What we do in life will echo through eternity. – Maximus

For me, at leat today, that would be a booming D.N.F.

Blech!

The courses at St. Mary’s are always challenging for me. For some reason, I can’t carry speed across the rough terrain. And the course today, despite being a really fun, fast layout, was bone-jarring rough. During warm ups, I played with tire pressure and was able to find a happy medium: smoothed out the bumps a bit without bobbing up the pave hill. I also had a little fun and aired it out over the little hump after the fast downhill. wOOt! wOOt!.

After riding the course a few times, I watched a few laps of the Open race and then set out to warm up. Everything seeemd fine–plenty of zip during sprints and no complaints from the engine room during tempo efforts. I thought I was in for a good race. But…whistle. bang. pop.

I’m not sure what happened today other than I didn’t have any fight in me and a serious headache set in during the second lap. I tried to ride though it, but, as Chris said to me as I walked through the second barrier setrt on the fourth lap,” Sometimes you just gotta say f* it!” And I did. I rode the rest of the lap, and as I cross the line, I notified the officials that I was out. I rolled straight to the car, changed clothes and drove home.

The headache persists…

After reading Jeff Winkler’s Kansas City Cross rankings posts, I’ve come to accept that I’m racing square in the middle of the Cat 3 races. Winkler’s system uses data from crossresults.com and is based on an accumulating points system. Interestingly, his results are spot on with how I feel during the races: not fast enough to be at the front but clearly not bringing up the rear, either.

On Saturday, I drove north of Platte City to Platt Ridge Park for the 3rd race in the Boss Cross series. Last year, this race ran in freezing temps and snow covered ground. What a difference a year can make; this year it was sunny, blue skies with temps in the 60’s. Despite the great weather, the ground was still mushy from the recent rain. Not muddy, by any measure, just soft and spongy. That translates to big power. Throw in a few steep hills and you get one tough course.

Only 16 racers lined up for the Cat-3 event with a lot of the big names there. It was great to see fellow BSR racer Luke on the line. I didn’t really want to race against him, but I’ve wanted to see him in action for some time…just not in the same event as me. Nick Cole, from Tradewind Energy, was on the line, too. Tough field!

I scored the hole shot and led the first ½ lap, or so. Then, Nick, Luke, Travis and what seemed like the entire rest of the field pounced and shot past me. I pulled myself together and caught the next wheel up only to realize that these guys were riding on a completely different level. I settled into my own pace and focused on riding my own race. Doug Stone passed me during the 4th lap, and seeing him gave me a little extra motivation–he has been finishing several places ahead of me, so it was reassuring to realize that I had been racing ahead of him. I was able to muster up a little extra kick for the last two laps and passed a few more places. Otherwise, I was never really in this race. The reality of my fitness level set in when I caught a glimpse of Nick smoking up behind me. He finally caught me and lapped me on the last lap. “Don’t let Luke lap me, too,” echoed through my head as I pushed around the last lap. He never caught me but I know he was there! I crossed the line in 10th place, about where I thought I should be racing and in line with Winkler’s math.

It’s all about the start. If there’s one area of emphasis in cyclocross, it’s the start. Blow the start, blow the race. Cross starts are like free throws…yeah, ok, got it. I went into the race today ready for, wanting, needing a strong start so I could [hopefully] be competitive and [at least] test my fitness against the front of the pack. I’d rather be there and blow up than fight to move up the entire race. So far this year I’ve been vexed by bad starts. At Parkville, it was the sand pit on the first lap. St. Mary’s it was starting on the back row. For Smithville, I made certain to pre-register, which would guarantee a starting call-up. I also added extra start workouts into my training schedule.

I was the 12 rider called to the line, which put me on the 2nd row but in a good spot on the inside line. When the whistle blew, I had an all-star start: clipped in and on the gas. But, the rider in front of me had trouble clipping in; I was on the gas and immediately on the brakes. Despite his troubles, we were still able to roll off at the front of the pack. As we rounded the first corner and cut onto the grass, I was in the top 10…right where I wanted to be! As we came out of the second corner, someone ran square into me. I went flying before I know what happened. Fortunately, I rolled out of traffic, which saved me from getting run over or stopping the pack. When I finally got back to my bike, though, the entire pack had passed. Dead last out of the start…again!

I was able to pass several riders on each lap, and only gave up 1 or 2 places. When it was all over, I had passed 18 riders, moving from 38th to 20th. Not bad, but definitely not the race I wanted. I felt strong all day, picked good lines through the corners, and I was able to ride out of Hammer Beach. But, there’s only so much that can be done from the back of the pack, especially with the quality of racers that showed up today.

