Active Recovery

Los Olivos, CA

2012-02-01T07:12:00.000-06:00

I was lucky to spend last weekend in CA with some friends on the bike, which added up to a long weekend of good, hard riding. Over 300 miles and over 21,000 feet of elevation gain. Really.

Santa Barbara beach stop

Los Olivos

Top of Gibralter Road

From the top of Figueroa Mountain

Lovin this snow.

2012-01-16T20:55:00.002-06:00

Got all my miles in this weekend outside! Really beautiful with the fresh snow -like back in MN:)

History

2012-01-13T16:14:00.000-06:00

Kits since 2000. I joined with the all black in 2008. It was all black to promote race safety, and to remember our lost friends.

Thank you.

2011-12-05T09:23:00.000-06:00

Many people helped me win the Championship and CCC Overall Points Title. I took the day off today to get my head back together, and to get some sleep as that did not happen last night. Below are some of the people who helped me and contributed selflessly to my obsessive, little hobby. I’m sorry if I failed to mention anyone, but just know that I am thankful for everything and everyone.

Charlotte –my one and only.

Grandpa Hitchen –been thinkin about you

Maggie –for allowing me to bring my rigid routine and bike insaneness into your welcoming home.
Chris at Turin Bicycle for hosting the Montrose race and for the stew and hot dogs!
Jason and all of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup crew –Your hard work does not go unnoticed.
All CCC promoters and sponsors
USA Cycling officials and Illinois Cycling Association
Tour de Cure http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TC_homepage
E.J.’s Place –Strong work with the Juniors
xXx Racing-AthletiCo –Wow! A beast of a team.
AthlectiCo massage therapist Mallory in Bannockburn location, and Bill.
Liam –For your tactical nous and brutal confidence.
Seegs (2010 Champ) –Last year, in 2010, we rode the sand on Saturday together, just like we did last Saturday before the 2011 race. For coaching and screaming at me to take the Right line and get OUT OF THE DROPS! (How we do it.)
Luke –Kill! Kill! Kill! The master of media –and other things.
Coach Randy –For a while, my goal was to upgrade early and race the 123s, perhaps the easier path in terms of expectations, and that it would have eliminated much of my CX, mental anguish. Thanks Randy, for pushing me to up the bar and then showing me how to fly over it. http://www.warrencycling.com/
The CCC Cat 3 Men on the front line.
Every Cat 3 CCC racer, and everyone who yelled at and cheered us along the way.
Get A Grip Cycles –All of you. You guys were in charge of the Scott. Well done.
Alex and Co. at Roscoe Village Bikes –You glued my tires and they performed all season (two years in row). You have never declined help. Solid friend.
Jeff and Debbie – for the Eastons, and for being there on Sunday.
Lou at Pony Shop –You waited for me at the shop so that you could inspect my wheel sets one afternoon. You gave me an expert and honest opinion –and you were right.
Performance Bikes in Chicago on Halsted –I rode the sand Saturday before the race and the bike was a hot mess. Since I wasn’t going home, I needed a place to clean up, and NOT in or near Maggie’s condo. You let me use your water and your shop space. Serious Chicago style hospitality.

Well, there ya go. Maybe a bit dramatic, like yesterday after the race, but hey, what the hell.

Thank you.

Two Days of Wheelmen's Indian Lakes Cyclocross

2011-11-14T08:16:00.000-06:00

What happens when the South Chicago Wheelmen team up with CCC on a golf course, for two days? IT AIN'T GOLF! But it does involve a lot of...... Nevermind; I digress. As usual, great organization, super friendly, highly competitive, and overall a very professional day.

Day 1:

I liked this year's clockwise rotation better than previous years. The long grass / pavement 200 meter start with sweeping turn suited me and was much like the Campton start. The whistle blew and the horses left the gate. I almost overcooked the turn and nearly ripped through the course tape. Fortunately for me and those on my left, I held it together and found myself on Andrew's wheel. A good start indeed. We had no problem negotiating the next left turn, little hill, and sand pits. Andrew mashed the pedals with me fighting to hold his wheel. There were a few more turns followed by the first tacky mud section, after which Andrew made a little space for me to pull through, which I did directly. I got out of the saddle and continued the pace he had begun. I soon noticed there was growing a ten to twenty meter gap. Upon leaving the triple barrier section, I noticed the gap had grown, and my next concern was whether or not I could hold this pace solo for another five laps. I shrugged off that notion, punched the clock, and got straight to work. I pedaled the next few laps as hard as possible and completely clean. As the laps ticked away, I was fueled by the shouts of encouragement. More so, I was even more motivated when called the "S" word. Someone called me "Liam!" YES! Thank you! With two to go, I eased up a bit. As the bell rang out on the last lap, I dialed it way back and began to think about my post-up. I thought, "It's my second win and coming off a bad race, and it's a statement. I'm ready to finish this season strong." I absolutely love how every guy on that front line is a total beast. They are ten wheels I would follow with my eyes closed. Respect. As the finish came into view, with my cross tires humming along the pavement, I brushed off my hands and raised my arms.

Day 2

Thanks to Warren Cycling, I had no doubts concerning my endurance or power coming off yesterday's effort. I lined up with the other mono-maniacs with the same idea. I would attempt to duplicate Saturday in every sense. The only thing that differed from Saturday, was that I did not eat an egg. I had cheese instead of the egg. The whistle blew and just like yesterday, I found myself second wheel after the sweeper. Bryan hammered through the left and put twenty meters on me and 80 other dudes going up the grass hill that leads into the sand. "If he keeps that up, no way anyone catches him," I thought. But the hill was developing a slippery spot right around the middle, and when his wheel hit the spot, the wheel couldn't hold and slid out. Argh! Glad you're okay! I cut a line on the inside and led through and out of the sand. The wind today was stronger and would play a larger role. Just as I did yesterday, I pedaled A.H.A.P through the first lap. Today, however, would be different. As I looked back I saw concerning company, and some not-so-concerning company. Jason and Chase were glued on my wheel. Uh oh. I breathed a little easier when I saw Liam was with us! The group wasn't too far behind. I was following Chase with Liam behind me as we finished the first lap (i think). Jason was fourth. I made a motion to Liam, who immediately hit the gas and went by Chase on the inside. It made me a little nervous, not being a track guy and all, but for no reason as Liam went clear and put on a huge gap. I think I then bridged up on the starting pavement, Chase right behind me. Liam remained strong, and I couldn't hold his wheel. Away he rode. "Nice," I thought! I was second with Chase and Jason behind me. Liam's distance increased; he had totally detached us from the pack. Someone behind me said, "Go around him." When they did, I caught a break from the wind and then began assessing this situation. For now, I would follow and allow them to catch my teammate. If caught, I would certainly go with a counter attack or make the move myself. I cannot remember where or how, but our group reformed as a foursome, and then became a threesome. Liam had fallen off a tad, but was beginning to make his way back to us. I was tiring, and would have to save an attack for later. Once, I did not take my turn pulling through because my teammate was so close. I made the mistake, however, of verbalizing my intention. Don't show your cards! As Chase and Jason picked up the pace, I had to follow as the three of us -the three CCC overall leaders- worked our way through the course. We were very patient and worked the course clean and smooth. At one moment, we almost stalled as nobody wanted to be in the wind. We then became twitchy. I needed to make a move. As we approached the big hill, Chase increased the pace slightly. Smart, because this is where I was planning a move. He either was also planning to attack or was keenly anticipating mine or Jason's. I attacked up the hill, but Chase saw it coming. I couldn't get by. He also closed off my line and made the turn smooth and tight. To seal the deal, Chase killed the little down-hill section and rode a fast, perfect line around the tree. It was over. He and I would each sprint out the last 500 meters, but the gap had been formed. I was lucky to hold off Jason for second place. Liam came in securely holding fourth and in the money.

It was a great weekend of racing. Congrats Chase. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the weekend: the promoters, organizers, directors, the Hilton, the tweeters, the hecklers, and officials. And thanks to all the Cat 3 Warriors. See ya next time!

Campton Cyclocross

2011-10-31T09:10:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite races in the CCC series; the Campton Cross race was well organized, offered racers interesting challenges, and was simply loaded with fun. Thanks Mr. Kelley and Bicycle Heaven for working hard to provide us with such an exciting day -and extra payout! I should also give a shout-out to the CCC director(s) and ALL the CCC promoters. Thank you!

While pre-riding the course with teammate Liam, we rode up the stairsteps side-by-side. I hopped my way up on the left and he rode up the far right side. When I got to the top, he was waiting for me, so that little experiment decided which side would be fastest. If you raced this course as a cat. 3 last year, you may remember a guy getting off his bike and shouldering it on the first lap, in an idiotic attempt to run the steps. That was me. My chain fell off, the group left me in silence, and childish temper-tantrum ensued. If your interested here's last year's post: http://activerecovery.blogspot.com/2010/11/chi-cross-cup-races-6-and-7.html Stick to the plan, man!

I also noticed that three of the turns were somewhat misleading, because if you lined up the turns' valleys and peaks, a racer would be able to cut a nearly straight line right across the entire section. That equates to going faster. Also, while planning with teammate Luke (who is having a solid CX season breaking legs in two races every Sunday) he told me to line up on the packed gravel as it would be faster than the grassy side. Done.

I lined up next to Austin, the winner of ABD's Sunrise Park race, and who I have had the privilege of chasing around this fall. Just thinking about these top guys who line up are enough to give me the hibby jibbies. The whistle blew and my bars inched forward slightly beyond the chaos. Then I noticed my bike had space, and I knew I had nailed the hole shot. I pedaled harder through the sweeper and braked hard for the hairpin turn. Because of the hole shot, I was able to choose all my lines going through the woods. After the barriers, I put my head down and scraped together more power. After the double barriers, I was able to look back. They were all there and I thought we would soon form as group. Until then, however, I would continue to pedal A.H.A.P.

During the second lap, I noticed David had glued himself to my wheel which gave me additional confidence. The two of us had widened the gap between us and the sharks. David has been crushing all of us in many of the races, so I thought if I was riding with him, I was doing okay. He gurgled some advice to me through turns, and you better believe that I accepted and followed through. As we approached the barriers, I dismounted and jumped while David levitated and sailed over the barrier. It was amazing. By the time I had climbed back up upon my bike, he had twenty meters on me, which meant I had to chase him down in the wind. On the next lap, he did the same, but only a tad slower. Once, David reminded me to work together, which I wanted to do but had just led through the woods and uphill barrier section. I reminded him of that and he took the lead into the wind. I was really tired and thankful David pulled on this windy section. He surly didn't have to. My plan took on a sightly devious tone when I looked back at the next rider coming. Liam. I had my teammate closing in fast. I would sit on the wheel and wait for a while. Our pace slowed slightly, and when we turned around the soft-ball backstops out back, I told David I would come through and pull. He agreed. "Hup, hup. Here we go," I managed. I thought that if Liam hadn't joined by then, we would have to pick it up -on account of the shark pack. Chase, our impressive overall leader, was also breathing down our necks. There have been several races now where he went by me like a laser; for a while, I thought this race would be no different.

We went through the woods and I begin to feel better, going through the finish line area as fast as possible. I rode the last two laps alone easing up a bit in order to concentrate and take no added risks, as Luke reminded me while racing. I hit my pedal on a tree on the last lap, and also snagged it on the grass while turning. I was also down to one contact lens. I received a ton of encouragement as I approached and passed lapped riders. Thank you! As I rounded the final sweeper the last time, I looked back just to make sure. No sprint needed. I turned the bend and raised my fists.

Last road event of 2011 is a W!

2011-09-11T15:56:00.000-05:00

50 K or 30 miles and change. We averaged over 28mph and often cruised along at 30. One of us threw up around 16 miles in. We began to falter on the return but held it together for victory in the 30+ category. Third fastest time of all teams. We won 160$. xXx Racing Athletico's Elite team secured second place. Thanks to Charlotte for driving the follow car!

App Gap

2011-09-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

I raced in the bunch for the entire race. I matched all accelerations and had no difficulties. Before we turned left onto 17 I stayed in the top 15 wheels. Interesting that the yellow jersey had his nose in the wind for a couple long pulls. Yellow and Polka-dot even traded a few minor digs. We turned left and as everyone expected, the fun began. I remained in the top 10, and even rotated through a quick paceline twice on the downhill. Ooh, maybe I am in a selection. No chance. I don't think anyone got popped until around 8K to go. At 5k to go, I had stop matching accelerations and got into a rhythm. No choice. The toughest part of the climb was at 1k, so I needed to save something. Suffering. I went into the 28 in tried spinning. Then I had to get out of the saddle and muscle my weight up the mountain. App Gap is harder than Black Mountain because B.M. :) is toughest in spurts. I was out of the saddle for the last 1k on this monster rockin 190 bpm. I finished at 194 bpm and needed help operating myself off the bike and walking to a chair. Thanks Luke for screaming at me on the last 50 meters! Needed that. Just picture an arm smashing an iron hammer into a railroad spike. I'd say that is a pretty good image of me cranking the pedals over. Not the smooth rotation you would normally want. I was the 29th cat 3 racer to finish out of 82 dudes from all over the place. Not too shabby, I guess. The last 5k was my toughest riding/racing -ever. Tomorrow is the crit. ATTACK!!

