CX Season is Here and Gone...............

Hey gang this is my one big BLOG update to cover Cyclocross Season. 11 races in the books and overall a great season with only a few days of terrible weather.

First race of the year BCA Cross in Fort Ritchie, MD--cold and pouring rain

This video was taken by teammate Michael..too much mud to manage these corners...

https://picasaweb.google.com/106627851219331479472/BCACXOct2011#5663477738310259410

This race I was 3rd in my category but it was likely because the weather was so bad no one else wanted to show-up. I did have one wreck and my brake lever caught in a competitors wheel and it broke off. Thus, I was racing with only a front brake so I had to apply a lot of strategy when coming in to any  braking situations.
 
The below video is from Granogue. A BIG east coast race when a lot of top amateurs and occasional pro show-up for the 2 days of racing. I did not feel that great on Day 1 and at this race I compete with the Cat 1-3 (I am Cat 4) so my goal is to not be lapped and subsequently pulled. I hung-on and made top 50% and was 4 min behind the podium guys. BUT.........on Day 2 I felt great and was lapped 30 min in to the race and pulled. VERY disappointing.

This is not me but some great riders at Granogue--the Dupont Family Estate

The below pics are from the Ed Sander CX in Maryland. This is one of my favorite races in and amongst a series of ponds. The course is technical with a lot of tight turns and mud so it catered to my strengths and MTB skills.

Ed Sander CX--Started with 70 riders in front of me and finished 30 of 96

Teammate Bridget at Ed Sander CX

For this race I rode really well and even though 30th was a far cry from the podium I was really happy with the race and it is 10 places higher than my position in this race in 2009.

Teammates Michael and Jim at the DC CX

 The DCCX is only 30 min from the house and a great race with music, food stands, frites, and adult beverages. I was really pumped to race after my Ed Sander experience but my chain had other ideas.

I put on a new chain several weeks prior and cut it too short so had to add a few links back-in.......................I knew then that I had a weak chain but went with it anyway. During the first lap I heard a few clunks under duress and on a short steep hill I was out of the saddle and "snap" I was done after 2 laps. My only DNF of the season. 

Broken Chain at DC CX--DNF after 2 laps

 Anyway...................this chain served a great purpose as it was in great shape and not too greasy so parts of it were recycled to make gifts for Liza and Becky for my Chile trip (see other blog posts).

I don't have any pics but my last race of the season was the Capitol Cross Classic in early December. I submitted my request to upgrade to Cat 3 to USA Cycling because I wanted to try racing in a cat with fewer riders. For Cat 3-4 it was always a challenge to race with 100 riders and try to pick your way through the traffic but in Cat 1-3 there are usually 30 riders. For this race it is about position and tactics and I wanted to give it a go.

Well..................i was in the back row and had my work cut out for me. My start was mediocre and I was DFL on first lap. I was able to work my way past a few riders and was 19 of 27 and NOT lapped by the Cat 1 guys. The big thing in this category is the other riders do not get out of the way for you like in Cat 3-4. I had to work to pass people!!

JOCMO: CX is just a great vibe.............the total scene is about riding, racing, bike kit, and talking about tire pressure!!

Savageman Tri Festival

So sorry to fall off the BLOG planet after so long so thought I would update my literature crazed followers with some pics and commentary....

Waaaayyyyy back in September I volunteered at the Savageman Tri Festival (http://www.savagemantri.org/ ) as the Run Course coordinator............translation: the guy that schleps around a lot of heavy jugs of water, puts up signs, and helps herd other volunteers. Like the last few years my partner in schlepping was longtime cycling and tri pal Haig Colter. 

Reaching for Breakfast compliments of Team Z

The race this year was attended by Ironman Legend Dave Scott (http://www.savagemantri.org/ ) and now retired Olympic Bronze Medalist Susan Williams. Dave came out of the water in 3rd, pretty darn fast for a guy who is 57 and was 6th overall and Susan won the woman's division.

