Tuesday Night 'Solo' Hammer Ride

Last night was arguably the fastest training ride that I've ever done. This came off 2 days of not touching the bike, and a night of me dreaming that I put the bike up for good and got back into running. Lately I have been feeling some boredom and staleness when it comes to cycling, thus the relevance to the dream. In all honesty though, I am eager to get back into running, but I'm dedicated to the bike for now. Following this summer, I do have intentions to get back to my competitive running routes, with a few goals in mind, including -- My second marathon, hoping to break 2hr 30min (5:43 pace/mile), which should be very doable. And the more lofty goal of hitting the 1/2 marathon Olympic trials qualifying standard within the next 4 years. That would require 13.1 miles under 1hr 5min (4:57 pace/mile...yea thats no joking around. Sounds downright painful).

So as for yesterday's bike ride, I almost put up a 3rd day in a row of no riding due to the rain, but I eventually got my lazy butt out the door around 6pm. The route was the standard Hammer-ride route of the Wednesday night Morgantown group. 42 miles total as I started and stopped my bike computer upon leaving and returning to my driveway. Worst part about starting a bike ride from my house (Stanley Street, off of West Run Rd.) is that I have to climb the Van Voorhis hill within 1/4 mile of leaving my house -- Not quite the ideal warm up. So out Patteson Drive, down to Star City, out RT 100, to RT 19, and out Big Shannon Rd. Turned around and came back RT 19 until I was back in Westover Morgantown (standard Wed hammer ride route). Then back up Beechurst Ave, to Patteson Drive, Up Riddle Ave, West Run Rd, and Home. There you have it, 42 miles of hammering.

Ride Stats:
42 miles
Avg Speed: 21.8mph
Total Ascent: 2,260 ft
Total time: 1hr 55min
Avg HR: 155bpm (very high for me)

I had set out for a moderate intensity ride with no intentions of pushing too hard. 15 miles into the ride my average speed was 20.4mph at an average HR of 140bpm. At this point I didn't feel like I was pushing hard at all, so I decided it was a good day to go ahead and hammer the legs. About 2/3 of the way through the ride I decided I was going to try to finish with an average speed of 22mph. The final 2 hills/climbs up Beechurst and Riddle Ave (Steepness!) dropped me below my goal pace, but it wasn't for lack of effort, as I had an average HR of 170bpm over the last 15 miles. I did stop for a total of about 1min midway through the ride to cram down a Honey Stinger waffle. I'm sure that extra full came in handy during the later parts of the ride. All in all it was a good ride even though the roads were wet and sloppy with a light mist of rain in the air.

Pre-ride lunch -- potato salad + salad with avocado and tomato

Post-ride legs of filth

Post-ride soaking tired legs in bath (somebody wanted to join)

As of this past weekend...Dr. Brad (I'm the awkward kid next to the pretty girl)

-Brad

9 Hours of Cranky Monkey vs. 100 laps at the oval

April 28th, I got the notion it was a good idea to race 3 races in one morning at the Bud Harris Memorial Oval. I fared well in the first 2 races placing 6th and 5th but got dropped like bad habit in the third event I had signed up for.  At one point as I sluggishly rolled through the start/finish line I heard JR announce that I was completing my 92nd lap of the day (and there were still 5 to go). I started pondering that statement for validity, and even though I was seeing blue and red dots and could taste the wretch in the back of my throat, I was able to calculate that his statement was in fact true. 35 in the masters, 30 in the C's and 31 with the B's(I got lapped 4 times).  All told, I finished the day with 96 laps completed and a new goal for this season (100 laps at the oval in a day).  I have never been so spent in my entire racing career.



Mens 105+ podium

The following week was the 9 hours of Cranky Monkey in Flintstone, MD.  Let it be known that I am a roadie who mountain bikes, unlike most of my friends who are mountain bikers and ride the roads when the trails are too hard to get to. But I signed up for the adventure anyways, with Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team powered by Pathfinder teammate Chris Jones and friend Travis Olson. I've always liked the idea of team endurance racing because of the challenges and comradery that go with it. Lets just say that I was not disappointed with either aspect when the weekend was over. We finished 2nd in the Mens 105+ team classification and we were joined by fellow teammate, Shawn Geiger and friends Mike Janeiro and Scott House on the podium who finished in 5th place.  JR and Stacie Truszkowski, who teamed up to race the Duo Coed team, also podiumed with a solid 2nd place finish.  Dynamic Physical Therapy and Pathfinder of WV were well represented in the awards ceremony.  After 4 laps of the 8 mile loop, I was thoroughly exhaused and ready for a few days of recovery. At one point, Gina Desmond asked me how I liked it and I smartly quipped back that I'd rather race 3 races at the oval anytime. But over the next few hours I thought about that and wasn't so sure.

