2011 Recaps
Gareth Reeves
Cat 3 - 4th overall
I upgraded to Cat 3 the week before the FF and the 3’s races were combined with the 1/2/3 and the Masters 40+ fields. They were the last race each day and generally about 90 mins long. Racing for 90mins with with this caliber of rider was exciting and daunting at the same time. I was nervous about being the new guy and making a mistake, but pleased to be riding with team mates (Tim, Jim K and Jostein).
The first race was at the Pelladrome. I spent the first three quarters of the race freaking out about the combined pace and ‘closeness’ of the riders. The pelladrome is pretty much an oval with soft corners so the pace stayed high throughout. We averaged 28mph which was quite a few clicks above the races that I was used to. What they say about ‘If you aren’t moving forward in the peleton, you are moving backwards’ is true and I spent a good deal of effort fighting for position. In my last few races I had been concentrating on defending the wheel I was following and stealing wheels from others. This race was the same, it was just much harder.
My fitness was good so towards the end of the race I was able to move up in the pack and hang towards the front. I tried to follow attacks as they went and was able to get off the front for a lap or two with a couple of riders. After we got caught, I managed to stay towards the front of the pack for the last lap and hung with the front riders in the sprint but certainly wasn’t moving up. I finished 19th and 9th in the 3s.
The next race was the TT at Maple Park. I was racing on my crit bike which is just about the opposite of a TT bike. It’s cramped and very agile. Not good for TTs. Luckily it was a shortish TT at 9.5 miles. My time was decent given the bike I was riding.
The following Saturday we raced at the DuPage Technology park. The race was supposed to be 45 miles/25 laps around the 1.8 mile course. It was windy and this is a slightly more rolling course, so it was going to be a tough 90+ minutes. Also, Dave Reed was able to join us this time which was great. The pace was high and I tried to stay towards the front and mix it up with the guys trying to get off the front. Again I was in a reasonably good position in the last lap when a nasty crash happened right in front of me and I finished at the back of the pack.
Here is what happened with the crash. Charles Gerlach is an incredibly strong TT rider. He and another rider got off the front early in the race and lapped the field with a few laps to go. Charles went to the front and continued to pull the field for the last couple of laps. The pace was high, but not ‘crazy last lap speed’ as we went into the last corner. Charles was still on the front but now it was the sprinters turn. I was on Tim Speciale’s wheel and Tim was slowly coming around the outside of Gerlach. A rider to my inside pushed his way between Gerlach and the rider to the inside of him. There was slight contact and Gerlach looked to his outside, clearly wanting to get out the way of the sprint. Unfortunately, the look back and the contact seem to knock him off balance and off his line. He swerved into Tim and they tangled. I hit the brakes and turned inside of them but saw them go down out of the corner of my eye. Charles seemed to hit his head pretty hard.
I was in a bit of a state of shock, and followed the pack in dead last. I yelled to the officials to notify them of the crash and went for the warm down lap. Charles suffered a fractured skull and as of Sunday morning was still in a medically induced comma. Later Sunday we heard some reports that their had been some positive sign, but clearly he was still in critical condition.
There are a couple of lessons that I took from what happened.
1) Never, ever look back or take your eyes off the road. Especially if you are in a tight group. Especially if you are going into the last corner! Just imagine your future self saying ‘I just went to grab my water, looked down, and that’s the last thing that I remember’. Don’t take your eyes off the road.
2) Consider the trade off of being in the inside or the outside of the corner. On the outside you have more space and in many ways its safer because you have an exit if you need it. The downside to being on the outside is that as a rider looses control in the corner, momentum takes them to the outside and through you. If you choose to be on the outside, “cover your inside”. If you choose the inside make sure that your speed and line are spot on.
3) Don’t mix it up in the sprint unless you know what you are doing and you plan on competing in the sprint.
I went into the final race with a fair amount of trepidation. I was having a hard time shaking off the crash and memories of my crash that it had resurfaced. I decided to ride but to basically take zero risks. This meant just sitting in the back. My job was to cover Tom Doughety who was competing with Tim for the overall. If Tom was going to go, we were going to try to bring him back. Luckily Tom had already raced and he seemed quite content to sit in the back as well. I spent the first two thirds of the race in the back to middle of the pack. At this point in the race. it felt like a good time to try to attack. There were a couple of groups of riders off the front (Jostein in the closer one). Tom moved up and was covering some attacks. Myself, Tim and a few other riders were following. An attack went hard and I followed with maybe one or two other riders. I managed to bridge solo to 2 riders that were up the road and we worked together to catch 4 more. The pace of our break would surge when Andy Swims or Rob Kelly got to the front and then die off when one of the other riders took over. I didn’t want to get caught so I put in more than my share of work at the front along with Andy and Rob.
