in the XTERRA Mountain Championships. I know he's been busting his ass (and kicking mine) over the last couple months in preparation. Rock the course and show them what us flat landers a capable of. Good Luck
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Mizuno Cross Country Series Race #2
| This weeks race was at LaBaugh woods. It's a pretty nice course with a 50/50 mix of grass and single track with plenty of obstacles to contend with such as mud, fallen trees, and a turtle. At the gun I moved into fifth position. The race was pretty uneventful and I held that spot the whole race. The toughest part of the course was about 1 1/2 miles in where the course was routed through the middle of a soccer field. I had to navigate around 20 soccer players running toward the ball. Luckily no one tackled me. I finished fifth overall (20:05), my best ever finish at one of these Tuesday night cross country races. I won a t shirt for my effort. This was a good prep for my race in Utah this Saturday and I'm feeling confident that I'll have a good race. |
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Mizuno Cross Country Series Race #1
| Today Brandon and I did a midweek cross country race at Montrose Harbor. It was a hot day where you realy don't feel like running, much less racing. Luckily the race is only a 5K so I can suffer through it without dehydrating myself too badly. At the start line I can tell the field is stacked. It seems like everyone in this race was wearing xc flats. That's a sign of some serious runners. At the gun a bunch of skinny, little high school runners charge to the front. I knew I couldn't hold their pace so I settled into a group in about the top 30. About a half mile mile in Brandon passes me and proceeds to drop me on Cricket hill. The heat is killing me and his pace is too fast so I have to let him go. The next 2 miles I slowly reel in some runners who started too fast and are starting to fade. 1 mile to go and I bridge the gap to Brandon. Once I passed him, I didn't see anyone ahead that I could catch. Subconsciously I shut down and cruised in to the finish line about a minute off my PR on this course. Once again Brandon impressed me with his improvement. If he can stay with me on a 5K run, he's going to start cutting off huge chunks of time on his triathlon runs. It is just a matter of getting that endurance level up. Universal sole puts on a great race and I recommend it to anyone that lives in the Chicagoland area. The competition is pretty good, they have plenty of postrace pizza and refreshments and it only cost $10. The races are every Tuesday night in August. Ted: 20:16 Brandon: 20:46 |
Saturday, July 28, 2007
DINO New Castle XTERRA
Located in France Park, DINO New Castle is the first of two DINO XTERRA races. A great .5 mile swim, followed by a marginally technical 11 mile mountain bike ride, and finished with a 4.1 mile run, New Castle is a great event with much varied terrain.
Setting up for transition, Ted and I arrived early and got some primo spots at opposing racks in the center of transition. We didn't see an advantage to one side or the other as you enter one end, exit the opposing side each time through.
With one of the top swims on the day, Ted exits the water at the head of the pack:
I came out less than 45 seconds behind Ted, mostly because I got off line. The swim is the only part of the day that I can usually keep Ted in sight!
With the 2nd fastest bike leg, Ted comes out of T2 with only a couple competitors ahead of him:
And on to the 2nd place overall finish (3rd best run), Ted wins his age group:
I came in at 24th overall, 4th in my age group:
Ted - 1:37:06 - 2nd overall, 1st AG
Brandon - 1:56:19 - 24th overall, 4th AG
Setting up for transition, Ted and I arrived early and got some primo spots at opposing racks in the center of transition. We didn't see an advantage to one side or the other as you enter one end, exit the opposing side each time through.
With one of the top swims on the day, Ted exits the water at the head of the pack:
I came out less than 45 seconds behind Ted, mostly because I got off line. The swim is the only part of the day that I can usually keep Ted in sight!