Masters Podium

So when ABRA hosted their 2nd of 10 Saturday Morning Oval Races, I again signed up for 3 classes to 1) go for my new goal of 100 laps and 2) to really analyze whether the crit racing or the mountain biking was tougher on the body.  Fortunately, we were blessed with gorgeous weather to race (which can't be said of round 1 of the series). The Masters race was also as different as the weather for week 2. There were 12 racers and only 2 teams had more than 1 rider and both teams only had 2 at the most. The race was far less taxing than the previous edition but still entertaining.  As we made our way down the backstretch for the final time, Dan Schar made a brilliant move going into turn 3 and was able to power his way through turn 4 and held off the field  for his first win in a few years. Nice Job Dan! I finished in 6th, just inches out of 5th place, so it was basically the same result as two weeks prior.

The 4/5 race was up next on the docket. It was the largest field of the day with 21 riders and I was joined by JR who was just looking to work the legs since he wasn't going to get to ride the following day. After catching a bunch of grief about the condition of my bar tape from John Cotter, the second of my 3 scheduled races was under way. The race was somewhat boring as no one really wanted to try to make any moves. I was itching to spark things but I knew I still had another race to go against a tougher field of riders so I mostly stayed in. I challenged for the series points prime but lost to the eventual race winner and series points leader, but decided to try to keep the break going. We stayed away for a few laps but Duncan couldn't sustain any hard efforts so we were soon reeled in. As we sprinted to the finish line, I was in about 8th spot as I started my charge. I put 2 riders behind me and was closing in on JR who was in 5th place. I looked over my right shoulder and saw there was no threat from anyone else so I eased up and rolled across in 6th spot. I don't think I would have caught him either way, but I figured that I'd need all the energy I could muster when the 3/4 race started in a couple hours.  

The next race was supposed to be the womens races but since only one female showed up, JR decided to run a Miss and Out race. The idea is that the rider in last place each lap is eliminated until only 1 rider remains. At first I opted not to participate since I had already done 2 races and still had one to go. But as they were getting their directions at the starting line, I started thinking twice and was a last minute addition to the race. We started with 3 laps and started eliminating people on the 4th. My only goals was to avoid being one of the first 10 eliminated. But as the field was reduced each lap, that was harder and harder to accomplish. I was racing with some strong riders who hadn't participated in their first event yet and my legs were already 70 laps into it. I made it to 4th place but just couldn't hang with the final acceleration so I missed and was out, but added another 17 laps to my count for the day. I will also add that hands down, that was the funnest race I've ever done at the oval. I hope beyond all hopes that we get to do it again.

Doh!

So, having wasted my down time by racing the bonus race, I wasn't lookng forward to the final race. My legs were aching and my back was starting to get sore.  I knew I was beyond needing just a Honey Stinger Waffle to get me through the event, but since that was all I had, I put two of them away and washed them down with a little Coca-Cola. It may have been the best lunch I'd eaten in a week.  I know Honey Stinger is a sponsor and I am SUPPOSED to say good things about them, but the truth is I love them. Heck, even my dog loves them. He found my stash of cycling food and ate all 8 of the waffles that were left over.  He did leave me a few cliff bars, cliff shots, and sunkist fruit chews, but the little booger found the waffles to be very palatable to his taste.

Shawn Geiger was joining me for the 3/4 race but he was pretty much on his own. I had a little energy in the tank, but with some big motors like Kyle Kukeiza in the field, I was well aware that holding on for dear life was my best option. Fortunately, Kyle, Gray Patton, and Tom Senkevich pulled away early and their teammates did a great job of blocking for them. It was honestly the first time that I was happy that the tactic was deployed. I was able to hang with the main field ALOT longer than I had anticipated.  A couple of attacks were made, I even tried to bridge the gap at one point but failed and was brought back into the group. With the blocking by TOP, About Time Cycling, and DPS Penn, the trio was away for good. I was left to fight for 4th, if I could hang on long enough. Unfortunately with 3 to go, there was a hard acceleration that went and as the group responded I realized my legs were cooked. I did manage to hang on, but only barely and only because the field slowed up as it came back together. Coming out of turn 4 the last time, I tried to give it the "Old College Try" but the gap in front of me just grew. I finished in 15th place out of 20 and 8 spots behind my nemesis Shawn Geiger. But, I had completed all 100 laps that I had signed up for and an additional 17 for the Miss and Out Race, so I had successfully managed to acchieve another goal for the season.

And after reflecting on the PRO's an CON's of both the 9 Hours of Cranky Monkey and 100 laps at the oval, Cranky Monkey was the hands down winner. It left my entire body sore and aching: forearms, tricepts, back, legs, feet, and even my hands ached. Doing 117 laps, the main area of concern was my posterior and my legs. But Cranky Monkey is once a year and I still have 8 more opportunities to do 100 laps at the oval. My next goal is to get a podium spot in at least 2 races on any given day. Stay tuned to see how that goes.