Scott Pearson bridged and then attacked. I got on his wheel but he didn’t seem to want to work together and the break away group caught us. With 2 laps to go we were clearly away (thanks I gather to some blocking from my team mates) from the main pack and I tried to get some recovery for the finish. I tried to figure out who was in my category and who I needed to beat. I miss read the numbers and only counted one guy in the 3s in our group. I sat on his wheel and figured I had a chance to win if I could come around him at the end. He seemed less strong because he wasn’t taking his share of pulls. Scott Pearson attacked as we crossed the line with one to go and I didn’t follow because he was a Cat 1 and I thought I only had one other wheel to beat in our group.
With two corners to go, the rider in the 3s who’s wheel I was on attacked hard and I wasn’t able to follow. I made up a couple of places in the group and finished alongside another 3 (again, stupidly getting confused with the numbers) and behind Andy Swims (another 3 that I missed) for 4th place. Not bad, but I was kicking myself for not chasing down Scott when he attacked and riding his wheel to the finish. I didn’t have much but there was just a little left in the tank... Another lesson learned.
All in all this was a great series. I was pleased with how I rode and am confident that I can compete in this group next year. Racing with team mates was as great as I had imagined, mostly because we have a great group of guys. The team morale was fantastic and I am proud and excited to ride for EMC2. Being in the 3’s is as good as I hoped. The races are long and tough, the riders are strong and experienced and if you aren’t a sprinter (or don’t feel like mixing it up with the sprinters that day) there will always be a break trying to form that you can try to get into.
I wish a speedy recovery and best wishes to Charles Gerlach and his family.haven't
UltraMidwest 24 hour challenge
Jostein Alvestad
I haven't had any really long events this year, or any adventure/challenge events. So, when I found out that there was a 24 h bike race in Illinois, I just knew I had to try to clear my schedule for it. The format is quite simple: Everyone start at 6 a.m Saturday and ride as much as they want until 6 a.m Sunday. No drafting, Individual Time Trial rules for distance between bikes and passing etc.
The race route was three different sized loops. Everyone start on the large loop (53 miles), then switch to a middle loop (19 miles) at 2 p.m, and one hour before your race finish, you were supposed to get on a small loop (8 miles). I liked that plan; start off with some huge laps, then pass my drink coolers more often as time went on.
In my drink coolers I had prepared 12 bottles of Boost, 12 bike bottles with mixed Hammer Perpetuem, 24 E-Gels, 24 small water bottles, and a six-pack of Coca-Cola, just in case. Pretty straightforward plan: Consume only liquids. Alternate Boost and Perpetuem on top of every hour, and take a gel with water in between. I would take breaks, if it was really necessary, but on the other hand it would be fun to see how far I could go, and if I could ride straight trough the 24 hours.
I had arrived on Friday and driven all three loops. Last thing I wanted is to worry about the route, get lost and waste time in an event like this. I noticed that long loop seemed a bit flatter than the smaller loops, and also leaving the central checkpoint all three loops head out the same road - over a a pretty decent set of hills. Shorter loops would of course mean that you have to do these hills more often. Would make sense to try to stay on the long loop as long as possible.
Met the other racers at a pasta feed at the host hotel. A little weird to be in a bike race and not know any of other racers. I also seemed to be one of the youngest participants! I learned that we were 20 registered for the 24, and there were teams from all over the united states, and also a team from Monaco. I figured that team meant that there was a relay division, but then realized that this was support teams. Aha, that explained all the RV's and cars with roof racks loaded up with spare bikes and wheels. Cool, I was envisioning riding with a support caravan like the Tour de France!
To modify a little , most support teams were simply a spouse or friend, but a couple of the serious racers brought a team support such as mechanics, medical, massage, and had follow vehicles following them with spare wheels and bottles.