Green Mountain -Saturday

2011-09-03T17:09:00.002-05:00

Summit App Gap tomorrow

Thanks for checking in. I'll try to keep this snappy.

After the TT, I was 57 seconds down on the leader. Today's race was the circuit race with two KOM sprints and one Sprint point. There were two laps around 30 miles each. The shape of the course was circular. I was not in position to contest the first set of KOM points, so I worked a little to make up a few spots and then settled in. On a long run in, on the first lap, I was squeezed off the road into sharp gravel. After riding it out I was able to bunny-hop back on the road, but dropped my chain and flatted the front tire. What a terrible feeling. The SRAM car was way back helping someone else. I got my flat tire out and tried not to panic at the field disappeared.

I put in a huge effort and caught the field as they turned the corner. This was a 5 mile plus chase with minimal help. I had to drop a guy in the process. Kind of fun using the SRAM car as a wind block, along with a few other cars. I caught em and settled in until the KOM point. Here I moved up back to the front of the race. We drilled it down the mountain and made the turn near where I flatted on the previous lap. I moved up again as two guys tried separate attacks. Nothing doing, though. I was third wheel when the moto ref came up and neutralized our race. There had been a crash at the finish. "Glad I'm sitting here!" With five miles to go we chilled and talked, but the moto soon sped off the and hammer fell. Wow! We were flying. Before long we whizzed by the 5k sign and then soon after, the yellow jersey crashed in front of me with what looked like another racer. I had to cross the yellow to avoid going down. There was a little gap, which grew a bit when the wheel I was on slowed up. Then the other wheel I was on slowed up. The 1k sign flew by and within seconds the 100m sign flew by. Race over. It happened so fast, I never got out of the saddle to begin a proper sprint. Hopefully, I only lose a few seconds, but who knows who those guys were. I'm currently waiting for results now. Should be okay because I finished with the lead group.

We had a good day despite a few mishaps. Tamara went down but sprang right back up and finished with the group. Liam also flatted and lost some time -but that has not stopped him in the past. Dave and Luke are sitting nicely with the Queen Stage tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Green Mountain - Wed.

2011-08-31T09:07:00.000-05:00

I don't think any of us thought The Green Mountain Stage Race would be held after Irene blew across Vermont, but the race director says the towns still want us to come and race. So with a few course adjustments, GMSR is going to happen! And xXx Racing-AthletiCo will be there to dominate!

Dave, Liam, Tamara, Luke, and I are leaving Chicago tomorrow morning in a rental van chock-a-block with bikes and gear. I'll post updates here and through Twitter as the race progresses. It will be my biggest and most prestigious race to date, so wish me and my comrades the best of luck. I feel good, a little sore from a long season of racing, but the season is long for everyone! Let's do this!! Gonna stop drinking coffee and go out for one more last spin:)

Road Trip

2011-08-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

The job search up in the burbs has been a bit slow. No interviews and no direct contact with human beings. Everything is online. I feel like a little ball in the lottery machine. Maybe the number 46 or 9 or something. My fingers are crossed for the Waukegan district; they could still contact me this week or next. If things go really well, I will be volunteering at HP, helping with their cycling club! That would be rad.
So I had a thought the other day, that since September weekends are super busy (read on to see why) and since I had some time off, I might as well load up the boys, a bike, and a bag of clothes and head north to East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

Pee break along I90

Really? Ya betchya.

Found a solid, strong coffee along the way which made the thirteen hour trip possible.

It's been a great week. We hit the burger joint with my nephew and niece, watched baby JJ chase the toy train around the living room, and spent lots of time chilling on back yard decks.

This is the mighty Red River. In 1997, it destroyed two cities with water and fire. As I rode by today along the bike path, I noticed a huge limb stuck horizontally to this old railroad bridge pillar. See that? Every year the water rises to that level and scares the shit out of everyone. As I snapped the pic, I overheard two dudes talking about 1997 from up on the hill. Now, the cities are protected using flood technology modeled after Holland. Also, back in the middle of the ninteenth century, a mob hung a dude from that pillar. Creepy.

Back to September. My lower back has been pretty sore lately. Sometimes I can't stand up straight, especially after sitting in a chair or on the bike. AthletiCo, our team's sponsor, has been great. Thank you Bill, Erin, and Mallory! They did a free injury screening and created a stretching program for me. The problem is most likely a disc. I have no tingling or numbess anywhere, so I'm not going in for an MRI. But even if I get the MRI, and see a bulging disc, what changes? Nada. More serious stretching is all. So, back on the bike I go! I'm hoping it heals as I train. It has been much better as of late.

This is a rest week, and Coach couldn't have planned it at a better time. "Had the night sweats last week real bad!" And there was one ride where I couldn't keep my heart rate above sixty-five percent. Clear signs I need a break. So this is it! Fourty minutes of AR today followed up with some of this blog business and lots of food. Throw in a beer(s) and a nap, and I'll be ready for September. CYCLOCROSS! AND CYCLOCROSS!! Part two to my little hobby is right around the corner. And, unless I get a job today or tomorrow, I will be going to Vermont to race the Green Mountain Stage Race! AND CYLCOCROSS!!! Also, we got the 4Man Team Time Trial coming up, which will be harder than ever this year!

Tomorrow morning, I have three hours of steady endurnace on the schedule. For an hour and a half I will ride into the northern scenery you see below, then I will turn around somewhere in Crookston, and return into those same plains until I get back to EGF. If I'm lucky, I will have a slight head wind going out or a cross wind from either direction. What am I saying, there is no such thing as a slight head wind here. If I'm not lucky, the headwind will be on the return trip. The wind here is unlike anything in Illinois or anywhere -I promise.

What I will see for 3 hours tomorrow.

Ike and I are gonna wrastle, then I'm running out for food.

Good Morning!

2011-07-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

July -definitely my favorite month. I'll do that workout later...

Fetch!

2011-07-08T20:19:00.001-05:00

New Favorite Shop

2011-06-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

Julius Meinl coffee and homemade cake for your sweet tooth.

These guys here know their business.

A Summer Day!

2011-06-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

5 Minutes into today's ride. Right off of Roger Williams Ave. Maybe saw her again while in Judson peloton 45 minutes later.

Just Opened in HP

2011-06-16T19:16:00.003-05:00

It's right on St. John's before the right hander onto Central. I wonder if they'll be ready for hordes of riders this Saturday morning? They have quite a selection of gelato as well. The brand new machine makes a great brew. Not sure if anyone in the shop understands it, but hey -cheers!

First Win of the Season! Monsters of the Midway

2011-05-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

I watched the first Master’s race while warming up and noticed that the wind was coming across the course from north to south, and I thought more and more about the possibility of an attack succeeding in my race since the attacker would never have the full brunt of the wind on those long straights. I lined up with Randy, Luke, Kirby, and Chris, and the officials blew the whistle. I don’t remember many details for the first part of the race, but can recall us keeping an eye towards the front of the group to make sure that we, a full and expert squad, did not miss out on any moves. I was on the front once or twice, in the back, and along the sides. Once, I attacked early only to sit up as I did not have much of a gap and the field read it directly. With about four or five to go, Luke attacked on the back stretch up along the left side. I was opposite of him on the other side, so didn’t see if guys went with him or if he got a gap and was then brought back, but by the time we got through turns three and four, and then back to the start-finish, his speed had strung affairs out into a clean line with three to go.

Luke wanted off the front and swung wide left. The line followed. No one wanted to move up. I was already on the right side eating some wind as we approached turn one, the windiest section on the course. In a matter of seconds, the field would soon slide over in order to make the turn. I made my move here, and kept the attack going through the turn, and then out of the turn as hard as I could and for as long as I could stand. Result? Gap! What an opportunity with the corner being right there after Luke had just hit the gas, and with wind keeping everyone’s attention on their front wheels being blown around, and not everyone’s eyes watching me heading on down road.

So I drilled it around the course to the start finish, and Alan called out eleven seconds with two laps to go. “Not a lot,” I thought, but I had to keep going. I took the corner tight as fast as possible and hit that little hole. The front wheel bounced just as a huge gust of wind blew into me. Close call. The field entered the corner as I cleared out. Down the back side, I got some company as a rider bridged and joined me in the effort. He took a turn from the west side up to just about the start line, and I noticed things became a little less painful. I remember thinking that this was okay, and that I was fine. Alarm bells began ringing. Easier is DANGEROUS! I believe that if you are not close to your limit in a late break, you will be caught. While in a solo break with two to go, you should be cursing your own existence. My turn to pull came as Alan hollered out, “ten seconds!” on the bell lap. I needed to go faster, so I did. I glanced back before turn one and my break-mate was a bike length behind. I turned around and kept pedaling without flicking my elbow.

I really, really need to thank my teammates. Alan told me that coming out of turn two, the field had made an effort to catch me, and dropped my gap to seven puny seconds. Having these experienced xXxers helping me, made a HUGE difference. One more second closer may have given two or three powerhouse racers the motivation to drop 800 watts and bridge the gap. I heard my own lungs gasping for air -intense pain and nervousness. I couldn’t see through my dried contacts and had to blink rapidly to generate some moisture. Before turn three, I heard the announcer over the PA say that the field was not going to make the catch. The front of the field had sat up!

I made the final turn and immediately got out of the saddle, which must have looked like slow motion. I looked back once. Ten or so seconds is not a long distance with these dudes charging up from behind you. If I didn’t sprint as hard as I could all the way, I thought they might catch me. No post-up after I won, only a bike-throw and some swerving from oxygen depletion. My teammates were there immediately. Thanks fellas for your sacrifice and your belief in me. Thanks Alan and Adam and everyone for screaming at me during the race. This will always be a special win.

Thanks for the pic Jared!

Ciao Italy!

2011-04-23T11:18:00.002-05:00

Resting the legs in Riomaggiore

2011-04-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

Orbetello & Pitigliano

2011-04-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Il Raduno

2011-04-17T15:08:00.001-05:00

4200 feet of climbing today.
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/sw/kml/7I5MDUOSB6LVNFN2Z35MVDW3UU
Lots of cafe e gelato.
Vino.
Sun.
Rode this new bike today with Max.

Under Contract

2011-04-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

Sherman Park -check
Sell Condo -check
Find new home -check
Close/Move

For Sale

2011-03-26T18:07:00.000-05:00

One two bedroom, two bathrroom loft in Roscoe Village.

Another Great Day

2011-03-24T20:22:00.001-05:00

Nothing like teaching Native Son in Chicago. Nice to take a 47 minute break from the ACT. Brisk ride in followed up with a little coffee.

Peachy

2011-03-18T09:14:00.002-05:00

So Long Winter

2011-03-10T22:37:00.000-06:00

This year's favorite winter ride -the weekend after the big storm.

On that ride, I discovered Istria Cafe closed and re-opened under the new sign, Cafe57. Same great java but now owned by bike racers from Tati! Nice! Can't wait for summer!

I have been pretty busy with this, so click below and sign up to race your bike in April.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12935

And now, it's time to SLO things down a bit.

I thought this one was funny, too.

EGF to Crookston - Highway 2 MN Style

2011-02-08T18:03:00.000-06:00

Aftermath

2011-02-02T16:02:00.000-06:00

Jayhawks

2011-01-31T21:32:00.000-06:00

Good to see them all on stage again. Played all of Tomorrow the Green Grass last Friday night at The Vic. Nice.

Saturday Ride

2011-01-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

Under Construction!

2011-01-10T21:25:00.001-06:00

Check back soon!

Chi Cross Cup Races 6 and 7

2010-11-02T20:53:00.005-05:00

Bartlett and St. Charles. As usual, kudos to the organizers and hosts of both races. We couldn't ask for a cooler series here in the Chicago area. During the week of Bartlett, the Sunrise Park race, I was at the end of the training cycle and was feeling pretty sluggish. Not a lot of power and not very aggressive at the start. In other words, I raced like crap. Ended up 21st, just enough to hold down the overall ten spot. Until.....

Got a great start at St. Charles Campton Park. Went through the first four turns third wheel. As we hit the woods, for some reason, I decided to dismount and run the bike up the railroad timbers. As soon as I got off the Surly, dudes started flying by me. And because my dismount was so lame, my chain jumped the ring. So I am running and turning the cranks by hand, trying to put the thing back on. I think I get it, jump on, and find out that it is jammed up. Had to get off and tackle the job with my hands. The whole damn field left me there in the woods. I heard a bird chirp. An airplane flew overhead. I walked out of the woods, ghost rode my bike down a 50 meter slope, went over to the judges, and DNFed myself.

I am now 14th overall. And I'm angry.

On a positive note, this dude grabbed the third podium spot.

Nice work Liam!!!!

Woodstock this weekend, and then a few more before the state championship. Got my work cut out for me.

Carpentersville - Chi Cup Race 5

2010-10-17T18:17:00.008-05:00

BIG WIN FOR XXX!
After earning a call-up, Mike blasted out of the gates today to battle 5 other guys until the very end of the race, where he then dropped the hammer and attacked everyone. As you can see, he was the only one in the photo. Congrats, Mike.