Dave Scott (on right)  at the Finish Line

Susan Williams coming down Tower Hill

Like other years I had the pleasure to be the "lead cyclist" to pave the way for the 1st Place male runner. On this day I was leading for John Kenny (http://www.pacificfit.net/trainer-JohnKenny.php ) who was seconds from a course record and a $1500 bonus. Needless to say he was a joy to watch run!

John Kenny coming down Tower Hill

Like my other experiences at S-Man the days were long and by the time the run course is taken down and everything stowed me and the land yacht are covered in Coke.

Zach Ruble (2nd in Mens Pro)  and Amanda

 

Land Yacht after taking down last aid stations

Saw this on the run course during take down

JOCMO: Being the lead cyclist for John Kenney while on the run course. His cadence was a joy to watch because you couldn't hear a step he took...more like a Born to Run Moment!!

Shendoah Mountain 100

This is a late entry from a few weeks ago............

In 2007 I raced the SM 100 (http://www.mountaintouring.com/htm/shenandoah_mountain_100/page_sm100.htm) and gave some thought to it this year but opted out because I have done enough long rides this Summer that my motivation was more toward a fun weekend around the sport that included time with friends, food, and some great free beer.

So....................I decided to volunteer and work the kitchen ans sweep part of the trail on race day.

I arrived on Saturday afternoon and first stop after pitching my tent was check-in with Matt at the vol tent and then off to the kitchen to  help prep the pasta dinner.

Fat Free, Organic, Diet Meatballs

For those that do not know the SM 100 is a BIG DEAL in the endurance MTB world and has a great reputation for a challenging course and drawing some of the top flight pros in addition to about 600 other riders. The family atmosphere is superb and post-race party is awesome with kegs of free beer from Dogfish Head Ale House (http://www.dogfish.com/).

Trying to keep the pasta from sticking!

After serving hundreds of hungry athletes and having a few beverages I was off to my tent to relax and sleep...........well sort of  as it was about 85 degrees and humid so a distinct lack of comfort in the sleeping bag!!

Whitney and Mike B. just before the gun goes off

The next morning came early and I went to the starting line to see my PVC teammates Mike Bender and Milton Rojas head out on the course at about 6am or so............

Steve, Whitney, Leslie in camp

After the start of the race I was invited to coffee with Bailey's (http://www.the-baileys-lounge.baileys.com) with some of the big dogs from Dr. Kathy's PosiTeam (http://www.posichiro.com/endurance-coaching/annual-adventure-plan1.html) and it was wonderful when mixed with my Starbucks Via.

Milton lookin fast!!

After coffee I headed out on the course and took the above pic of Milton as he was cruising to aid station 2. I then had the joy of waiting for almost 2 hours in aid station one for the last rider to come through before I could go sweep the course between Aid Stn 2 and Aid Stn 3. This is the section that includes a long climb and while riding I came across the last rider. A guy named Al Picken from Columbus Georgia.


Al is a big guy that has a love of mtn biking but was not prepared for the demands of the SM 100 and was barely holding on. He said in his southern drawl, "I couldn't do these climbs if I trained 7 days a week.....maybe if I lost 100 lbs" and then he goes on to say "I was not expecting this humidity either" and my thought was Al, you are from Georgia and you have an issue with humidity?

Anyway, I rode with Al for the last hour or so and got him to Aid Stn 3 and he knew he was cooked and took a ride back to camp. Interesting note, while sweeping I was able to watch Christian Tanguy and Jeff Schalk battle it out for first and second respoctively. Man these guys can ride and they were cruising up a climb that I have to gut out in the granny!!

Flippin Burgers....hundreds of em!!

After my 3+ hour ride to sweep the course I headed back to camp to flip burgers and cook dogs..........and drink some more brew. I cooked, cooked, and cooked some more. I probably toasted several hundred buns, flipped bunches of burgers, a 200+ hot dogs, and was covered in smoke and grease.

The next morning it was raining so instead of going for an MTB ride I headed home........




JOCMO: Riding in the Shenendoah's. Some great trails and awesome singletrack.

