Dirty Deeds

I finally made it up to ride with the club this past Thursday. A unique ride (unique as far as I know) of 35 miles almost entirely on the dirt roads around Clarkston. Cyclocross bikes are the order of the day, speeds are pretty fast, and the climbs can be leg-burning.

A few observations:

1. When you hit washboard bumps at 30 mph, you gotta stay loose. If you stiffen up, the bike responds, and not in a good way.
2. Riding rollers this winter has helped my sense of balance and stability. I felt a lot more sure of myself.
3. It was great to ride with the group again - I really missed the camaraderie.

I'm going to make every attempt to do more of these rides. Dirt, washboard bumps, loose gravel and cyclocross bikes - a recipe for a great time and a helluva a good work out.

The Year in Review

The Michigan State Cyclocross Championship was my last race of the season. Even if I planned on more races, due to an unfortunate crash on the first lap, it still would have closed out my season. I ended up with a severely sprained thumb, and, after a couple weeks, it just hasn't been healing. Turns out the reason my thumb hasn't been healing, is that I have a torn ligament. Torn ligament = surgery... So, on Tuesday I go under the knife. After the ligament is repaired, it's 5 weeks in a cast followed by several weeks of PT. So, no riding outside for me until the cast is off and I have some strength/mobility back in my hand. My trainer and I are going to be intimate friends.

I've just been taking it easy these last couple weeks. I started a new gig at my company and there's been a lot to learn. So that's kept me busy (busy would actually be an understatement...) So, now that I've got some down time, it's a great opportunity for some reflection on the season past.

• Road Season: After an 8 year hiatus from road racing, I was finally giving it another shot. I got my license and I was starting out as a Cat 4. I can pretty much sum it up in one word: Disappointment. After a series of mid-pack finishes, a bad crash in June that I never quite recovered from, and a stalled out season-end, I was glad to say goodbye. This put me in a really bad spot coming into my "real" season, cyclocross. I was kinda depressed, over-trained, and just not enjoying myself. This taught me something. First, I had set some unrealistic expectations. And second and probably most important - Fun first. 

• Cyclocross Season: With an upgrade to B this year, I knew there would be some challenges. My crappy road season didn't help matters any and my first few 'cross races definitely reflected that. I started to find my rhythm near the end of October and I kinda stalled out. It seemed like everybody was improving except me. Even guys I was beating a couple races before were kicking my butt. That's when I remembered my new mantra - fun first. If you focus on having fun, everything else will come around. An even if it doesn't, you at least had a good time. This isn't my job, and God knows, I don't need it to feel like one.

That's why I have mixed feelings about the 'cross season coming to an end.  On one hand (my good one...) I had a lot of fun, and hanging out with all my fellow 'crossers is a good time, but on the other, I was wore out. Well, now I've got all the R&R I could ever want, as I rehabilitate my thumb over these next several weeks. Expect to see lots of blog entries and I'll update on how the surgery went (and the good drugs I'm prescribed...) when it's over.

Storming the Beaches at Stony Creek CX

Me, soaking up the rays on the beach.

Stony Creek is one of my favorite courses. Last Sunday lived up to my expectations. Sand? Check. Mud? Check. Hairpin turns? Check. Suffering and pain? Absolutely.

Here's how it went down:
Start on a nice, wide paved area (read: lots of speed) followed by a funnel-like procession onto a 6 ft. wide bike path. Then grass, then sand, then mud, then grass and lots of turns, two barriers, then tons o' turns, then two more barriers then the finish. Wash, rinse, repeat - 5 more times. Had a nice little battle for 11th with a fellow teammate, but alas, a mis-handled corner on the second to last lap and I came in 12th. I love that in 'cross there are gut-wrenching battles for 11th place. Awesome.

Some observations/learnings from the race:

• I'm kinda stagnant right now - 11th or 12th in the last 3 races. Some of the guys I was beating a few races ago are now on the podium. What gives?
• I actually felt pretty good on the bike for a change. Lungs weren't there though.
• I'm FINALLY getting used to the "new" pedals - didn't have any issues clipping in (Yee Haw!)
• The steed is going to need a serious overhaul at the end of the season.
  
