From the Dean...
Are you on track for a great 2011?
How do you decide what your goals are? How do you decide what to prioritize? How do you get more energy to tackle your goals once you set them? Do you want to get past what has stopped you in the past? Are you tired of getting dropped and not reaching your goals? If you answer yes to any of these, it is time for Advanced Focus and Motivation (AFM).
Turbo charge your focus for 2011 by choosing strong goals here are some fundamental questions everyone must ask:
#1. What worked and what didn't work this past year. What did I learn?
#2. Goals for next season. What is one or two steps higher than last year? Where can I put them where I will see them each day.
#3. What is my plan so I build on my strengths and get to next Spring as strong, focused and charged as possible.
Now as easy as these 3 steps are, how many of you have already answered them for 2011? This is where I can help. I have been developing my mental coaching skills for 20 years and can coach you to do the same and find out for yourself what reserves of focus, courage and discipline you have to make a big improvement in 2011.
I call it Advanced Focus and Motivation, AFM and it is one of my favorite things to coach, in fact I believe it is the most neglected aspect of training and the one that can make the biggest difference for any athlete. I have done it for Teams, Groups and many individuals with great success including Adrian Hegyvary and the Huskies beginning in 2004. I now want to share it with anyone wanting to improve their mental game and ramp up their rate of progress.
I am doing a free session January 8th at 4pm to kick off the new year at our West Seattle training center. Why? Because the more I teach it, the better I ingrain it for myself and I love to see everyone improving as fast as possible, no matter what your pursuit.
If you are willing to commit to making a change, even if only 1%, Email Me and I will hold a spot for you, Date: Saturday January 8th 4pm - 5pm at West Seattle. Open to the first 30 people.
Thanks for listening, now get a great plan together and go after it 2011 now!
Coach Craig
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Chad Sullivan of Cycle U claims 2nd overall @ Pacific Raceways
Here is a brief description of the last race of the season at Pacific Raceways told by Chad Sullivan.
Last night was a showdown between Dan Caputo and me (and my CycleU brothers) for 2nd place in the season standings. We went into last night separated by only two points. Rain was guaranteed although it did let up after the race started. With me were Brad, Shawn, Tims 1 and 2, John Wendl, and Gabe. Dale made a guest appearance but did not race. It was a short one, only 25 minutes, compared to an hour during the longest days of summer. They set up the finish on the flats/at the start line, instead of the top of the hill. Gabe blasted up the hill to a sizeable lead, but was caught and passed by Dan in a gutsy and impressive move. I thought Gabe had it, so I didn't chase. Tactical error #1. The team worked to shut down the breaks, but the hill almost always provides separation. Another break took the second prime which set up the finish sprint. Tim 1 helped pace me up the last hill and then surprisingly, Dan came around near the top of the hill to try to bridge to the riders about 20 yards ahead. I stayed on his wheel as we caught the frontrunners with 100 meters to go. I was in the perfect position to see him initiate his sprint. I passed him with about 50 yards to go and willed my legs to keep firing. It seemed the finish line would never come, and we both threw our bikes toward the line. I got him by about a wheel. I think he might have made a tactical mistake by "leading me out" but he may have had no choice. Letting the pack catch us, he might have missed out on the points and he sure didn't want Brad and CU leading me out. So it was a showdown that lived up to the billing. We each earned 5 points and CU finished the season in 2nd place in Cat 4/5. We had some fun after at the "awards ceremony". I got a certificate for my next season half off. I plan to race in the masters category, and/or help a new CU GC guy to the podium. From the first race, I had a blast out at PR and racing with you guys this year, both on and off the road. Thanks a lot for the support and camaraderie. I look forward to more racing with you guys at Cross and next season. See you at the team rides!
Last night was a showdown between Dan Caputo and me (and my CycleU brothers) for 2nd place in the season standings. We went into last night separated by only two points. Rain was guaranteed although it did let up after the race started. With me were Brad, Shawn, Tims 1 and 2, John Wendl, and Gabe. Dale made a guest appearance but did not race. It was a short one, only 25 minutes, compared to an hour during the longest days of summer. They set up the finish on the flats/at the start line, instead of the top of the hill. Gabe blasted up the hill to a sizeable lead, but was caught and passed by Dan in a gutsy and impressive move. I thought Gabe had it, so I didn't chase. Tactical error #1. The team worked to shut down the breaks, but the hill almost always provides separation. Another break took the second prime which set up the finish sprint. Tim 1 helped pace me up the last hill and then surprisingly, Dan came around near the top of the hill to try to bridge to the riders about 20 yards ahead. I stayed on his wheel as we caught the frontrunners with 100 meters to go. I was in the perfect position to see him initiate his sprint. I passed him with about 50 yards to go and willed my legs to keep firing. It seemed the finish line would never come, and we both threw our bikes toward the line. I got him by about a wheel. I think he might have made a tactical mistake by "leading me out" but he may have had no choice. Letting the pack catch us, he might have missed out on the points and he sure didn't want Brad and CU leading me out. So it was a showdown that lived up to the billing. We each earned 5 points and CU finished the season in 2nd place in Cat 4/5. We had some fun after at the "awards ceremony". I got a certificate for my next season half off. I plan to race in the masters category, and/or help a new CU GC guy to the podium. From the first race, I had a blast out at PR and racing with you guys this year, both on and off the road. Thanks a lot for the support and camaraderie. I look forward to more racing with you guys at Cross and next season. See you at the team rides!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
My First Race!!
This is from a new road team member Gabriel Holmes who recently joined the road team. Welcome to the team and great job!
My first race at PR last night was a whole lot of fun. I think most of the night I was alternating between holding on for dear life and thinking "this is no problem." Even after everybody's advice about where to be in the field, it seemed like I ended up rubber banding from the front to the back and side to side most of the night. I think there was only one brief point in the whole race where I was actually riding in the middle. Somewhere close to the end, I actually found myself at the very front right after the bleachers. The series of thoughts that went through my head were "Holy Crap, there's nobody in front of me." "Hmmm, the wind up here sucks." "Oh man, I am running out of gas. What do I do? Guess I'll pull off a little."
Then it started to rain. We had been doing flat ccw but they changed us to do the escape route. I slowed down a bit since I was a little sketchy about where we were supposed to go. I figured that I would just follow everybody else. I ended up near the back though. Coming down the hill, there were a lot of guys putting on the brakes and I felt like I was going through an obstacle course of hoses. Then coming up the hill, I tried to pick a wheel to suck but guys were running out of gas left and right. Everybody started to get strung out.
The last lap, I was way in the back and got dropped but sprinted at the end and almost made it to the back of the lead group. All in all, I ended up finishing and not crashing so I was pretty pleased with myself.
Next race, I might try to focus on trying to position myself instead of ending up wherever fate decided. There was one point where I looked over and saw a bunch of CycleU guys a little in front of me all the way over on the right side when I was on the left. I thought, "Ok, how the hell do I get over there?"
I want to say thanks to all the CycleU team members at PR last night. Everybody was really helpful. I'll try to remember everybody's name and face, but there were a lot of people there. I might be asking some of you your names again. If I call you by the wrong name in the future, I apologize. Also, thanks to all the advice on the message board.