Nations Tri with Kevin

This is the third year I have done Nations Tri with Kevin either as his primary escort or a training partner. The heavy rains for almost 4 days turned the Potomac from its normal, chocolate milk-like, diesel smelling, body of water coursing through the Nations Capitol into a swollen, muddy, sewage infested mess. Therefore........the swim was cancelled and with more than 6200 athletes the race became a duathlon.

Kevin in T1

Kevin and I arrived early so we could take advantage of the few handicap parking slots along Ohio Drive and in front of transition. After parking we went to the bike rack and prepped our run gear and last few bike items and then kicked back a bit to relax while we waited to queue up along with 6k of our friends to wait for our turn to start the run in to transition to get on the bike.

With so many athletes doing a Du with a Run-Bike-Run scenario was not possible so every 15 seconds a dozen or so athletes were let loose to run to their bikes from the entry to transition. This was reasonably efficient and Kevin and I had not real problems so we just walked real fast to get to the bike.

We kitted out and rolled the tandem AKA Lucy for Two out of T1 and on to bike course that started right next to the Korean War Memorial. We were on the bike and started to push hard to keep the pace up. Unlike last year the weather today was hot with the sun burning off the fog. Both of us were working hard on the bike and passing more than passed us and we finished the 40k in 1:12 and change. Not too bad as Kevin's cycling and balance have improved since 2010.

To our disappointment the run portion did not go as well. The heat was wearing Kevin down a bit so we struggled through the run and had to walk a bit more than we wanted. Kevin was tough and gutted it out to the many cheers from his Team Z pals (http://www.triteamz.com/) and hundreds of others who have overcome many obstacles to be part of the race.

We crossed the line and Kevin received his finishers medal and some much needed fluids to speed recovery. After a great post-race snack we headed back to pick up our gear and head home.

Post Race with Finisher Medal

Kevin, me, and Lucy for Two on Ohio Drive

JOCMO: Hammerin' with Kevin on Clara Barton Parkway and passing a lot of people on fancy rigs and hearing the cheers and comments like "I wish I had an extra set of legs"

First XTERRA in....................................

how many years??? Gosh it has been so long since my last off-road tri than I can't recall. Maybe 2006 at Richmond?? So......................since my return from Sabbatical I have been doing some tri training so I decided to sign-up for the Charlottesville XTERRA with some pals from NOVA.

The Truth in T1

I rolled out of town to stay at a friend's (Scud) house near Charlottesville and arrived at about 7pm. After a hearty meal from Subway and some amazing ice cream from a shop across the street I kicked back at Scud's house and went to bed at a reasonable hour after prepping a few bottles.

The next morning came fast and me, Kevin, and Don (from Philly) were up at 5 and I was out the door at 5:30 so I could get to the race in time for packet pick up. 

After my requisite multiple visits to the loo I was ready for the swim and because of water temps no wetsuits allowed..........bummer...

The swim went well and although I have no idea of my split I felt surprisingly rhythmic and was having fun. This was a 2 lap effort and slogging through the mud at the end was the only part I didn't enjoy.


In to T2 and I was on the fat tire pretty quick and out on the trail. I was riding pretty well until about the half-way point when I lost my shifter and was stuck in the big ring...........Sheesh this meant I had only a handful of gears and could not climb any hills. Well..........I could climb hills but just not on my bike so I was working my shlepping skills up some short, steep, hills in the heat of the Shenendoahs. This was when Dr. Kathy cruised by me!

Pierre and Dr. Kathy post-race

 Shortly after losing my shifter I lost a bolt in my suspension so whenever I pushed too hard on the pedals or stood-up the real wheel would torque and the chain would rub against the tire!! So at this point I was just trying to limp in and not damage the bike any more.

Me, Dr. Kathy, and Pierre with his Single Speed!!

So, overall a slower bike leg than I had hoped but I finished in one piece and was off on the 4mi run leg. I ran a heck of a lot better than I thought I would after the frustrating and exhausting bike leg and passed a few people, was smoked by some 18 year old kid, and finished strong. 

