2010 pics

I found a picture of my favorite ride that i did last year. I remember the whole day, how i felt during and after, and just how i enjoyed being on the bike that day.
I also remember it was around 100 degrees. I went home and shaved my head. way too hot outside.

A couple days later i raced the Air Force Cycling Classic 1/2/3 on my birthday and got my best result to date. 6th (i've gotten better results but its also about the quality of the event as well.) And like the fan boy i am, i got a couple autographs.

I raced really well for a few weeks after that and then things started falling apart. (i rode that home with one leg and my roommate pushing me).

Before that picture i had a string of bad racing weekends. Its a shame that's all i can remember from the end of last season to dealing with my current situation. Hopefully things will progress and i can enjoy riding bikes again.

First World Problems

I was scrolling through past blog posts and saw pictures and race reports i wrote from last season, i saw pics of me winning, my old broken bike, and a strong hope to improve. I feel like a learned so much last season. I did a lot right, and i did even more not so good. Thankfully i learned a lot from doing both. But, i'm at risk for not being able to apply bike lessons this season.

I'm working on overcoming a knee issued called Plica Syndrome. It appeared back in early to mid NOV. Its hard to know what the direct cause of it was, or there even was a direct cause because at the time there were so many variables. I did weight lifting, changed my bike position a bunch, went from not riding a ton to riding a decent amount, never stretched, had a couple falls on the injured knee, never addressed a couple of long standing physiological issues, etc.

With that said, I'm slowly but surely recovering. I'm up over an hour and can avg north of 150w for that period of time. I 'm almost confident enough to try and join my teammates on their recovery rides. This has been a very difficult period for me due to my inability up till now to even pedal softly. But again, i've learned even more through all of this. I'm lighter and fitter, and hopefully when the knee pain is gone i'll come back strong.

we'll see...

Walkersville, Tysons, Chantilly, and Carl Dolan

Time to catch up...i sent my CAT 2 request in also.

Walkersville (1/2/3 70mile RR)-

(photo by Amy Jones)

I had planned on using this as a way to wake up the legs for the following day and get some good racing miles in the legs. It was also good training for the CAT 3 races i really wanted to win like Murad and Poolesville.

Lap 1 of 7 the top riders from the 5 biggest teams got off the front and when the big teams are content, the group slows. I chatted with a ton of people, discussing playoff hockey, mutual friends, other races, and introduced myself to other i hadn't previously met.

Every couple of laps there would be long surges where a few riders would try and go and the pace would pick up. But it wasn't until the last lap that a "chase group" formed to round out the top 10, making sprinting a silly effort.

i finished in the pack. 38th.


Tysons (3 and 1/2/3 20 miles and 30 miles Crit)-
The CAT 3 event went pretty smooth, except the breakaway attempts nearly every other lap. Just as one came back, another went, which is actually pretty smart tactics if you want to win in a breakaway. With 4 to go, a pair of strong riders were off the front, with a chase group in between, and i got a tad worried, so i caught the chase group and started to chase the leading pair, but noticed it was going to come back, as the pack was a bit motivated so i sat up. With 3 to go a preme got the pack moving. My teammates were 1-2 into the last corner and i was about 15-20 back on the outside. It was a long slight uphill finish and i started rolling up at about 80%, waiting till about 300m to go and i gunned it full throttle, gaining about 4 bike lengths on everyone.

(photo by Joe Mallis)

The 1/2/3 was rough, but mostly because i was tired from a long weekend. I tried to help in the begining, but i blew up quick, and went backwards like i was standing still. I stayed in and tried to work my way back up, but it was hard. Eventually the field had a HUGE split with some key players in the back half, but all of our finishers were in the front split. So i sat at the front of my group and regulated as much as possible, until i finally blew up trying to hold a Richmond Pro guy and Flexman from going up with a few others. They sat in the middle of the two groups and shortly after the whole thing came back together. The last corner i followed "super Dave" figuring he, like many other veteran riders, would be in a good position for the end. but he got caught off and my acceleration to his wheel , which was slowing dramatically, left me skidding sideways like a drifter in fast and furious. i caught it and ended up 23rd.

