4+12=16th
Great day for cross in the snow in Lyons but it wasn’t really a good day for me.
Good start from the second row into 4th. Early on I got an unfortunate proctologists view of Yoder when he stalled in front of me on the first main run up. Then it was a quick trip backward as we had a deep, hungry field getting ready for states. Something around 10th would have been nice and consistent with my results of a month ago but 16th at the line said otherwise.
I enjoyed the first main slippery flume downhill but I was turtle slow on the 2 run ups and got passed there more than any other place. I WILL start running before next cross season.
After getting caught late there was great potential for a last lap battle with Harold but I though it was the last lap a lap too soon and mistakenly sprinted too early. After that I had to walk the first dirt run up as my legs were too spent for even the geriatric jogging pace I had earlier. Next I discovered that the banging noise I’d been hearing was my rear wheel. The quick release had apparently been open for a few laps. It seemed that stopping to close it would be prudent.. After those two delays Harold was gone.
On the bright side I did stay off the ground today but my camera mount was a casualty.
Dispair
Louisville Bowl of…SNOW
Louisville was a good adventure today. This isn’t anyone’s favorite course although I did well here last year. The snow made it infinitely more interesting and the challenging conditions seem to increase the gap from the front guys to the back. On a normal day I seem to be about 2 minutes from the front, today it was 4 and I was happy with my finish. Jeff Hall just flew from the start. I’d like to have been able to watch him ride the slippery spots but he was gone. Nice riding.
The start was interesting as we were lined up 8 across as usual but there was only a 1 bike wide packed snow line in the middle with the rest of the start chute unpacked snow. I was called up 7th or so and lined up off to the left. Two or three guys ran the start while I rode and was lucky to make the soft snow work and get into third when Farrell seemed to lose momentum trying to clip in after running (that and Shawn was nice to let me in). My good starts definitely help my results but I just don’t have the fitness to back them up so I go backward in races these days. It isn’t my favorite direction but it’s the lesser of evils in this case. I’ve raced from the back enough to know it’s hard to make up lost time even though I’d rather chase than be chased any day.
One highlight was seeing Harold go past me with Weber early. He had the pace to do something today too but was hit by pedal challenges with his Shimano’s and ended up going backward.
I really like sliding, cars, motorcycles and bikes. It’s fun to slide the rear and I got plenty today. There were also a fair number of front tire push moments that I’m always happy to survive. I was at my best today on the faster downhill left off one path to another on the East side of the course. The time I made up there probably kept me one or two spots further up in the results. I did have a few rough trips through the turns just to the east of the building until I focused on the line through there. Also I only got through the u-turn at the end of the finish line straight cleanly once all race but still seemed to make up time going into it. It was exciting going down the side hill after that without clipping in and mostly out of control. In general there wasn’t much margin for error today and you had to be right on line. Slip off and at best you lose precious momentum. Somewhere midway when I was alone my focus improved and I became more precise. However I’m not a runner so no amount of precision, focus or anything but some vigorous cheering could help me move my feet any faster on the run ups.
I think my only fall of the day was at the West run up. I wore two pair of bibs for warmth and there was some droop that seemed catch my seat when dismounting. I fell right in front of Tim James (who has been a consistent challenger for me in recent weeks) and a big thanks to him for managing to step right in the center of my front triangle and not on the frame when I sprawled in front of him.
I’m guessing there may have been a crash that held up the field in the first lap as the lap times revealed a 30 second gap behind the top 10 or so after the first lap. However a bunch of guys made up that time on me to threaten in the closing laps. Tim James got by and a few others chased me valiantly but after getting back by Tim and Harold I fought to hold my position. In a recurring theme, mid race there was a group of 5 within 5 or 10 seconds behind me. I feared my decent result was going to disappear but I didn’t fade and opened the gap back up with my fastest lap on the last round to make for a satisfying 7th place finish.
I wore lots of layers for warm up but only 3 thin ones for the race and was never cold. I’m sure most people had various equipment challenges today. I made a good last minute pedal switch back to last season’s Eggbeaters from Times. The Times are much more consistent to get into when it’s dry but if it’s muddy or snowy they are frustrating. The Eggs today were reasonably trouble free for me considering the conditions.