Well done by Kathy who was 1st overall woman and Pierre was 7th overall.


JOCMO: Hmmmmmmmm.....had to think about this one. I guess it should be a Tri Moment? I was not last and was definitely racing all day so that is the moment from this blog entry.

Rig Update

Sorry to drop off the planet since the end of my sabbatical. I have been back at the work grind for a month now and it seems so long ago that I was in the Rockies and then Maine putting in the  miles. Well...............one good thing about work is it permits me the joy of buying a new bike!!

The Ericksen 29er arrived two weeks ago!

 

I dropped a few extra $$ for the Spray Masking!

DownEast Metric N Change--Mileage total 1475

I started this ride in the late morning after working around the cottage for a few hours. The plan was to head out of Prospect Harbor and head north east toward Milbridge and work my way back home. Here is the MapmyRide data if you are ever in the area.

DownEast landscaping....Only in Maine......

I saw the above a few miles out of Prospect Harbor. Something tells me it won't make the next issue of Better Homes n Gardens!!

Shouldn't it say Blueberryfield?

After rolling through Milbridge this sign had me shaking my head but something tells me back in 1816 there were not many blueberries to be found.

Inland and about 20 miles from the coast

So when Christmas rolls around you have a factoid to share......

Heading towards Franklin

mid-ride energy boost--the Whoopie Pie

I rode hard the 20 miles from Hancock to get home in time to go to dinner at a neighbor's and I was ready for the adult beverage. The legs felt pretty good all day!

JOCMO: Heck, the whoopie pie. If I were at home I would have had to settle for a banana or sports bar

Acadia Loop--Mileage Total 1405

I rolled out of my mom's cottage just before 8am to ride to Winter Harbor to catch the ferry to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. While waiting for the ferry I was fortunate enough to see one of the local harbor residents having his pick of Mackerel for breakfast.

Bald Eagle waiting for a fish snack

 The Ferry pulled out on time and we had a wonderful DownEast morning to ride across the bay to Bar Harbor. The route took us past local fisherman, porpoises, and about 5000 lobster trap buoys.

Local fisherman making the rounds

 We also cruised by Spectacle Island where one can stay for a cost effective $9500 a week and for $2500 more you get a chef! Needless to say the ferry did not stop.............Why does this place not pop up on Hotels.com?

Spectacle Island--where do I sign up?

The Ferry (the small one hidden behind the gangway)

 After arrival I unloaded my bike and was off to ride the Acadia Loop, climb Cadillac Mountain, have lunch in Bar Harbor and work my way home.

Cadillac Mountain at 1500' Above Sea Level (Sea Level in the background)

The Acadia Loop

Maine Coast from the Loop

As a kid I had done the loop and Cadillac many times via car but to ride it by bike gave me a whole new appreciation for the wonders of the Park. Definitely a must do for other cyclists. The roads are in amazing condition too!


After the ferry ride home where I dozed for a few minutes I rode the Schoodic loop before returning home

JOCMO: Descending Cadillac...............wheeee

Rig Update--Mileage Total 1350

The crew from Kent Ericksen sent me some pics of my new MTB as it is going through the build process. The frame is looking good and will be delivered in 2-3 weeks so now is the slow process of hunting for components to build it out and not have to get a second mortgage on the house!!

Welds Looking Good

Bo admiring his handiwork

 JOCMO: The anticipation of a new frame!

Blast from the Past--mileage total 1350

Last year I attended my 30th High School reunion but was unable to reconnect with boyhood pal Scott Stuart of Veazie, Maine. When we lived there it was just plain Veazie or per my other High School pals not from there it was "Sleazy Veazie" whereas over the last three decades it has come up in the world and is now the "affluent suburb of Bangor".

Needless to say Scott and I have kept in touch over the last year and he has morphed in to an avid cyclist and owner of multiple Bianchis.

The Maine Coast on our ride

 The plan was for me to drive to Bath, Maine to visit with Scott and his wife Lisa (also a classmate) for some catch-up and then a ride around the local area. Scott took me out on one of his routes through town and along the coast for almost two hours on another hot Summer day as part of the heatwave hitting the east coast.