Cycle U had 9 teammates at Pacific Raceways Tuesday night 6/08. Way to go!
My first race at PR last night was a whole lot of fun. I think most of the night I was alternating between holding on for dear life and thinking "this is no problem." Even after everybody's advice about where to be in the field, it seemed like I ended up rubber banding from the front to the back and side to side most of the night. I think there was only one brief point in the whole race where I was actually riding in the middle. Somewhere close to the end, I actually found myself at the very front right after the bleachers. The series of thoughts that went through my head were "Holy Crap, there's nobody in front of me." "Hmmm, the wind up here sucks." "Oh man, I am running out of gas. What do I do? Guess I'll pull off a little."
Then it started to rain. We had been doing flat ccw but they changed us to do the escape route. I slowed down a bit since I was a little sketchy about where we were supposed to go. I figured that I would just follow everybody else. I ended up near the back though. Coming down the hill, there were a lot of guys putting on the brakes and I felt like I was going through an obstacle course of hoses. Then coming up the hill, I tried to pick a wheel to suck but guys were running out of gas left and right. Everybody started to get strung out.
The last lap, I was way in the back and got dropped but sprinted at the end and almost made it to the back of the lead group. All in all, I ended up finishing and not crashing so I was pretty pleased with myself.
Next race, I might try to focus on trying to position myself instead of ending up wherever fate decided. There was one point where I looked over and saw a bunch of CycleU guys a little in front of me all the way over on the right side when I was on the left. I thought, "Ok, how the hell do I get over there?"
I want to say thanks to all the CycleU team members at PR last night. Everybody was really helpful. I'll try to remember everybody's name and face, but there were a lot of people there. I might be asking some of you your names again. If I call you by the wrong name in the future, I apologize. Also, thanks to all the advice on the message board.
Cycle U had 9 teammates at Pacific Raceways Tuesday night 6/08. Way to go!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Find more at Facebook
More team news and good banter on Facebook. Check it out for more up-to-date info, search Cycle University Road Team and become a fan!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Olympic View Road Race
Cat 4 race report from Brad Haley.
My alarm went off at 4 am. Yup 4 am. I got my stuff together and met up with Travis, Tim3 and Tina at Renton park and ride. We all piled into Travis' Land cruiser and off we were. The news had been warning everyone about the work they are doing on I-5 south so we thought it better to leave early. We arrived at a gas station to get some coffee and apparently this little stop was the place to be. Tim3 mixed it up with the locals that were in line. My normal coffee of choice is a double tall non-fat vanilla latte. Cost here in the city is almost $4, I think $3.90 to be exact. Coffee at this little window at the gas station was $2.87! Must be the small overhead for that price difference but I suspect its the reality of living in the city.
We arrived to some light rain and for some reason I couldn't get warm enough. Travis was the same and we layered up thinking it was 30 degrees out. I had hand warmers, toe warmers, 3 undershirts, my vest, leg warmers and two sets of arm warmers. That is alot of clothing. We were racing 54 miles of a 18 mile loop. Shawn and Tina did some recon on the course last weekend and came back with its a mix of Mason Lake and Tour de Dung in Sequim, rolling hills and mostly flat with chip seal. This course was alot of fun. The first lap was pretty chill until we got to the 90 degree downhill right turn. I moved up on the inside of the turn as everyone fanned out to the left to carry momentum into the right. After that it was a quick left, right then over a bridge then you were 3k from the finish line. This is where we had a group of 20 or 30 that split the group up. We probably could have completely stayed away but the guys at the front sat up a bit and the rest of the peleton caught back on. Which was ok because we were moving pretty good and it took alot of effort to catch back on. I think it was Matt from Recycled Cycles that took off the front on the next lap and stayed away for a bit. Its fun to get away for a bit until the pain sets in and then its not so much fun especially by yourself. We gobbled him up just before the biggest climb on the course. I was telling Shawn that we need to hold a "drinking and racing or racing and eating clinic". You really had to keep your focus because several guys were very swervy when drinking or trying to dig out some food. I am not the best rider by any means but I think I can do those things fairly well. Mark Taylor from SCCA/Starbucks was behind Shawn and I and told us after the race he thought this little conversation was pretty funny. Shawn and I were chatting it up and Shawn was crackin jokes when you hear the horrible sound of air seaping out of someones tire. We both looked at each other and Shawn said "you got a flat". I then looked at him and said, "no, you got a flat". Then at that moment Shawn disappeared to the back. Poor guy, two road races in a row. He was able to get a neutral wheel though and still finished. Good job. It was down to Travis and I. Several teams had big numbers like Recycled Cycles, Cucina Fresca, Bikesale.com, and Firstrate Morgage. We left the pace making to those teams and just hung on as long as possible. Travis did really well and we stayed close for most of the race. Once we got to the last climb which is about 2 miles from the finish the pace increased. I think this is where Travis said he went to the back of the group. I stayed close to the front for the downhill 90 degree right turn and moved up some more spots on the inside. Then I really hit the gas and so did Bikesale.com as they had 3 guys at the front setting the pace for the finish. As we got to the 1k to go sign I positioned myself behind a real fast guy, Phil Spencer of Lenova. I knew he would be a good wheel to follow. When we got to 200 meters I was out of the saddle sprinting but had to sit down because guys were moving to the left and not holding there line. I got back up out of the saddle and was able to come across the line in 6th place. Travis was able to finish with the pack. Bikesale.com had the numbers and controlled the race when it counted and won. That is how its done and congrats to them. Good job to our Cat 5 team with Tim3 finishing in the top 10 and Rhae finishing in the top 5 for the Womens Cat 1,2,3 race. Heal up fast Mario and we hope to see you back on the bike soon!!
Stay tuned for Walla Walla...
My alarm went off at 4 am. Yup 4 am. I got my stuff together and met up with Travis, Tim3 and Tina at Renton park and ride. We all piled into Travis' Land cruiser and off we were. The news had been warning everyone about the work they are doing on I-5 south so we thought it better to leave early. We arrived at a gas station to get some coffee and apparently this little stop was the place to be. Tim3 mixed it up with the locals that were in line. My normal coffee of choice is a double tall non-fat vanilla latte. Cost here in the city is almost $4, I think $3.90 to be exact. Coffee at this little window at the gas station was $2.87! Must be the small overhead for that price difference but I suspect its the reality of living in the city.