As for my race: I did not spoil my call-up, holding a top ten position going through the first turns, but then I could not (or did not) keep the throttle open all the way long enough, and 1-8 pulled away. I was riding in the 9 spot until these two gentlemen began putting the cross hairs on my back. They would grab Liam's wheel (who absolutely killed it today!) and leave me in the dust. A Recycle rider pulled my guts out right before the last turn and tossed em down in the dirt. I finished 14th. Fun day. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day of pain happen. Thanks Main Street Bicycles and Northbranch Cycling and CCC!

Dropped chain here. Used the front derailleur to get it back on.

All photos by Charlotte.

Psycho Cross - Chicago Cyclocross Cup Race 4

2010-10-16T22:34:00.006-05:00

The Course

The Bridge of Sighs

Good race today. Thanks to Mr. Schweitzer and Verdigris Cycling for making this thing happen. I have lived in Chicago apartments that were not as sturdy as the fly over these fellas constructed. I spent a lot of times in drops and the course often delivered a road race or crit feel. I handled the bike better in the corners today; no crashing. Thanks for the advice Dr. Kirby. I stayed out of the pile-up a few minutes in and raced a clean race -no crashing. I passed enough guys to settle into 8th place with four laps to go. That's how I finished. See ya all in twelve hours.

Hopkins Park and Dan Ryan Woods - Chicacgo Cup Races 2 and 3

2010-10-11T07:50:00.007-05:00

Hopkins

Remember this? This is video from the first lap of the 4Bs. Nicely handled, too. Thanks to everyone who helped out with Hopkins Park!

I was having a great race, moving up from around the 13th position when I tripped and dove head first into a barrier. Ouch. Total face plant. Couldn't find a picture of it, but I know one exists so.... Well, my chain came off (as usual) and while I fixed it a but-load of racers went by. Before this happened, I was looking at the backs of 10 through 12. That's how it goes. Finished 20th. Earned 1 point. Bye bye call-up.

Guthrie met the Cuttin Crew, as seen below:

Dan Ryan Woods

Even though I gag when I hear the Columbus 1492 story (counta it being some bull shit and all) I am pretty thankful for having the day off after racing three Sundays of Cross. Uff duh. Thanks to Beverly Bikes and everyone else who had a hand in making the day one to remember. The 80 degrees helped with that, too.

The threes were lined up about twenty meters from the staging area -not sure why. Mike said something about being closer to the line. There was some brief and twitchy eyeballin, and all of a sudden, twenty men exploded to the staging tape in order to be in best possible whistle position. I was alert so did well. Had the tape right across the bars. It happened again when we were called to the line, and I held that position; and again after call-ups when we slid in behind the first row. I made it. Middle second row. Race time!

Full sprint, elbow to elbow, wheel to wheel, hard turn, mud pit, guy hits the deck right in front of me. I dismount and run around the chaos losing a few spots. When I'm back on the bike, the top ten riders are a couple of turns in front of me already. Not good. Here goes nothing.

It's been a tough week for training. Phillips Academy High School had an open house for parents, a homecoming football game (we lost) and the homecoming dance. So, not much midweek intensity happening for me on the bike. NO EXCUSES "Pankslownin!" (yes i did hear that on course)

The race shaped out to be almost the same as last year. Finished 15th two years in a row now. Even battled Max again, trading turns passing each other, and even crashing. Me more than him. Unfortunately, Schleck, I mean Max, dropped his chain with half a lap to go. I didn't stop. Great race, dude. Here's last year's report:
http://activerecovery.blogspot.com/2009/10/race-3-dan-ryan-woods.html

I went down hard twice but didn't pay for my mistakes as no one went by. On the fist lap I was 20 deep, maybe 22nd. I mashed the pedals as hard as I could, and at times too hard around turns. Sucks to be all beat up without a top ten finish at least. I think I am still getting used to my new tires, which are 32s. My clinchers are fatter and definitely seem better in corners. The Eastons are super light, and I know what people say about tubies in cross, but man, I wonder if I should switch next week?

See ya out there.

Jackson Park - Chicago Cyclocross Cup - Race 1

2010-09-23T21:13:00.009-05:00

Let the madness begin. A little luck goes a long way, especially in bike racing. My name was drawn from a hat to begin the first race of the cross season on the first row! I remember Liam shouting to me, "You better win now!" Newt said, "See ya at the finish line," as I rolled up to the start. No pressure. I could feel the breath of all the dudes behind me, hungry for that hole shot.

Could I look any more nervous?

Yes.

The whistle. Oh Shiiiiiiiit! Notice Mike's tongue hanging all out crazy like behind me!

photo by Von R. Buzard

The video below by Jeremey shows what a cross mass start is all about. I am second wheel going into the turn I help set up earlier at 5:45 a.m.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mountaingoat99/5006378954/in/set-72157624867378837/

Still second wheel here in Jeremey's second vid, but teammate Mike is ready to pass me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mountaingoat99/5006372932/in/set-72157624867378837/

The short version is: I had a little chain trouble from an endo that forced me off the bike. Nine riders finished in front of me, which left me in tenth. So I should get another call up next weekend. Luke raced like a beast and took 6th, which means we will have two xXxers on the start line at Hopkins. Super fun day, including the hand-to-hand combat I had with Mike C. and Newt out on the course. See ya all in a couple weeks. Time for some rest.

Team Time Trial

2010-09-14T22:39:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the folks at ABR and to those in the town of Leonore for giving up their highways to us nuts last Sunday. And a big shout-out to Nikki for driving our support vehicle, and taking pictures, and watching Jack! Brian, Chris, Ryan and I had a pretty painful but memorable day competing and completing the Four Man TTT. I can't remember any one person putting in monster digs; instead, I would say that we worked as well as any team could have worked by spreading our efforts out over the 60K. Our eschelons were near perfect almost every time, and even though we barked out when to pull off, it ensured everyone kept enough in reserve for the headwind and final stretch. These guys are remarkable bike riders, and they really know how to suffer. We took home second place behind another stellar xXx team. Would do it again with these fellas any time.

photos by Nikki

Room 113 Turn Around

2010-09-06T11:03:00.010-05:00

After hauling three piles of shit out of the room, applying one coat of paint, performing some minor carpentry work and a little decorating, I think I made a space where Chicago's young people may want to learn.

Room 113 BEFORE

Room 113 AFTER

West Side Coffee Stuffs

2010-09-02T21:28:00.004-05:00

I've been hitting the West Side this week. Tried a couple new spots.

Flying Saucer. The server said they used Metropolis Red Line for espressos. Not true. They used a spicy blend. It also came in a regular cup and was just about filled. Wrong.

Dark Matter brew. Nothing special. A double shot came in a concentrated one ounce serving. Wrong.

Tag Team Cyclocross Jackson Park - Chicago

2010-08-31T10:54:00.005-05:00

30+ Podium (Thanks for building the podium, Jason!)

The Chicago Triathlon wasn't the only event with a transition area Sunday morning. I arrived at Jackson Park and met twenty or so other xXxers just after sun-up to help set up the very first tag team cyclocross race. With the official cross season still two weeks away, Alan T. and company created the perfect course to begin breaking down the bodies of bike racers. A little off-camber action near the water, some twisty turns, fast flats, and a toilette bowl that swirled you into the " "spot and then spit you back out after a few reverse turns, like down in Australia -maybe. The team did an incredible job setting this up. Great job Adam with the sponsors and everyone else who had a hand in helping out.

I signed up for two races with two partners, Greg in the 30+ and Luke in the 1/2/3s. The dirty thirties race was up first and I lined up at the start line without my bike. That's right. The hole shot would be on foot. We had to run to the transition area where your partner would be holding your bike for you. My legs screamed out with pain after twenty five meters of sprinting in my Sidis. After my eyes locked on Greg with my bike, I grabbed it and leaped the second barrier with about five or so riders in front of me. Race on! Buckle up!

We started really fast! Ouch! I tried to keep myself in check by not dumping the bike due to high speed and the technical course. Going into a hard corner, I found my wheel totally crossed over another dude's back wheel as he turned right. Zzzzzzzzzz. Hmp. Cross tires. I ended up mixed up in the tape and two guys went by. Damn! I unclipped on the first off-camber section too, but come on, this was the first cross race since what, December? And only my second time on the Surly this year. I completed the lap at full throttle, slapping Greg's hand and tagging him in. My heart rate was pegged. And we signed up for two of these?

Greg came back to transition in what seemed like only two minutes, and I found myself back in the saddle. I only messed up one more time, dropping my foot in the most technical corner. Two guys went by. The race went on and found a grove that would not totally destroy my legs, lungs, and heart. Greg rode like a beast. He cleaned up after my two mistakes and put huge chunks of time into our competition. My legs felt great and I never slowed down. We could count the teams in front of us on one hand! No one passed me on my last lap, and Greg finished the final lap. We killed it. Third place in 30+! Strong work, Greg! My first cross podium!

Next up, the 1/2/3s race. Double ouch! Luke and I Roshamboed for who would begin, and I won. (There would be no kicking in the balls though. At least not until the race began.) I held Luke's bike near the front as the stampede of horses clad in spandex came running over the first transition barrier. Racers handed off bikes, which created a wall of carbon that made our hand off difficult. Imagine trying to run across the Kennedy at 8:00 a.m. on a weekday. That was Luke in our present situation. He snatched the bike and was off. Minutes later we tagged and it was my turn. The temperature was now 90 or so degrees in the shade. The hecklers offered some respite when I pedaled up the hill under a shower of cold beer. I was getting really tired now. I clipped my front wheel on a barrier once and knew my strength was fading. Guys were literally crashing into transition area with their desperate hands held out in front of their spent bodies. One guy came in calling for his partner, who was nowhere to be found. We were dying, but we held our spot. We each did our last couple laps without any racers passing us. We finished the ordeal in 14th place. Not too shabby, and what great cross conditioning. Great job partner!

Up next: Jackson Park.

A New Year!

2010-08-25T18:21:00.002-05:00

Weekend Post (races 13-14)

2010-08-21T18:29:00.009-05:00

When I opened my eyes this Saturday morning I saw a 7, a 1, and a 0. Sheeeet. The group rolled out of Wicker Park ten minutes ago and was probably crossing Roscoe as I hit the button on the espresso machine -twice. At 7:45 I kissed my wife and hit the street, my hopes of catching onto the tail end of the xXx ride I had been looking forward to all week, fading away like the late autumn mist hanging around under the trees of Ravenswood.

Thanks to an esteemed colleague and true friend, I have been able to switch jobs within Chicago. Pretty big deal if you know anything about the educational budget cuts in the city, the state, and the U.S. in general. I moved from a charter school to a union supported, CPS neighborhood school. Wow! And after my move, another school who had turned me down earlier offered me a position as well! Deciding what to do has filled my head with questions of ethics and loyalty. Sometimes, when Ike gets really scared, like when a box of tools falls on him, or when G beats the hell out of him, or when a bike falls on him, he will get so upset and stressed out, that he'll immediately fall asleep for an hour or so. That's been me.

A few dead leaves blew across my wheel today, a sign of fall mornings where you see your breath and where eschelons of geese cross the stubled fields of Wisco. In May, the song birds began warming as early as 4:00 a.m. in Chicago, and by sunrise, if your windows are open, they will have woken you up and gotten your lazy ass out of bed so you could get that group ride. Now, as I lay awake during that hour of predawn peace, all I hear is the distant hum of the Kennedy, and crickets. The morning songs have been replaced by those sounds of bugs; bugs that crawl through the dirt and live in cracks of concrete. They have shiny shells and lots of legs and feet that grab and clasp and crawl and wiggle. They writher out of shells and climb trees where their mating calls can be heard with astounding clarity. They acquire a mate, perform their purpose, die and fall out of trees for the ants to devour. I really dig spring, but am starting to welcome fall.

Whenever I miss a ride (doesn't happen all the time, but every now and then) there is always this glimmer of hope that if I chase hard I could catch on. I had four hours on the schedule today so I had to keep myself in check. Once, a few weeks back, I got a puncture just before I joined the group. It took me eight minutes to change, three slower than the standard, and three minutes after the group I was normally riding in rubbed wheels and hit the deck hard. I rolled up on a street full of emergency vehicles.

I noticed a few riders and begin to think I still could possibly catch my team. Skip the coffee store, keep the HR high. My last two races on the rode have been displays of personal nervousness. Granted, they were tough courses and super competitive fields, my skin became too thin going in to all the corners. I tailgunned the races most of the time, and finished deep in the pack. However, I never blew up or lost the ability to punish myself. That happened to all kinds of dudes right in front of me. I would always go around them and take my place back at the back. Funny, but when I whizzed by them, some looked at me as if to say what's the point? My rode season may be over, but my motivation to hammer has never faulted late this year. And the spring races never seem that far away.

I rode by two teammates who seemed to have flatted. Gettin excited now. Couldn't stop for too long, maybe they are just ahead!

Ordered a bunch of cyclocross toys and am waiting like a child for two particular items to arrive. I had no idea the Easton EA70 tubulars were so popular. Back ordered for weeks! Still going to be worth it, I think. Thanks to Micheal at Get A Grip for all the help. Can't wait for the cross season to start. Next weekend, things kick off with xXx Tag Team Cross! This will be great fun and good practice for the Cup.