With the 2nd fastest bike leg, Ted comes out of T2 with only a couple competitors ahead of him:
And on to the 2nd place overall finish (3rd best run), Ted wins his age group:
I came in at 24th overall, 4th in my age group:
Ted - 1:37:06 - 2nd overall, 1st AG
Brandon - 1:56:19 - 24th overall, 4th AG
Monday, July 23, 2007
Jubilee Jam MTB Race
Ted and I decided to make the trip down to the Peoria-area for one of PAMBA's (Peoria Area Mountain Biker Association) I-74 Series races.
Composed of four categories, First Timers, Novice, Sport, and Expert, I raced in both Novice and Sport while Ted just focused on Sport. Being much newer to mountain bike racing, I laid it on the line for the novice class, while deciding to ride sport to gain some trail time/experience, more race-day experience, and a good workout.
Novice Race-
Turns out, Novice was enough for me, or at least my bike. With a sprint start, I think I went into the trail in roughly 12th place. For the first 15 minutes or so, I spent time just trying to dodge all of the people crashing and slowing down the group.
Lap 1 - 21:05
Going into lap 2 I was feeling good. I was with riders who were much closer to my pace, though I think my engine was a bit better. I passed a few more guys and had my first chance to ride alone for a few minutes.
Lap 2 - 15:21
Final lap; feeling a little tired, but still pretty good. At the beginning of the final lap I decided to put some power down, hoping I could hold on. A race medic yelled to me I was in 5th place with roughly 2/3 of a lap to go, or about 3 miles. I passed 2 guys on the laps' only long-hard climb and put a little space between myself and them.
Lap 3 - 15:05
Final result - 4th. WHAT?! I thought I had third. Turns out the medic mis-counted. Oh well, 4th overall, 3rd in the male 20-29 category.
Sport Race-
I could feel some lactic acid still built up when lining up for this race. I knew I'd have to take it easy, and just have fun. At the start, Ted took off and hit the trail head in about 16th place, I would guess I was around 20th.
Surprisingly enough I kept Ted in sight for 12-14 minutes! At that point I was already at red line and only half-way through the first of 3 laps! I had to let up and he pulled away immediately.
Shortly after that, I dismounted for a long muddy climb, but couldn't get clipped back in. Thinking it was just built-up mud I stomped my left cleat into the pedal and, BAM! Clipped in! Problem? The crank arm was no longer attached to the bike, even though it was attached to my shoe! The crank arm bolt had come loose on me. I jumped off, did a bit of work to get the arm back on and rode about 3-4 more minutes until it fell off again.
Time to pack it in. I was dogged, and this was the perfect time for a mechanical (if there ever is one!). I walked about 20 minutes back to the start/lap/finish line and called it a day.
Ted ended up finishing 5th overall in the Sport category, good enough to upgrade to expert. That was really his only goal for the day.
All said and done, a good day at the races for us I think!
Composed of four categories, First Timers, Novice, Sport, and Expert, I raced in both Novice and Sport while Ted just focused on Sport. Being much newer to mountain bike racing, I laid it on the line for the novice class, while deciding to ride sport to gain some trail time/experience, more race-day experience, and a good workout.
Novice Race-
Turns out, Novice was enough for me, or at least my bike. With a sprint start, I think I went into the trail in roughly 12th place. For the first 15 minutes or so, I spent time just trying to dodge all of the people crashing and slowing down the group.
Lap 1 - 21:05
Going into lap 2 I was feeling good. I was with riders who were much closer to my pace, though I think my engine was a bit better. I passed a few more guys and had my first chance to ride alone for a few minutes.
Lap 2 - 15:21
Final lap; feeling a little tired, but still pretty good. At the beginning of the final lap I decided to put some power down, hoping I could hold on. A race medic yelled to me I was in 5th place with roughly 2/3 of a lap to go, or about 3 miles. I passed 2 guys on the laps' only long-hard climb and put a little space between myself and them.
Lap 3 - 15:05
Final result - 4th. WHAT?! I thought I had third. Turns out the medic mis-counted. Oh well, 4th overall, 3rd in the male 20-29 category.