I did have one strange issue where my chain would slightly derail and ride between my single front ring and the chainring guide for a half revolution every time I got on it. I don’t know why this happened here for the first time and the only thing different from the last race was the temperature. Did the cold change some clearance? I’ll ask Dwanye at LTD Cyclesworx about it this week. Lyons is next week and then States the week after. I’m both happy and sad about approaching the of the end of the season.
Castle Cross
Good race today in Castle Rock for 10th place. I’m not certain the course was universally loved but I liked it. This was probably the closest racing I’ve been part of in 45+ this year with lots of passing and re-passing, it was thoroughly enjoyable. I’m grateful for the depth of our field as I enjoy having lots of people to race with, as I slowly fade. However if my lap times turn out to be inconsistent it will explain a lot of the back and forth. At the finish today there were two guys within 5 seconds in front and one the same distance behind.
The race started with a long climb on the road and had lots of climbing every lap. I did struggle with a muddy ditch crossing and the subsequent climb to a double barrier but was comfortable on the rest of the course. I seemed to be able to stand and motor up the last climbing section to make a pass or two.
I was happy to keep Greg Gorrell and the resurgent Harold Stephenson from catching me at the finish. They emerged from a 5 man group that was a short distance back much of the day. It took focusing on catching the still sick Shawn Lortie in front of me. It is such sweet torture when the guy 5 seconds in front of you slows just enough in the last corners so you’re only a second behind at the line. It seems so close and you replay in your head what you could have done differently. I desperately want to surprise the next person who teases me that way.
Early in races I am oblivious to whom ever is behind me. This is in direct contrast to late in races when I am all too aware of being chased. Should I be looking behind to see who is on my wheel? It seems unproductive. However watching the uncut video from today I see that I sat on one guy too long and got passed because of it. Maybe I would have made my move sooner if I had realized there was someone chomping at the bit behind me?
Btw, Mid race I hit the camera with my knee and popped it off it’s two part velcro mount. Fortunately it has a back up tether so I was able to quickly put it right back in place. Just wanted to let you know that that section of video wasn’t some bizarre crash.
Buffs and Barriers?
There was a race today in Boulder. It wasn’t on ‘the’ calendar but rather was a race on the new/old dark overlords calendar.
The research park may be an easy place to hold an event but it has the appeal of just what it is, a dirt lot.
I rode over just to check it out and it was darn small but giving people a chance to line up close to home is a good thing so I’ll stop bashing. I’m just sore over getting the USAC shaft.
Anyhow here’s a pic of Harold racing his mtb in 40+ today. He got himself opened up to be ready for the points race in Castle Rock tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the battle there and hoping for a big turnout.
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog
Sienna Lake was a good new course and a well run event. Pete Webber courses usually flow well and this was no exception with fun cornering sections. The wind was strong and certainly a factor in the races but it wasn’t cold and everyone had to deal with it. It wasn’t in my head.
I got a decent start and stayed with the front group for a lap and a half before getting gapped for good going into a headwind section. I really like being in the lead group however my weakness holding a wheel and big headwinds aren’t the best combination. 24 hours later I’m figuring out that I had to be on the wheel going into the corner before the windy straight. It seems pretty obvious now and is easier to write than to do. I also should’ve been better prepared for accelerations before the windy sections. Next time.
After losing the lead group I went backward quickly. I dislike going backward in races but didn’t have much fight inside. When getting passed seems less painful than suffering more it must mean something.
8th out of 29
First one
I decided to skip the Saturday points race I would normally attend. I’ve had enough mud recently and haven’t heard anything good about the course. It turned out to be the right decision according to the people I talked to.
I had been reluctant to ride all week after a minor concussion last Sunday. My head was clear by Tuesday but minor headaches continued. It took until the weekend for me to realize they were just from a stiff neck and nothing too serious.
So this process left the opportunity to race Sunday in Golden. The concurrent springs race had no appeal for me. It turned out to be a good decision. We got just a nice touch of mud for an unusual 45+ mid afternoon race slot around the states course from 2 years ago. It was apparent that not many of my fellow racers shared my thought process to get here as there were only 18 of us at the line in cool but sunny weather.