There they are! I caught em! Couldn't believe my luck. Really. Went on to St. Mary's rode, waved goodbye to the group doing Old School, and hammered the hell out of the Sisters loop with five teammates who have been known to rip the legs off and destroy riders.

I spent thirty minutes attaching two cabinet handles to a vanity so that they look half way decent. How do carpenters do a whole kitchen? Where's the template!

Nothing like a Sat. nap after a hard ride, especially in August. On Sunday, after another good ride, I napped with a much cooler autumn breeze whipping through the house.

Can't wait for Charlotte to get home. Going to wrap things up with a hot grill and some ice cold beers. I'm going to work tomorrow, and I'm not looking back. Gonna be a great year at ....

Science Fiction Coming Out Party

2010-08-06T12:39:00.009-05:00

Click on the title above...

Door County Days 3 and 4

2010-08-01T08:16:00.014-05:00

After five or so espressos at Leroy's and some Good Eggs with Charlotte, I put on the kit and hit the road. I stuffed a tourist map in ziplock along with some cash and rolled out on down the hidden drive and out into the woods of Door County. My goal was to stay between 42 and 57, and take in as much scenery as possible. Was supposed to ride for five hours but didn't want to spin all the way to Green Bay, so I would have to find a few loopdy doops. I began by heading north up to Gill's Rock. There, I climbed some pretty steep slopes while filling my lungs with the thick air blowing off the waters of Green Bay. Stunning views, even in the rain which would continue to fall for another two hours. With air temps in the high seventies, I kept warm -mostly. I rode east and cut back south just before reaching Death's Door, where two years ago Charlotte crashed her mountain bike racing for the departing ferry. (They don't call it Death's Door for nothin!) Spun up 42 for a bit until County Q, which Phil recommended. He was right. A great stretch of pristine road with NO interruptions. I seemed to twist and roll up and down for dozens of miles until popping out on 57. I fueled up in Baily's Harbor and stretched out a bit while gazing out into Lake Michigan, rode by Kangaroo Lake and then cut across the Peninsula back to the Green Bay side. Next, it was back into Fish Creek and a short ride back to Phil's.

Recovery included an outdoor shower, a jacuzzi, and a Hamms. Not bad after a non-stop four hour ride with rain.

Phil is an amazing cook. Much of the grub we ate came from his garden and a jumbo wok hooked up to a gas tank for outside stir fry. He doesn't mess around.

Our last night included a few staple Door County activities: Bonfire and bluegrass. There is a weekly concert held at "Camp David" where the tunes are banged out of a variety of stringed instruments. Gotta love the washboard, too!

Got a good night's sleep with all the windows open. No cars, buses, or drunks down on the street chanting and whooing some mindless shit. No Harleys. Only crickets and whippoorwills. A full moon with some lazy fog.

Thanks Phil for all your hospitality and friendship. If you ever need a change of pace, hit us up in Chicago. Bring your kayaks and be ready for some live music. Last weekend, Jack White's band, Dead Weather, strir-fryed our ears and brains at the Congress Theater.

Door County Day One and Two.

2010-07-29T08:25:00.011-05:00

If you get the chance to drive up to Door County, I recommend Going up H42 south of Sturgeon Bay and on the northwest shore of Lake Michigan. This is before you actually arrive on the peninsula. It's stunning. I love the views of lush farm fields meeting the lake's shore. We rolled in around 7:00 and grabbed some dinner at Mr. Helsinki's in Fish Creek. Awoke early for a little recon/coffee ride. Most roads are free of glass and potholes, especially when you get between H43 and H57. And expect some descent climbs.

Firs thing's first! Where's the joe?! It's at Leroys right off of H42. Don't even bother with the other shops. Especially if you're a coffee snob -like me.

Grab some preride fuel or postride recovery at Good Eggs just south of Leroy's. Good Eggs. "Oh yah fer sure der."

Door County is the Tuscany of the U.S.

Race 10, 11, and 12 -Tour De Villas and Whitnall Park

2010-07-28T13:23:00.006-05:00

The best thing about races 10 and 11 in Des Plaines was that my family came out to cheer on me and xXx! I didn't race too smart though, staying out too long in the wind, and being too hesitant to slide into spots in the peloton. A load of fast fun, though!

Tour De Villas gave me my first opportunity to race in a P/123 field. Not by choice really, but more because the 3s field was thrown into the last race of the day. Good stuff. Really fast and smooth. I bridged up to one attack, only to find my legs useless after the effort. I could not rotate through and within a few hundred meters, the peloton gobbled us up, which turned out to be good since I had a teammate in the field who later got himself into a later break. With one and a half to go, I knew the latter break would stay off, and with my teammate still there. I got a wheel sliding up the outside. When we got near the front, I slid off a bit and attacked. As I crossed the start/finish with one to go, I might have had ten seconds on a charging field. I rode so hard on the back side, I almost crashed myself out by swerving. Another teammate later told me he saw me floating all over the side of the road. Within 200 meters, I was caught and put out of my misery.

There were two of us in Super Week's Whitnall Park "RR." It is actually more like a circuit race at about 35 miles and 15 or so laps through a park in Wisco. The plan was to get our guy into the best position in order to contest a top finish, but also to pay attention for breaks and get in one if possible but also not blow up forcing something. We knew it would be hard to stay away on this fast course. Early on, I hit the gas going up the hill and got a little seperation. Two guys covered me, joined, and we acquired a little space. I think a pulled through only one time before the field made contact. We pulled the plug and caught some air. Once, we did have to cover a dangerous move. Mike rode tempo on the front until I took over, and together we brought a small group back to the field. On the last lap, I got to the front and looked back for my teammate. I probably did not need to do this, but guys don't exactly give you a nice little place to ride your bike on the last lap of a Super Week race. Soon, a few dudes put in some big moves that really whipped up the pace. I was in the middle when we made the final turn up the hill, which is exactly where you do not want to be in this race. I finished in the middle and with nothing left in my legs. My teammate didn't get the result he wanted, but he did continue to race well, earning a second-overall spot in Super Week. Well done, Mike.

So with July fading fast, I don't see many road races left on my calendar. I do see the Four Man TTT -and cross! I also cancelled a few races in order to preserve my "life balance" and sanity.

Family Grounds

2010-07-07T17:19:00.003-05:00

Great for kids if you got em, and they have outdoor seating for folks coming back from the ride. They serve up Intelligentsia and know how to pour cappuccinos and espressos. Give it a shot. Lincoln and Patterson.

4th of July!

2010-07-04T17:19:00.009-05:00

Food for the 4th

2010-06-29T08:38:00.003-05:00

What are you all eating to celebrate Independence Day? What is your ideal 4th of July meal? The iconic 4th of July BBQ food-stuffs! Send your shots to pankonin@gmail.com and I'll post 'em throughout the week!

xXx Racing-AthletiCo Dominates

2010-06-28T12:08:00.003-05:00

What a day for a great Chicago team!

http://www.xxxracing.org/index.php?/site/news/three-state-championships-for-xxx-racing-athletico/

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x41608370/Another-leisurely-ride-in-the-city

Strong work, everyone!

Race 9 - ToAD Greenbush Road Race

2010-06-25T11:06:00.003-05:00

One of the last true road races on my schedule. I really wanted to do well. Top ten at least. I took in the relaxed and easy atmosphere, lining up in the middle of our field of about 40 racers. We rolled out in neutral start, chatting about the other ToAD races and about who was who, and who was wearing the spotted yellow leader's jersey. Then the race began and we continued to chat and yawn, and then a we noticed a rider way off the front in the distance. WAY off the front. Couldn't even make out the jersey. Whatever. This race was pocked with hills and 50 miles long. Brave move for sure. I continued in the middle and often towards the back. I can only guess that while I loosened up in the lounge, riders bridged the move off the front one and two at a time, unbeknownst to me and many others. By the time we finished the first lap, those riders had turned the corner way before us, and I knew that was it. There were maybe 5 riders in the break. They would go on to put several minutes on the whole field. It's a horrible feeling to see your best and strongest chances slip away like that. Had I positioned myself at the front, I could have paid attention and made a bridge attempt, been IN the break.

But hey, we still had 4 laps! Plan B. We ticked off two laps and nothing happened. I might not have ever left my endurance training zone. So, with two to go, I moved up front and picked up the pace. A guy attacked and I covered his wheel. He immediately sat up, but I kept on going. My largest gap touched the 20 to 30 second mark, but on the downhill, as I hammered away at my 12, a line of horses whizzed by me. "Good work." "Nice job." Maybe we dropped some folks, I don't know. I found a slot and got in line. I just couldn't ride around waiting for the end, and I could not end this race with fresh legs. There is something very unsettling about finishing a hilly road race of 50 miles with still good legs.

We would hit the last turn all together. I studied this last 500 meters well, and knew the sprint would come late. There was a breeze and a slight uphill. About 5 riders blew up on the left side and I went by. What! Space! I could see a line! Right as I began to mash and shift, a rider went down in front. I moved my pedal up so it could clear his wheel, which was sliding over into my line. Good thing no one was on my right when I swerved. Then I went between two riders who seemed, well, a little shaky. When it was all said and done, I had lost my sprinting momentum and only finished 16th.

A great race, though. Love these Dairy Land gigs. Also fun to be active in the race, even after you realize your best chance is up the road.

Race 8 - ToAD Elkhart Lake's Road America

2010-06-22T07:35:00.007-05:00

This is a really cool course with two hard turns and a handful of bends. There are two hills, one is short and I used my small chain ring on the other. I was excited to line up with Mike, Ian, and Andrew. With four of us racing, we would be able to implement team tactics. My plan was to be towards the front every time up the big hill so that I would not miss THE move, and if nothing was happening half way through, I would attempt to initiate the move. As usual, I was looking for the break.

About half of the course is slightly downhill and really fast. We had the whole road and were scorching the track. Super fast, no room for mistakes, which happened. Little touch of wheels and three went down. I sensed the crash, grabbed some break, skidded a bit, and wiggled through the mishap. Just before half way through, I found myself close to the front, and could hear lots of breathing behind me, so I took off on a short "exploratory" flyer and was easily caught. It would definitely be hard to break away. I knew it would take more than one.

Next, I tried to ride some tempo up the hill, created a nice gap, but no one came with. Hmmmm. Smart guys here in this 3s field. I sat up and waited. Another time, I told three guys on the front to hit it with me at the top, we got out of our saddles, but the whole field did the same.

With three to go, a few riders put in enormous attacks on the back side into the wind and up the hill. We had not seen this kind of power and the realization hit me. The strongest riders were sitting in and waiting until the very end (I spoke briefly with the fifth place finisher and he confirmed my hunch). Anyway, the peloton strung out and two separations occurred. One group of maybe 10 had 10 meters with a second smaller chase group. I was killing myself trying to gain contact with the chase. When I did, I was very pleased as I thought I had made the selection and would have a great chance. After a lap, to my dismay, the whole field came back together. Ugh.

Now Mike puts in a big attack and gets some good space. Soon he would actually go out of sight on a few of the turns. My nerve went up as Ian and I fought to control the front. Mike's timing was perfect after the 3-to-go attack I mentioned above. He told me later that his intention was to allow a counter attack for us upon his catch. It was a good idea, but his attack was strong, and the pack let up a bit. I thought he had a great chance of winning.

Last lap, last climb. I'm in perfect position. On a wheel in the wind, towards the front, in the gear I want to be in. The field veers off into Pit Row for the finish. We have the climb and then some, maybe 500 meters to the line. It gets narrow. I'm riding the paint, almost rubbing wheels with some one in front of me, I feel the guy's breath behind me on my neck, and I run out of gas. Not enough power to contest a top ten.

Mike got caught with hundred meters to go. He was disappointed, but I told him to keep his chin up and that we raced a good race. Others said the same in our attempts to break away. In order to do so, however, at least yesterday, I would have needed more than one or two riders, and all would need some serious power. I know that existed in our race, but the majority chose to conserve for a field sprint. Really fun day racing with the fellas. FAST shit. Lessons - Be more aware to sit in until the very end OR attack harder even if solo?

Next up: ToAD Greenbush.

Upgrade

2010-06-22T07:01:00.002-05:00

Update Air Conditioner
-check

Post Turin Recovery

2010-06-17T07:24:00.001-05:00

School's out!

2010-06-16T07:34:00.005-05:00

I grilled a ton of flesh and flesh stuffs for my colleagues yesterday as we wrapped up our school year. I even participated in the meat orgy, eating two burgers, one beef dog, and one brat. I know I know, what about the whole fish thing. Let's just say the ol' bod' was craving some serious protein, and with the races coming up, I'm gonna need some fat stores. (but i still don't trust where this stuff comes from)

Top five things to do this month and next:
5 House maintenance (more new trim, vanity, shower tile, paint)
4 Tour of America's Dairyland
3 Celebrate 4th of July weekend in Chicago with visiting family
2 Attend Conference at Roosevelt University on freedoms in the U.S. Constitution
1 Door County in July with Charlotte (and Guthrie and Ike)

We hit this shop on Damen after the ride last Sunday. The cappuccino was excellent, but the double espresso was served in one concentrated tablespoon. No need for that.