Next up is a a mountain bike race at Wisp followed by the Mother Tucker of all one day races... Tour of Tucker County. Hope to see you out there.

Criteriums, Criteriums, Criteriums.

Ever since the Greene County Road Race took place in mid April the only racing around me has been criteriums.  Most of my friends and fellow teammates know that I really do not care for criterium racing.  I have also been fighting with a sinus infection since the Greene County Road Race.  That being said I am really looking forward to the hilly Tour of Tucker County Road Race and getting rid of this sinus infection once and for all.  Regarding the sinus infection I did consult with my doctor, the well known Dr. BearClaw, and he advised me to NOT rest, increase my training hours, continue to race the much disliked criteriums in the area and go on an organic diet.  So I have been following his advice and doing just that.  I have been living on Honey Stinger Waffles and Raw Revolution Chocolate & Cashew bars. Hey, it’s a SuperFoodBar so I am sure to get better soon right?  I have also been racing the local criteriums and my Swiftwick arm warmers are doing a great job at wiping the snot off of my face.  Oh yeah, they also keep my arms warm on these cool spring mornings.  I just wish my biceps were a little bigger to keep them in place.  This past weekend I got to race with my good friend and fellow teammate Ben Kuhlman at the RATL criterium in Munroe Falls, OH.  Ben did a great job at pushing the pace and keeping the race moving fast.  I, on the other hand, suffered for an hour to stay attached to the field.  I ended up mid-pack of the field sprint finish as there were no breakaways.  Although I did not do very well I am happy to report that my Kenda Kountach tires kept me upright.  That is always a good thing to report back.  I do recommend the tires highly.  Well, hopefully you are not asleep by now and thanks for reading.

Billy

When it rains...

Hello! I'm Anne and this is my first year racing with the team and my first year racing, ever. Well, I did two of the ABRA road races in Phillipi, WV and the time trial last year, but this is my first year on a team and my first year committed to completing a number of races. I just finished my Ph.D. in behavior analysis at WVU this Spring, and I started cycling two years ago when I started my dissertation. There are many similarities between grad school and cycling: the egos, the suffering, and the carbohydrate-laden diets. Riding was a healthy outlet (much better than hitting the bars for two-for-one pint night) and a distraction from the monotony of the laboratory. I started attending Derek’s races, and while I enjoyed helping JR as a course marshal and cheering for the racers, I kind of wanted to race myself. After much cajoling from JR and Derek (and Jerry), I decided to do a couple races. I’m so glad I did! I’m so happy to be a part of a team, and I enjoy socializing with my teammates before and after the races nearly as much as actually racing.

Guess where Derek and I went last Saturday?

We had a plan to go pre-ride Tour of Tucker County on Saturday, and we were determined to stick to that plan in spite of the spotty forecast. I’m never able to do the race myself because my yearly conference for grad school/work always falls on the same weekend. Regardless, I enjoy riding the course. Except for the final climb.

Cycling and attending races has brought me to places in West Virginia I had never seen before, despite being a life-long resident (originally from Wheeling – yes the northern panhandle, but technically WV). For example, I had never been to Tucker County prior to pre-riding the course with Derek and Jerry last year. And the area where the race is held is beautiful, particularly at the base of the climb. I feel like I’m in a North American FernGully (the rain was generously helping with this comparison).

On our way to Davis, WV, it sprinkled on and off. We hoped for the best and kept driving. When we got to Davis the sky was dark and it was raining. A lot. Derek suggested that I drive behind him in the car while he rode the course. Ha. After the Greene County Road Race a couple weeks prior, when it poured almost the entire time we were on the course, I was not afraid of a little rain.

The descent down the hill from the windmills is dicey in dry conditions, so Derek decided that we should park near the bottom. I was fine with this. Why? Because someone would have to drive the car back up the hill while the other person climbed the hill mountain at the end of the course. Guess who the driver was?

We put on our vests, our rain jackets, and shoe covers and headed out. 

After we crossed over the little bridge at the bottom of the climb, the rain had stopped. Hoping for the best, I took off my raincoat and my arm warmers. Unfortunately, after about 10 miles, the rain started again. And it didn’t stop. I put my raincoat back on.

Although it was raining, we only saw a handful of cars for many miles. There were many baby cows and I told them how much I loved them. We were cruising along ahead of what seemed like a pretty nasty little storm. We climbed the big climb near the end of the loop, and on the descent, Derek flatted. Uh oh.

Derek fixes his flat in the ditch.

The storm caught up to us at that point, and it started raining harder. Derek changed his tube, and we continued. Soon we were headed back up the climb. 

Derek was doing a power test, so he zoomed off and I slowed my pace to enjoy FernGully, West Virginia. 