We arrived to some light rain and for some reason I couldn't get warm enough. Travis was the same and we layered up thinking it was 30 degrees out. I had hand warmers, toe warmers, 3 undershirts, my vest, leg warmers and two sets of arm warmers. That is alot of clothing. We were racing 54 miles of a 18 mile loop. Shawn and Tina did some recon on the course last weekend and came back with its a mix of Mason Lake and Tour de Dung in Sequim, rolling hills and mostly flat with chip seal. This course was alot of fun. The first lap was pretty chill until we got to the 90 degree downhill right turn. I moved up on the inside of the turn as everyone fanned out to the left to carry momentum into the right. After that it was a quick left, right then over a bridge then you were 3k from the finish line. This is where we had a group of 20 or 30 that split the group up. We probably could have completely stayed away but the guys at the front sat up a bit and the rest of the peleton caught back on. Which was ok because we were moving pretty good and it took alot of effort to catch back on. I think it was Matt from Recycled Cycles that took off the front on the next lap and stayed away for a bit. Its fun to get away for a bit until the pain sets in and then its not so much fun especially by yourself. We gobbled him up just before the biggest climb on the course. I was telling Shawn that we need to hold a "drinking and racing or racing and eating clinic". You really had to keep your focus because several guys were very swervy when drinking or trying to dig out some food. I am not the best rider by any means but I think I can do those things fairly well. Mark Taylor from SCCA/Starbucks was behind Shawn and I and told us after the race he thought this little conversation was pretty funny. Shawn and I were chatting it up and Shawn was crackin jokes when you hear the horrible sound of air seaping out of someones tire. We both looked at each other and Shawn said "you got a flat". I then looked at him and said, "no, you got a flat". Then at that moment Shawn disappeared to the back. Poor guy, two road races in a row. He was able to get a neutral wheel though and still finished. Good job. It was down to Travis and I. Several teams had big numbers like Recycled Cycles, Cucina Fresca, Bikesale.com, and Firstrate Morgage. We left the pace making to those teams and just hung on as long as possible. Travis did really well and we stayed close for most of the race. Once we got to the last climb which is about 2 miles from the finish the pace increased. I think this is where Travis said he went to the back of the group. I stayed close to the front for the downhill 90 degree right turn and moved up some more spots on the inside. Then I really hit the gas and so did Bikesale.com as they had 3 guys at the front setting the pace for the finish. As we got to the 1k to go sign I positioned myself behind a real fast guy, Phil Spencer of Lenova. I knew he would be a good wheel to follow. When we got to 200 meters I was out of the saddle sprinting but had to sit down because guys were moving to the left and not holding there line. I got back up out of the saddle and was able to come across the line in 6th place. Travis was able to finish with the pack. Bikesale.com had the numbers and controlled the race when it counted and won. That is how its done and congrats to them. Good job to our Cat 5 team with Tim3 finishing in the top 10 and Rhae finishing in the top 5 for the Womens Cat 1,2,3 race. Heal up fast Mario and we hope to see you back on the bike soon!!
Stay tuned for Walla Walla...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Frozen Flatlands Omnium 2010
The hardest day, and a most frustrating day.
Time Trial
The weather report leading into this race looked terrible. High winds, cold temps (low 30s), and a good chance of snow. I came prepared for blizzard-like conditions in the time trial. With that mental preparation the conditions didn't seem too bad when I pulled into the staging area. The temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at 20mph, with gusts up to 35mph. I don't know what the wind chill was, but at least the sun was out. Remembering my college days at Gonzaga, this just seemed like a typical spring day in Spokane.
Needless to say the time trial was a challenge. The distance was longer than most TTs at 12.4 miles (out and back). The way out was into a major headwind and crosswind. It was a battle to keep the bike straight and keep some kind of rhythm going. I probably traveled 8 miles on that leg with all the weaving I did on the road. Looking at my computer was depressing, since I was only going about 16-18mph. After the turnaround the wind was a big help, and I was able to get the speed over 30mph. I actually started to get warm because there was no air to push through--it was like riding on a trainer. About a mile before the finish I passed my 30 second man, Nate B. from L 'ecole (who put in an impressive ride with no TT gear). Finished 14th, which later became 13th due to a disqualification.
Saturday Road Race
We didn't have long to rest before the road race, only about three hours. Sitting in my car resting I watched the weather deteriorate outside. By the time we were about to start, it started to hail. I rushed back to my car to get my jacket and hat. While we waited for the neutral rollout, guys were already suffering from the cold.
The road race was 48 miles and the wind was certainly going to play a factor, I just wasn't sure how. Once we started racing there were a couple surges but the pace stayed fairly slow. I think guys were tired from the morning effort and didn't want to go crazy in the first few miles a long race. At last someone grew impatient and attacked up the road. Everyone looked at him thinking "have a nice day" and within a couple minutes he was out of sight. I was looking for a chance to breakaway, and I thought now was a good opportunity. 5 miles into a 48 mile race? Why not? I attacked hard from about fourth wheel, looked back, and had the pack on my wheel. I sat up and let things settle. Surprisingly nobody wanted to be at the front so I started moving from left to right in the lane to see if the guys would stay on me. After a couple weaves I looked back and had a gap of about 25 feet. I turned around, put my head down and took off.
In a few miles I caught the early attacker, Joshua from Northern Rockies. We turned to the east and got a big help from the tailwind, building a 2-3min gap on the field. On the rises we could look back and see some other riders trying to bridge up. One was getting fairly close so we slowed to let him catch us. This turned out to be Steve from WSU, who is very strong and ended up winning the whole omnium. The three of us turned south into the head/crosswind and unfortunately we were in the open fields and there were no trees to protect us. We got a pretty good rotation going but had to use massive amounts of energy because of the wind. At one point I turned around and saw the demoralizing sight of the pack gaining ground. Eventually we were swallowed up just before the turn to the west.
Now the wind was coming from the left and everyone was trying to find shelter. I was tired from my early effort and worked to get in an echelon to recover. This was hard to do because everyone else was in the gutter thinking the same thing. The merciless wind was taking a toll on the peloton as one by one riders dropped off the back. One of those turned out to be Joshua from the breakaway. I was almost popped myself and had to dig deep to stay with the lead group. Not only was the wind pushing us all over the road, the hail would occasionally come down just to add to the sufferfest.
Eventually we made it back into the trees and the wind calmed down. The pack had dwindled to about thirty riders at this point. I could tell everyone was gassed as the pace became ridiculously slow. I recall looking at my computer and seeing 11mph! A great time to attack, if I hadn't of blown myself early in the race. But everyone was blown too so we all braced for a final climb referred to in the race flier as the "wall." Once to the climb I had recovered sufficiently and made it over without losing too much ground. I found out later a bunch of guys fell off the back on that climb.
The last turn was to the north, and we were in the trees and protected from the wind. Guys were pushing the pace and I was doing my best to hold on. I was running on empty because I had only brought enough food for a two hour race. But with the wind, the race took about 2:45 and I was a little bonked at the end. The constant accelerations further shrank the lead group to about a dozen. No one got away and we geared up for the sprint finish. I had one more bullet to use. Sitting about fifth wheel I moved right to open up my sprint...only to get blocked by three riders from the Masters C field slowly cruising into the finish (we had been passing these guys all afternoon). Swerving around these riders I tried to sprint again, but had nothing left. I finished 11th.
Sunday Road Race
The profile of this 25 mile race was flat, but the wind again would be a factor. The only event of note early in the race was when Phil from Lenovo flatted about five miles into the race, probably costing him a spot on the GC podium.
The last ten miles of the race headed south into a strong headwind. The pace was slow because everyone was tired from racing the day before. The road was narrow and it was hard to move up. A couple times I had to take some risks riding on the shoulder to get back to the front. At 1k to go, a couple riders went off the front. That would be short lived as no one could get away into the headwind. At 250m to go I was in a great position--on the centerline with riders to my right blocking the wind. Then suddenly a rider from behind jumps over the centerline, passes me, and moves back over the centerline into my front wheel. I don't know what the heck he was thinking, and I can't post what I was thinking. When his rear derailler went into my wheel I heard the horrible sound of a carbon wheel being chopped up. While regaining control of my bike I realized my front wheel was toast. I steered over to the left hand shoulder to inspect the damage. The wheel had a bunch of broken spokes, the true was off, and it wouldn't spin. So I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder and ran across the finish line in 39th place. I somehow managed to beat a dozen or so riders who must have been dropped from the group.
