I live, I live through the Belgian's - Therefore I Blog Again

I live, I live through the Belgian's

Masters Regional Cyclocross Championship Start

Top 5 into the 2nd turn

Yes, I have been completely absent from blogiscyclesphere. The reasons are many, the largest, my employment situation - I am positive it will change soon.

Hence the lack of cycling related enthusiasm. Basically, I struggled to find motivation to finish the 2011 cyclocross season or even show up to the races I had pre-registered.
I hoped to maybe attend nationals, and see how things went or felt and then head down to Kentucky for Masters Worlds in mid January. As the air was slowly removed from my enthusiasm tank, I dug deep to stay on the cx bike, creep through and physically finish training and two cross races in December.

The first one in early December was Dec 3  Midwest Junior and Masters Regional Cyclocross Championships, Mason, OH - Kings CX near Cincy. There were miserable conditions, I had an amazing start, but as my Ridley carbon cross bike became slaughtered (weighted) with mud, I made a bike change to my Epic Carbon mountain bike (22lb 26") so my super amazing new team mate Graydon could clean my cross bike (I don't have two cx bikes). It was a great pass, and kept me moving forward, but the heavy mtb, wider tires, and life sucking mud got the best of me over 45 minutes. I finished in 5th Place - not bad considering. My other good buddy James T and I ran each other into the ground, back and forth throughout the race. I dug deep and caught up to him in the last two laps, and found something to pass him somewhere. Stats: I was almost 2 minutes behind my buddy Bill Marut, and nearly 7 min behind Cleveland fast man, Nate Loman. I have lots of respect for these guys and got to know them over the season. However, I am sure the mental stress of the job situation contributed to my lack of being fully "in" this event. Cycling and racing bicycles is a mental game.

James & I run the muck

 

My friend James Turner-we battled hard all season

Finish Line - agony of defeat - bike weighs 35lbs

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Up Next on the survival chopping block was the last Cap City Cross race at Smith Farms. In contributing back to the sport, I volunteered to help set up the course the day prior and have some influence into dishing out some pain for race day. It worked, I was able to convince Mason, Spencer and Andy to let me bring back the "Death Spiral" as it was named on the day. I hadn't ridden much or had much sleep and was stressed all week. I guess sometimes not worrying about your race can do you justice. I had amazing legs, amazing fitness and stood on the podium for a 1st place finish - My first for 2011. I was super proud of this finish and it was a big boost to my overall morale that was really in the gutter.

Thanks to my team, my CapCityCross friends, my OVCX friends, my CBUS practice peeps, my coach, my good friends and my BWE for supporting me this season. All of you helped put me on the podium and keep me motivated in 2011.

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 And Finally - My tribute and hats off to the Americans (Powers, Trebon and Drew Dillman(Jr. From Kentucky) racing at CX Worlds. The sandy beach sections got the best of the US riders it seems.

How do you slow down all cyclocross racers except for Belgian's? Dump 500 tons of sand on a course.

Drew placed in the top 10 (on his way to pro status) and Trebon finished 18th or so (1:06). I think Jpowers ended up 38th?

Let me not forget our American ladies. They had an amazing effort, and put us on the map. We do need more women racing cross locally and regionally. So, get your friends out there ladies. Develop those roadies into cross racers, get them off the pavement in August and show them what cx is all about.

Cap City Cross - Big Run Park - October 16, 2011

The one thing each week about cross racing, is you just never know when someone is going to have a better day than you are having. Some days, you get served...

Cyclocross Race #5 for the year

This day, I was not having an amazing day on the bike. I knew I would suffer, but suffering and having the engine are two separate things. I put in a fairly tough week of training in the days-week preceding. I knew my legs wouldn't respond with everything I needed, but I didn't know just how.