Race 7 - Snake Alley Criterium

2010-05-31T07:50:00.008-05:00

The Snake is all about pain, and how much pain a racer is willing to endure -and to what level. How long can you go without breathing while destroying your legs? Phrase of the day: "Pain is temporary."

I had a call up for the starting top ten spots, so I had good positioning coming around the first turn and charging up the hill before The Snake. If you don't know, The Snake is a twisty, narrow, steep, and all brick street. Much like the one in San Fran. I climbed somewhere in the middle of the front on the first time up. ANYTHING could go wrong here, and not just with your stuff. Mishaps include: unclipping shoes, dropping chains, crossing wheels, and clogging racers. So as we crested, I breathed a little sigh of relief. But not for long; the downhill turns required all my attention. This race is Fox River Grove on crack.

While on the second lap, on The Snake, I dodged a tangle of riders to my left early and drilled it a bit harder because the tangle caused a little separation. (That's why I like riding up in the middle.) I could now count the riders in front of me; we were all together and dimming the lights on the racers behind us.

As the hellish laps wore on, teammate Ryan joined me and began ripping apart the corners like a runaway power saw turned loose on a sheet of thin plywood. I, on the other hand, was doing no such ripping. I went too wide and even feathered my breaks a couple of times! Shame on me! Ryan grew stronger by the lap.

With maybe three to go, four of us climbed together leading the race. The sun was now beating down my neck; my mouth packed with cotton. Lo! May my suffering end soon! I found myself second and third wheel a few times as The Snake continued to replace my essential bodily fluids with its Burlington, venomous mix of bricks and hecklers.

"Just slow down!"
"You can stop now you know!?"
"How about a smoke?"

Ouch! The rider behind me passed (can't remember where) but the third place position on the podium had just gapped me big time on the downhill. Ryan was up ahead thrashing with first place. I looked back to see if I had fourth place secure. No wheels. Gotta just hold on. Fourth place paid out 65$, and Ryan won the race passing the lead rider while descending on the downhills. He truly deserves this win. We had 3 xXxers finish in the top ten at The Snake. Impressive. Thanks to the city of Burlington, Ms. Hunsacker and her crew, and all the officials that continue to make this race THE hardest crit in the Midwest.

Flying Dog

2010-05-23T16:18:00.004-05:00

Take one. Moments before the boy fell backwards off the dock.

Take two. Good boy.

Hard to get a good cappuccino now-a-days...

2010-05-23T16:10:00.004-05:00

I often ask for a "dry" cappuccino to avoid getting a twelve ounce glass of hot milk. No need to do that at Letizia's on Division, though. Good stuff.

Race 6 - Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge

2010-05-17T21:48:00.006-05:00

Thanks to RDS Cycling from Woodstock, the village of Fox River Grove, and all the neighbors for loaning us their streets last Sunday. If you don't know the course, it begins by going straight up and then drops through sweeping turns in a quiet picturesque neighborhood. After a crash, the officials stopped the race and it took me a couple of laps to get back up to speed. I managed to always climb within the top ten wheels and hung onto the back of the whip as we rocketed through the turns. On the last lap, with two turns to go on the downhill, two riders were off the front with about 25 meters. Teammate Ian and I were in a chase group of about eight. It wasn't looking too good for me. Then, about 100 meters before the last turn, Ian jumped out of our line and bridged up to the lead two. I went with him and was able to safely enter the last turn fourth wheel. After the turn, we both jumped and sprinted in to the line. Ian won the race by being smart and aggressive. I took second by following his lead. It was a great day of racing by all. Big ups to Ryan who really creamed the hill on several laps, holding off any significant attacks. Next up, my final race as a Cat 4: THE SNAKE!

Race 5 - LaRue Denzer LaRue

2010-05-16T19:44:00.005-05:00

Well over a thousand feet of total climbing around LaRue and Denzer Wisconsin trimmed our race of fifty down to about twelve riders after the first lap. A break of two put one hundred meters on us as we crossed the line, the din of the final lap-bell echoing throughout the country-side. I knew the one guy in red climbed well, and he continued to stay off after his partner shriveled and burned out in the wind. We absorbed him directly. I took a pull in an effort to increase the tempo so that we could begin closing the gap. The base of the four mile climb was approaching fast, so I pulled off and got ready. Half way up, I found myself in the first three wheels. Then, I put the crosshairs on that guy's red back and got out of the saddle. I became determined to catch that guy. As he crested, I was twenty meters behind. I yelled, "Hey," so that he knew I was there. Two have a better chance than one. Within sixty seconds, two more racers joined us. We recovered a bit and immediately set up our paceline. We became really smooth and efficient. A little confusing when racers from other races tried to work in, but we set em straight. Because we drove the course earlier, I knew that as the final one mile climb approached, the only roads left beyond the climb would be a few turns and also mostly downhill. The four of us began. We dropped one immediately; upon reaching the half way poit, I believe there might have been one close behind me. These climbs here in Wisco, are the ones that make a rider say to himself, "Okay, settle in, you're gonna be here a while." I remained in the saddle, arms on the top of my bars, chain up on the twenty-five, eyes fixed straight ahead, my mind focusing on the rhythm of my legs and lungs. I looked back and saw a nice big gap. A little right-hander, a bit more "up" and bam, big ring time. No resting allowed. The downhill is harder for me than the uphill, and I noticed one rider gaining. I kept my chain locked on my twelve and played "catch the pace car." I had it. I was the only one in the photo at the finish. Another win. Great course; shout-outs to all who helped.

Race 4 - Matt Wittig Memorial Crit

2010-05-09T15:01:00.009-05:00

xXx Team Tactics Equals Complete and Utter Domination in Muskego

Once again, Hampshire Cycle Club and Rainbow Jersey Cycles organized a terrific race in Muskego Park, Wisconsin. The perfect course in a beautiful park. The route offers quite a few features for racers to test their skills, executing different solo or team tactics: a nice light hill, a bump for good measure, two or three inclines, descents, wind, one hard corner, and gradual turns.

Bryce H., John W. and I lined up for the Masters 4/5 forty minute plus three lap criterium. Real easy on the first four laps or so. I grew a little impatient and decided it was time to execute my plan. After we had begun the climb, I attacked. One racer covered me, but I kept going because I wasn't sure what the field was doing. After a lap, we were caught. Precisely at this moment, John attacked like a rabid dog with only one rider covering. Perfect. Bryce went to the front directly and took charge. Twice he motioned and told me where to ride so that we would disrupt everyone's business of catching John. We rode slow on the front, blocked lanes, and generally caused confusion and made the peloton quite sloppy. One rider seemed determined to catch John as he pulled hard on the front, but he soon fizzled out after I would not come through for a pull. He shook his head back and forth in disgust and took a seat in the back. John drilled it for six laps, and no teams could organize anything to make the catch. No one rider was strong enough for the wind and hill to catch him solo. With three to go, the rider I mentioned previously re-appeared and hit the front again. We followed him and John was caught. When he was, I attacked. Part of me didn't feel very confident about this move because it wasn't the hardest part of the course. If you're familiar with the course, this happened on the little descent, just before the park entrance and sharp corner (maybe about 300 meters from the corner). I put a gap on the field and cut the corner as hot as I could with my HEDs. I moved onto the front of my saddle, got as small as possible, and put my heart rate at ninty-one percent into the wind. I climbed the big hill, the little hill, grabbed a big gear, and put my head down. Two to go. At the corner, I took a glance. No one. Keep going. No relief. This was looking good because the group could not take that corner as fast as I, one rider. Also, they were quite tired, I'm sure, from chasing a xXxer. Plus, Bryce was being a pain back in the front of the peloton.

After the climb, the bell rang for last lap. There was no doubt in my mind, that John and Bryce were back there making a mess of things -all for me. A little smile as I glanced back again at the corner, and saw no one. I climbed the hill again. Towards the top, I turned back one last time. The peloton swept around the corner, clawing and fighting. I crested and posted up as I took the victory. It was my first win; I hope I'm smiling in the photo.

I could not have pulled this off without Bryce and John, who were exceptionally strong and strategic racers. To top off the day, John took third in the group sprint. For most of the race, the group was either chasing John or me, or their plans were being thwarted by General Bryce.

Strong work fellas. Aggressive and smart racing. Here's a shout-out to my coach and xXx, who have all made this win possible for me. A team victory for xXx racing-Athletico.

Race 3 - Circuit of Sauk in Baraboo WI

2010-05-02T18:38:00.008-05:00

Race 1 - Cat 4/5
Two fifteen mile laps with some nice hills. Lots of wind and cool views on the descents. I was hoping for the group to climb the first hill at tempo, and that there would some type of selection; maybe a break if an attack did occur. To the surprise of many, I think, attacks occurred immediately and all over the hill. Riders were out the saddle directly. These guys weren't messing around as they made climbing that hill nice and painful. On the flats, I stayed behind the leaders and tried to keep out the wind. One of the hardest parts of this race was the descents. Here, riders tried to attack and break away. I remember seeing two or three guys really drillin' it and looking back to check the results. I was still there. By the second lap and at the top of the big climb, things had for the most part worked themselves out. Our lead group was about twelve. We hit the last climb really hard, but most racers hung together. So this would come down to a sprint of about ten. With 300 meters to go, I found myself on the yellow line next to the motor bike. At 200 meters we would get the whole road. I was in the back of this bunch -not a good sprinting strategy- when I decided to swing over to the right side. When the road opened, I was hoping guys would move over and open up a lane. No such luck. I was boxed in and could only wiggle my way into 8th place at the line.

Race 2 - Masters 4/5
After the first race, I pedaled around for a bit to let the stars clear. I put a Cliff Bar in my belly and choked down a banana with some Cliff Energy drink. Mmmmm mm! I hit the head and made my way over to the start line where I met my team mates. Another 30 miles. The big hill two more times. Everyone was already staged and ready to role out. I took a spot at the very back, still breathing pretty hard and not looking forward to the Pain Cave remix. I only hoped that "the man with the hammer" would stay away from me. The others didn't seem too willing to begin either. Maybe it was the now stronger crosswinds, but when the pace car left and when we were told to head out, no one moved! The race official had to say, "Seriously, go! Head out!"

It took a lot of work to remain in contact with the peloton on the first climb. Some of my Cliff and banana came back up too. I was the absolute last wheel. The letters DNF begin floating around in my head. Fortunately for me, no one put in an attack that would have caused significant separation, because if that happened, it would have been a long and windy race for me, alone. This race was less aggressive then the first. The winds were now much stronger, causing us to often crawl down the road at a snail's pace. Fine with me. After the first lap of fifteen miles, I found myself recovered and still in the lead group. Plenty of guys got dropped along the way and after the second climb, where we were now about ten racers strong. Once, and only once, I found myself at the front into the head wind. I decided to try out my acting skills. I coughed, rocked my shoulders, and lowered my head in an effort to simulate an attack from "hammer man." Right at that moment, an attack went off with one guy on his wheel. It looked good. I covered the move and rotated through. Maybe a break!? Nope. Both those guys receded back to the pack. (Funny, but at this moment, a bunch of my teammates passed us in a truck loaded with bikes. Maybe a little recon.) I wasn't doing this alone in the wind, so I went back as well. Groupo compacto.

We hit the last climb together, and somewhere in the middle, two racers attacked and put a pretty good gap on the field. By now, my body was hating me. I mashed the bike up the hill passing between riders. At the top, things were quiet as I could not see wheels under my arms. I had dropped them, and two were about fifty meters in front of me. I immediately shifted to the big ring and kept the pressure high. No time for air. Soon it would be downhill with a tail wind. Around here, one guy caught me. He came up and said, "Hey, I'm from Chicago! Let's bring this thing home!" That was all the motivation I needed. We traded ten second pulls until 300 meters. I could see the two in front, and they appeared to slow up just a bit. My partner had now stopped pulling through, and I thought for sure he was on my wheel waiting to come by me. At 200 meters, I got up and gave it everything I had. I could not catch the two, but no one else came by me. Third place. Fun day with great team mates. Cool course; one of my favorites for sure. Big shout-out to the Baraboo Sharks for putting on a superb race. Next up, more Wisconsin adventures.

Ouch

2010-04-25T14:59:00.005-05:00

photo by John Firak

Race 2 - Leland Kermesse

2010-04-17T17:49:00.006-05:00

The April wind was whippin across the plains and farm fields this morning as we rolled in into Leland, IL under a cloudless blue sky. Temps in the 40s with a windchill and all that business. Thanks to Flatlandia for putting this together for a second year in a row, and to the town of Leland for opening up their home to packs of bike racers and bike-racer-fans!

Our race went off right on time as a I settled in at second wheel next to a teammate. We were two by two six or so deep until the eschelons began. If you didn't know how these worked before, I'm sure you do now. I wasn't too worried about being too close to the front, because at any moment, I expected attacks to begin in order to get into the gravel "sectors" first. (Yes, I am going to call them sectors.) As soon as we turned left, a rider hit the gas, we fell into one long ribbon of color and carbon. I was fourth or fifth wheel, and we were racing. Here we go.