The ride was certainly conversational and we spent catch-up talking about childhood, our boyhood pals, and who is doing what these days. One of the things we remarked over was the incredible freedom we had to roam around Veazie and the surrounding farms whether it be on a banana seat bike or hiking around in the winter. Heck in those days there was no such thing as a bike helmet and parents did not know any better. The parents did take looking out for all the neighborhood kids seriously though as many a time someone's mom would call mine to let her know where I was.

Vintage Banana Bike

Scott Riding Strong

 After the ride we watched the TDF Time Trial and talked cycling, Maine, other classmates, and had a great lunch! Thanks Lisa!

OHS Class of 80' mini-reunion

JOCMO: Reconnecting after three decades with a bicycle being a key ingredient.

Reconnecting with Bill--mileage total 1265

Background: Bill is a college classmate with whom I lost touch over the last 10 years and during the sabbatical we were communicating via e-mail and he has been following the blog. During our brazen youth when we had some quickness and before we had the $$$ to buy fancy bikes we were fixtures on the fieldhouse hoop courts. In addition to his deft touch with a jumper Bill is also one of the funniest people I know with some facial expressions that one needs to see to believe.

The road to Bill's house

During my sabbatical I have become accustomed to using the GPS even though it stifles continuing development of my hippocampus. In the case of finding Bill's house it did get me in to the vicinity but while working my way to the house I followed a dirt road deeper and deeper in to the forest. The only thing missing was a boy playing a banjo.

Needless to say the GPS told me I had arrived and the only thing I could see was forest so I backtracked a bit, found a cell signal, texted Bill, and he told me to keep driving down the dirt road.

Bill and Julie's house up on the hill

 After arriving Bill gave me the nickel tour of his house, barn, acres of forest, and of course what he uses to manage the forest.....an excavator. To my disappointment he would not let me drive it.

Ingrid, Bill, and Avery

 After the tour it was happy hour so we broke out some beverages and chatted for a while to catch up after the decade gap. Bill, like me, has given up hoops in favor of cycling in addition to his passion for skiing and windsurfing. We talked riding, family, old college pals, and his success in the pulp and paper industry. For any of my readers following the blog Bill has had a hand in the development of U.S. currency for the last 23 years. Interestingly, Bill is the only guy I know that knew he wanted to be in the paper industry when in high school and he is one of 4 paper engineers in his family.

Bill and Avery prepping Pizza

Ingrid and Avery winding Down for the night

In a previous post I mentioned the shock to my body from the humidity when I left the Rockies and no exception here so Bill offered me the basement to sleep and I jumped at the chance. Well.............this opened the door for daughters Avery and Ingrid to sleep in the basement as well so I ended up with roommates for the night. The Rule was NO SNORING!!

Bill climbing like Lance in '99--sans helmet

Bill scoped out an 85 mile route with two long climbs through the Berkshires, in to Vermont, and back home. We knew the heat would be brutal so we decided to stop a lot to stay hydrated.

We were on the bikes before 8am but it was already 80 and change and we were sweating profusely. The ride to the top of Mt. Greylock of about 10 miles was a steep as my climbs in Colorado but the lower altitude gave me a reprieve. At the summit there was no humidity and with the breeze we were almost cold!

Mt. Greylock Summit

Not Mount Evans but a tough climb anyway

The view from Mount Graylock

Our ride took us through Williamstown (home of Williams College), then to Bennington, VT (home of Bennington College),  where we had lunch, more fluids, and up the last long climb of the day of 8 miles and less grade than Greylock. For the first time since the wreck I was actually riding well. My body is beginning to recover and even though my hand hurt on bumpy roads and my back was a little stiff it was nice to be able to pedal efficiently.

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Feeling the heat after the second climb--about 95+ degrees

JOCMO: 85 miles in godawful heat with the legendary Bill Westervelt banter and commentary on people, objects, cars, and almost everything else along the way. Priceless!