Steel City Showdown Weekend

For whatever reason, it sounded like a good idea to sign up for Appalachian Bicycle Racing Associtation's Saturday Oval Series in 3 classes: Masters 40+ at 10AM, Cat 4/5 at 11AM and Cat 3/4 at 1PM.  I've done 2 races in a morning on numerous occassions during cross and even earlier this spring at the ABRA Training Race #2 and the Clarksburg Grand Prix.  After both road races, I fine afterwords. So, I thought, how bad can another 35 minutes of racing hurt. Well, I survived it but I can tell you that it hurt and it hurt alot.

Race #1

Thanks to Fred Jordan for showing up AGAIN and providing awesome visual reminders of the day. The photo to the left is from the 35 lap Masters 40+ race and pretty much summed up the race... everywhere I went, there was a Chamrahk rider on my rear wheel. Thats the benefit of having a team to work with. There were only 9 riders in the field but 5 of them were all wearing the same kits. Every move, every attack, and every counter attack seemingly involved one of their riders. 1 on 1 I like my chances against any of them. But when they can team up and and make you try to keep each and everyone of them in check, it just doesn't work out in my favor. As it was, I let the one person on their team who I wasn't afraid of get away and somehow he made his break stick.  He was joined by another unattached rider with a few laps to go stealing his win, but Chamrahk got 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th on the podium and I was left to finish 7th.  Truthfully, I still had a lot left in the tank, but I also knew that I would be racing the 4/5 race only moments later and didn't want to get dropped right away.



Shawn is over my left shoulder, Rick over my right



The 4/5 field was larger than the masters (15 riders) and there were a few riders who were also doing their second race of the morning. This time, I was joined for the 30 lap adventure by teammate Shawn Geiger and arch nemesis, Rick Plowman. Rick and I were teammates last year and are both on new teams this year but we still get along as well as ever.  The boy can't climb a lick but on flat ground, there aren't many who can hold his wheel when he says its time to go and he starts to accelerate.  When teammates are few in number for either of us, its an unspoken commitment that we will do what it takes to help the other out, at least until the last 400 meters or so.  Since I only had Shawn and Rick was solo, we tried working together to keep the field in check.  With about 15 laps to go, I drifted back to see how Shawn was feeling and got the OK from him. I told him I would try attacking to try to get the others to respond and take themselves out of their comfort zone. With 10 to go I launched and felt my heart rate rocket. I was caught in a couple laps but I was soon off the front again. This attack lasted even less time before I was caught but I regrouped and went again. And Again. And Again. Finally with 2 to go, just as I was being reeled in for the final time, the eventual winner launched his own attack and the field just let him go. I got close to Rick and Shawn and told them they'd better be there at the end and on the last half lap the field sprint commenced. I'm not sure who started it because I was still seeing blue and red and yellow dots but I grabbed a wheel moving in the right direction and tried to go. I hit turn 3 somewhere about 10th place, turn 4 in 7th, and dug deep into my suitcase of pain and managed to pull out a 5th place finish.  Shawn got a bit boxed in and ended up finishing

Podium shot with me trying to knock Rick off the podium the only way I know how.

Following the 4/5 race was the Womens race and then the 1 lap Kids Race. It was the perfect opportunity to eat a couple Honey Stinger Waffles, wash it down with my Camelbak Elixir, and find a spot in front of one of the heaters that Trek of Pittsburgh so graciously provided.  Let me tell you, after 2 hard efforts it was very difficult to get out of the lawn chair I had commadeered from Gina. But not wanting to to risk taking a DNF, I got up and got on the bike and did an abbreviated warm up. Then I found myself on the starting line for the 3rd time, this time for the 35 lap 3/4 field. Again, Shawn was in the field with me but I knew before we started that he was on his own. The tank was empty, the cupboards bare, or the well was dry. Whatever cliche you wanted to use, it was true. I was just along for the ride and was praying that I would survive.





Really? Head butting in a 3/4 field
because you felt "boxed in"? Really?

The whistle blew and we were off. The first few laps were basically uneventful and I was able to get nto a slight rhythm.  Just when I started thinking that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it got worse than I ever thought it would get. Kyle Kukeiza and two juniors from a team out east (and a team with less than stellar sportsmanship standards I will add) shot of off the front causing the whole pack to respond. Well, the whole pack minus 1. I started drifting further and further off the last wheel and although I was able to latch back on a time or two, that rubber band finally snapped and I was on my own. The 3 riders in the front had the torches lit and were hauling @$$.  12 laps into the race I was lapped for the first time. Then a lap later here came the field and I grabbed the last wheel and hung on for dear life. That last 2 laps and the rubber band snapped again.  I knew there would be no shame in dropping out but its just not in my psyche to do so. I don't want to quit or admit defeat ever, so I kept spinning smaller and smaller gears trying to get to the end. Again I got lapped by the leaders, then the field, then the leaders, and on the final lap the 2 leaders caught the field, and collectively lapped me again on the finishing stretch. I finished 4 laps down to the Kyle, who won, but given the fact I had just done 96 laps and 48 miles at the oval, I was passively ecstatic.