Shortly before the first sector, a teammate attacked with the wind pushing us from our left sides. Great idea, but the race was early, we were approaching a gravel road, and it simply wasn't quite time yet for this type of thing -for me at least. I will say, however, that my teammate raced really well, and took third place about three hours later. Great job!

The gravel was thick like a bowel of cold oatmeal. There were no lines AT ALL as I began making some precarious moves on loose rock. My front wheel was all over the place, and I crashed directly. I lasted 1 minute on this stuff, and we had 4 laps with miles of rock to go. The guy behind me went down as well. The whole thing had a type of cross feel to it, so we got back up, dodged a line of dusty racers and hit it again. I now had horrible position. Horrible. I settled and waited for a good time to jump over to the other side of the road. The thought of crossing all that soft rock made my move hesitant to say the least, but I flicked the bars and made the hop. Then I drilled it until I got within top 15, and until the whole right side came over and joined me. Fine. New race.

I guess I was pretty nervous now, and to make matters worse, my left brake hood was almost sideways to my outside. The brake still worked though; sure looked goofey. Didn't feel too good either. Oh well. Back on the pavement now, as I tried to gobble up a few more positions. In moments, I would make one of my worst racing moves to date. I tried to squeeze through on the right side, on the right side of a Tati racer. (I know who you are, and I am so sorry, dude. So glad you did not crash with me!) My outward hood moved inside his bars, I panicked and instead of holding straight and slowing, I crashed onto the shoulder, and finally into the fresh spring ditch.

I popped up, and right in front of me, there it was, looming, the Broom Wagon. I could jump right in and call it day. Get some coffee. The driver even tapped the breaks, slowed, as if to say, come on man, your day is done. I looked down at the chain; it was off. Riders went by me screaming. I looked around. Back at the chain, wheels, and bars. Hey, my hood was straight again! I had to use my hand to get the chain on, and when I had it set, I got back on my machine and began pedalling, the front left break pad rubbing the rim. Oh boy.

Body seemed okay. Max's bike proved to be tough and hard as nails. (I would find later this evening only a broken water cage and bent derailleur hanger.) Knee was banged up again. (Don't how much more it can take of that. Watch for me to wear something on it from here on out.) But all-in-all, all systems were green again. I began methodically pedalling tempo. I now was able to see what was happening throughout the whole field. I couldn't have been very far from the last few riders of the whole cat 4 race. Everything became mellow, as I wrapped my mind around what had just happened to my chances of doing well, and I thought about how I would feel after the race -after making such a dumb-ass move.

I exchanged a few words with fellow racers, and turned right onto more gravel, with a nice tailwind. My tempo increased and I found I was almost able to time trial this road. Here goes nothin. I chose the side with fewest riders and hammered. Made up some ground, hit the pavement, settled into the drops, and tapped out a hot, solo rhythm.

From the back, you could tell which riders were shelled. Broken legs swerved all over the road in the cross winds. I passed a pack of ghost riders and eyed up the next group just up the road. Head down, pedal pedal. We turned into the head wind. If I did not catch them soon (like now), I would pop. With three bike lengths to go, me rocking the Lelli back and forth on the rocks, wind killin my face, dirt in my teeth, I closed the gap. I was done. I rode the back and didn't take a single pull for quite a while. Somewhere around here, I had met up with the Iron Cycles guy who went down with me the first time. (Dude, sorry about that.) As I recovered, I began to feel good. I had one teammate in this group and didn't know about our guy in the lead group, but we were so far back, so I thought, I didn't care if we worked together and moved up. No way we would see top three anyway. With both Iron Cycles and me ready to catch the next group, we packed up and pulled out. This dude has a huge motor and did some awesome work. We still had two and a half laps to go.

We picked up riders here and there, worked with them for a while, and would eventually drop them. The two of us continued to work during lap three. Once, I could see a lead group around a corner. I counted the little groups going backwards until I got to us. We were in the fourth group. Eventually, on this third lap, we would catch them all, go by them without chase, until we found ourselves in the group behind the three leaders. Wow. I could race for 4th or 5th place.

Throughout the fourth lap, we kept it steady, and minded our own Ps and Qs. My fat, HED wheels were staight and steady over the gravel. Everyone ate, drank, stretched backs, shook legs, rubbed calves, blew out chunks of snot and dirt (snirt) and we just sort of collected ourselves. We only wanted to make it through the rocks safe and sound, and perhaps beat the hell out of each other in the last two miles. We made the turn onto the tailwind gravel, and a huge single attack went off down the rode. No one covered. No one wanted to risk traversing the heaps of soft dirt and rock in the center of the road. I maintained excellent position. Second wheel for both sectors of gravel. Guys weren't afraid to pull and make huge efforts, and I sucked those wheels in wait. Within 500 meters, Tati was drillin in. I kept a close eye over my shoulder, and eventually, here they came. But only two could throw down. I jumped their wheels and prepared to sprint, got out of the saddle, hit it, and.......... that was it. Couldn't go around. Finished with a big bike throw, a primal yell, and 8th place. Success. Up next.... rest.

So close...

2010-04-16T18:04:00.006-05:00

Here is a nice shot by Wilke's that shows the potential break I wrote about.

Click on the post's title.

So close! Thought for sure the rubber band would snap and we'd be off. You can just make out my red xxx sleeve and black shoe tucked behind the wheel of the Tati rider.

FUN!!!

Race 1 - Hillsboro Roubaix

2010-04-14T20:11:00.008-05:00

I guess I was pretty jacked up before the race: weeks before, days before, even hours before the whistle. High expectations from teammates and myself, too. After the start, all was smooth though. The first lap was perfect. I didn't ride on the front for the entire 25 or so miles, but was always in a lookout position. One of my teammates did a great job working with others to bring back a break. He did not chase, but when another team did, he jumped on, dragging me and the field up to the potential escapees.

Coming into town after lap one, a Tati rider (See winner's race report) hit the front at the top and put the pedal to the metal. I grabbed his wheel, ascended the hill and had to put in a huge effort on the descent in order to stay with him. "Hopefully," I thought, "this would be the one that created the break I was lookin for." I stayed on that dude's wheel as he drilled it through town. No time for bricks now. We made the turn and I looked back. Still a big group, but now whittled down to about 25 racers or so. I told the guy, "Good idea."

Just before the first left hander, an attack went off. Four racers, two teams. Wildcard now had me boxed in. I yelled to them that they better chase that down. This was the one I said. There were 4 or 5 Wildcard dudes there, but nobody was interested. Humpf. I was now all over the front, trying to get some kind of chase organized to bring em back. Nothing doin. Only three or so folks wanted to work. Here is where I made my mistake. I didn't let it go. I could not concede 5 places to the break I should have been in, and I was right. Two of those guys (ahem, see winning race report) held out until they got out of site, and crossed the stripe. Two got popped along the way. Had I let it go, I could have been racing for 3rd place. Next time, maybe attempt a massive bridge? Instead, when the hammer dropped at the feedzone hill, I had nothin left to throw down. End of race, end of report. Leland, here I come.

Upgrade!

2010-04-08T23:06:00.002-05:00

How to race Hillsboro Roubaix

2010-04-08T23:02:00.001-05:00

Cinghialino

Siena and Firenze

2010-04-03T07:28:00.005-05:00

Caffe in Pitigliano

2010-04-03T07:13:00.002-05:00

March 29, Final Ride

2010-04-02T02:44:00.006-05:00

Woke up to a windy Tuscan sun, a beautifully arranged breakfast table, and a feeling that today's ride would be very, very hard. Max and I rolled out over the gravel and through the gates, onto the winding narrow roads. Once again, at the same spot, we met the same Lelli rider as yesterday. And, once again, as we approached the same hill, Max's pace did not slow. Did I detect an acceleration? Yes. This time, I would not go back to third wheel. Max was smooth and steady as I roamed through my gears while rocking the bike back and forth. We were almost at the top. Finally, I could not hold it and dropped back behind Lelli. I heard the third rider whistle loudly. Too late. Max was up the road leading three strung out riders. He inserted 30 meters between himself and me -directly. He crested and looked back to see where I was. I felt like an object being measured on a ruler. I smiled as he gave me a thumbs up.

We took a winding narrow road up towards Grosseto which allowed us to meet up with our companion. Once in Grosseto, Max remained at the front, and we completely carved up the town through all the round abouts. Really fast, lots of cars, tons of fun. We hit a gelatoria for gelato and coke.

Heading back towards Manciliano, Max took a phone call. I moved in front and took it nice and easy. After the call, I found a groove into a fierce headwind and held a nice steady pace for a few miles. By far my longest pull. Often times, while in front, Max would come around and take over. Not this time. I heard him speaking Italian to the other rider and wondered what that was about. Soon after, the road began to go up.... and up and up and up. And then up. Okay. Here is my opportunity to ride strong. I put all thougths of pulling off the front away and kept it steady as we began a very long medium grade climb. I began to feel good and was able to turn it up a notch. Now I'm feeling really good. Steady. Up up up we go. Been in the wind for a really long time without Max coming around. A test? The road cotinued to rise and turn, and I began to think about the mercy gears. I flicked my elbow and looked back. Max was tucked away out of the wind right on my left side. A little smile and he rode up. By now, my lungs were heaving and I was only beginning to get some relief, when Max swerved off and looked back. He knew we were close and wanted me to give it a go. I couldn't, due to my being so deep in the red. After realizing I was at my limit, he turned and rocketed up to the crest leaving me in awe.

Thnaks to some hard work in Chicago and at SLO, I recovered completely on the descent and was ready for the next bout. Next up, a ton of rollers that reminded me of Peachy Canyon. On these, Max and I climbed mostly together and even took turns pulling into the wind. I am sure he did NOT need me to pull, and that he knew the appropriate places for me to pull. This was the best part, watching Max flick his elbow for me to come through and do some work. After one of the last climbs, we passed a group of riders on the side of the rode. Eveyone watched as Max calmly rode by, dragging the Americano with his tounge hanging out!

We did one last steep climb and Max put 50 meters on me as I dropped to the small ring. Had to make the hurt stop. Then we descended again and looped back to Il Raduno.

Recovery was dinner with the Lellis in their home. Pasta, bread, cheese, wine, cola! Perfecto! Thank you Max and Michela for all your hospitality and unforgetable cycling!

Ride with Massimiliano Lelli

2010-04-01T12:17:00.003-05:00

Sunday - Three of us rolled out of Il Raduno on a windy, Sunday morning. Max hit the gas immediately and motioned to me that I should come on up and ride next to him. Cool! Looks like it's gonna be a tempo day with TT efforts! We rode side by side and another Team Lelli rider joined us as we met heading towards Grosseto. The road began to go up slightly and for a long time. I could not match Max's pace so I dropped back to catch some air. One rider from our group had already been dropped, and as I dropped back behind the other rider; Max was way, way up the road. We regrouped several times throughout the day as the ride turned into a sort of Tuscan/Interval/TT pain cave, driven by you-know-who. Once or twice, we organized the pace line. Max would come out and swiftly move up, and I found myself too slow on the rotation. I popped off the back directly. Hmm. We rode along the Tyrrhenian Sea and saw more stunning hills, vinyards, farms, and local culture. Hopefully, on Monday, I would be able to ride a bit stronger.

Tuscany Ride One 3-27

2010-03-31T11:54:00.006-05:00

Due to delayed luggage in Rome, we arived late at the Max Lelli guest house in the Maremma region of Tuscany. The delay, however, did not stop Signora Lelli from offering us a wonderful meal, and Signore Lelli from showing me his new bike, the Vipera. He said later I would be able to try it on a training ride. After dinner, vino, and some fun English/Italian conversation, Charltte and I both passed out with exhaustion.

Max hooked me up with a new Tiburzi Pro bike and a member of the Lelli racing squad. He had raced in the Lelli TT about three weeks ago. Max would not be joining us today because he had a different ride planned with another guest. We rolled out for what turned out to be about 80 miles through gorgeous Tuscan country, including three medieval cities. My jaw hit the pavement as we descended into Scansano. I thought of the Paolo Bettini Specialized commercial a few years back. The weather was perfect; no knee-warmers, no arm-warmers, nothing needed on the ears.

The two of us met up with a group of about 20 riders. Everyone was really friendly and interested in xXx Racing in Chicago. I was the Americano training with Lelli! Sheeesh. I definately wanted to mind my manners. I made sure I only politely bridged an attack on a climb, making sure to take a few riders with me. I also made sure I did my share of pulling. It soon became apparent that one of the strongest riders was one who wore a Europe Grosseto kit. When he hit the gas on a climb, a young rider followed him, and I rode up with them third wheel. Pretty cool. A few interesting things: rarely any stops (1 in 5 hours and not for food or water. We stopped in a town of cobbled narrow streets so they could talk to friends or family), one water cage on every bike, one small bottle on every bike, no power taps, and not too much eating. Overall, the physical part of the ride was pretty laid back, which let me take in the spring, Italian country side.

Got back to the Lelli's after about 4-5 hours. Absolutely incredible. Tomorrow, I will ride with Max.

SLO Wrap-up

2010-03-21T18:35:00.004-05:00

Back in the Chi now. Got soaked on the Sat. teamride during a snowstorm. On Sunday, I rode from the Cultural Center against a 25 mph headwind. Home sweet home.