Sport Race-
I could feel some lactic acid still built up when lining up for this race. I knew I'd have to take it easy, and just have fun. At the start, Ted took off and hit the trail head in about 16th place, I would guess I was around 20th.
Surprisingly enough I kept Ted in sight for 12-14 minutes! At that point I was already at red line and only half-way through the first of 3 laps! I had to let up and he pulled away immediately.
Shortly after that, I dismounted for a long muddy climb, but couldn't get clipped back in. Thinking it was just built-up mud I stomped my left cleat into the pedal and, BAM! Clipped in! Problem? The crank arm was no longer attached to the bike, even though it was attached to my shoe! The crank arm bolt had come loose on me. I jumped off, did a bit of work to get the arm back on and rode about 3-4 more minutes until it fell off again.
Time to pack it in. I was dogged, and this was the perfect time for a mechanical (if there ever is one!). I walked about 20 minutes back to the start/lap/finish line and called it a day.
Ted ended up finishing 5th overall in the Sport category, good enough to upgrade to expert. That was really his only goal for the day.
All said and done, a good day at the races for us I think!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
XTERRA Lock 4 Blast
Lock 4 is one of the original Xterra courses. Any course that has been around that long must be good. I wanted to do this race for a long time, and this year I finally got a chance to go down there.
I convinced Brandon to do this race also, so the drive down I - 65 to Tennesee wasn't too terrible. We stopped at Cracker Barrel, the team's unofficial retaurant, for dinner. I drove as long as I could through the night, then we slept in the car.
We got there a full day before the race, so we had plenty of time to do some course recon. We prerode three laps on the bike course and one lap on the run. The trails are fun with a little bit of everything from rocks, drop offs, power climbs, and fast, tight sections. We probably rode too much the day before the race, but if your going to a race 10 hours away, you might as well take advantage of all the fun stuff the place has to offer.
I had the typical prerace jitters because I knew if I wanted to have a shot at the regoinal point series title, I would have to win my age group at this race. Competing in a different region, I didn't know who the contenders were.
Race day the water was hot, sufficatingly hot. At the gun I saw Cheryl Stine and I tried to stay on her feet, but then some guy who looked like Brandon (yet he denies it) kept swimming into me and knocked me off her draft. So much for getting a good draft, but I probably couldn't hang with her anyway. She's fast.
Once out of the water i got on the bike and put it in the big ring. Right away I knew I didn't have my mojo on this particular day. The warm bathwater swim combined with the stifling southern heat took all my power away. Digging deep I passed some of the fast swimmers within the first mile or two of the bike and then settled in to a sustainable pace.
After no flats or crashes on a lonely bike ride, I headed out on the run. There were so many relay teams in this multi lap race I could not tell how many individual competitors were ahead of me.
Right out of transition I saw a guy in my age group flying out of T2. His pace was fast and I did all I could to stay on his heels. After about 2 miles I though I was about to blow when he started slowing down too. I took this opportunity to pass him and look strong while I did it just so he wouldn't try to challenge me. Once I got out of his sight I settled back in while trying to reel in anyone else ahead of me. I knew Omar Fraser and Jamie Whitmore were just ahead of me so I kept pressing the pace even though i was quite dehydrated by this point.
By the end I didn't move up any more spots overall and it turns out that guy I was chasing was on a relay team.
Overall I didn't do too great, but there were a lot of great competitors here. Competition will make me stronger later in the year.
I won my age group so that was all that really mattered. I accomplished step one of my three step plan to retain my regional point series title. Now I need to win my age group at New Castle and get on the podium at Utah. Not an easy task but this race gave me confidence that may training is coming along just fine.
Brandon had a break through race as well. He finished third in his age group for his first podium at an Xterra race. I knew he could do it and I'm glad I convinced him to come down to the race. His mountain biking is improving as he is getting used to riding his new Orbea. Now he has the confidence that he can compete on a higher level. Look out for him moving up the point series standings in the next month or two.