Incredibly frustrating to be a great position for the finishing sprint only to have my front wheel chopped up. Unfortunately I don't know who the rider was because it happened so fast. The officials tried to find him after the race but never did.
Time Trial
The weather report leading into this race looked terrible. High winds, cold temps (low 30s), and a good chance of snow. I came prepared for blizzard-like conditions in the time trial. With that mental preparation the conditions didn't seem too bad when I pulled into the staging area. The temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at 20mph, with gusts up to 35mph. I don't know what the wind chill was, but at least the sun was out. Remembering my college days at Gonzaga, this just seemed like a typical spring day in Spokane.
Needless to say the time trial was a challenge. The distance was longer than most TTs at 12.4 miles (out and back). The way out was into a major headwind and crosswind. It was a battle to keep the bike straight and keep some kind of rhythm going. I probably traveled 8 miles on that leg with all the weaving I did on the road. Looking at my computer was depressing, since I was only going about 16-18mph. After the turnaround the wind was a big help, and I was able to get the speed over 30mph. I actually started to get warm because there was no air to push through--it was like riding on a trainer. About a mile before the finish I passed my 30 second man, Nate B. from L 'ecole (who put in an impressive ride with no TT gear). Finished 14th, which later became 13th due to a disqualification.
Saturday Road Race
We didn't have long to rest before the road race, only about three hours. Sitting in my car resting I watched the weather deteriorate outside. By the time we were about to start, it started to hail. I rushed back to my car to get my jacket and hat. While we waited for the neutral rollout, guys were already suffering from the cold.
The road race was 48 miles and the wind was certainly going to play a factor, I just wasn't sure how. Once we started racing there were a couple surges but the pace stayed fairly slow. I think guys were tired from the morning effort and didn't want to go crazy in the first few miles a long race. At last someone grew impatient and attacked up the road. Everyone looked at him thinking "have a nice day" and within a couple minutes he was out of sight. I was looking for a chance to breakaway, and I thought now was a good opportunity. 5 miles into a 48 mile race? Why not? I attacked hard from about fourth wheel, looked back, and had the pack on my wheel. I sat up and let things settle. Surprisingly nobody wanted to be at the front so I started moving from left to right in the lane to see if the guys would stay on me. After a couple weaves I looked back and had a gap of about 25 feet. I turned around, put my head down and took off.
In a few miles I caught the early attacker, Joshua from Northern Rockies. We turned to the east and got a big help from the tailwind, building a 2-3min gap on the field. On the rises we could look back and see some other riders trying to bridge up. One was getting fairly close so we slowed to let him catch us. This turned out to be Steve from WSU, who is very strong and ended up winning the whole omnium. The three of us turned south into the head/crosswind and unfortunately we were in the open fields and there were no trees to protect us. We got a pretty good rotation going but had to use massive amounts of energy because of the wind. At one point I turned around and saw the demoralizing sight of the pack gaining ground. Eventually we were swallowed up just before the turn to the west.
Now the wind was coming from the left and everyone was trying to find shelter. I was tired from my early effort and worked to get in an echelon to recover. This was hard to do because everyone else was in the gutter thinking the same thing. The merciless wind was taking a toll on the peloton as one by one riders dropped off the back. One of those turned out to be Joshua from the breakaway. I was almost popped myself and had to dig deep to stay with the lead group. Not only was the wind pushing us all over the road, the hail would occasionally come down just to add to the sufferfest.
Eventually we made it back into the trees and the wind calmed down. The pack had dwindled to about thirty riders at this point. I could tell everyone was gassed as the pace became ridiculously slow. I recall looking at my computer and seeing 11mph! A great time to attack, if I hadn't of blown myself early in the race. But everyone was blown too so we all braced for a final climb referred to in the race flier as the "wall." Once to the climb I had recovered sufficiently and made it over without losing too much ground. I found out later a bunch of guys fell off the back on that climb.
The last turn was to the north, and we were in the trees and protected from the wind. Guys were pushing the pace and I was doing my best to hold on. I was running on empty because I had only brought enough food for a two hour race. But with the wind, the race took about 2:45 and I was a little bonked at the end. The constant accelerations further shrank the lead group to about a dozen. No one got away and we geared up for the sprint finish. I had one more bullet to use. Sitting about fifth wheel I moved right to open up my sprint...only to get blocked by three riders from the Masters C field slowly cruising into the finish (we had been passing these guys all afternoon). Swerving around these riders I tried to sprint again, but had nothing left. I finished 11th.
Sunday Road Race
The profile of this 25 mile race was flat, but the wind again would be a factor. The only event of note early in the race was when Phil from Lenovo flatted about five miles into the race, probably costing him a spot on the GC podium.
The last ten miles of the race headed south into a strong headwind. The pace was slow because everyone was tired from racing the day before. The road was narrow and it was hard to move up. A couple times I had to take some risks riding on the shoulder to get back to the front. At 1k to go, a couple riders went off the front. That would be short lived as no one could get away into the headwind. At 250m to go I was in a great position--on the centerline with riders to my right blocking the wind. Then suddenly a rider from behind jumps over the centerline, passes me, and moves back over the centerline into my front wheel. I don't know what the heck he was thinking, and I can't post what I was thinking. When his rear derailler went into my wheel I heard the horrible sound of a carbon wheel being chopped up. While regaining control of my bike I realized my front wheel was toast. I steered over to the left hand shoulder to inspect the damage. The wheel had a bunch of broken spokes, the true was off, and it wouldn't spin. So I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder and ran across the finish line in 39th place. I somehow managed to beat a dozen or so riders who must have been dropped from the group.
Incredibly frustrating to be a great position for the finishing sprint only to have my front wheel chopped up. Unfortunately I don't know who the rider was because it happened so fast. The officials tried to find him after the race but never did.
Monday, March 29, 2010
IVRR 2010
Here is a report from Cat 4 racer Jed Barden
IVRR Report
When I got to the course I barely recognized it because the sky was sunny and clear. This was quite a change from a year ago, when we had to cope with pouring rain and snow. This race marked my first full year as a road racer, as IVRR 2009 was my first road race. That first race was a short one for me. I was spit out the back on the first climb and struggled over the the ensuing flat section with help from teammates. After Mark T. dropped me on the second climb, it started to snow. The descent was harrowing, since I was blinded by the falling snow and was starting to freeze up as the snow accumulated on my shoulders and quads. Then my rear tire flatted on the descent. I had long since fallen behind out follow car and had no support. After about ten minutes the Cat 4 women's race rolled through, and their follow car picked me up. I must have been quite the sad sight on the side of the road.