• I've never thought of myself as a "big guy" but looking at race pictures, I look like a freaking umber-hulk out there. At least, compared to the other more svelte racers.
  
• This was confirmed when, at the race conclusion, I was told, "You'd be a lot faster if you could loose 10 - 15 lbs." Time to go on a diet?

The face says it all... Thanks Curt for taking the photos!

In order to keep my fragile ego from totally coming apart, I have also generated a short list of reasons (excuses?) for my stagnant performance:

• I was in Florida for 6 days. All I did fitness-wise was run for 30 minutes every morning and swim a little. This is comparable to walking around the mall for 20 minutes/day to prepare for the Boston Marathon.
• Sinusitis - I've got it and it makes it a real bitch to breathe.
  
• I got a horrible start.
• I forgot my lucky cycling cap.

Enough reflection, now we look forward. Bloomer Park CX next weekend. That was the location of my first, and only, podium finish (3rd place C-race, last season). A repeat may not be likely but, who knows?

Time Off

A nice week of R&R in sunny Florida. It really couldn't have come at a better time; no races scheduled for me this weekend, just coming off a bad sinus infection and bronchitis, and getting the crap kicked out of me last weekend in Ann Arbor.

So here I am, enjoying a nice family vacation complete with sunny, 75 degree weather and a Mickey Mouse-crazed two year old. I gotta say, it's nice. The odd thing is, as a cyclist, it's really hard to let go of that feeling that, if you aren't constantly training, your fitness will totally fade away. Experience has taught me otherwise, but there's still that nagging in the back of my mind. Last year, I went on a similar trip and my first two races after coming back from vacation were my best of the season. I think the problem is, it's hard to accept that doing nothing may actually help and lead to better fitness. Rest is important too.

Of course, I'm not totally doing nothing. I'm doing a bit of running (3o minutes or so in the AM, when I feel like it) and some swimming, but no bike time. I guess we'll see how the legs feel come Sunday at Stony Creek!

Maybury Lungbuster CX

Last Sunday, if you weren't in Kentucky, the action around these parts was at Maybury State Park. There was a certain amount of menace and eerie anticipation for this race. For starters, it was called "Lungbuster". This was, I assumed, both a nod toward the park's past (It was a tuberculosis sanatorium back in the day) and a warning of the impending lung scorching that awaited the participants. The course proved that the name was true to its word.


Me on the run-up (I'm the guy in purple and yellow right behind the guy in black) Thanks Bruce for the photos!

The race definitely wasn't my cup of tea, too much single track and a technical descent, but that's partly what made it fun. The race started off well enough, I was probably in about 8th or 9thth place at the start. Then my lack of technical skills became apparent and, 8 laps and a couple crashes later, 14th place. Not a great result for me but it definitely put me out of my comfort zone, terrain-wise, so hopefully I picked up something there (other than the scrape along my left shin).

Props go out to the following:

• Steve: your amazing technical skills and your Spicy Mango-powered cardiovascular system saw you to a top ten spot. Nice work!
• Jan: thanks for sharing in my pre-race fear of the muddy, boulder strewn, off-camber descent - I felt your pain, brother.
• Bruce and Andy: your kind sentiments on the run-up were nothing less than inspiring. I love you guys.
• The dude holding the can of Zima (or some other alcoholic beverage): thank you for ensuring all the racers were properly hydrated - your selflessness is exemplary. If you are taking orders, I enjoy Bells Double Cream Stout - especially when I'm at the point of anaerobic exhaustion...

Here's a nice little video Bruce took of the run-up. Steve and I are in the purple and yellow.

Next weekend is a double in Ann Arbor. This race is one of my favorites. We'll see how she goes!

It's all starting to come back to me...