I convinced Brandon to do this race also, so the drive down I - 65 to Tennesee wasn't too terrible. We stopped at Cracker Barrel, the team's unofficial retaurant, for dinner. I drove as long as I could through the night, then we slept in the car.
We got there a full day before the race, so we had plenty of time to do some course recon. We prerode three laps on the bike course and one lap on the run. The trails are fun with a little bit of everything from rocks, drop offs, power climbs, and fast, tight sections. We probably rode too much the day before the race, but if your going to a race 10 hours away, you might as well take advantage of all the fun stuff the place has to offer.
I had the typical prerace jitters because I knew if I wanted to have a shot at the regoinal point series title, I would have to win my age group at this race. Competing in a different region, I didn't know who the contenders were.
Race day the water was hot, sufficatingly hot. At the gun I saw Cheryl Stine and I tried to stay on her feet, but then some guy who looked like Brandon (yet he denies it) kept swimming into me and knocked me off her draft. So much for getting a good draft, but I probably couldn't hang with her anyway. She's fast.
Once out of the water i got on the bike and put it in the big ring. Right away I knew I didn't have my mojo on this particular day. The warm bathwater swim combined with the stifling southern heat took all my power away. Digging deep I passed some of the fast swimmers within the first mile or two of the bike and then settled in to a sustainable pace.
After no flats or crashes on a lonely bike ride, I headed out on the run. There were so many relay teams in this multi lap race I could not tell how many individual competitors were ahead of me.
Right out of transition I saw a guy in my age group flying out of T2. His pace was fast and I did all I could to stay on his heels. After about 2 miles I though I was about to blow when he started slowing down too. I took this opportunity to pass him and look strong while I did it just so he wouldn't try to challenge me. Once I got out of his sight I settled back in while trying to reel in anyone else ahead of me. I knew Omar Fraser and Jamie Whitmore were just ahead of me so I kept pressing the pace even though i was quite dehydrated by this point.
By the end I didn't move up any more spots overall and it turns out that guy I was chasing was on a relay team.
Overall I didn't do too great, but there were a lot of great competitors here. Competition will make me stronger later in the year.
I won my age group so that was all that really mattered. I accomplished step one of my three step plan to retain my regional point series title. Now I need to win my age group at New Castle and get on the podium at Utah. Not an easy task but this race gave me confidence that may training is coming along just fine.
Brandon had a break through race as well. He finished third in his age group for his first podium at an Xterra race. I knew he could do it and I'm glad I convinced him to come down to the race. His mountain biking is improving as he is getting used to riding his new Orbea. Now he has the confidence that he can compete on a higher level. Look out for him moving up the point series standings in the next month or two.
Monday, June 25, 2007
XTERRA Torn Shirt
Located just North of Ann Arbor, Michigan, XTERRA Torn Shirt is one of the longest standing XTERRA races in the series. A .5 mile swim, 15 mile mountain bike, and 6 mile trail run highlights the event. This race is known for it's 6 mile run on the aptly named Torn Shirt Trail, which is known as one of the toughest run courses in the mid-west.
Ted had a tough time holding air in his front wheel, flatting 3 times and nearly quitting before finally getting a tube to hold some air for him. Tim had a great bike and run leg leading him to a great finish. I got sick out on the course but pushed through to finish.
Results:
Tim - 2:18:36 - 11th overall, 2nd AG
Ted - 2:26:30 - 18th overall, 5th AG
Brandon - 2:45:35 - 58th overall, 10th AG
Ted had a tough time holding air in his front wheel, flatting 3 times and nearly quitting before finally getting a tube to hold some air for him. Tim had a great bike and run leg leading him to a great finish. I got sick out on the course but pushed through to finish.
Results:
Tim - 2:18:36 - 11th overall, 2nd AG
Ted - 2:26:30 - 18th overall, 5th AG
Brandon - 2:45:35 - 58th overall, 10th AG
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