The fast guys skipped this one and that left the battle at the front accessible to me on this day. With Don Powell and Mansell behind me I followed Mark Thompson for 2 laps. Then without a plan I attacked on the bumpy sidehill straight that heads east. In the warm up I struggled in that section so I have to credit Mansell for telling me to ride that bumpy section out of the saddle to put the power down, it made a difference. I expected at least one of the two guys behind me would come with me but I had a several second gap right away. I don’t have much experience off the front but did what I could to drill it. However a lap or so later Don had closed the gap back down to 15-20 yards. Somewhat defeated and fairly tired I thought to myself, ‘It was a good try but let him catch me so I can recover for a few minutes.” That lasted for all of 5 seconds until my legs took over again. I went for it and increased the gap. The last lap can be my favorite time in a cross race. I know it’s almost over and somehow I get mentally stronger. Powell didn’t give up but neither did I and kept a gap for my first cyclocross win.
While training before the season started I had the normal delusions of grandeur which in this case were of being able to race with the really fast guys. It hasn’t happened this season. So instead of the results I had dreamed of while doing intervals in August I am now happy with a win when a certain handful (or two) of guys didn’t show.
Maybe I had some extra help by channeling a fallen fellow racer.
Fall down, go boom
I was expecting a dry course tat Valmont but was very wrong. It wasn’t too muddy during warm up but that turned out to be only because it was frozen. Then I was lazy/tight on time/bet wrong and went to the start on my normal tires.
I happily yapping with Shawn next to me at the start and would have been totally unaware and unclipped at the whistle had Harold not been lined up right behind me. He started yelling “we’re going, we’re going” after I totally missed the 15 second call. Somehow him yelling got my adrenaline going and I got the best start I’ve had in weeks. Thanks for the help.
I felt good up the first hill but was surprised by the mud at the top. The frozen course was melting. The pea gravel pit went well but the first lap had some more surprises. We were told of a new section that wasn’t open for the warm up. Even with the warning this is a less than ideal procedure for me. Still on the first lap I was starting to tire on the section that brought you back to the start finish line when I fell for the first time this year. I hit my head, felt instantly dizzy and decided to lay down for a while. While things were still spinning I lamented taking my first dnf in several years. After following hockey and having previously coached kids I’ve learned to take concussions seriously. One big key with concussions is not taking any additional blow to the head until you are fully recovered or you can do serious damage. Judging by my helmet I really didn’t hit my head very hard but still had some issues. I really wish helmet padding and safety were significant considerations instead of weight or appearance.
When I was ok enough I got up and really enjoyed cheering for the people I usually race with or behind despite maybe being a little loopy. It was nice to see Harold earn a good result and there were some great battles with Hogan opening a big lead only to loose it to a mechanical then fight back to catch Cheek who had taken over, only to come up short on the last lap.
Afterward I visited the medical tent where someone from Boulder Center for Sports Medicine confirmed that I had a mild concussion with a test I hadn’t seen before. He held his pointer fingers up 12″ apart about 18″ from my face and told me to move my eyes from one finger to the other as quickly as I could for 30 seconds. I made it about 10 seconds before I felt sick. In hockey it used to be tough to diagnose a mild concussion on the bench when you were coaching kids. This was certainly a definitive test for me.
I was hoping the headaches would be gone by today but maybe it will just be another day or two until they pass so I can still race Brighton.
Due to my start line chattiness I forgot to turn on my video camera until just before I fell so I only have a short clip. Once again video makes what could have been a reasonable crash story seem moderately pathetic.
I’m both chasing and being chased at the same time, does it matter if it’s for 5th or 50th?
Colorado Cross Classic at the Res
Good race, one of the highlight was having both Towle and LG on microphones for the ACA portion. It makes for a better event and makes me feel just a little bit like a pro. Having the real nation cross pro’s here is nice too. There wasn’t much competition for Trebon today
At 10:40 the 45+ Men had some slippery mud at the west end of the Res. It was a decent course, many of the bumps had been graded out and I liked the partial mud conditions but would have preferred a little more sand. Today I couldn’t catch Mansell but I held Weber off and 9th was fine.
