Brookside....what else can you say but perfect place for cross racing. the terrain is so varied with all sorts of natural options for cross. each race has been different and all have been fun. I will say for the record, i liked the 1st race the best!
Today was the 9th race of the series and I'm thinking I'm in the running for 3rd place overall in the 1-2's. I say I'm thinking because i don't know...nor will i worry about it. i will race the next and last race like all others...go hard and do the best i can..results will work themselves out. plus, i am sort of transitioning over to mtb season and having been doing a lil more volume with less intensity since the last race over a month ago so it's no surprise that the engine ran low towards the end of the race.
Quick recap...the race was muddy. very muddy! i was hopeful but the mud would be a major equalizer throughout. there were about 11 of us in the 1-2's. The first lap was chaos... WIll missed a pedal on the gun, then missed a turn before it was marked, Omar snapped a chain, Andrew(new to the 1-2's)took a flier in the first muddy section, and overall the field was blown apart because of the mud. i would find myself in 4th coming through the start/finish. I immediately went around Boyd and bridged up to the top 2 riders. we would ride together for the next few laps while our bikes got more and more muddy. at some point, i bobbled a bit in the mud and fell off the wheel of the leaders. that would end up haunting me at the end of the race. Lackey, the #2 guy and the closest to me in the points, would stay on Will's wheel and get a free ride for a couple laps while i had to work and fight solo. by the snd to last lap, i had pulled all but :05sec back and really though i would take him....but i never could close it down and rolled through the finish about that same distance back. fired up about the results, about my fitness, and equipment....but really would have been stoked to get 2nd. Ahhhh....
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
little housekeeping
just needed some freshing up on the blog info...
In honor of the contest i won on the Orbea Facebook page for the muddest pic, i thought i would change my header pic out and showcase another pic from that race...and reminise for a sec...this race was the 2nd or 3rd SERC race in 2009 when i was shooting for the overall. Anyway, this race was a mudfest with simply horrid conditions...cold, very wet, peanut butter mud everywhere, and unrideable climbs that had to be run. I flourished! i was able to stay upright and have zero issues on the bike. i rode away from Andy Johnston and bridged up to Craig Evens, who got dq'd which was also a first, and took the win! it was huge to me!!
I also added the early draft of the mtb schedule for 2012. there are some races that might be added during the year. I will also add a cx schedule later.
Another change are some pics below...i raced for two teams this year one, Red Mtn Wheelman for road and mtb and then Team Momentum for cross. i wanted to get both jerseys on the site until i get some more offical type of representation. I have other companys support me like BBC, Orbea Bikes, Schwalbe Tires, Feedback Sports with Squirt Lube, and Revolution Cycles. None are huge major sponsors but they all help me accomplish my goals and for that i thanks them all!!
Another huge hope for me this year is my new relationship with Coach Drew Edsall. I expect big things working with him this year. I plan to follow his plan to a "T" and trust in his program. More to come on this!!!
In honor of the contest i won on the Orbea Facebook page for the muddest pic, i thought i would change my header pic out and showcase another pic from that race...and reminise for a sec...this race was the 2nd or 3rd SERC race in 2009 when i was shooting for the overall. Anyway, this race was a mudfest with simply horrid conditions...cold, very wet, peanut butter mud everywhere, and unrideable climbs that had to be run. I flourished! i was able to stay upright and have zero issues on the bike. i rode away from Andy Johnston and bridged up to Craig Evens, who got dq'd which was also a first, and took the win! it was huge to me!!
I also added the early draft of the mtb schedule for 2012. there are some races that might be added during the year. I will also add a cx schedule later.
Another change are some pics below...i raced for two teams this year one, Red Mtn Wheelman for road and mtb and then Team Momentum for cross. i wanted to get both jerseys on the site until i get some more offical type of representation. I have other companys support me like BBC, Orbea Bikes, Schwalbe Tires, Feedback Sports with Squirt Lube, and Revolution Cycles. None are huge major sponsors but they all help me accomplish my goals and for that i thanks them all!!