I got a good pre-ride in, but was arrived at the race way early and I think spent too much time riding around and not enough eating. No matter, the Senior Citizens club of Masters line up at the bottom of the hill, along side CAT 1 road racer, Jim B. It is an open masters race right, yea it is. Whistle. We are off, as I smartly settle in behind the leaders pulling my fat ass up that soap box hill. Over the top we go, my team mate Glen and I battle for position in the first few turns, I take a different line down into the ditch than most everyone else, it provided a smoother straight line into the next hard right turn. We head into the hillside and the barrier at the bottom of the hill, then back down towards the bottom of the Box derby hill, but over a giant dirt climb.

It was rough on the other side, and required quite a bit of focus and attention to avoid the ditch and raised sections of hard dirt and rocks. Scott Young was having a good day, and was not going ot be reeled in, however, Glen and Blair and I were riding around like we were chained together. I had a few moments where I was suffering and Glen, slowed up the pace, there wasn't anyone gaining on us, so it was going to come down to the last few turns and the run up the hill, or the grass section at the bottom....

We all stuck to each other like a kids magnetic toy train, until we rolled off the grass and onto the pavement at the bottom of the Soap Box Hill, near where we started the race (see start pic above for perspective on the sprint distance) Blair put in a dig, Glen countered, I sat on, waiting for the moment. Blair was up front, I was on Blair's wheel, I knew I couldn't out sprint Blair or let him get the jump, I had to go, I think my shift click was a trigger for him, however, I jumped flew hard left and gave it full-throttle. Blair had his gas wide open, so I swung back to his wheel and tried to suck any wind I could, I pushed and pushed, but still missed beating Blair by about a bike length.

That is the first time he's beat me this year. Glen rolled in right behind me...he didn't even bother getting up to sprint.

The BWE (wife Jen) always takes amazing photos....

I pulled a decent 6th place in, just missing 5th.


that was one long uphill sprint. I hit a high Heart Rate number for the year. Ouch.
Lots of coughing after this race.

oh, Masters CAT 1 road racer guy, finished over 2 minutes ahead of us...he was rollin.

Catch up - Gun Club (OVCX) October 9, 2011

 Pics First - write up at the bottom.

The days before the race, lots of chatter about the photo to the left. Team Hungry Cycling team (race sponsor) and Promoter Gatch pulled a fast one on the interwebs, putting stakes and tape up this crazy steep hill. It was all fake and we never had to run/ride up the thing. Hilarious non the less.

The Start line of 64 dudes crammed in there

Duane and I battle it out

I finally get to pass James Turner - he's fast...smell food

Tall barriers for this guy's short legs

my look-back finish

Metz, is killing it this year. Just got the upgrade too.

Team Mate Doug C riding super strong

 

 

After review of data from our race chips, I raced faster at the beginning, then steady, then fastest on the last lap, this is good. Especially from where I started among the 64 dudes. My split-time was the same as the winner of this race, so my turbo is there, I just faded in the first few laps, compared to their jet engines or wasn’t going hard enough. Good grief, what a bunch of weekends. I was getting pretty tired there for a few days.

 

 Split     Place   Lap1    Place  Lap2   Place  Lap3   Place Lap4   Total Time 

 0:59     26     8:53        21  8:47 21      8:54 19    8:44 36:18  

 

I fought off getting shot at the Gun Club for an 8th place in a huge group of over  60 dudes over 35 years old and up. I think a third row placement and got a decent start into the first turn ahead of the giant pile-up. Later looking at the photos, the person that caused it ended up at the bottom. I was fully gassed by the time we came around and into the double sandpit. This is slightly downhill, so getting in the drops right out of the double track sandy turn is key and not grabbing someone’s wheel, since you have no idea if they can ride a good line or not and might lead you into the tape or a stake. 

I really have enjoyed racing at the Gun Club for years, however, I am not a huge fan of adding mountain bike type obstacles into a cross course. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great wind-y, twisty, tree filled, go round and round, get you dizzy course that requires lots of power out of each corner, with some long grass or short pave’/gravel between, but running a cross race into a creek is not really my idea of cross. It's just my opinion really. Without this section I think there has always been plenty at this venue to keep us all busy and drooling.