Next week…

Last year, as prize for a cross race, I won a small tub of Qoleum Hot Emborcation. I thought it was cool, er, um, hot when they handed it to me, but I proceded to toss in it the gear bag, where it’s been ever since.

Today, while trying to decide how to dress for the weather–low 50’s and rain–I came across the tub and decided embrocation would be lots better than soggy knee warmers. I pulled on my shorts and then greased up my legs with a light glaze of Qoleum followed by a topping of baby oil. While the Qoleum smelled a lot like BenGay in the tub the smell didn’t carry over to the legs. The smell and any visible signs disappeared into the skin. In fact, it went unnoticed for most the ride. I had a slight burning sensation on the backs of my knees while I sat waiting for a train. Otherwise, it was perfect. Plenty warm for the conditions and no wet clothes against the skin.

Once I got home it was a different story, though! My legs started burning while I was milling around the kitchen. By the time I finished my recovery drink, the burning was almost too much to bear. I jumped into the shower and almost jumped through the ceiling as soon as the hot water hit my skin. A slight burning sensation was immediately painful burning. I had to turn down the water to an uncomfortably cool temp just to make it tolerable. I scrubbed both legs with body scrub but no change. If anything, it got worse. So, I tried good ole fashion soap and water. Same results. Whatever was on my skin wasn’t coming off.

I showered and then sat around for 30 minutes or so. After about 5 minutes of sitting, the heat came down to a tolerable level. It actually started to feel good, more like what I would expect. It took about an hour for the cool burn to go away altogether.

Despite the troubles washing it off, I would still recommend Qoleum. It’s a great liniment: homeopathic and organic ingredients, no strong smell, effective at keeping muscles and joints warm in cold weather, and apparently very durable. Any suggestions for washing it off would be greatly appreciated! Maybe it’s all in my head, but my muscles seemed to recover faster, too. Bonus!

Big shout out to Rich and Cow Town Cycling for putting on a great race! The course was well designed and challenging, registration was silky smooth, and staging/starting was organized and on time. What more can we racers ask for? Weather? That was covered, too, with overcast skies, temps in the 40’s and a light breeze. That’s not exactly October weather but it makes for great cross racing.

I once read an article that compared cyclocross starts to free throws in basketball. Make ‘em and win; miss em and, well…Today proved the adage true. For as good as I felt, I simply started too far back to be a contender. Call ups were based on order of registration, and since I didn’t pre-reg, I found myself sitting on the back row. I looked up across the field of Cat 3 racers and sighed. There were 30-ish riders ahead of me and several of them are scary fast. I decided it was the start or never and tried to take advantage of the up-hill section to try and “buy” a few places.

I got off to a good start and was able to move up several places before the first turn. But, movement up pretty much stopped as soon as we rounded the first corner and got onto the course. The lane was nice and wide but there seemed to be only one line through most sections. Single file ruled. I sat in through the corners and used the short hills to pass as many riders as I could.

I felt comfortable and confident during the first two laps. Then, at some point on the 3rd lap, it felt like all the wind was taken from my sails…or tires. It started with a glimpse of the leaders and the acknowledgement that they were out of reach. It soon moved to a nagging pain in my lower back and eventually manifest in me walking over a set of barriers. There’s nothing more humbling than wanting to jump and instead stepping. I got the message and throttled back my effort. Best I could tell I was sitting between 15th and 20th with a decent gap on the riders behind me.

I was able to hold off any riders until the brick section on the last lap. I realized I was done in a big way when I didn’t care that 3 riders came around me. I tried to hold the wheel of the first rider as he came around but the searing pain in my lower back triumphed. I pedaled up the hill and across the line, thankful that the race was over. I finished 20th and with a few more lessons learned.

Sometimes, it just happens like that. Or, in this case like this:

• Start: not great, not bad. Clipped in with no problem and on the gas with the pack. I rounded the first corner sitting mid pack.
• Lap One, sand pit: rider in front of me washed out as he was leaving the pit. I avoided hitting him, but blew the corner. Two or three riders behind me went down. I spent the next 1/4 of the lap closing a small gap that opened.
• Lap One, twisty-turny section: I had just caught the pack and was hoping for few minutes to recover. Instead, two riders came together and both went down. Huge gap opened by the time I waded through the carnage.
• Laps Two – Four: just keep moving up. Got around 3 or 4 riders.
• Lap Four, gravel to grass: totally blew the corner. Busted through the tape twice and allowed 1 rider to pass me.
• Lap Five, run-up: TOE CRAMP! What a way to go. This section dropped downhill on concrete, then turned a hard 90 in loose sandy dirt before shooting back up the riverbank. I dabbed as I rounded the corner and stretched a little too far trying to reach the ground. That little move caused the middle toe on my right foot to cramp up. I thought I could ride through it but it never went away. It was still cramped and sticking straight up at the end of the race. Power was cut to almost zero…I struggled to hold position and just finish.
• Lap Six: ready for this to be over.