Still life photography by Fred Jordan

I was happy that the races were over, but to add  further punishment to me, I had previously signed up to race the Steel City Showdown the following day.  When I left the oval Saturday afternoon, I knew in my heart that it just wasn't going to happen. My legs felt like garbage, I was still suffering the effects of a chest cold, and I was thinking about how much the 60 mile drive in my truck was going to cost. I just couldn't bring myself to admit it but I was almost certain I was going to be enjoying some playoff hockey on the couch by the time the 3/4 race started in Pittsburgh on Sunday.  I got home, took a LONG hot bath, and ate dinner. I tried going to bed, but the heart rate was still jacked up and my legs and back wouldnt let me get comfortable enough to sleep, so I turned off the alarm I had previously slept and mad the decision to sleep in. Finally, around 11PM, I was able to finally call it a day and my body crashed into a deep sleep.

Sunday came and I felt like I was run over by a bus. I quietly debated the benefits of getting up and/or sleeping in, and I decided it would be best if I just rolled over and catch a few more winks... And thats when the dog heard me and wanted fed. Back and forth he paced with his nails scratching at the hard wood floors in the bedroom and I immediately knew sleeping in was out of the question. I got up and took 5-10 painful steps and wished I had half the energy of my 12 year old arthritic dog. We were a matched pair as he stumbled down the steps using the wall to support his failing hip, while I leaned on the wall and the banister as I waddle down the steps trying to support my aching legs. As long as Brady was eating, I figured I'd do the same so I made my traditional race day breakfast and chowed down.  The legs were starting to loosen up so, what the heck, I'd at least go pick up the tee-shirt I'd ordered when I registered and off to Pittsburgh I went. I met up with Shawn and Rick (and a bunch of the other Steel City Endurance riders) and we took a few laps of the course following the womens race. I'd forgotten just how much climbing we had to do over each of the bridges. Don't me wrong, they aren't hills by any stretch, but they were gonna hurt as riders accelerated out of the corners.



Turn 3... Thanks for the awesome photos Fred Jordan!
http://www.fredjordan.smugmug.com/



I lined up on the front row, not because I expected to finish there, but I thought that as I fell back through the field, I would stand a better chance of not getting lapped (and pulled) than someone who started on the tail end of an 90 rider deep slinky. We got our instructions and warnings and then we were off. So much for the first 2 turns being neutral... that less than ethical team from out east attacked from the start. Its not that any of us are doing this for the money, but thats just it, we aren't doing it for the money so why act like a bunch of jagoffs. One more reason for Philly to be annexed and given to New Jersey if you ask me. Then again, Newark and Trenton, NJ wouldn't want to be brought down by the likes of Philly.  The line stretched out long and thin and it was a constant battle to hold the wheel infront of me. I'd lose 3 spots, gain one back, lose 2 gain 1, lose another 3 gain 2, and thats how the first several laps went. Then when I was back in about 30th place, the slinky broke in front of me and I was stuck in the field. And we rode lap after lap after lap. Finally, about 8 laps in, they put up the laps to go... I literally almost cried when I say "32". I made a quick self evaluation and knew there was NO WAY IN HAITI I was surviving with this group for that long. 

Add caption

Apparently others were feeling the same way, as I was drifting off the front following my turn to pull, I glanced over my shoulder and what had once been a 60 rider pack was down to 15.  I knew the pace was fast because I had already seen a ton of fast riders standing on the sidelines having been pulled by the chief officials. I was disappointed for them and thought that I would soon be joining them. But our 15 man group worked well together. For the most part, people were really willing to work together. Jacob Yundt deserves a ton of credit as he always seemed to take a longer than normal turn on the front. I wish I could have helped him more, but my legs were screaming from my efforts on Saturday and I was lucky to stay with them on some of the bridge ramps. If I hadn't been able to catch the wheel each lap of a junior, Willem DeBoer, who got gapped a little each time but always battled back on, I think I would have been dropped and subsequently yanked from the race. But we rode hard and I painfully watch the lap cards tick down. With about 18 laps to go, I was done. I knew I could hang 4, maybe 5 laps, but the efforts were really starting to take their toll on me. I climbed the Clemente Bridge and and heard Mark Rauterkus holler to us that we were only 30 seconds back and 10 to go. I thought he was just trying to cheer us up but when we came down the ramp, the lap cards showed 6 to go. Did I just fall into a time warp? Was I so tired that I managed to fall asleep on the bike? Was I so delirious that I was seeing and hearing things my imagination really wanted to hear?  We went another lap and this time, the cards showed 5 to go. It was the first good news I had all day. Suddenly I went from feeling like a 4 to feeling like an 8. I looked over my shoulder and didn't see any other riders behind us, looked off to my right and could see the lead group just starting up the other bridge. We kept working as a group, some more than others, but I admit I was one who was probably doing less than my fair share (and there were a few others who were doing even less than I was). 5-4-3-2-1 went the lap cards.  As we rounded turn 2, all of a sudden, the person on the front didn't want to be there and our paceline quickly became 5 wide and 5 mph slower than we had been doing all day. I immediately became concerned about the last two turns and hitting them 4 abreast so I rolled to the front and lifted the pace again. I wasn't trying to make a decisive move, after all, we were probably battling for 20th place, but I didn't want to see anyone hit the deck because no one wanted to be the leadout man. I took them into turn 3, then hammered into turn 4, and gave it all I had up the Clemente Bridge ramp one last time. Riders started to come around me on both sides but I just kept churning and slowly took a couple spots back and finished 4th in our bunch sprint for 23rd overall. After 4 Crits, I was officially tapped out and was looking forward to getting home and hitting the couch.