Good guy and cool dudes, Duane Walker and Jeff Schoeny beat me at Gun Club. Duane had a great race and certainly had a solid performance. Jeff is just fast, he’s got a great run and  is like a steam ship, steady as she goes. I tried like hell to keep up and stick to Matt Stierwalt’s “Rogue” wheel. My superglue was out of date and didn’t work, his mountain bike skills and fitness were a few notch's above mine for sure.

Soapbox:  I don’t like driving to Cincy, paying 25/30 dollars to race a CAT 3 race and only getting to race for 36 minutes. Really? I am not sure why we’re getting robbed here out of the full 45 minutes. I am paying the same amount of money the Elite Masters are paying, the same amount all others are paying, but not seeing the full race time. #weaksauce. Yeah yeah - you can say, well, just move up to Elite’s then and kwityourbitchen. I say naaa, make it Like a boss, we all race 45 minutes. Cleveland and Cap City all give the CAT 3’s and up their full fair shake at 45 min and a full hour of racing. Just sayin’ Ok I am finished with that.

Another thought, I’d say with the growing fields of this series, ovcx has outgrown this super cool venue. The course can only be set up to be so wide and with masters fields this big and CAT 3 open fields growing - it might be time for a new gun club course for 2012?

Spencer (Jeni's) in the double sandpit

 

OVCX - John Bryan SP - Cyclocross Race - October 2, 2011

Lining up with 60 plus guys is always better than lining up with 120. However the challenges remain, lots of pedals, shifters, elbows, gritting of teeth, tongues hanging out, grunts, shifting noises and swear words. However, the difference is the 35 and 45 plus categories have a tendency to be very competitive. Many entrants, who train hard, who set goals each season to improve their fitness, watts, overall speed on a given course and improve their results to a new place among the masses each week, each season. Sounds easy right?

Well, it’s not that easy if everyone you are racing against has been putting in more hours, more time, more training, maybe some of them have a coach? Maybe some of them are a few years younger? Maybe some of them have a job, where they can get out in the Fall as the days shorten earlier than you? Maybe they lost their job and have been able to go out and spend lots of time on the bike? Maybe they just might have the gift, a better watt output at a given 20 minute effort? Maybe they have a higher VO2 max and can sustain 45 minutes at a breakneck speed longer than you? Some people you race with each week, talk post race each week with ‘excuses’. I discount these, we all have them. I believe it’s more so about all the above questions and differences between us as bike riders and athletes.

With that, I got registered, grabbed my free awesome giant cowbell provided by the main race sponsor, got my helmet set up for the race chip system, that would track our lap times as well as our finish time and filled out my free raffle ticket for the Reynolds Carbon wheelset.

I headed back to the car to pin up my number, usually the BWE takes care of this as part of my good luck process, however, she was on a social and cowbell marketing mission. Crap I forgot pins. Ahh found some spares in the hatch of the car.

Number pin’d, it’s time for some pre-race drink and some warm up on the bike. The last race was finished so I sneak out onto the course looking for places I can excel, places that suit my skills, areas and corners I can handle faster than others.

The course is long, I mean long, did I say long? I like a long course, but I also like to travel to cross races for the full 45 minutes of racing. I don’t like being short changed by 5 minutes either. Am I bitching? Maybe, but I traveled to your race, paid your entry fee and I want my 45 minutes, not 40, not 42, Forty Fucking Five Minutes. Odd about 10% of the Elite field got to race an hour, then the other 90% got to race an hour and 5 min. plus. Let us all race for 30, 45 and an hour please.

The course is awesome, as usual, TJ and the crew at JB always throw some great stuff out there and did so this round. Karen and Doug Hamilton volunteer a ton of time at this park, building and maintaining the mountain bike trails, they also regularly keeps us informed about the condition of the trails at the park via Facebook. I say thanks to those that put this together and for CapCity to help sponsor this fine event.