(photo by Jim Wilson)

Chantilly Crit (CAT 3 and 1/2/3 20mile and 30mile Crit)-
CAT 3 race was a bunch of laps on an open circle with 2 corners. nothing dramatic happened the whole race. The finishing line was about 300m from the final corner and i got pinched out on the corner and was a little too far back to come storming by everyone and i finished 2nd. i need less than 100m more. maybe 30m more...disappointing. But 2nd is still solid. I took over as the Gamjams CAT 3 Mountain Khakis Cup overall leader.

the 1/2/3 race was a very very hard race, that nearly left me crying. i was very tired. the wind was constantly blowing between 20-30mph. The finishing straight was brutal, as it was completely open and into the wind. the backside was filled with trees and therefore negating the tail wind. Anyway, the field kept spliting and then slowing coming back together. at one point the field was split into 3 large groups all single file. people were slowing letting gaps open up on the back, and to just survive you'd have to jump hard around them. the back sucked as always. finished around 40th.

Carl Dolan Memorial Race (CAT 3 and 1/2/3 25mile and 38mile Circuit)-
CAT 3 race was a big circle with not a whole lot happening. The finishing stretch is very decisive being its 600m and slight uphill. 10-15 back was the optimal spot on the last lap, which exactly where i was, but my speed from the slight downhill leading to the finishing straight, carried me faster through the top 10 and at 400m i had to go as hard as i could to keep anyone from catching my wheel, which i did, but someone or someones started to creep up in full sprint and i held them all off to win by 2 or 3 bike lengths.
1/2/3 was a bummer. did a bit of work for the team in the beginning but quickly blew up. Tried to help when i could. I lost count of laps and with 7 to go i told Flanagan that if it was more than 10 to go i was dropping (i was the last rider and he was just in front of me). He said he thought it was exactly 10 to go and that i should try and hold on. It was 7 to go, which was a relief and i did hold on, and actually was at the front moments later. But a group of 12-16 had gotten off the front without any Haymarket representation. unfortunate.
finished around 40th or 50th.

Jeff Cup and moving on.

Week up to Jeff Cup:
I had my biggest block of training leading up to Vint Hill which i doubled up at and then did my best the following day at the inaugural edition of The Battle of Bull Run Mountain, but it took about 40 miles to get the legs really working.

So the week leading up to the Jeff Cup naturally would be a rest week having just finished a huge load on the legs. I thought this would be great for my body and therefor get me across the line at Jeff Cup. But the two times (wednesday and saturday) that i tried to get my legs to move a little bit of intensity, they said a simple "no". This did not bode well for my goals at Jeff Cup:

Bronze-5 laps
Silver-6 laps
Gold-7 laps
Above and Beyond-top 20

Jeff Cup:
Everyone knows about the diabolical "neutral roll out". I also suffered a minor casualty during this time, because some a-hole in front of me can't point out a pot hole that he avoids a split second before i go straight into it. So 1 of 2 bottles were claimed by the asphalt or lack there of, and i was thirsty.

I had been struggling with blocks of wood for legs, when on the 2nd lap i noticed my wheel was wobbling and i heard the sound of a spoke not in it's proper place. I'd be lying if i didn't say the descents were freaking me out a little...not sure why. But, if i already wasn't freaked out enough, now my front wheel was wobbling. I got dropped and caught back on a couple times before i sat up and watched the field at Jeff Cup roll away for the 2nd year in a row. A little honk/wave from the type 1 van acknowledging my undying (now dead) effort to hang on and the shame started to sink in.

Gonzo, Rob (NCVC), and i rode a bit longer getting in some good miles. Then sat in the feed zone to watch the end.

2 things i did that were positive:
1.I took a bottle on the 2nd lap, a bit silly but i was chugging my first bottle and i wasn't going to get dropped because of water. I've never taken a hand up, so i felt proud. I promptly returned that bottle full to the same place that i had retrieved it from on the ensuing lap.
2.I provided assistance to John Cutler who was suffering from hypothermia. That was quite frightening, but everything turned out ok and he was fine after some real medical help.

Moving On:
So i felt like poo mentally and physically after the race. Yesterday was one of the worst days i've had in a very long time. Thankfully todays workout went just as it should and i have learned one more thing about my body and how it works in regards to workouts and recovery.

Tonight i'll be in section 406 watching the caps play...

Vint Hill CAT 3/4 and 1/2/3

CAT 3/4:
With the plan being straight forward and simple, Joe rides away for the win alone, there wasn't much i needed to do. I improved my poor staging after a few laps and then sat on wheels up front as they tried in vain to reel in Joe. It worked out perfectly, being that the group didn't want me on the nose and would physically push me off 2nd or 3rd wheel and slip into my spot. I obviously was more than happy to oblige because while Joe had virtually won the race already, i had my own plan.