Next up Cranky Monkey on 5/5/2012 with Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team powered by Pathfinder teammate, Chris Jones, and Travis Olson of Consol Energy. Cant wait.

April Showers

April showers

A thanks to Fred Jordan for all the great
pictures of all the Abra races

April was a interesting months for racing. After a 64^th out of 75 racers I was feeling a bit worried bout how the season would start out. Later that week the ACA Crit Series had started and I managed to win the 4/5 race and had a strong 3^rd place finish in the 3/ 4 race which blew some life back into my confidence. Though the weekend of the 15^th the Mountianeer Classic took place and I was struggling to stay latched on the back of the field of the 3/ 4 race I ended up place 24^th out of 30 but i wasn't to disheartened by this I held on till about 4 laps to go and managed to hold off and not to get lapped to stay on the lead lap.

The Greene County Road Race.

 I arrived early to help set up what I could, after awhile Jeff showed up and set up the team area. It was a chilly morning then the addition of rain only made it colder. The team was under the tents some on trainers warming up the rest of us standing around talking about how we were feeling and what our tactics for the day would be, we initially were planning on setting mike up again but we soon found out that he was doing the 3/ 4 race for the mileage since he didn't feel he'd be competitive in the 4/5 field.

our team area

 Now that mike was out we had changed our plans a bit but instead of focusing on mike it would be more on Jonathon, James, and myself since we are slightly stronger climbers on the short steep climbs in the area. With the race having 2 climbs within the last half we had thought we would have the best chance to make a move on the last couple of climbs and our teams power houses Jeff and Jerry would hammer it out and make attacks on the flats of the first half of the course. Now that we had a basic plan for the day we set out on how the weather was going to turn, and what should be worn. Now I opted to not warm up seeing as the first 4 miles of the race were going to be fairly neutral due to a sharp 170 or so turn with a drop in the pavement on the inside, and I had thought that would be enough of a warm up for me. As they called our field to line up I was wishing I had actually gone to warm up even just a little bit and checked out the finishing straight in case it came to a sprint finish. 

We line up and the whistle is blown and we're off and the first 4 miles are easy and neutral which allowed me to get a decent warm up. Now after the sharp turn it strung out and not long after I see Jeff and Jerry attack off the front and gets some distance, it wasn't enough the field chased them down not long after. Over the next few mile pretty uninteresting since it was raining I was sitting toward the middle to the back of the pack since I felt uneasy in group. I watched Jeff and Jerry attack a couple more time but with similar results. They attacked not to far from the first climb of the day, the peloton didn't react as quickly as before and slowly pulled them back on the climb, by this point I was sitting mid-pack and keeping up with them on the climb. They caught Jerry first and he started to fall through the pack and by the time I had reached Jerry the front of the group had just caught Jeff. 

Since the hill turned down hill immediately down after you reach the peak, I spoke up to Jerry to try to give him some motivation to try to stick to the back of the group. As it headed down hill I slipped to the back of the group eventually lost contact for a bit, my rear tire felt like it was low on air and thought I had a slow leak and just felt really uneasy, I eventually caught the back of the group, when I did I asked some one to take a look at the tire and tell me if it looked low since I couldn't get a good look at it. While I was doing that Jerry had caught back up to the group after getting dropped, he suggested moving up through the field since I was last in the pack now. I followed him up and slotted in behind him and Jeff towards the front of the field. I eventually got pushed towards the back again and there I saw Jeff go on a solo move and there was no reaction from the field. A few miles went by and Jeff managed to pull out of sight with the help of Jerry, James, and Jonathon on the front blocking, I was still in the back and couldn't move up to help block. But a few miles later the field were organizing a chase and brought him back into sight at the bottom of the second climb but he still had 20-30 seconds on the field. They finally caught him towards the final half mile of the climb then it leveled off slightly before there was a short kicker, were Jonathon made his attack and managed to pull away a from the field. As the hill started to turn downhill. I once again found myself at the back and dropped again through the couple of hair pins on this decent, through the turns Jeff caught back on and I tucked in behind him since I know he can get down the hills faster than I.