Another huge hope for me this year is my new relationship with Coach Drew Edsall. I expect big things working with him this year. I plan to follow his plan to a "T" and trust in his program. More to come on this!!!
Rapha 500
i love social media and i love that most cyclist are mostly dorks about riding data and Strava has brought the best of these worlds together for me. Check it out if you haven't already.
Anyway, they have "Challenges" that they host along with a sponsors that establish a goal and then help track the data from any and ever rider who is on Strava and who wants to join. The Rapha500 is the second challenge i have partaken in. the first was during Thanksgiving and the goal was to burn 5000cal during the 4 or 5 day weekend. i had a good shot at it, but got a stomach bug that Saturday and couldnt ride Sat or Sun which killer my shot.
However the Rapha500 came at a perfect time for me. I had the full week off work and really had only one intention while i was off work....RIDE! Ride lots! with all the cross specific workouts, short days, dance, basketball, work, oh and life...training has been quality but certainly no quantity. most i have been on the bike since September was about 8hrs in any given week. Not enough if ya ask me!
the plan....ride the 500k/310miles...in the 9 days and enjoy every minute of it. the plan was to ride it all on the cross bike with nobbies or the mtb bike. no easy miles would count. plus i love my cross bike! a quick ride break down...
Rapha 1 = 39 mile loop around bham in chilly 42degree temps to start if off.
Rapha 2 = 48 mile ride n MS with Max. easiest ride of week. leisure ride w/ breaks.
Rapha 3 = 45.5 mile loop in MS...non stop rain. tempo pace ride the full time!
Rapha 4 = 61 mile loop in MS around hills. felt good. longest ride
Rapha 5 = 40 mile loop in MS. chilled ride and just enjoyed the sunshine
Rapha 6 = 30 mile mtb ride at OM with Omar. solid workout!
Rapha 7 = 43 mile worlds loop with Jerry. mild pace in perfect weather
Rapha 8 = 25 mile mtb at OM with Momentum team. another great workout and was feeling it.
overall stats...ride time 22hrs/335.5miles/16k ft of climbing/12k cal burned.
Fun times!!
Anyway, they have "Challenges" that they host along with a sponsors that establish a goal and then help track the data from any and ever rider who is on Strava and who wants to join. The Rapha500 is the second challenge i have partaken in. the first was during Thanksgiving and the goal was to burn 5000cal during the 4 or 5 day weekend. i had a good shot at it, but got a stomach bug that Saturday and couldnt ride Sat or Sun which killer my shot.
However the Rapha500 came at a perfect time for me. I had the full week off work and really had only one intention while i was off work....RIDE! Ride lots! with all the cross specific workouts, short days, dance, basketball, work, oh and life...training has been quality but certainly no quantity. most i have been on the bike since September was about 8hrs in any given week. Not enough if ya ask me!
the plan....ride the 500k/310miles...in the 9 days and enjoy every minute of it. the plan was to ride it all on the cross bike with nobbies or the mtb bike. no easy miles would count. plus i love my cross bike! a quick ride break down...
Rapha 1 = 39 mile loop around bham in chilly 42degree temps to start if off.
Rapha 2 = 48 mile ride n MS with Max. easiest ride of week. leisure ride w/ breaks.
Rapha 3 = 45.5 mile loop in MS...non stop rain. tempo pace ride the full time!
Rapha 4 = 61 mile loop in MS around hills. felt good. longest ride
Rapha 5 = 40 mile loop in MS. chilled ride and just enjoyed the sunshine
Rapha 6 = 30 mile mtb ride at OM with Omar. solid workout!
Rapha 7 = 43 mile worlds loop with Jerry. mild pace in perfect weather
Rapha 8 = 25 mile mtb at OM with Momentum team. another great workout and was feeling it.
overall stats...ride time 22hrs/335.5miles/16k ft of climbing/12k cal burned.