No racing for me this weekend. All the action is down in Ohio and we're having a birthday party for my daughter, Jane on Sunday so I wanted to stay local. Over the coarse of the last few days, I've done a couple 'cross workouts and things are starting to click. My strength is coming back and my bike handling skills are improving. More importantly, my confidence is improving. My shitty performance over the spring and summer road racing really did a number on me - especially the crash.

Not sure if it was over-training or what but, I'm starting to feel like my old self again.

Hup.

On a side note: Current World Champ Niels Albert is really kicking some cyclocross ass over in Europe. He just nabbed his 5th consecutive victory, with a 40 second lead over Sven Nys, who came in second...



Veldrijden!!!

Working on Our Night Moves...

Thought a borrowed line from a great Seger tune would be a fitting title to recap my first night cyclocross race.


The PRO sheen...

A night race involves a whole different preparatory mindset than the usual day races. Racing in B, races usually start around 11 AM. So race day morning is usually spent packing the car and driving to the race. Well, when you're start time isn't until 7 PM, that leaves a lot of time thinking about the race. It's kinda like a mosquito bite, you may forget about it for a bit, but that nagging itch is never totally out of mind.

That "itch" was there all day (and the nerves to go with it) so I was definitely relieved to car-pool with my buddy Steve to race. The drive was a little over an hour so the conversation provided a great distraction.

If I had to think of stereotypical cyclocross conditions, Saturday would have been it. Overcast and rainy with temps in the 50s. I love that kind of weather. I get overheated pretty easily and those conditions just suit me. Plus, any good excuse to pull out the Mad Alchemy and embrocate up is just fine by me... I love that stuff so much I could eat it.

Back to the race - The course was set up in a city park in Monroe. It's pretty damn flat, with a solitary mound on one end of the course. This hill featured the typical run up and a short climb. This course definitely favored the power rider with lots of straights and not a lot of technical stuff.

For a warm up, me, Steve and Brian Love (gotta say Brian's full name cuz I dig it) did a short ride around a neighborhood near the park. I headed back to the car and laid the embro on extra thick (my legs looked like George Hamilton with jaundice), then it was onto the course to check it out. I did about 1 1/2 laps when I noticed that the starting line was already full of riders. I hustled over there and had to line up in back.

The race went decently for me. I felt better than I have in a long time, like my strength is finally coming back. I crashed once in the last lap (a remount mishap) but held on to my position, which ended up being 12th place. Not bad. The form is coming around.

After cooling down, Steve and I grabbed the cowbells and set up camp on the mound to cheer on our fellow crossers doing the single speed, masters and elite races. Here's what I learned - it is an amazing amount of fun cheering on your com padres as they put themselves through hell. I'm so hoarse today I can barely speak. Amazingly fun - I gotta stick around more often.

A huge thanks to Tailwind and Jack's Bicycle for putting on the race and to Andrea Tucker and Hans Nyberg for capturing our suffering for posterity.

Objects of Cycloross Lust and Desire

Welcome to the Killer B's...

Day 1 - in the belly of the beast...

So this is a bit late in coming but I really needed to let my first races of the season percolate before giving them their due. Also, I was hoping to include some pics courtesy of the local photogs.

To recap, last weekend was the Michigan Double Cross, a two day cyclocross extravaganza put on by Tailwind, Kinetic Systems and the Flying Rhinos Cycling Club. The course was set up at Waterford Hills Raceway and came complete with the usual suspects; undulations, two sets of barriers, 180 degree turns, sand, and bumpy terra firma. Oh, and let's not forget the "Orange Crush" - a flyover of monstrous proportions - huge, steep steps going up, a very short bridge section and a steep ramp going back down. The Orange Crush was my nemesis both days...

Day 1 - Here I am going down the ramp - looking like a pro. Good thing it's not a video, otherwise you would see how slow I really was...