76 SLO Miles -a little down time

2010-03-11T18:34:00.002-06:00

Huer Huerro, Black Mountain - 88 miles

2010-03-10T22:24:00.007-06:00

View from around 4000 feet above sea level.

One of the easy spots.

See that little dot? That's a weather station. I rode up there.

Peachy Canyon 108 miles

2010-03-08T22:17:00.009-06:00

I printed a ton of maps for today's ride, but left them all in the van. The van wasn't at the gas station before we entered Peachy Canyon, so I just added that anxiety to my jersey pocket, along with all the Cliff -and nervousness. So we begin. The usually comedy before the pain, Darth Vader music, bad jokes, jokes about the jokes, some chuckling, then quiet. 7% gradient will do that, until the chains begin dropping down in unison onto the small rings. You know.

The main group hit the base of the climb pretty hard. The first couple of steep sections were no joke. I had to put in at least two huge efforts to stay with the leaders, and these efforts stretched me to my limit. Our team was shattered all over the climb. I knew I couldn't do a third, not with two kickers hitting 1700 feet on the way. A wise racer's voice echoed in my torment, "Remember, there are two more after the canyon." I had to let 'em go. I rode by myself for a bit until a few teammates found me on a series of descents. We worked together trying to catch the leaders, which we did after one had a puncture. What luck! Well, not really; we stopped to wait. That was when we saw another xXx train rolling down the highway, and they had absolutely no intention of stopping! We jumped on.

Now, we were six and the first group! We took turns pulling up all the way to 1732 feet, and we prepared ourselves for the 10 mile descent to the ocean. Last year, I really enjoyed this scenery and even snapped a pic. This year, I had to use all my concentration to keep one wheel length away from the front wheel as we double-pace- lined that mountain side like a...... (i really can't think of an appropriate simile here, sorry).

The previous group finally caught us towards the bottom, and they were not happy. We reformed but a few dudes were having none of it. One massive attack went off, and was followed, which picked up the pace. My concentration level dropped, and I let a gap form, which quickly became unbridgeable in the vicious crosswinds. I was being tossed all over the place. Victor Plata (google him) rode up next to me, reminded me to echelon, and to drink. The main group did not stop at the bottom and Victor intended to catch them -pulling me. We almost did, too. They were really drillin it, now with a tail wind. When we stopped for water, we met the whole group and rode back to SLO. Recovery sandwiches on the porch, Vanilla Cliff drinks, and then fish tacos at Splash (followed up with pizza and cookies).

SLO Days 1&2

2010-03-07T18:48:00.008-06:00

Lots of climbing! Screaming fast double pace lines, like 15-20 (riders that is)! Everyone is fast!

Highlight - Third up 1k climb (starter climb)
Lowlight - Dropped from lead group on steep little climb just before 229. Took wrong turn. Ended back at Saloon. Rode extra 20 miles so I skipped Park Hill Road.

SLO!

2010-03-06T08:47:00.004-06:00

4:30 a.m. Awake in Chicago, lots of coffee, pack remaining items in cases
5:45 CTA Brown Line, Red Line, 79th St. Bus
7:00 Aberdeen, May, School

Teach one section of English, Journalism, ADL, Prepare photo-copies, writer letter of rec., sneak out back door

12:30 p.m. Lunch, more coffee, Midway, Southwest gate
3:50 Over the Rockies
6:30 LA, Bus,
12:30 a.m. San Luis Obispo!

zzzzzzzzzzz

"Patrol in Tikrit"

2010-02-21T15:42:00.006-06:00

Besides a little spray-in-the-face-from-bikes-with-no-fenders, the Saturday team ride was looking okay until just north of Evanston. By then, some snow was falling and beginning to collect on the roads. The temp was hovering around 33, so our tires rolled through the slush without too much trouble. Things looked better in HP, so we rolled out to ride the Old School route, which then turned in Cemetery. By the time we were back in Highland Park, the salt had melted the snow which made for the slop you see above. It actually begins to burn and pull skin tight after a while, and doesn't waste any time eating that chain. I hosed the bike but didn't wipe the chain, and sure enough, within twelve hours there was surface rust.

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T08:54:00.000-06:00

Gallery Cafe

2010-02-07T21:09:00.000-06:00

http://www.gallerycafechicago.com/

Cheap Bin at Reckless

2010-02-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

Top 20 Tips When Riding in Chicago, in January, Outside

2010-01-31T23:16:00.009-06:00

Went for a ride the other day. Left the house at 8 a.m. There were flurries, a breeze, lots of lake clouds, and intermittent beams of sunshine. Temp was around 18 or 19 degrees. Here's how I did it -how I stayed warm that is.

Wake up at 6:30. Do your business in the bathroom.
Eat a big bowl of cereal, drink 4 oz of H2O, 4 oz of strong coffee. Digestion gets the metabolism going, which means burning fuel, which means a bit of extra warmth.
Get naked.
Apply chamois cream, pull on regular summer bib shorts, pull over long-sleeve synthetic base layer top. (bib straps over top)
Pull up leg warmers over regular bibs.
Make sure bike is in good order, fill one small bottle half way, organize everything you take with you on the ride. Make sure socks and shoes are all ready to go.
Drink a little more coffee, keep an eye on the time. (Resist temptation to put on socks!)
At 7:30, pull on winter cycling bibs over leg warmers.
Put long sleeve cycling jersey on over top base layer. (jersey over winter bib straps)
Now, it's getting close to when you want to leave. Put on your socks. You should wait until the last minute because you don't want your feet to sweat. Since you know where all your gear is, you won't need to run around and or risk stepping in a drop or puddle of water. The point here is to make sure your feet stay dry until you leave. Once you wrap them up, you gotta go. If your feet are wet when you leave, and it is 18 degrees outside, you're doomed.
Put on shoes, leave buckles loose so you can wiggle your toes while clipped in. This keeps blood flowing. Wiggle wiggle wiggle. Do it when they're warm. Don't wait.
Put thin, spandex shoe covers over shoes.
Put neoprene covers over the whole foot works. Don't wrap your feet too tight. A restriction in blood flow will cause numbness and perhaps frost bite. Remember your feet catch tons of wind. Don't want your blood crystallizing.
Pull on synthetic balaclava.
Put on winter riding jacket, place H2O bottle in back pocket, not in bottle cage. It'll freeze.
Hat goes over balaclava. Figure out how your glasses fit best.
Helmet over hat.
Use light weight gloves, then put on fleece gloves.
The lobster gloves go over both lighter gloves. Keep your fingers moving. Press the bars with finger tips, squeeze the bars, wiggle wiggle wiggle. Don't wait until they are numb.
Ooops, hopefully you peed somewhere around number 11.

Layer up, keep your feet dry, and grab a handful of good attitude! Have a good ride!

Workout of the Week

2010-01-24T22:43:00.002-06:00

It's hard to beat the xXx paceline we had going from Fort Sheridan to Kennilworth, but today earns the Workout of the Week:

Two Hour Tempo Ride
Blustery, wet day. Clouds and showers. Winds at 17 miles per hour out the of the southwest. Perfect.
I warmed up until the lakefront path and then hit it, keeping my heart rate between 75 and 85 percent (which for me is 149 - 168 bpm). Rode into the wind heading south and was able to keep my speed around 17-18 since I was still fresh. Still some ice out there too, especially by Fullerton and Oak Street. I drilled it through the muddy water on the footpath above by Fullerton. Glad I put those fenders on! Rode to the Cultural Center, ate some sugar, then hammered back north averaging around 20 mph. At the end of two hours, my heart rate averaged out to 81 percent or 161 bpm. Double Ouch! After one and a half, I felt pretty tired. Speed only came out to 17, thanks to the wind and cool down, but I did zip off 36 miles after a loop north of Belmont. Burned 1324 calories.

Random Stuff

2010-01-18T09:19:00.003-06:00

I tried the CLEAR network Internet service last week. According to their ads and claims, you simply plug in the CLEAR USB and then are able to enjoy lightening fast web speeds. I used speedtest. net three times to get an accurate picture of CLEAR's speed.
Test One: Download 1.95 Upload .63 Ping 88
Test Two 1.75 .78 104
Test Three 2.07 .66 104
Laughable, right? And this is on a new computer. I could not even download Youtube vids. I wonder if my building has something to do with the speed? I did not try the tests outside the house. Since I want wireless, I'm going to give AT&T a chance. Has anyone had a good experience with CLEAR?

Every teammate greeted me with a toothy grin when I showed up for the teamride Saturday morning! Hard to beat 25 degrees after two weeks of sitting on the trainer indoors. The roads are great all the way through Fort Sheridan; I have not heard anything about St. Mary's road, so that is probably good and ice-free as well. Even the pot holes seemed pretty tame. Had so much fun Saturday, I thought I would ride the path all the way south. We jumped on at Roosevelt, and pedaled tempo south. Some ice around Soldier Field, and around the new peninsula, but that was about all. Great ride!

Bobke's 51 things to do before you die:
"Get road rash. Do not treat it and let it coagulate into thick strips of leather. Peel them off at a fancy dinner party and chew on them to the absolute horror of the hosts." I mentioned this tip at dinner Saturday evening, but was with appropriate company.

Inglourious Saturday Session

2010-01-09T18:52:00.004-06:00

I loaded Tarantino's film Inglourious Basterds and prepared myself for a three hour trainer session. The DVD's top menu replayed itself over and over again while I loaded Cliff product into my GetaGrip bottle. My phone chimed so I took a look. It was a teammate, "Inglorious Basterds great bike movie!"

People, Tarantino does not disappoint with this one. I.B. harkens back to the days of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Two of my favorites. Anyway, here are a few other films I have watched while spinning my legs off.

The Hangover
King Corn (kind of slow but really pisses me off for several reasons)
Bourne Identify
and
07 Tour of Flanders
07 Omloop Het Volk (say that really fast a few times)
07 Ghent Wevelgem

Up next:
07 Paris Roubaix
Paranormal Activity

Awe SNAP!

2009-12-31T08:51:00.012-06:00

Last summer, I switched to fish instead of cow. I knew then my decision was problematic due to toxins in water and fish farms -and Cancer, but what I didn't fully realize was the more complete effect a U.S. fish diet has on the planet. Also, I never considered (should have though) how the eradication of fish in oceans leads to a different comodification of fish and, er fish products. Alas, capitalism always finds a way, like water seeping through your basement wall and finding a nice dark home behind your insulation and drywall, where it will then spend the remainder of its eternal life transforming into a host of discreet life forms. Here's the latest on Snapper, a fish that will not survive demand:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2914/whats-better-farm-raised-salmon-or-wild

I had two fleshy fillets of Snapper on ice waiting for us to eat last night.

I thought the fish we bought at TJs was Red Snapper, which looks like the hearty (even with the bottom foraging fish-lips, right?) fella above:

Instead, as Cecil Adams explains, when I red the label more carefully, I saw the fish was labeled as Scarlett Snapper. It is more difficult to get a picture of Scarlet Snapper, the feisty fish below: Not as pretty eh?

After reading Adam's piece, and after Google imaging both fish, the psychological battle between my mind and belly was awesome! Nevertheless, my fork did not fail to supply me my 50 or 60 grams of protein.

In Minnesota, the fish of choice is Walleye. Or is it?

Possible protein alternative to fish? BULGAR WHEAT!!!!!!!

Up North

2009-12-29T07:57:00.004-06:00

Moving Blizzard Alvin snow in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Shoveling out.

Hot tub on roof of Hotel Donaldson (a.k.a. The HoDo) Fargo, North Dakota.

Go Vikes!

2009-12-28T09:33:00.001-06:00

2009 Blizzard Alvin

2009-12-27T10:59:00.005-06:00

Arrived just in time. A vicious, butt-kicking blizzard hammered the Red River Valley. Pic taken from window of Urban Stampede Coffee House in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Merry Christmas!

What a day! Written in the spirit of Bobke.

2009-12-19T20:53:00.011-06:00

The first Saturday of two off the bike! The off-season is here, for real! It does sound kind of weird, or maybe even a bit obsessive, that I have a period in a year of my life now called the "off-season." Perhaps a bit pretentious as well, but not to all of you whom I will suck wheels with and bang elbows and bars on rural roads in cross-winds and pouring rain. And I am on Christmas break from school! Woo hoo!

Woke up at usual time this morning: 5:11 or there abouts, but after noticing the hush of our street, and in the absence of the Kennedy's pulsing drone, I fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Got up when the brown dog began whimpering and took both of them out "directly" so that I could jump back in the bed, where we all stayed until around 10:00 or so! Yes! I read Bobke's journal and drank a pot of Red Line coffee while the snow fell on my teammates heading up to HP. Yah ya'll -was thinking about you! Was also thinkin' 'bout some breakfast. I loaded up the cd changer with Lucinda Williams, Son Volt, Mos Def, and Neil Young, and then made TJ pancakes and scrambled eggs with red pepper and feta cheese. A man who killed a deer gave us fresh deer sausage, so I chopped up a hunk and tossed that in the mix as well. Back to the couch for more Bobke and R&R, until the cat decided to blow huge brown chunks under a chair. I used a magazine to catch most of the hideousness. Thank you English Journal!