In the year since I have learned a few things about road racing. Minor things such as training, eating, and wearing proper clothing. I looked at IVRR 2010 as somewhat of a redemption race - and as a progress check to see how far I've come over the last twelve months. My teammates in cat 4 were Shawn H., Brad H., and John W. This was John's first race as a cat 4. The start of our race was delayed for 15 minutes due to finish-line crashes in the morning races. Race organizer Eric encouraged us to race aggressively (i.e. not wait for a bunch sprint) so we could go home in our own car instead of an ambulance.
The race had an odd start. During the neutral roll out the lead car suddenly slammed on its brakes and did a U turn. This was rather confusing for our group as we watched the lead car drive back towards the parking lot. What happened I don't know but the lead car eventually came back to take us around the course. When we started racing, the pace up to the first climb was slow. The first time seeing the climb sends a shiver down your spine because you round a corner and then see the road go up, up into the trees and you cannot see the top. I managed to get in the front part of the pack over the climb, and just concerned myself with following wheels and not using too much energy. Unfortunately Shawn and John got caught up behind some slower riders on the climb and became separated from the front group. Then, in his efforts to catch back up after the first climb Shawn's brand new Specialized Roubaix tire flatted.
The pace on the flats after the first climb was pretty hot, and teammate Brad came up and took a monster pull that strung everyone out. We had a large group of about 30-35 at the second climb. This climb was a lot smaller than what I remembered. There wasn't really any opportunity to get separation. A very fast descent though, with speeds approaching 50mph. Back on the flats, Brad must have been feeling good because he bridged up to a couple riders who had a gap of 10-15 seconds. With the first climb of the second lap upcoming, I was looking forward to getting some separation and paring down what was still a big group of riders.
However, one cannot force a separation from mid-pack. To attack a climb, the first order of business is to be in a position where you can attack. At the base of the climb I was about 20th wheel, which boxed me in behind slower riders. It wasn't until halfway up the climb that I broke out, charged to the front, and opened up the gaps. But the climb isn't long enough, and with the fast descent, most of the guys who were gapped off caught back on. Near the crest of the climb, we passed the breakaway (Brad included) in TdF fashion, where the strong climbers pass the completely blown breakaway riders as if they are standing still.
I cursed my poor positioning and resigned myself to more pack riding. Our lead group of about 25 went over the second climb without any significant developments. The pace was not that high and a motivated rider could have attacked and gotten away. Too bad Brad used up his big attack on the first lap. At about 5k to go, guys were fighting for position mid-pack and a crash on the right side of the road took out 5-8 riders. Fortunately I was on the yellow line side and avoided that nasty pile up. When we passed 1k to go, I was surprised because my computer said we had only gone 38 miles (the race flyer said our race was 41 miles). Instead of being at the front where I should have been I was trapped in the back third of our now smaller pack. Things got really sketchy with guys swerving and I became more concerned with staying upright then sprinting for the line. I never did get a sprint out and finished 14th out of 17 in our group, and out of 50 riders who started the race.
Great race in the cat 5. We had three Cycle U riders in the top 10:
2nd - Tim(3) W.
5th - Chad S.
10th - Greg S.
IVRR Report
When I got to the course I barely recognized it because the sky was sunny and clear. This was quite a change from a year ago, when we had to cope with pouring rain and snow. This race marked my first full year as a road racer, as IVRR 2009 was my first road race. That first race was a short one for me. I was spit out the back on the first climb and struggled over the the ensuing flat section with help from teammates. After Mark T. dropped me on the second climb, it started to snow. The descent was harrowing, since I was blinded by the falling snow and was starting to freeze up as the snow accumulated on my shoulders and quads. Then my rear tire flatted on the descent. I had long since fallen behind out follow car and had no support. After about ten minutes the Cat 4 women's race rolled through, and their follow car picked me up. I must have been quite the sad sight on the side of the road.
In the year since I have learned a few things about road racing. Minor things such as training, eating, and wearing proper clothing. I looked at IVRR 2010 as somewhat of a redemption race - and as a progress check to see how far I've come over the last twelve months. My teammates in cat 4 were Shawn H., Brad H., and John W. This was John's first race as a cat 4. The start of our race was delayed for 15 minutes due to finish-line crashes in the morning races. Race organizer Eric encouraged us to race aggressively (i.e. not wait for a bunch sprint) so we could go home in our own car instead of an ambulance.
The race had an odd start. During the neutral roll out the lead car suddenly slammed on its brakes and did a U turn. This was rather confusing for our group as we watched the lead car drive back towards the parking lot. What happened I don't know but the lead car eventually came back to take us around the course. When we started racing, the pace up to the first climb was slow. The first time seeing the climb sends a shiver down your spine because you round a corner and then see the road go up, up into the trees and you cannot see the top. I managed to get in the front part of the pack over the climb, and just concerned myself with following wheels and not using too much energy. Unfortunately Shawn and John got caught up behind some slower riders on the climb and became separated from the front group. Then, in his efforts to catch back up after the first climb Shawn's brand new Specialized Roubaix tire flatted.
The pace on the flats after the first climb was pretty hot, and teammate Brad came up and took a monster pull that strung everyone out. We had a large group of about 30-35 at the second climb. This climb was a lot smaller than what I remembered. There wasn't really any opportunity to get separation. A very fast descent though, with speeds approaching 50mph. Back on the flats, Brad must have been feeling good because he bridged up to a couple riders who had a gap of 10-15 seconds. With the first climb of the second lap upcoming, I was looking forward to getting some separation and paring down what was still a big group of riders.
However, one cannot force a separation from mid-pack. To attack a climb, the first order of business is to be in a position where you can attack. At the base of the climb I was about 20th wheel, which boxed me in behind slower riders. It wasn't until halfway up the climb that I broke out, charged to the front, and opened up the gaps. But the climb isn't long enough, and with the fast descent, most of the guys who were gapped off caught back on. Near the crest of the climb, we passed the breakaway (Brad included) in TdF fashion, where the strong climbers pass the completely blown breakaway riders as if they are standing still.
I cursed my poor positioning and resigned myself to more pack riding. Our lead group of about 25 went over the second climb without any significant developments. The pace was not that high and a motivated rider could have attacked and gotten away. Too bad Brad used up his big attack on the first lap. At about 5k to go, guys were fighting for position mid-pack and a crash on the right side of the road took out 5-8 riders. Fortunately I was on the yellow line side and avoided that nasty pile up. When we passed 1k to go, I was surprised because my computer said we had only gone 38 miles (the race flyer said our race was 41 miles). Instead of being at the front where I should have been I was trapped in the back third of our now smaller pack. Things got really sketchy with guys swerving and I became more concerned with staying upright then sprinting for the line. I never did get a sprint out and finished 14th out of 17 in our group, and out of 50 riders who started the race.
Great race in the cat 5. We had three Cycle U riders in the top 10:
2nd - Tim(3) W.
5th - Chad S.
10th - Greg S.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Pacific Raceway's Cycling Season Opener
Several of the teammates were a bit disappointed in how we performed at the first two races of the season at Tour de Dung-eness as a team. We talked and talked about how we can do better, but you just never know how it will turn out until you are actually in the moment.