First impression of the weekend: it was really refreshing to do some 'cross racing after a summer of road racing. It's such a different world. Fun seems to be a bigger priority in cyclocross. Don't get me wrong, cyclocross racing is an absolute bitch while you're out there, but in an odd way, it's fun at the same time. Maybe because the folks who race cyclocross don't take themselves as seriously... All I know is, I heard lots of folks throwing around the word "fun" at the weekend races. You rarely ever (never?) hear the term "fun" used in any context at a road race. Weird.

After chewing and digesting my races over the weekend, here's my thoughts and observations:

• Racing in B is definitely tougher. 45+ minutes takes its toll.
  
• I felt much better on Sunday than I did on Saturday, although my results didn't really show it (19th on Saturday, 17th on Sunday)
• It was much easier for me to ride the sand on Sunday

• Barrier work was decent - still jumping a bit high but at least it seemed smooth.

• Need to work on my starts - getting good placement in that first turn is crucial.
  
• My wife and little girl came out both days - it was great to have my own cheering section! Thanks to all the other Rhinos who offered encouragements, I heard 'em!
• One other funny thing - every time my daughter hears a cowbell, she yells "Go Daddy!" - she's awesome!
  

Next up for me is a night race in Monroe, Michigan. Last year, I didn't do too shabby there so we'll see how it goes!

Thanks to Andrea Tucker, Hans Nyberg and Bruce LeBlanc for the photos!

Back From the Clinic

Nope, I'm not talking about where you go when you have The Clap, I'm talking about a cyclocross clinic. And what a doosy it was...

First off, there was this thing:


This is "The Orange Crush" and it's a bitch. If there was ever something that made you realize that you take too long to clip in, this is it. You've got roughly 6 feet up there before plummeting down the ramp...

Here are some of my thoughts, recollections and observations from the clinic:

• Water is good, drink lots of it.
• the sun is hot.
• When you are being lapped by a really fast, elite level rider, they make very little noise.
• I'm damn glad my bike has an aluminum steerer. There were a couple of my transitions coming off the ramp of "The Orange Crush" where, if my steerer had been carbon, I think it would have snapped and my face would have gotten intimate with the grassy substrate.
• I love to hit myself in the head with my saddle when shouldering the bike. In fact, it's my favorite thing to do.
• For those of us who are less than stellar bike-handlers, some sections are just easier to run
• I hate running.
• Barriers are fun.
• I jump WAAYY too high on my remount - if not remedied, this may, one day, give me what I like to refer to as "the poor-man's vasectomy".
• When I'm truly suffering (as I was during the last 3-4 laps of the 40 minute practice race), well wishes and words of encouragement only serve to further demoralize me.
• Tuberculosis originated at a cyclocross race during the 1600's.
• I love Challenge Fango tires.
• I want a new bike.
• I have what's know as "Monkey Arms".
• PB&J is not a good pre-race food.
• Fig Newtons are amazing.
• After a long day of riding, I crave sweets and baked goods like a son-of-a-bitch (such as chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake).
• I hate cyclocross.
  
• I like things that make me suffer.
• I love cyclocross.

Thanks to Kinetic Systems Bicycles, Tailwind Enterprises and The Flying Rhinos Cycling Club for a great time!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Cyclocross Time!

Did my first real cyclocross workout of the season last week. There's this nice community park about 10 miles from my house that has all the components for a cross course. It's got a nice steep hill for run-ups and fast descents, lots of bumpy, grassy field, a section of dirt/wood chip trail through the woods, and even a sand volleyball court if you want to hit the beach. I've constructed a set of portable barriers from PVC tubes that fit into a backpack (a variation of the Greg Keller design, with longer sections making for fewer pieces). These work really well in a pinch, although not quite as formidable as a solid piece of plywood staked into the ground, it at least helps resurrect that buried muscle-memory.

I forgot how fun/hard cross is. It's one of those things that can't be mimicked on the road or trail. After about an hour, I noticed my lungs hurt, cross forces you to breathe a lot deeper, drawing breaths from the depths of your thorax. My aerobic capacity is up there from road racing all summer, but nothing can prepare you for the sheer oxygen debt that cyclocross brings with it.

