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...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
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
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
Monday, March 22, 2010
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.
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.
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