Fun times!!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Brookside 4
It’s funny how a week can change your motivation. I went from racing in Gadsden the previous weekend, not enjoying the mud at, and not really wanting to get dirty (I know…nancy style) to racing Brookside where I knew the mud would be much worse and was really looking forward to it. You see, on the mtb, I normally relish the nasty conditions. I’m typically a lil heavier than the common mtb racer so I sink in a bit and can control the bike a lil better. Plus the trails I learned to ride on were usually muddy n nasty so it comes natural. Plus….I can easily get fired up by watching other racers and just before I left the house for Brookside, I watched the men’s World Cup in Namur which had me ready for the nasty conditions.
On to the race itself…normally I like to ride the course a time or two before the race as part of my warm up but since I had pre ridden it the night before and wanted to keep the bike as clean as possible until race time, I decided to warm up on the trainer instead. After a nice 25min controlled warm up with a few :30 openers I rolled to the start line. The 1-2 field was small with only about 9 racers with several of the usual suspects not there. After role call we got a :10 countdown. The start was fast and as expected Will took the hole shot and set a fast pace that would quickly separate him from the group. Oddly enough, I found myself sitting in 3rd wheel feeling very comfortable. Things stayed together for the most part thru the 1st lap. coming thru the 2nd lap I was able to stay on Kevin’s wheel and pull away from the rest of the field. We would ride together for the next couple laps but he eventually would gap me a bit. I was still sitting in 3rd very comfortable and was riding all the mud with pretty good form. Then with 2 laps to go, I noticed Omar, who unlike himself had falling off the pace in the beginning, was starting to get closer and closer…and even though we are on the same team, I was trying to stay away from him for that podium spot. Unfortunately, my the middle of that lap, he caught me after I had made a few mistakes. We rode together for the rest of that lap and half of the last lap but again, in the same spot, I bobbled and he got a small gap on me and went on to take the 3rd spot that I wanted so bad! Good for him though as he rode a smarter race conserving energy until the end where it matters most.
The conditions were epic…lots of mud and sand, several run ups, and some fast power sections. My biggest issue was mud build up in the pedals n cleats. I was having major issues getting back in the pedals after the sand pit and it cost me several seconds on each lap but all n all….it was a great day to be racing!!
On to the race itself…normally I like to ride the course a time or two before the race as part of my warm up but since I had pre ridden it the night before and wanted to keep the bike as clean as possible until race time, I decided to warm up on the trainer instead. After a nice 25min controlled warm up with a few :30 openers I rolled to the start line. The 1-2 field was small with only about 9 racers with several of the usual suspects not there. After role call we got a :10 countdown. The start was fast and as expected Will took the hole shot and set a fast pace that would quickly separate him from the group. Oddly enough, I found myself sitting in 3rd wheel feeling very comfortable. Things stayed together for the most part thru the 1st lap. coming thru the 2nd lap I was able to stay on Kevin’s wheel and pull away from the rest of the field. We would ride together for the next couple laps but he eventually would gap me a bit. I was still sitting in 3rd very comfortable and was riding all the mud with pretty good form. Then with 2 laps to go, I noticed Omar, who unlike himself had falling off the pace in the beginning, was starting to get closer and closer…and even though we are on the same team, I was trying to stay away from him for that podium spot. Unfortunately, my the middle of that lap, he caught me after I had made a few mistakes. We rode together for the rest of that lap and half of the last lap but again, in the same spot, I bobbled and he got a small gap on me and went on to take the 3rd spot that I wanted so bad! Good for him though as he rode a smarter race conserving energy until the end where it matters most.
The conditions were epic…lots of mud and sand, several run ups, and some fast power sections. My biggest issue was mud build up in the pedals n cleats. I was having major issues getting back in the pedals after the sand pit and it cost me several seconds on each lap but all n all….it was a great day to be racing!!
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