I slipped backwards after being a little careless and by the time i worked my way back up to the front i noticed 4 or 5 guys a full quarter mile up the road. I couldn't believe it and i started to panic. A gamjams rider, Terry Anderson, drilled it and i jumped on making it almost the full way up and when he blew up, i jumped again, having a large gap on the field and nearly making it to this small contingent of riders of which i was expecting Joe to be present. I was coming to help and ensure victory, only to realize that Joe was not there and not only that, but we were lapping this group. I immediately sat up. I went back to the front and rode just to make sure no one got a jump and to stay out of trouble.

With one lap and a little extra to go Bryan Burns rolls by me and yells "just follow my wheel!", which i do for a couple hundred meters before the 3 others that heard him say that push me off and ride him to the front. I slip backwards about 10 people sitting around 15th-20th through the next two corners. I noticed there was no hard acceleration yet which was surprising. With a half mile to go Bryan Burns was first wheel looking back and everyone else looking around; there was a pause in the field. Without even thinking i launched myself out of the pack down the right side refusing to look back until i sat down. Just before i looked i thought to myself "what did i just do...i won't win a sprint now" and i looked back to see the pack was 4 or 5 wide, about 50 yards back, and one lonely rider making a bridge up, i was relieved. I started to turn and heard the chaser shout his position on the turn so we don't do anything foolish. He rolled right by me and i grab his wheel feeling a little better seeing it was my friend Bert from NCVC. From about 150meters out i let my sprint rip, came right around him, and sat up (a little too early) to celebrate the 1, 2 victory.


(the finish is about where the camera man is standing...yeah, i'd say premature celebration)
photo's courtesy of Adam Leopold

3/4 results:
Joe D.- 1st
Me-2nd
Bert(shout out)-3rd

CAT 1/2/3:
I had felt like i just warmed up at the end of the 3/4 race so i was excited about my first run around in a 1/2/3 race. It was a blast, the corners were so smooth. It was very different than the out-of-the-saddle corners that populate every other category except the master's. The accelerations were still there but not because of all the brake grabbing.

Nothing exciting happened for me except i was told by Chris Schmidt to make a jump at a group of 3 up the road trying to bridge. I told him no way, followed by him saying..."they're just right there?". So i did make an attempt, but unfortunately i didn't make it. Its nice having experienced guys like Schmidt and Hayes and so on, seems you can follow what they say to do and trust its more than likely the right thing to do.

Towards the end Steven Grant told me to help line up Chip for the finish, to which i also responded "yeah right..." but i tried anyway. I thought maybe if Chip wins the sprint he gets 10th which is solid, but he didn't win the sprint, and even if he did it would have been 16th. not a big deal i guess since we took 4 top 10's in the 1/2/3:

Ryan-2nd
Steven Gordon-3rd
Jared Nieters-5th
Joe D.-9th (who also won the 3/4 race, as seen above)

and 4 top 10's in the Master's:
Chip-1st
Chris Schmidt-5th
Lance Lacy-6th
Chris Hayes-7th

RIR Team Nature Sport Race

CAT 3/4:
This was a silly race. Not because i didn't fare well, but because it was a dangerous place to race bicycles. No one knows how to hold a line going around a bank apparently. So after attacking on the opening lap, staying away for a little and going back into the field, i got sketched out by people incessantly dive bombing from the top of the banks only to try and hide in the field on the straights...really dangerous stuff.

I stayed on the outside the last 7 laps as not to crash or be crashed i should say. Then on the last lap the 80+ riders that had been drafting the whole 40 some minutes decided it was time to go and started going nutcase. It reminded me of watching an old western movie where cows start to stampede without any concern for what may lay in front of them. i was sitting about 20th or something and people were sprinting to get around me like 19th was better than 23rd. Technically it may be, but its not worth stitches or even a little rug burn for that matter.

Point of Humor-Having decided not to tangle with that mess i sat up and pedaled slowly across now nearly 30th. I glance behind me to see even more people gritting teeth trying with all their might to get a few more places...one person in particular...I wish i had a picture.

New Blog, New Season, and 1 Computrainer TT

I switched my email, thereby switching my blog account too.

A new cycling season and its my 2nd attempt at racing. Feb marks 1 year of serious riding. I still have no idea what i'm doing and after trying a bunch of different things, i'm still lost. I'm under the supervision of a friend now who has years of riding experience at all levels and is a similar rider to myself. I should start to see results in a month or so. or at least i hope so.

I went into the "TT" a bit overly optimistic. Promptly got beat by nearly everyone in my group. Shortly after i left the building with my tail between my legs. This weekend i'll get to see if i still have a decent finishing kick though, that where all my eggs are anyway. But the upside is my team owned the Wolfpack race. putting 3 in the top 10 including the Vee!