I’m doing my first double of the season and looking forward to racing Valmont on Sunday.
Here’s the video from Saturday
Bikes get the shaft from City Council again
Long story short: City Council screws mountain bikers, again. The City Council was considering a short loop trail on Anemone hill (south of canyon under flagstaff) but voted against it last night. What special about this is that right now you can vote FOR council members that WILL value cyclists. Please vote for Dan King, Ken Wilson, George Karakehian and Fenno Hoffman. I’ve met Dan, George and Fenno. They seemed reasonable, even good and don’t hate cyclists.
The subtext in this election is that several other candidates are supported by a group called PLAN Boulder. They are powerful and don’t like recreation.
More info below.
From 303 cycling:
No bikes on Anemone Hill
Looks like Boulder cyclists got the head fake from Boulder officials to allow cyclists on Anemone Hill as a connector to Betasso. This connector trail would have given cyclists immediate downtown access to trails and remove the requirement to ride on Boulder Canyon for those wanting to ride to Betasso. The number of mountain bike trails accessible close to town will remain embarrassedly low.
From the Daily Camera
The 5-4 vote rejecting mountain bike access on the planned Anemone Hill loop trail came at a special meeting in which the highly contentious West Trail Study Area plan was resurrected for several hours. The plan — which defines public access to the 11,250-acre swath of open space west of Broadway that stretches from Linden Avenue south to Eldorado Springs Drive — was approved in March, but the leaders have tweaked the plan several times since then.
Brandon Dwight from Boulder Cycle Sport sets the tone well how not much has changed in 20+ years in regards to feeding the appetite of access to trails in Boulder
Once again Boulder officials have given cyclists the head fake,
- Feeder Canal DEAD
- No Bikes on West TSA
And all that after BMA fought HARD for Open Space to win 1B in the last election.
BMA is recommending that supporters vote out the old guard that has been blocking so much and support those who do support us
City council says no bikes on Anemone. Make a difference at the ballot box. Vote the BMA slate: King, Karakehian, Wilson, Hoffman
from Waltworks blogs
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
We lose
Councilman Appelbaum pretty much summed it up:
Councilman Matt Appelbaum went a step further and said he doesn’t want any human access to the property.
“It’s not that mountain bikes are the problem,” he said. “It’s anything that’s the problem.”
I do not even know where to begin calling out the hypocrisy in Mr. Appelbaum’s statements, but I’m almost too angry about the whole process to write coherently, so I’ll say this: vote for the BMA/BOA endorsements for City Council.
I expect that a lot of people will throw up their hands at this point and just start poaching trails. I cannot say I blame them, though I don’t condone it. CC has made an enemy out of every reasonable mountain biker in Boulder.
Fast grass is good
Another great day and one of the best Interlocken courses yet with some climbing and plenty of challenging corners. It was faster and dryer than in the past two years which was fine by me. There were 5 fast guys missing today but I still just missed getting on the box. It’s nice to get good results but also a little strange without the focus and commitment I had last year.
I do want to get back on the box this season so I really have to to work on holding a wheel and not getting gaped. Being able to sometimes bridge back up is a crutch that lets me think it’s ok to loose the wheel in front of me. It’s not ok.
Another thing I can do better is work on pedaling hard out of every corner, not just the ones that feel good or that I like.
I ran a file tread FMB on the back of my bike most of last year and really liked it. I was fortunate to not have file treads today. They were putting people on the ground. This year I’m happy on a Tufo Flexus Primus 34c in back to match the front I like so much. They are great tires although my X-fire has no spare clearance with the 34c in the back. Maybe that’s why the max tire size went down to 33c!
Complaints?
The Aca official gave us a lazy and unpredictable start. He said “1 minute” then nothing until, “all right gentlemen” was I think what he said to start us. I’d like to hear “30 seconds” and then a whistle as is customary.
I also don’t think the announcer was great but perhaps LG and Towle are just too tough to follow.
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Art Schwadron
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