Last year we did pretty well at PR towards the end of the season. We consistently had a Cycle U team member on the podium for several races in a row. This is where I found that I could sprint. The "plan" for the evening was to have a few guys try and get off the front. That is virtually impossible when they run the flat course at PR but it does create a higher pace which is good. Tim2 and Shawn took several monster pulls at the front and got away a few times for a couple minutes before the pack gobbled them up. After that we as a team stayed together for the most part and just sat in the pack and stayed out of trouble. The last lap came around and I stuck to the back of John Wendle's wheel and the blue train started to form. Tim2 started out at the front pulling hard then Travis came around and took his turn going around turn 9 on the outside of the pack. The plan was to take the pack on the outside of Turn 9 as everyone always dives to the inside of that corner and we can carry a little bit more speed on the outside and move right up the front. Travis was still pulling when Shawn came out of nowhere and went straight to the front and took over for Travis. Shawn took huge pulls and to this point we had the front of the race controlled with nobody able to get by. I was still stuck to John's wheel. He had a SCCA/Starbucks guy and an unattached racer in between him and Shawn at the front. Shawn finished his pull and then the sprint started a little earlier than I expected. The unattached guy took off and then the SCCA/Starbucks guy took off. I stayed on John's wheel and he began his sprint to stay with them. I stayed in the saddle for about 15 seconds more then took off around John. I probably waited to long but they took off pretty early and I thought they would blow up before the line. As I came around John the unattached was on my left and Brian/SCCA was to the right. I went by the unattached and moved over to get in Brian's slipstream. Brian is a pretty big guy compared to me so I was just getting into his draft when he took a peek behind him and saw me coming and moved to the left to break the draft. That was it as we came across the line. I slapped him on the back and told him that was the winning move and I took 2nd. The team did great and the lead out from John was great with him getting 4th place. It’s like being a proud parent almost. Everyone on the team had a job to do and everyone accomplished it well. Shawn, Tim2 and Travis did alot of work at the front through out the race and then were still there at the end to put in a serious effort. I am a bit disappointed I missed Brian's wheel to stay in his draft but lesson learned and 2nd is ok for now.
Brad
Co-Captain Cat 4
Last year we did pretty well at PR towards the end of the season. We consistently had a Cycle U team member on the podium for several races in a row. This is where I found that I could sprint. The "plan" for the evening was to have a few guys try and get off the front. That is virtually impossible when they run the flat course at PR but it does create a higher pace which is good. Tim2 and Shawn took several monster pulls at the front and got away a few times for a couple minutes before the pack gobbled them up. After that we as a team stayed together for the most part and just sat in the pack and stayed out of trouble. The last lap came around and I stuck to the back of John Wendle's wheel and the blue train started to form. Tim2 started out at the front pulling hard then Travis came around and took his turn going around turn 9 on the outside of the pack. The plan was to take the pack on the outside of Turn 9 as everyone always dives to the inside of that corner and we can carry a little bit more speed on the outside and move right up the front. Travis was still pulling when Shawn came out of nowhere and went straight to the front and took over for Travis. Shawn took huge pulls and to this point we had the front of the race controlled with nobody able to get by. I was still stuck to John's wheel. He had a SCCA/Starbucks guy and an unattached racer in between him and Shawn at the front. Shawn finished his pull and then the sprint started a little earlier than I expected. The unattached guy took off and then the SCCA/Starbucks guy took off. I stayed on John's wheel and he began his sprint to stay with them. I stayed in the saddle for about 15 seconds more then took off around John. I probably waited to long but they took off pretty early and I thought they would blow up before the line. As I came around John the unattached was on my left and Brian/SCCA was to the right. I went by the unattached and moved over to get in Brian's slipstream. Brian is a pretty big guy compared to me so I was just getting into his draft when he took a peek behind him and saw me coming and moved to the left to break the draft. That was it as we came across the line. I slapped him on the back and told him that was the winning move and I took 2nd. The team did great and the lead out from John was great with him getting 4th place. It’s like being a proud parent almost. Everyone on the team had a job to do and everyone accomplished it well. Shawn, Tim2 and Travis did alot of work at the front through out the race and then were still there at the end to put in a serious effort. I am a bit disappointed I missed Brian's wheel to stay in his draft but lesson learned and 2nd is ok for now.
Brad
Co-Captain Cat 4
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Mason Lake Road Race # 2
Here is a report from -Greg Snyder-. Our Category 5 Captain.
I went out to Mason Lake for my first race of the season which turned out to be a good day. The Masters C/D race was starting at 9:40 so I had to get up at 5:30 to make it out the door by 6:15 to make the drive down to Mason Lake in time to register and get warmed up. Had a quick bowl of cereal and headed out the door
The drive down was good and the weather was cold but dry and clear.
I got down there just before 8 am and registered for the Masters race figuring it would be a little safer and maybe a bit smaller than the previous week. Got a 30 minute warm up on the trainer, had some water and 1/2 of my PBJ and it was time to race.
No teammates today as most of them had done Sequim on Saturday so it was just me in a group of 46 starters. There were a few First Rate Mortgage guys, a couple of Byrne and some team from Olympia who had about 5 guys and a few other scattered teams. The first lap was typical except that about 1/3 of the way in a FRM rider went off the front and a Wines rider soon went after him. The Wines guy came back to the group after a couple of miles saying he couldn't hang because the other guy was too strong. I used the first lap to try and see how easy it was to move through the group and preview the course since I hadn't done it yet. I was able to move up fairly easily and decided it would be best to sit in and see how things played out. I certainly didn't want to get my nose out in the wind too much without anyone working with me.
As we passed through for the first lap the FRM guy had 30 seconds on the pack which I figured would not last. During the second lap one of the stronger riders from Old Town tried to bridge up, but ended up coming back to the pack which was good. He is a strong rider who usually finishes well so I was trying to keep close to him especially as we got to the end.
I worked with a couple of guys on the 2nd and third laps on the front to chase down the breakaway rider and once I could see him and was confident we would get him decided to sit in and not waste anymore energy. I was feeling strong though and was feeling like it was going to be good result for me as long as I stayed up front.
As we got about 2/3 of the way through the last lap we caught the breakaway rider and I concentrated on staying in the front 5 to 10 riders. When we got to the 1k everything sped up as it usually does and tried to come up on the left side for better position and was sitting about 6th or 7th wheel at the 200 meter sign. Then everyone went and I was in the same position, but between two riders and couldn't get around, but just before the end those two riders separated and I was able to shoot through for 6th. I think if I had 50 more meters I might have been able to get into the top three as I wasn't spun out and was feeling strong.
So I am pleased with my result - it was my best so far, but I'm not satisfied.
Greg Snyder
I went out to Mason Lake for my first race of the season which turned out to be a good day. The Masters C/D race was starting at 9:40 so I had to get up at 5:30 to make it out the door by 6:15 to make the drive down to Mason Lake in time to register and get warmed up. Had a quick bowl of cereal and headed out the door
The drive down was good and the weather was cold but dry and clear.
I got down there just before 8 am and registered for the Masters race figuring it would be a little safer and maybe a bit smaller than the previous week. Got a 30 minute warm up on the trainer, had some water and 1/2 of my PBJ and it was time to race.