the profile of the final climb

 We caught the back of the group before it leveled out and we saw Jonathon still had just a little bit of distance on the rest of the group but the was quickly erased as it leveled out and we headed for the final climb. I knew this would be where the climbers would make there attacks so I worked my way towards the first few rides of the group as we hit the false flat right before the climb, I saw Jonathon just behind me as it start to gain in gradient. As the hill started to turn steeper David Cornett moved to the front and started to turn the screws and pull away from the field but me and Jonathon stuck to his wheel I eventually felt as I was going to pop so I eased up to wave Jonathon through but he couldn't the look on his face said it all he was right with me doing what he could to keep up, I grab David's wheel and went to put a little acceleration to go around and get some time on the field by the top of the climb but as I did any hard push while standing my wheel would slip. As the climb peaked I was second wheel and only a couple seconds behind David but as we were heading down the hill I kept looking over my shoulder seeing where the field was which wasn't far, and decided to hold off on catching him and just let the group catch me and then pull him back. Over the final few mile Jonathon and Jerry (I was surprised to see Jerry with the group still after that climb but happy to see that we had 4 of us in this group) made a jump from the back to try to get a break going I was on Jeff's wheel when he went to hope on their wheels as the went by, the field had the same idea and they couldn't get away. As the mile to go sign came and went I did what I do, I tucked in towards the front and did as little as I could to try to go for the sprint at the end.

 Now this is why I wanted to look at the finishing straight before the race started, I ended up getting boxed in and when I was able to move out I was in the wrong gear and was to close for the finishing line for my sprint to ramp up and just had to push what I had to hold on to the 5^th place, and Jeff sprinting for a well deserved 3rd place finish after being off the front for more than a third of the race. Over all this race was a lot of fun even though I was numb most of the race, it was awesome to see the team tactics are starting to iron out and that we are learning more as what we are able to do and what works.

this one here contains about 300-500 calories

Now for the baked goods, I had a bake sale I originally was asked to bake for so I decided I would just do a second batch of stuff and sell it at the race to help off set the cost of ingredients. So I ended up making whoopie pies(gobs) first attempt at these, they turned out good. I also did my chocolate truffle cookies since people really liked them at the Morgantown road race. I also had vegan oatmeal craisin with white chocolate, which were my favorite of the group and were my pre-race fuel, since Ive had to much chocolate recently.  Recently I've gotten in to making bento  lunches (a bento is a boxed lunch in simple terms, they look good and are usually healthy for you).  

Getting Bank Into the Spin of Things

After a good road season, a great mountain bike season, and a decent rookie cyclocross season racing for Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team in 2011, I ended that year with a lot of enthusiasm and high expectations for the upcoming 2012 race season.  However, I hadn't planned for taking 4-5 months off after the 'cross season to finish getting my house move-in ready, as well as general commitments associated with such a life change that take priority over cycling (surely I didn't admit to cycling not being a top-priority...oh well).

Now into my second season with the Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team powered by Pathfinder, I am anxious to return to the level that I was riding when 'cross season ended.   So, here is a recap of racing in April.

Morgantown Road Race

I didn't have high expectations for myself in the first race of the ABRA road series.  But, I was pretty excited to be a domestique for a stacked team of Cat 4/5 cyclists that includes Jeff, Jerry, Jonathan, James (alot of 'J' names), Mike and Shawn.   So, with our race strategy set, we began a roll-out start that left me wondering where the fire was.

Caught up in the middle of the field for the first 20 miles or so, I tried moving toward the front.  However, the speed at which we were rolling  and the width of the peleton (4-riders wide) made things a little too sketchy.   Not a problem, I have alway felt that I was better at climbing.  And, with 4 steep climbs ahead, I was looking forward to making a contribution to the team effort.

Was I ever wrong in my abilities for the hills.  Once we got to the first hill, I was big-ringing the false flat and feeling good.  But, when the grade began to go vertical I found myself watching riders zip past like I was sitting still.   I had no excuses....except for the 5 months off, being old, no leg strength, no lung efficiency, a 3 hour group mountain bike ride with Cannondale rider Jeremiah Bishop at Big Bear Lake the day before, and the 2 hour mountain bike ride at Coopers Rock State Park the day before that---like I said, no excuses.  Ok, I've been in this situation before...I'll recover and catch the group.  