Usually this JB race is in November around Thanksgiving and the ground is cold as well as the temperature. This day however, the temperature during my race would hover around 60 some degrees and sunny. The fortunate part for most of us racing later in the day is the sun and other racers were drying out the course with each race. It rained most of the week of the race, which proved to soften a few sections of the course, including the section from the start. It was a false flat as some say, but basically it’s a 3 to 5% hill with some super bumpy grass and some life sucking soggy, saturated ground. Lots of guys in my race were really going backwards on this section, my plan during my race was shift down a few gears, stand up, tell the legs to shut up and throttle myself all the way up each time. Once we got up to the ‘top’, we rounded a new wildflower field that was quite awesome and smelled great each lap, then back down a bit into some twisty’s, over two tree/logs, and then back up that same false flat hill just on the other side of the flower field. The logs were not really a factor I don’t think in the race per say of separating the field one way or another in my race at least. They were just big enough that they could be crossed without stepping off the bike, if you had some skills and were willing to take the risk, however, I choose the conservative method and got off my bike. There was one other set of barriers, a double set, over by the popular twisty bits near the park Gazebo. This area is always a fun set of turns and slickery grass, where you must find the balance of speed, pedaling, driving your bike, leaning while pedaling, upper body position and the like. It’s always one of my favorite areas of the cross races at JB.

We get our call ups according to who’s leading the OVCX series, not one f’ing mention of CapCity, and then line up according to registration. I am about 3rd or 4th row, and snag a spot right behind my buddy Matt Stierwalt. He’s a badass, I figure if I can stick on his wheel for a majority of the race or at least keep him in sight, I will have a good day. We’re off, I am sitting in about top 15 maybe into the first turn and surprised where I am as we round the flower field. Guys are racing like it’s the world championship and cutting others off, running into course stakes, course tape, etc. 

My heart rate was up there, but I was able to recover as sections of the course got stacked up in certain areas with racers and as the pecking order was formed. I knew we’d only be racing a few laps and each one had to count. I went after my goal of shifting down two gears, standing up and throttling it up the false hill each lap, passing racers and putting distance on those behind me. Scott Young a few other guys I knew were going to be giving me a run for my money. Scott was easy to spot, Stierwalt was gone, James Turner was still in my sights but gaining time on me here and there in front of me. The toughest thing to do I’ve found during these races is keep your brain going, keep thinking, keep focusing on who is in ‘your race’ who you need to go after and when to put in an effort to distance those behind you…The guy in the specialized kit, Michael Seaman and Scott Bond came around me near the double barriers I think and just kept distancing themselves from my front wheel. Uggg. I pushed hard to stick with them on the third lap, and by the time I got to the Gazebo, I almost threw up. 

I guess I had done some damage, since looking at the timing, my fourth lap was my slowest at 9:27. I recovered for my final and fifth lap for a 9:21.

Sad to know, I faded a bit in the last two laps, from my best lap of 9:15 which was Lap2’s time and my Lap3 time being within .01 second of Lap2 at 9:16. If I had ridden more consistently with a bunch of 9:15 laps, I might have won my race or at least been podium material, so lets hope my fitness improves as it should each week of racing.

With my calve issues at hand I was pretty worried about running full speed over the logs or over the barriers. As I got to lap 4, the legs/calve seemed to be responding to faster and faster dismounts back by the gazebo. This was a confidence booster, so, with the bell lap, I put the afterburners on and fought hard to keep some distance between myself and Scott Young and the other guy with him, who I had no clue if he was in my race or not, however, that’s not a bad thing when you don’t know, it pushes you, forces you to go hard and maintain a hard pace. One last time up the false flat, the legs felt good, so I gave it one last super hard effort to try to maintain my gap. I think I got passed around the sand pit and right before the finish line, I just have no idea if he was a 35 or 45 guy. I didn’t bother sprinting for it, he had already done the damage, I looked back to make sure no one was there and rode across the computer finish line for 7th place in the 45+.