No teammates today as most of them had done Sequim on Saturday so it was just me in a group of 46 starters. There were a few First Rate Mortgage guys, a couple of Byrne and some team from Olympia who had about 5 guys and a few other scattered teams. The first lap was typical except that about 1/3 of the way in a FRM rider went off the front and a Wines rider soon went after him. The Wines guy came back to the group after a couple of miles saying he couldn't hang because the other guy was too strong. I used the first lap to try and see how easy it was to move through the group and preview the course since I hadn't done it yet. I was able to move up fairly easily and decided it would be best to sit in and see how things played out. I certainly didn't want to get my nose out in the wind too much without anyone working with me.
As we passed through for the first lap the FRM guy had 30 seconds on the pack which I figured would not last. During the second lap one of the stronger riders from Old Town tried to bridge up, but ended up coming back to the pack which was good. He is a strong rider who usually finishes well so I was trying to keep close to him especially as we got to the end.
I worked with a couple of guys on the 2nd and third laps on the front to chase down the breakaway rider and once I could see him and was confident we would get him decided to sit in and not waste anymore energy. I was feeling strong though and was feeling like it was going to be good result for me as long as I stayed up front.
As we got about 2/3 of the way through the last lap we caught the breakaway rider and I concentrated on staying in the front 5 to 10 riders. When we got to the 1k everything sped up as it usually does and tried to come up on the left side for better position and was sitting about 6th or 7th wheel at the 200 meter sign. Then everyone went and I was in the same position, but between two riders and couldn't get around, but just before the end those two riders separated and I was able to shoot through for 6th. I think if I had 50 more meters I might have been able to get into the top three as I wasn't spun out and was feeling strong.
So I am pleased with my result - it was my best so far, but I'm not satisfied.
Greg Snyder
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tour de Dung Race 1 Category 5
Here is a race report from the Category 5 "Even bib number" race from John Wendle.
Since there were 81 CAT5 men they decided to split the field vs. limit it to 50 riders like the flyer said. Probably a good idea given how many crashes we had at Mason last week with 85 racers. Unfortunately the even number CAT5’s had to wait until the odd number riders were completely finished and off course so we had about a 2 hour delay to our start which made for a long day—10 ½ hours door to door for a race just over an hour and a half! They also didn’t get this info out until most of us had completed our warmup and slammed some gels 5-10 mins before the start. I had some time to kill so Tina and I cheered on all the Cycle U riders in the CAT4 and odd number CAT5 race. The women’s CAT4 race was also split so Tina also had a delayed start time. Travis rolled in after the first lap unfortunately having tangled with another rider and going down. He didn’t look too beaten up and his spirits were pretty good all things considered.
The CAT5 even numbered riders finally got started around noon with 33 riders. I guess there are more odd numbered CAT5’s as they had 48 starters. I must say this small group made the race much more enjoyable than Mason last weekend. The pack was pretty well controlled and it was always easy to move up in the pack if you wanted to. The course also sets up much better than Mason with wide shoulders and fairly straight, flat sections so the accordion effect is minimal. We had one crash on the 2nd lap. Two riders came together in front of me and both went down. I just waited to see which way the bikes and bodies were going to go and gently steered around them. This created a little bit of a gap that I had to close down which was actually surprisingly difficult because of the wind. With such a small group that was a bit aggravated by having to wait the pace was pretty high and there were frequent accelerations. Not really all out attacks but sudden accelerations, maybe trying to force a selection but more likely people just being aggressive since it was only a 3 lap race vs the CAT4’s that did 4. Or maybe it was just because we’d been sitting around all day and just wanted to get finished and home to our families!
Since the group was small and it was easy to move up I spent most of the first 2 laps near the back to avoid the stress and risk of fighting for wheels to stay near the front. It nearly cost me on the 2nd lap as a small gap opened up a ways in front of me on the small climb on Woodcock road. The leading group accelerated hard at the top of the climb and beyond trying to force a selection and a few of us had to work really hard to get back on. I basically had to a do a finishing sprint to get back on and certainly burned at least one match doing it. L I would have been really disappointed to be dropped there though. While it can be less stressful to be at the back of a small group like that it’s probably not worth it due to the risk of getting dropped from an attack like that. Things were pretty calm leading into that so I thought the risk was low but it goes to show you never know when the front is going to attack and you need to be close to it. As usual things really started picking up on the last lap. I knew from last year that with only 1K from the turn onto Kitchen Dick road to the finish it gets a bit crowed and crazy before the 200M sign so I wanted to be at least in the first 10 riders before the turn. BikeSale had 5 strong riders that were forming a lead out train. I sat in on that but they were hanging back a bit just before the turn and I was afraid to be too far back so I moved past them into 3rd or 4th wheel just before the turn. Somehow I found myself 2nd wheel next to another guy, both of us fighting to get behind the leader who was pushing all the wind. I was getting a partial draft but not full. I didn’t want to move back at that point so close to the end so I made the best of it. 2 guys went flying by on the right just before the 200M sign and I decided to chase in fear that they’d check out and win. Unfortunately they both blew up at about 100M to go and I found myself leading. With 100M to go and no one to draft off of I had no choice but to just go as hard as I could. Then, somewhere between 50-100M to go, that patient 5 rider BikeSale lead out train timed it perfectly and came flying past with a couple other riders in there as well so I ended up 8th at the line just behind them. I’m not sure I would have faired any better had I hung out behind them into the final sprint but maybe next time I’ll try that. I’ve had races where the final 200M seems to go by in a blink of an eye but when you’re leading with 100M to go it takes forever!
All in all a good race, great weather and as always, some good learning as well. On the plus side this was my final race needed to upgrade to CAT4. I have submitted my upgrade request so hopefully next time I’ll be able ride with all the other CAT4 guys. I’ll have to recalibrate my expectations given the strength and depth of that field!
-John Wendle-
Since there were 81 CAT5 men they decided to split the field vs. limit it to 50 riders like the flyer said. Probably a good idea given how many crashes we had at Mason last week with 85 racers. Unfortunately the even number CAT5’s had to wait until the odd number riders were completely finished and off course so we had about a 2 hour delay to our start which made for a long day—10 ½ hours door to door for a race just over an hour and a half! They also didn’t get this info out until most of us had completed our warmup and slammed some gels 5-10 mins before the start. I had some time to kill so Tina and I cheered on all the Cycle U riders in the CAT4 and odd number CAT5 race. The women’s CAT4 race was also split so Tina also had a delayed start time. Travis rolled in after the first lap unfortunately having tangled with another rider and going down. He didn’t look too beaten up and his spirits were pretty good all things considered.
The CAT5 even numbered riders finally got started around noon with 33 riders. I guess there are more odd numbered CAT5’s as they had 48 starters. I must say this small group made the race much more enjoyable than Mason last weekend. The pack was pretty well controlled and it was always easy to move up in the pack if you wanted to. The course also sets up much better than Mason with wide shoulders and fairly straight, flat sections so the accordion effect is minimal. We had one crash on the 2nd lap. Two riders came together in front of me and both went down. I just waited to see which way the bikes and bodies were going to go and gently steered around them. This created a little bit of a gap that I had to close down which was actually surprisingly difficult because of the wind. With such a small group that was a bit aggravated by having to wait the pace was pretty high and there were frequent accelerations. Not really all out attacks but sudden accelerations, maybe trying to force a selection but more likely people just being aggressive since it was only a 3 lap race vs the CAT4’s that did 4. Or maybe it was just because we’d been sitting around all day and just wanted to get finished and home to our families!