My buddy Steve joined my at the park and he made me realize I need a lot of practice with the bike handling skills. He could literally turn circles around me, especially on the off-camber stuff. He's a mountain biker, so I can learn a lot from him in that department.

I'm so excited for the cross season that I almost want to just ditch my last couple of road races and immerse myself in the 'crossy goodness.

Mud, Snow, Rain, Embrocation, Frozen Toes, Oxygen Debt - Cyclocross Season is almost here!

The Sunday Epic

Got my first "Epic" under my belt. A four hour cyclcocross ride of dirt trails, gravel roads and pavement. Our trio consisted of Jan (a friend I met racing 'cross last season), my friend Steve and me.

It was great to be on the 'cross bike again. I've been spending most of my time on the road bike, I forgot how fun and versatile that bike is. Even if you never ever race cyclocross, it's a great bike to have in your inventory.

Back to the ride. It started off on the chilly side (35 degrees) but once the sun came out it warmed up a bit. When I say, "a bit" I'm not talking layers could be shed or anything, but it warmed just enough to take the chill off. Jan was our tour guide for the morning, taking us on an amazing journey over hill and dale with a nice coffee stop 1/2 way. These are the rides I really love. Racing is great and that intensity can't be matched by anything but this is what originally drew me to cycling. That feeling of open road freedom and being able to share that with some friends is one of the best feelings in the world. The post ride sense of accomplishment is nice too.

All in all, it was just about 60 miles for me. Thanks to Jan and Steve for a great Sunday. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Cyclocross - The Great Melting Pot

+ =

Cyclocross has the unique distinction among all other cycling disciplines as the melting pot of the sport.

Everyone has a discipline that they favor. Crossing into other disciplines is accepted and encouraged and can be a great way to develop handling skills, power, and speed and it can be a helluva lot of fun too.

But, at the end of the day, what it all boils down to is you are either a roadie or a mountain biker. As much as we like to think that there aren't any sort of boundaries, there are. And let's just say nothing would give a MTB'er greater pleasure than to school a bunch of roadies at their own game and vice versa.

'Cross provides a unique venue where roadies and mountain bikers can mingle without either one feeling too out of their element. It also provides a fair battleground. The bikes are very similar to road bikes so the roadie feels at home and the courses are on dirt and mud so the MTB'er doesn't feel out of his element either.

I'm sure there are tons of theories about which primary discipline prepares you better for cyclocross. I'm not even going to venture a guess. What I do want to do is to provide a short tutorial for identifying a MTB'er or roadie at a 'cross race. Here are some helpful tips:

• Check out the bike - If it's sparkling clean and has some European name that's really tough to pronounce, chances are it's a roadie straddling it. If, after scrubbing off all the filth, you can make out a "Redline" or a "Santa Cruz", it's a MTB'er
• Facial hair -This one is a dead give-a-way. Clean shaven = roadie. Facial hair (this can be any kind, but especially the ubiquitous goatee) = MTB'er
• Cycling Kit - This can be a bit tricky.
  
• Clothing - Typically, if the rider shows up to a 'cross race covered head to toe in some sort of fleecy spandex and it's 58 degrees out, I would venture that it's a roadie. Conversely, if it's 20 degrees and you see a sleeveless jersey and shorts paired with some long socks it's probably a mountain biker. You have to watch this one though, roadies love embrocation so that can throw you off. Take a look at the brands of the apparel too. Euro brands, you are probably dealing with a roadie, Primal Wear, that's an MTB'er.
  
• Helmet - Any cyclist sporting a visor on their helmet is automatically a mountain biker. A roadie would never have a visor on their helmet, that's what a cycling cap is for.
• Gloves - full fingered = MTB'er, 1/2 finger or none (if cold, lobster claws) = roadie
• Socks - here's a little rhyme to help you remember: White socks at races, it's a roadie who chases, If colored socks you see, a mountain biker it will be.