After some couch time, we loaded up and drove to Montrose. No dog is tougher than Guthrie when it comes to swimming. Remember, labs are from the breed Newfoundlanders. Massive dogs with long hair that would swim out and drag in the wet-almost-corpses of men who fell off some stupid little piece of ice while fishing. Yep. Now, labs are mostly used for hunting ducks. The most serious of duck hunters will ask them to break ice and fetch dead ducks, a task they perform gladly and without hesitation. Guthrie, now almost 8, fetches tennis balls, and instead of going nuts over the sound of a twelve gauge, goes nuts over cowbell and the scent of chain lube!

Fell back asleep, woke up and finished Bobke, opened a bottle of vino and made our Christmas card. Next up, The Rider by Tim Krabbe. Skipped weight lifting yesterday and the one hour run today. Will make some of that up tomorrow, I guess. Happy Holidays! I'll leave ya with this pic and thoughts of our last cross season, and dreams of glory next year...

Now What?

2009-12-15T21:45:00.005-06:00

Time for rest and lots of chocolate milk! I looked at the Chi Cross Cup site one last time and saw that I came in 24th overall in the 3s. Not too bad considering I had only raced 6 4s races last year on a mountain bike. All the bikes are now clean and put up, all my clothes are folded away, and the scars on my legs are healing. The abdominal hernia is twice as big after the cross season (it now has a profile) but the doc says not to do anything until it hurts. Hmmm. Two weeks off the bike are just what I need. My coach still has me running though. Says I need to stay active. I broke up a fight in school today, wonder if that counts?

I started reading Bobke II tonight. Really funny. Check it out: "Bobke Tip #2 Lactate-threshold training is stupid. The acid from your legs will seep into your belly and creep up your spine into your brain where it turns into hatred for the horrible tweakers who wrought this debilitation upon you. As the desperate loathsome creature you now see yourself as, you will want only one thing - revenge! And a biker who wants revenge is a dangerous beast."

I watched Omloop Het Volk on the trainer last week. Kind of a Hillsboro / Snake Alley event (x10) and much more painful. Speaking of Hillsboro, I am already thinking about getting revenge on those bricks and the 4s field.

xXx MDP had a great time at Jacks last Saturday. Pizza, beer, and bike talk. Got up Sunday and finished off the season with a two hour ride. Perfect time to be on the lakefront. Pictures to come for sure!

Montrose Harbor Cyclocross Championships

2009-12-08T19:39:00.006-06:00

Twas a good day in Chicago for a cross race at Montrose Harbor, even without the snow. There was about a foot drop into a sand pit here where I chose to dismount and run every lap. I passed quite a few riders, too (thanks Debbie and Charlotte for the tip). Of course the fans wanted to see riders catch air and then ride / crash their way through, but I needed to make up some time, so I ran the sand.

Turin did an awesome job putting on the race. Thanks to everyone who made the Chi Cross Cup possible. I lined up on the front line, but as we rolled up to the start, I ended up in the second row. So with the call-ups and the ten racers in front of me, I finished about where I began, 25th. I raced well, though. Not too many mistakes, except my massive endo after my shoe ended up in the front wheel. Somewhere around mid-race, I settled in and passed quite a few riders who seemed to blow up about half way through. On the last lap, I pretty much hit the wall, and struggled to keep it going hot to the finish. Cricket hill was tough. I didn't expect to ride up it twice per lap! A few more cross practices would have helped.

After the race, I collapsed with exhaustion. Emanuelle handed me a sausage and it went right into my belly, followed by a 312, and then another.

It has been a fantastic season, and now I am ready for some serious rest. I will workout this week and then take two weeks completely off. So get ready for coffee and dog posts!

Off-Season Essentials

2009-11-23T20:19:00.006-06:00

Leash Your Dogs People!

2009-11-22T15:11:00.006-06:00

Good luck everyone racing in Woodstock today!

I haven't been on a bike since last Saturday, making sure my back heals up properly and that all systems will be good to go for the cyclocross championships at Montrose Harbor. I finished a weekly pack of roids, popped a ton of ibuprofens, rotated ice and heat, and tried to be faithful to a solid stretching routine. And today, the back felt loose enough and was pain-free enough for me to head out for a ride! Finally! Not well enough for racing, but just getting out really boosted my spirits. Check it out; below is a shot of me touching my toes. A big deal, trust me.

I stopped at Promontory Point for a little stretching, and then was on my way. Beautiful morning and all was swell, right up until the medium sized, golden retriever ran out from under the North Ave. tunnel and crossed the lakefront path right in front of my front wheel. I hit the dog doing 20mph and straight on into its side. I remember it crying out as I went over the bars and sailed through the crisp November air another five or so feet. Thankfully, I was on the Marin and not the Lelli, and also that the Marin did not sustain any significant damage. I was in the air so long, I had time to prepare for a neat little tuck and role, which I executed perfectly. I ended up with only a few scrapes and minor cuts. See those shoe covers up there in that pic, I pulled them out of the packaging this morning. Right. Brand new, until this dumb ass decides to let his dog roam the lakefront, on the path, freely. What a jag. I laid still for a while and he came over to me to see if I was okay. I firmly told him how his dog needed to be leashed, and also how he better get away from me, and how he better be gone by the time I get up. He was, because his injured dog had run off back into the tunnel and into the city. I am quite certain the dog had been badly injured. I am glad it wasn't lying on the path when I got up. Hard lesson to learn for that dude. If he did indeed learn.

Finished up the afternoon with brunch and some work. One more paper to finish, and then the Master's Thesis! Below is where I have been spending lots of time, working on how Washington worked on a concept of work as work. Hmmmmm

Race 8 - Indian Lakes

2009-11-16T08:30:00.011-06:00

Photo by Alan Treuthart

Alan caught the carnage at the beginning of the 3s race on film. Nice shot! If you look behind the crash, I am just to the right of the folks going down. I am looking up in a red helmet, and I have my foot unclipped -just in case. Fortunately, I was able to squirt out of there, but look how many riders are already ahead of me, and this is seconds after the whistle! I even lined up on the second line!

After the first set of double barriers, one had to immediately and smoothly remount, so that you could hammer up the hill. I managed to nail this every time. If you had to run it, you would have been passed by anyone on a bike. I am passing this gentlemen here. (He may have beat me in the end, though.)

And then down the hill. Catch some air here.

I ran the pits every lap. It was soft and thick. Kind of beachy, or golfy?

I avoided the deep mud on every lap but one. It was really hard to hit the gas here because this is where you would have just finished two hills and two sand pits. Nonetheless, time to go!

Leap of Faith

by Charlotte

I decided to not race the P123 race today. Something told me last week that my body had gotten everything out of racing for one hour and 45 minutes that is was ever going to get. In other words, enough is enough. Because the race took place on Saturday, we had planned a nice three hour endurance ride for Sunday morning. While bending over Sunday morning, I felt a twinge in my lower back. I tried to walk and stretch it out, but within two minutes, my lower back locked up and screamed anytime I put weight on my lower spine. I didn't walk again until 4:00 p.m. and those were very slow and small steps. Still at home today, actually. The doctor prescribed the steroid, Methylprednisolone. I believe this helped with any swelling, and it also cleared up my sinuses, which have been a mess since Jackson Park. Anyway, I'll be fine. Woodstock is iffy. Hope I don't get tested at Montrose!

Race 7 - Northbrook

2009-11-08T17:58:00.005-06:00

Beautiful weather! Arm warmers and knee warmers not necessary. Thanks to the Garner Club and Flatlandia for a really fun day. And thanks Northbrook for letting us torture ourselves in your park.

In the 3s race, I started third line so had to fight pretty hard in order to make up a few spots. That was okay though as my objective today was to not go out so hard that I loose control -or whatever. Well, I did hit the dirt once but sprang right back up. I did lose a position, and a position that I just recently gained. On the previous lap, I passed a racer before the first trip through the sand. I may have kept the gap, but who knows. As the race progressed, I got stronger and smarter. I grabbed a fast wheel into the wind and became smooth in the woods and off-camber sections.

Once, going through the pit the second time, I felt the sand suck the strength out of me, so on the next lap I ran it. Probably just as fast, with about two to go. I didn't get close to top ten, but held my own and finished 18th. Much better than the previous two weeks. I raced hard and found myself thinking about skipping the P123 race. Almost puked once. After a drink and some food, a dry jersey and some sitdown time with the dogs, I punched in and lined up for the one-hour paincave tour.

The whistle blew and when I hit the first turn, I was last. I have been having issues with maintaining power for the entire hour (in other words, I have been bonking) so I bolted on the bottle cage and loaded up on the Cliff stuffs. It's not that I don't eat well the day before or that morning, or even after the 3s, it is simply a matter of my body becoming a caloric blast furnace that knows nothing except for the concept of consumption, digestion, and waste. Kind of like a capitalist neo-liberal. Well, I made sure to drink through out the race, and I past racers who crashed or had mechanicals. I passed one or two riders who looked pretty green.

I was lapped by the leaders and thought my race would be over. In the past races, I did not have to finish the last lap once lapped. Well, as I motioned to the officials that I was lapped and done, they informed me that I had one to go! What a heart breaker! Oh well, I took off again and finally finished 20th.

See ya next week.

As usuall, I was lapped by Scott, and then by four of the leaders. YES!! One more lap! As I pulled over for the finish, the officials standing there shook their heads and smirked, " uh uh, one to go. You're not done." I tried to convince them but to no avail. I rode one more lap at tempo, and then called it a day. See at Indian Lake

Race 5 - Bartlett

2009-10-27T13:05:00.007-05:00

Photo by Michael Young
3s Race

I went into turn one smooth and found lots of room. I was able to choose a line, get out of the saddle and hammer. On the straight concrete path, nothing stopped me from pedaling as fast as possible, which I did. Rode really fast through the woods and all around the turns until I got the second part of the woods. I was going so fast, and the front wheel was doing its own thing on the slippery woodchips, that I lost control and crashed into the ground. Thump. Once again, like last week, my chain had come off, the jump stop bent, and me unable to fix either for 2-3 minutes. After a few laps, I was close to contacting a few teammates, but then I stuck my foot into my front wheel and endoed. This incident pretty much ended my race, so I then rode the remaining two at high tempo so that I might save some gas for the P123.

P123

After the first turn, I set a goal to stay in contact with the back of the racers. I also brought on board some Gatorade and gel. It is really hard to drink or eat anything during a cross race. You breath so hard that you can't swallow and often end up choking. I also had issues getting my bottle back in the jersey, so I tossed it off to the side. When it came time to put down the gel, I had nothing to wash it down with, so the shot kind of lingered around in the back of my throat. But what I did eat helped. I did not bonk unit 3 laps to go. By the last lap, many riders passed me and I had to go into endurance zone. Thankfully. My last lap was a cool down. This was my best race of the day, and my best P123 race of the year so far.

So far, the season has been more difficult then expected. I am also really, really tired. Looking forward to my restweek, with this Sunday off! Uf dah!

Race 4 - Carpentersville

2009-10-18T20:21:00.005-05:00

Great form Newt! What are you doing Pankonin? Besides getting ready to crash?

Tough day in the ol' cross office. North Branch Cycling created a great course and all was well organized. The pump section proved to be the coolest, and I found I was able to get through the four to five humps pretty quickly. On the whistle, I clipped in and hit it as hard as I could. Pretty smooth and we all went through the first few turns with only a few tangles. I dodged the mess and hit the gas. Towards the end of the first lap, we went around a tree wide to avoid its root, and my pedal struck the grass causing me to fish tail my back wheel, into Jeff's front wheel. I looked back to see the damage I caused. Jeff somersaulted while still clipped in! He and his bike tumbled over each other, but he was only down for maybe 15 seconds. He lost no time or positions.

Lap two was crash city for me. While jumping the middle barrier in the triple section, my back wheel caught and knocked my bike off balance, which then knocked me down and off the course. I went flying under the tape as racers went by. My bike was still there chillin', almost balanced on top of the damn barrier! My problems continued as I struggled to get the chain back on the ring. I bent the jump stop and had to muscle it and the chain back in place. It's horrible to hear them race by as you sit there doin' it in the dirt!

And then on the next barrier, my wheel struck again! I just wasn't concentrating. I passed a handful of dudes and then found some good company with Kirby and Luke. We rode pretty well together and finished strong. Time to start thinking about the P123.

Hey, I got a call up because not all ten pros showed up! Just great! Now I can get smoked in proper fashion! I actually felt pretty good, racing behind the pack. Passed quite a few folks until Mike C., Jeff, and I formed our own group. Mike had a great move splitting us over the barriers. Really smooth with no bumping.

But, here we go again. Three laps to go and I'm coming into Crashville, population -me. Went around a turn really hot and the bike went right out from under me. Landed right on my front side. I remember being really still so I wouldn't get run over, then thinking, hey, maybe I'll just stay here in the soft grass.

Nope, gotta get this extra credit done. After this crash, with leaves in my front zippers and in my bars and breaks, I hit the wall. I became cold and hungry and worst of all, weak. I finished 20th and not last. Time for a Chubby Spud and a cold one. See ya'll in Bartlet.