Since the group was small and it was easy to move up I spent most of the first 2 laps near the back to avoid the stress and risk of fighting for wheels to stay near the front. It nearly cost me on the 2nd lap as a small gap opened up a ways in front of me on the small climb on Woodcock road. The leading group accelerated hard at the top of the climb and beyond trying to force a selection and a few of us had to work really hard to get back on. I basically had to a do a finishing sprint to get back on and certainly burned at least one match doing it. L I would have been really disappointed to be dropped there though. While it can be less stressful to be at the back of a small group like that it’s probably not worth it due to the risk of getting dropped from an attack like that. Things were pretty calm leading into that so I thought the risk was low but it goes to show you never know when the front is going to attack and you need to be close to it. As usual things really started picking up on the last lap. I knew from last year that with only 1K from the turn onto Kitchen Dick road to the finish it gets a bit crowed and crazy before the 200M sign so I wanted to be at least in the first 10 riders before the turn. BikeSale had 5 strong riders that were forming a lead out train. I sat in on that but they were hanging back a bit just before the turn and I was afraid to be too far back so I moved past them into 3rd or 4th wheel just before the turn. Somehow I found myself 2nd wheel next to another guy, both of us fighting to get behind the leader who was pushing all the wind. I was getting a partial draft but not full. I didn’t want to move back at that point so close to the end so I made the best of it. 2 guys went flying by on the right just before the 200M sign and I decided to chase in fear that they’d check out and win. Unfortunately they both blew up at about 100M to go and I found myself leading. With 100M to go and no one to draft off of I had no choice but to just go as hard as I could. Then, somewhere between 50-100M to go, that patient 5 rider BikeSale lead out train timed it perfectly and came flying past with a couple other riders in there as well so I ended up 8th at the line just behind them. I’m not sure I would have faired any better had I hung out behind them into the final sprint but maybe next time I’ll try that. I’ve had races where the final 200M seems to go by in a blink of an eye but when you’re leading with 100M to go it takes forever!
All in all a good race, great weather and as always, some good learning as well. On the plus side this was my final race needed to upgrade to CAT4. I have submitted my upgrade request so hopefully next time I’ll be able ride with all the other CAT4 guys. I’ll have to recalibrate my expectations given the strength and depth of that field!
-John Wendle-
Monday, March 8, 2010
Mason Lake, Men's Cat 4
Mason Lake Road Race, Men's Cat 4Mason is a 48 mi road race with some rollers but no major climbs. It occurs the day after a 10 mile time trial so my, and many others, legs show up a little stressed. It is known for wind and sketchy road conditions. Today it was dry. but the road was worse than I remember last year. The road shoulder is frequently crumbling away, there is some chip seal, gravel and sometimes moss.
Shawn, Jon and I signed up for 4's, we had quite a few people in 5's, Tina was in women's, and Joel in Men's 3's. I haven't been riding well in the TT's so was a little concerned about a first race in a 4 only field (last year raced quite a few 4/5 combined).
Dave, organizer, gave the same annual speech about not being the Mason World Championship but apparently no one listened because we rounded the first corner hauling some serious tail. The first lap was pretty brisk and felt much faster than the numbers below. Probably just a case of being the first event of the year and cornering at full on effort. I was about 20 riders back from the front and had issues moving up any closer than 15th. It wasn't a big disappointed because there was some wind to deal with and the yellow line rule kept it pretty packed (4 wide).
The course fits a rouleur ... the race cruxes are the two sharper corners that both had a slight climb coming out, if you got gapped it was going to require some serious effort to catch back on the group due to wind and whip action. I was happy coming out of the last corner in lap 3 because I knew I had two more efforts in my legs and also felt comfortable with my lines to stay off any brakes.
Lap 4 the pace slowed when we turned back into the wind. I am sure the guys at the front were wearing down and nobody wanted to spend the effort to help tow everyone to the line. 2nd half of the lap it picked up and with about 5K to go I hear ambulance sirens. We go neutral, ambulances go by and the marshal says to roll neutral until we pass the crash up the road. I think most were welcoming the break and I was thinking all hell is going to break loose once we pass the crash. As we approach the scene, I see Andrew from CycleU sitting on the roadside getting medical attention. It didn't look good but Brad was there to support him and I was sympathizing thinking of the times I have hit the pavement. I could see the frustration on his face and was just hoping he was okay. As planned, the hammer went down and everyone was back on the gas. Not 30 seconds later I heard that clatter and cursing that can only be a crash up front, several guys are down and all over the road, I go left and find a small gap but lost speed. We are about 1.5k out and its every man for himself to get to the line. I think the front riders got away clean but I thought I might make top 20. Ended up 26th but happy to make it home alive.
I believe Andrew has a pretty badly hurt hand, Randy also went down but suffered mostly kit and bike damage . Sounds like 5's was pretty ugly. Joel pulled a good result in 3's but was hoping for even better.
Looking forward to Sequim/Tour de Dung
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
2010 here comes the BLUE!
This year Cycle University Road Race Team is much stronger than it was last year. We have grown a bit but I think the core have also gotten much stronger with a year under everyone's belt. All the new guys that have joined the team are serious about racing and they all have strong qualities. Our stongest guy on the team Rolly took a job in the Bay area so that kinda hurts having him leave the team like that for a job? Na we are glad he has a job and I am sure he will be kicking some arse down there in San Fran and he will be joining us on the weekends when he is in town. I am a Co-Captain of the team along with Shawn Harrington and Greg Snyder. We have been able to structure the team a bit more this year and Cycle U has really been 100% behind all of our ideas and are really supporting us so its going to be a awesome season.
My training this year has been much more consistent with Ed Ewing as my coach and doing InCycle at the West Seattle Cycle U. I really believe that the last half of last year I was much more fit and competitive because I had a coach. The season is almost upon us with the Frostbike Time Trial on 2/28. Then we hit the Sequim, Tour de Dung Series and Mason Lake Series in March.
Yesterday was our first real team ride at race pace. The goal was to get warmed up after 15-20 miles and then hammer it the last 20 miles or so. Of course the rain came and we were all soaked and muddy but it was alot of fun. The burn in the legs was welcomed with open arms.
We will post as much as we can with the team's adventures in conquering the Cat 4 and Cat 5 local race scene.
Brad Haley
Co-Captain Cat 4
My training this year has been much more consistent with Ed Ewing as my coach and doing InCycle at the West Seattle Cycle U. I really believe that the last half of last year I was much more fit and competitive because I had a coach. The season is almost upon us with the Frostbike Time Trial on 2/28. Then we hit the Sequim, Tour de Dung Series and Mason Lake Series in March.
Yesterday was our first real team ride at race pace. The goal was to get warmed up after 15-20 miles and then hammer it the last 20 miles or so. Of course the rain came and we were all soaked and muddy but it was alot of fun. The burn in the legs was welcomed with open arms.
We will post as much as we can with the team's adventures in conquering the Cat 4 and Cat 5 local race scene.
Brad Haley
Co-Captain Cat 4
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