I finished 17th out of 64 total racers.

For my third-race of the season and a week-break since my second race, I think it’s a sign things (fitness and power) are on track to have some fun this season.

So, lets just chat a bit about the timing and what the lap results show via OVCX. The Top 10-15 of the CAT 4 race all need to move up. The Top-10 of the CAT 3 Open races also need to move up. The winner of the CAT 3/35+ has lap times early in his race, to compete in the Elite race for sure, however, his last two laps he was going backwards.

For the Record I am NOT...& Some Q & A

FYI,
This is for public record and for the 4 people that read my blog, And for the others who seem to think it's me. Even tonight at CX practice another person, commented directly to me, they thought all along it is me. Well, its NOT.

Lastly - I figured before the regional-tri state cyclocross season officially gets underway I thought i would clear the air -  For the official record, I swear on a stack of pancakes, belgium waffles(and I love me some waffles), your life, your moms life, my life, I am NOT running a blog about sandbaggers in ohio. 


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Maybe these questions will help you understand how my melon works.

1. Am I an outspoken person? 

Yes.

1. Do I always have an opinion? 

Most times. 

Like my friend Denny used to say, Everyone has opinions, just like everyone has an asshole."

1. Do I have issues with sandbaggers in all non-pro cycling? 

Yes.

1. Do I get cranky-moody in the middle of CX season? 

Yes. sometimes. Ohio weather can suck the life out of you.

1. Have I verbally vented about CX, MTB and Road/Crit Sandbaggers in a past season to friends?

Yes. I see the same racers each summer in the top 5 of many of the same series races.

1. Do I take myself seriously? 

Not so much as a person, I'd say I am right about age 15 most times. I think monkey's throwing poo is pretty funny, old Bugs Bunny, Dumb & Dumber and most recently cat farts. Oh and yesterday my neighbor picked up his pet bunnies and they shot out small rabbit pellets like a pez dispenser. The 'seriousness' comes and goes as a bike racer, about like a broken teeter-toter.

1. Would I say I am a competitive person?

Yes, I have a fucking blog about bikes for goodness sake to talk about bikes and bike races and bike parts. Who comes up with these questions - sheesh.

1. Do I think someone can earn podium time over the season? 

yes certainly so, everyone should have the opportunity to stand with their arms up at one point or another. It's a great feeling. We all train very hard for those little moments. But if you are up there every week, all season, or running away with races, you need to move up. Let someone else have their arms up and enjoy that same feeling you got to enjoy.

1. Is sandbagging a common problem among the sport of cycling? 

Regionally, locally, and statewide sure, I believe so, I don't get out of state enough to comment about other states.

1. Who’s responsibility is it to monitor the 'behavior'? 

Primarily, the individual = The cyclist - he/she needs to take personal responsibility - own up - grow up and CAT up. I believe USA cycling, State cycling officials and race promoters have a role. Most of us pay USA Cycling quite a bit of money each year, they should be reviewing results of all races regularly - State x State, regionally and locally.

1. Do I review CrossResults.com? 

Good grief who's asking these lame questions? oh oh right me. Who doesn't, if you haven't get on board, it's the CX race-result mecca and pretty accurate.

1. Is it the race promoters responsibility to force-upgrade riders spending too much time standing on a podium in one season? 

I think it is partially their responsibility, I know promoting and running races is hard enough, I hate to put all that burden on them, but they are keeping track of results right? I know two of the CX race series here, have addressed this in the past and created some new guidelines for the 2011 season, for which I support. 

Now - kwit your bellahakin and go riid your biik

Last Cross Race of 2010 - Cap City Cross - Lobdell Reserve, Newark Ohio

Snomageddon 2010.
This is what happens when you run a race in Ohio in December.
I thought I would post up quite a few photos for the last race post of 2010.