• Body - Stick thin and hairless it's a roadie. If Rubenesque comes to mind, it's likely a mountain biker. There's a reason there's no "Clydesdale" category in road racing.
• Pre-race - Approach the roadie with extreme caution in the hours before a race, they tend to be quite aggressive and territorial when engaged in their pre-race ritual. It's an individual thing and any intrusions are not welcome. On the other hand, a mountain biker will gladly welcome any and all comers to their pre-race ritual. Shot gunning beers 30 minutes before start is a communal activity and the more the merrier.
  
• During race - See that guy dismounting to cross the exposed root in the ground? That's a roadie. If you see someone bunny hopping railway ties on a run up, that's a MTB'er.
• Post-race - Somebody offer you congratulations and a cold beer or tells you "good race"? That's a mountain biker. If any sort of post race communication is met with a scowl, that's a roadie.
  

I know it's a long way off but I hope this tutorial will be helpful going into next 'cross season. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to visit the natural habitats of these two unique species this spring and summer.

Niels Albert, Marianne Vos - Cyclocross World Champs!

Photo: Universal Sports

Niels Albert of Belgium is the newly crowned Cyclocross World Champ finishing a good 15 seconds ahead of Czech silver medalist Zdenek Stybar. Sven Nys rounded out the podium with the bronze.


Photo: Universal Sports

For the elite women, Marianne Vos of the Netherlands took gold, followed by defending champ Hanka Kupfernagel of Germany. Katie Compton did the Stars and Stripes proud with her bronze medal performance.

If you missed it, you can check out all the action at universalsports.com and see each event in its entirety!

Jonathan Page Cleared

Jonathan Page has been cleared of any charges linked to a missed doping test back in November. There's also one open spot on the U.S. team going to worlds. Jonathan, I think that fifth spot is calling your name!

Bart Wellens - Stop Motion Photography of Dismount

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. It's almost a frame by frame photo sequence of Bart Wellens coming into a set of barriers at the Roubaix World Cup last Sunday. Look at how high his bike goes over the barriers... He must have been really moving! Here's the link to the article on Cyclocross Magazine. Bart Wellens dismount.

Photos courtesy of Joe Sales.

European National Cyclocross Championships

Last weekend were the European National Championships. Sven Nys won the Belgian National Championship beating out Niels Albert. As for the Netherlands, Lars Boom took the title finishing 10 seconds over second place rider, Thijs Al. Check out this video - while all the other riders are sporting tights or leg warmers, Lars Boom is bare legged! He's a monster...

You're Damn Right I got the Blues!

That pretty much sums it up. My cyclocross season is over and blues legend Buddy Guy said it best, "You're damn right I got the blues." It was my very first season and I've loved every minute of it. From the first time I straddled my mountain bike and rode in the local practice race, to my somewhat comedic performance at States (6 in. of snow + Gary's poor bike handling skills = comedy), cyclocross racing has found it's way into my soul. It's like some place I always belonged. I hate labels, but I guess you could say I'm primarily a road cyclist. I love it but 'cross just feels right unlike any other cycling discipline I've tried.

And now that the season is done, I feel empty. 'Cross racing has left a void. How to fill it? Here are some of my feeble attempts:

• Blogging
• Subscribed to Cyclocross Magazine and ordered all the back order issues
• Continually looking for an amazing deal on some carbon rims (tubulars)
• Although it makes me a bit envious, long talks with my training buddy about all the stuff he's upgrading on his bike
• Surfing the web for anything 'cross related - I think all of the sites I've found are listed below to the right - anyone have any other good sites/blogs let me know!!
• Reading other folks blogs - a special shout out to Mud and Cowbells for the excellent 'cross content and photos

Any one got any other tips to fight the cyclocross season blues, I'd welcome them. I'm like a cyclocross-philic sponge and anything I can absorb to help fill the void, would be much appreciated.

In the meantime, if anyone else is feeling like me, here's about 9 minutes of this year's World Cup race at Pijnacker. So grab a Duvel and your favorite cowbell and enjoy. This should at least sate the 'cross beast for a little while!
World Cup - Pijnacker