I haven’t seen results, but I think I finished around 8th. Not bad but also not as high as I wanted. Boss Cross #2 is tomorrow on the same course, only running the opposite direction. I thought about going but decided to skip it. I saw and felt a few things today that need attention. I’m not ready for racing two days in a row.

Opening race of the 2009 CX racing season and I wasn’t there! I fought severe allergies all week, and decided this morning to skip the race. I joined the Bicycle Shack 101 Ride instead, if for nothing else than to confirm my decision. And, after only a few miles, I knew without a doubt that I shouldn’t be racing today. Just pedaling along at a comfortable pace felt like I was breathing through a straw. I rode 60 miles and felt OK, but definitely didn’t have race-pace in me.

I became a little anxious last week and laced up the knobbies…OH YEAH! I’m ready for cross season! I’m 3 weeks into a training program I put together to peak fitness (but not too much) for the start of the season. So far, results are great! But, I gotta start running…

I’ve been on several group rides since I started the training program and the results were noticeable almost immediately. I’m now able to sit in with the front group with relative [sic] ease.

Today was the weekly Bicycle 101 ride that leaves Longview Recreation Center. The damp roads kept most folks in, which was a shame because the weather was almost perfect. I say almost only because the wind was a nuisance out of the WNW. I didn’t count, but would guess there were around 20 folks on the ride.

The ride to Casey’s was E-Z, thanks to a tailwind most of the way out. The return ride stung a little bit, but that was short lived. By the time we reached County Line, the group was reduced to 5–Eric B., Kent W., Tim C., a Velotek rider (great to see a new kit on the ride!), and me. Someone, either Eric or Kent, I think, dropped the hammer as we headed west on County Line, dropping the Velotek rider. Then, Tim flatted. 5 was now 3. We hammered the first hill, sat in until the base of the last hill before the outer road, and then all hell broke loose. Kent set a sharp tempo up the the last tier, and then I buried myself with a little move. It was hard enough that my legs never really came back.

Eric turned for home, so Kent and I set into a crispy rotation, each pulling for about 45 seconds. That lasted until the neighborhood, and then we asked, “Why?” Between the wind and the fact that there was only two of us, there didn’t seem to be much reason in hammering all the way back. We dropped the pace to a solid tempo ride and rode in like that.

The second group on the road (Reggie, Steve’s dad, Velotek rider, and maybe one or two more) caught us near the damn. Kent and I picked up the pace to match their speed, and we all rode in together. Reggie technically got the “win” with a salty explosion on View High Dr. Hats off, Reggie!

Just to bring this make to the main subject…I’m counting the days until 9/17.

I finally broke down and bought “racing” wheels. I snagged them on eBay for a damn good price–gotta love auctions that end at odd hours. The wheels showed up on Tuesday, just in time for a serious crunch time at work: late night dinner in Kansas City followed by a 5:30 departure for a flight to Columbus, Ohio. All in, I think I had 12 total hours of sleep between Wed night and Saturday morning; not nearly enough rest for the typical Saturday morning group ride.

I woke up early on Saturday and swapped the new hoops on to the bike. I installed the front wheel and gave it a spin to make certain it was on straight and the brakes were set correctly. The wheel never stopped spinning. After waiting (and watching in amazement) for what seemed like minutes, I finally set the bike down so I could install the back wheel. I finished getting ready and hit the road, headed for Longview and the start of the Bicycle Shack Group Ride. It took exactly 1 pedal stroke to feel the difference.

The 303’s are feathery light (1182 grams) and spin up incredibly fast. The difference is noticeable just rolling down the road…even if the only pointer is the smile on my face. Spin up and climbing aside, the ride quality is probably the most noticeable difference. According to Pez Cycling News, Zipp stated the wheels (clincher version) are tuned for riders in the 175-pound range. If that’s true, I’m spot on. And, as Pez points out, that weight should allow the wheels to be plenty stiff while still absorbing road chatter. The wheels seemed to smooth out even the roughest Missouri pave sections. Road seams still hit hard, but the shock doesn’t seem to transfer through the bike.