I figured since I was way out of the standings for Cap City I would bump up and see how I measure against the fast guys and register for the Elite (A, CAT 1/2/3) race. A good thought from my warm couch, I suppose, initially.

Huge huge turnout for the races at noon and at 1p.m. My team got call ups for the entire front row of the B race, which was awesome! Ohio ortho slaying dragons from the front!
What was it like racing on this course and all the snow? It was hard, which I didn't realize till I got out there for myself to race for an hour. I was watching my team mates and my buddy Tom get tired as their 45 min race wore on...Tom was looking slower and slower over the barriers, I was screaming at him from across the field - telling him to go faster and get the lead out. About 15 minutes into my race I wanted to take back my harassing words to Tom, realizing I signed up for 60 minutes in the torture chamber with this race and race course.

Who would ever think that an extra 15 minutes is that much harder. Well, aside from the fact the course was just hurt locker city, the snow, muck and tire sucking ground, just made the race that much harder. It was cold and I had a hard time getting warm. Generally, if the temps are below 35/40, it takes me a good 45 min to get warmed up, I might have rode around for 15 just trying to stay warm. Not enough.
Hindsight, it was fun lining up with the big boys and trying to stay with them for the first lap at least.

My respect doubled for my good friends that do the A races. Not only for their speed, but for their ability to just go so hard for a full hour. Yes, they've been doing this hour all year at every cross race, but still - props to the Proppe and Billiter, Spencer and my other buddies killing it in the A's this year.
Even dry, which I have never raced at this place when it's been dry, I hate this course. Sorry Kyle and Andy. It's just not my favorite, but you must race against your weakness's to get better, so there I was.

I watched all the speedy elite guys ride right away from me in the first lap, as I thought about Glen's comments while I was at the start line. He said, "wow, I'll be interested to see how you stack up", my reply, "yeah me too". Even the BWE said after my race, "wow, you looked really slow in the first few laps" ok thanks for the support :) wife. I did go slow for the first few laps, while I found the lines and tried to stay upright, get comfortable with

pushing the bike sideways while pedaling, running up that dam hill a million times. I sprayed my pedals and the bottoms of my shoes with pledge furniture polish, since I was out of spam at home. It helped for about 2/3 laps then I was back to banging my shoes on my pedals at the top of the run up every lap for way way too long. In the last few laps, it became a battle of getting clipped in with Spencer and I, not fitness, not skill. Egg beaters were the

pedal of the day in these conditions for sure. I know the spd or atac was not it! Spencer and I battled hard the last few laps to give each other a run and see who could dig the deepest and win. Spencer seemed to have more issues with his pedals than I was and somewhere along the last painful moments I past him and beat him. He's a tough competitor for sure and a great guy.

Jen and I put up the most badass tent ever to provide, needed propane fueled heat, hot chocolate and a place to stay warm, before the race, during and after. It worked out pretty well. Everyone was laughing at us while we set up our house, but then as each lap progressed during my race I saw more and more people staying warm in our tent. Cookies all around were a big hit.

Me lining up with the big boys.

Get Ready....

We're off...

Jon Dy, Garth, Proppe, Herman and Matt Weeks? - mason all make this start look super easy.

James B runs away from me like I am using an assisted walker, rather than a cross bike. He was at the top of the run up before I even got to the bottom.

There he goes....

Spencer and I battle it out, the last few laps.

me planning my "attack" yeah right.

James = Style Council Member

Greg Flecher - a beast on wheels and general unassuming fast guy.

Jon D showing us he's really fast.

BWE loves to make signs and be creative. She's the best cheerleader.

Jon's bike after. Frozen stuff.

This was my bike in the basement days after the race. It had to thaw out and took hours, before this goo dropped off.
I Think it took me a few hours using hot water, dish soap and other cleaning stuff to get the bike clean.

The final race of 2010, ends in a muddy, mucky mess. Thank you everyone for a great year.