I'll take a moment to thank Fred Jordan for capturing my worst moment on a bike, next to the mountain bike crash that dislocated my shoulder 6 years ago and the mountain bike crash that put me in an ER with a doctor holding my ear in his hand.   He apparently has a knack for capturing the 'agony of defeat'.  

Zoom in because this is what giving up looks like.

I never caught any group and rode the next 25 miles by myself using my average speed as my motivation to avoid slipping below 20mph average.  I didn't ride my best that day, but I got in a good training ride.  

Challenge at Mountwood

After a solid season of mountain bike racing in 2011, I was determined to have a better weekend of racing.  Knowing that my training, or lack thereof, had in no way prepared me to move from a sport distance to the expert distance, I upgraded anyway to avoid any 'sandbagger' accusations.   I'll admit that I like the sport distances.  Mid-distance mountain bike races allow me to ride faster, finish sooner, hit the post-race food table sooner, and still have legs to go home and mow the lawn if I wish.  But, I made the upgrade.  Besides, how hard could it be?

My goal at the start was to hit the singletrack near the front of the expert field to avoid the bottle-neck that always happens.  A little advice from a friend to avoid the post in the center of the gravel double-track should help.  But, apparently the guy next to me didn't get that memo as he swerved to avoid the post and locked handlebars taking me off of my pedals.  'A minor setback, I'm not out of this' I thought.    So onward I cranked on the big ring of my Cannondale Caffeine 29er.  I love the 29er setups.  You can grind a few hard pedal strokes over a roller then enjoy the momentum on the other side.  My big ring strategy became a necessity as I realized my chain wouldn't drop to the small ring when the trails got steeper.

Iplayoutside.com

If you've never ridden at Mountwood, you should.  The trails that day were fantastic.  Tight and twisty, dry, and steep.   I would imagine whoever built those trails tied a sparkler to a goat's tail and lit it.  I had no clue of my location and orientation to the park after the first 3 miles.

Expert-class distances were longer than I thought.  I was doing fairly well when until we past the sport-expert split in the trail and the course marshall informed me of the 7 more miles to go.  The air left the balloon at that moment and riding any further would feel like survival.  But, with 4 miles to go I past my brother and nephew who live near by and came up to give me just enough motivating cheers to finish a well-deserved 11 place of the Expert Vet class.   Not too bad for a first ever expert mountain bike race.  

Post-race with Kyle

Now, I looked forward to hanging out with Steve and Kyle after the race.  The imaginations and stories that my nephew can create would surely let me forget the pain of 23 miles of mountain biking.

Greene County Road Race

Race #2 of the ABRA series would be a little shorter in distance than the first.  Thus, I was hopeful to have a better performance.   I'm always the kind of cyclist that finds a product and becomes unwilling to try something new, whether it is a set of tires, degreaser, etc.  Maybe I'm not a risk taker, or maybe it's the fact that I'm driven by frugalness with my purchases.  Either way, I didn't have the time earlier in the week and I needed to get the bike cleaned up after some Preston County pothole dodging...er, road riding.  I decided to finally use the Prolink Carbon Bike Wash that was included in our team kits at our initial team meeting a month ago.   This stuff is great!  Dirt on the down tube, grease on the chainstays, and sport-drink spillage near the water bottle cages wiped off effortlessly after a few sprays on a towel.   I may never have to get the garden hose out again to wash a bike.   Just when I thought it couldn't get better, I found the Prolink Luber Pen in team kit bag....sweet.  Christmas on a rainy day in April.

Oh, back to the race.   So, the conditions were not the best for a road race on an unfamiliar-to-me course.   Steady rain and steady 50 degree temperatures were forecasted.  And, this time the meteorologists were correct.  None of the 20% stuff either.  It was full-on, 100% rain 10 minutes before the start and throughout the ride.  

However, the Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team powered by Pathfinder Cat 4/5 team had a plan again this race.  With one member, Mike V, upgrading to Cat 3/4, it was decided that Jeff and Jerry would provide a few attacks to break the field down and get someone onto the podium this week. 

After miles of riding through a valley and a couple of pre-planned attacks, Jeff burst away from the group for a 45 minute or so solo effort.   Out of sight from the main field of riders, I thought he would secure a spot at the top of the podium.  But the second and third climbs had allowed the group to close in on him...or so I was told.   Once again my lungs failed me on a steep climb, just to leave me with a solo time trial-like finish.

by Fred Jordan

The season is looking up, as Jeff and Shawn both stepped onto the podium with 3rd and 5th place finishes.  As a clinician at Dynamic Physical Therapy, it is good to stand back, listen, and watch the teamwork that our team's Cat 4/5 cyclists have portrayed so far this season.  It makes me look forward to next month's schedule of racing.

Next up...the 9 Hours of Cranky Monkey mountain bike race, and the Tour of Tucker County road race.