The only downside I noticed, which isn’t really a negative but more of a characteristic that will take time to get accustomed to, is the lack of rolling weight on the front wheel. As a result, my bike felt extra touchy and seemed to dart more. I’ll take it! I love a bike that handles quickly and this difference is perfect for my riding preference.

Hopefully I’ll recover from the hard week of work and will feel up to really testing out the wheels. The ride on Saturday was a letdown—both calves cramped soon after the pace picked up, no thanks, I’m sure, to too many hours confined on an airplane, and that was that. I was off the back never to see the front group again. I finished the ride at a comfortable 22.5-MPH pace, and then rode 15-20 more miles so I could get used to the wheels. It’s gonna be hard to take off the 303’s and to not ride them on every ride!

As it often happens, my job had me traveling most of this week. I left home early on Sunday and didn’t return until early, like 1 AM, on Thursday. In that time, I drove to Allentown, PA, south to Philadelphia and home again. I had meetings with 4 different customers and managed to squeeze in 2 bike rides.

The first ride was in Allentown. I found a route that looked promising on MapMyRide.com, but given the number of turns and roads traveled, I was hesitant to try it. There’s nothing like getting lost on a bike! Instead, I stopped by a local bike shop to ask for a challenging ride, preferably up one of the nearby mountains. That experience sealed the deal; I was riding Blue Mountain Road. The local bike dude (in the loosest of terms) proceeded to tell me that the ride was too difficult for me. Huh? This guy never asked any questions about my fitness level, he just assumed based on what I have no idea, that I wasn’t fit enough for that ride or the Hills of Emmaus route. Consider it a challenge.

I headed back to the hotel, wrote up a cryptic crib sheet, changed, and was out the door. After what seemed like turns on 50 different roads (missed a few turns here and added a few there…), I was finally on Blue Mountain Road and headed toward the skies. The road turned up and was challenging, but it never “kicked my ass” as was promised by bike shop dude. I reached the top, turned around, and headed back to the hotel. Along the way I spotted a group of 4 riders and decided to follow them…I needed more miles and was still looking for my ass to be kicked. After chasing for a mile or two, the road turned up again (the roads in the area are very similar to those in KC–contant short, steep grades). I caught the group just as the road leveled off and came to a stop sign. I rolled up, introduced myself and chatted for a few minutes. Unfortunately, their ride was over and everyone was headed home. So I turned around and headed to the hotel.

On the way back I noticed a sign for the Valley Preferred Cycling Center and decided to check it out. WOW! The cycling center is one of the best velodrome centers I’ve seen. Lighted for night riding, bleachers on both sides…unfortunately, it was closed so I didn’t get to see the track. But, I did see a huge message out front: “Father Breaks Record to Honor Daughters Fight Against Lupus.” Amateur cyclist Chris Paradysz bested the 24-hour track record at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, going on to establish a new record of 416.09 miles biked in 24 hours. What a feat!

The next morning I left the Lehigh Valley and drove south into Philadelphia for a quick visit with a customer. Then, it was wagon west for home. Every turn in the Allegheny Mountains brought more and more spectacular views, not to mention the want to park and get out and ride. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. As I-76 turned up for a long grind over Bald Knob before dropping into Breezewood, PA I noticed a secondary road followed the turnpike. I decided this was the ride. I exited at Breezewood, turn back toward the mountain and saw it: markers for the BikePA Route-S. I drove over the hill to make certain I wanted to do this, and as soon as I found a parking spot, I suited up and hit it.

As they often say, pictures are worth a thousand words. I won’t stop with the pictures, but I’ll let them introduce this ride:

I parked in Hustontown, which was approximately 5 miles from the start of the climb–needed time to warm up the legs. The ride over was a lot like roads in KC–short, steep hills. Once I started climbing, though, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. After a few miles at 3-5%, the road took a sharp turn up. According to the warning sign, it was 8% for almost three miles, followed immediately by 2.5 miles at 10%. Should I mention that I didn’t have mountain gears? I made my way up and then down and on to Breezewood, and then turned around and headed back to the car. The ride was insane and perhaps one of the best mountain rides I’ve completed. It was short, at 25 miles, but otherwise perfect. The road surface was better than the best roads around KC, the climb was demanding, and there was almost no traffic. What more can you ask for?

While changing, I decided to try a different route back to Breezewood, just to see what the area offered. What I found was even better than the roads of Route-S. Just to the south was a 7 or 8 mile drag at 8%. It wasn’t as wicked steep as the other road, but the climb was a lot longer. I had a fleeting thought of getting out and going for it. But, I had to be in Columbus for a meeting early the next morning. Maybe next time.