It made me also feel like somewhat an underdog, (which I love, of course!) Just me and my Volvo with the coolers waiting at the central check point. I was not worried about it, this was the first Ultra Cycling experience for me. I was here to learn and see how it would be to ride for 24 hours. I wanted to go at least 300 miles.
The Lone Wolf approach have its advantages - I know this from adventure racing, where I prefer the solo division. When the going gets tough, and the fatigue takes it toll on your mood, there is no-one to project your frustration onto, and no-one has moved your stuff in the dark, it is only you, and the responsibility for your result is yours alone.
I had brought my Time Trial bike with the disc wheel and the aerodynamic teardrop helmet. I had made a few modifications to make the bike more comfortable in the long run: I moved my adjustable stem as high as I could - it was almost even with the seat-height. I spread the aerobars apart. Moved the seat back a lot. I am sitting a few inches up higher into the wind, and my arms are now resting very lightly on the handlebars, oh so comfortable - almost like a different bike than the slammed down and forward version. Especially my neck felt good, not having to be bent to see the road ahead. (hmm, would be interesting to do a shorter TT like this, to see if the increased comfort trumps the higher wind resistance?) EDIT 9/25: Yes, kept it like this for the Fall Fling 10 Mile Time Trial. 22:07 is a new personal best for the course! Felt like a sail into the headwind, so I am probably finding a mid-point between the two extremes for next season's shorter TTs.
My second bike, the road bike was equipped my road bike with a bunch of lights and reflectors. The loose plan was to do 12 hours on each, maybe less, if my back is telling me to switch to the even more upright road bike.
The day started out great, got up to 86 degrees before noon. Am mellow and laid back start. We kind of just rolled away at the signal and found a spot in the line as we spread out over the first miles. There was very little wind , and in the rolling hills, I felt like I was using almost no power cruising at this speed. With the fancy helmet, bike and disc wheel slipping trough the wind, the first century (100 miles) went by before I knew it, in 4h51m. Life is good! I am out riding my bike, fast and far!
The first thunderstorm came at noon. Heavy rain. I was far away from my extra clothes, but whatever, it just feels nice to cool down a little, it can't rain this hard for very long, can it? It could. It was a constant rain from noon to 8 p.m. Just one of those days. Wave after wave with heavy squalls just separated of periods with steady rain...
From when the rain started, the temperature fell from 86F to 66F within two hours. Eternally optimistic as I am, I passed by my car 2 times before I smartened up and put on a rain jacket. I just kept hoping it would be the last one, and kept seeing it lighten up a little just to be followed by another deluge. Unreal.
I did not see much other racers anymore, I saw that some riders took shelter in their their parked support cars during the worst of lightning and thunder spells, and some found farmhouse porches and awnings. Very few quit, but many took this as a opportunity for a break, rest and a meal. My attitude was that the weather is one of those things that are out of our control, so no reason to complain about it, it is the same for everybody in the race.
I also saw it as an strategic opportunity: If you are willing to suffer, lots of miles to be had while your competition is huddled up inside somewhere. I pushed on. Leaning the discs into the side wind gusts. Although the flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder seemed loud and scary, they were never closer than 3 seconds apart = 1 km away. I was not worried. Kept my self busy counting seconds to measure the distance from the lightning. Just holding the bike upright, seeing what lay ahead, and making sure I was on the right road was a task in it self. At least this race was not boring, as I had feared!
I did not mind the cold and rain so much, the aerohelmet kept me dry and cozy! I kept it on until late night for this reason. The knee-high compression socks that I wore the whole race worked as a wick, leading water into my shoes. My feet got pretty numb. I changed to my road bike earlier than planned; because of the limited visibility for cars. I found it safest to be on my "night bike", with the required red and white blinking lights and reflectors. l also put on my safety vest, so now I was ready for the night already - there was no more clothes or equipment to put on!
My average speed dropped in the rain, of course. I did 122 miles the first six hours, 105 miles the next six.
The afternoon concern was about trying to meet the cut-off time before the big loop access closed; I would then do more than half the race and 200+ miles on the relatively flat, outer loop. I did all kinds of math on the road and figured I would be very close to be allowed a 4th lap. I hustled the few last miles up just to see 2:02 p.m on the clock. Darn, missed it! At the same time, I got some good news: Only one rider are ahead of me, by 7 minutes. He got to do the big loop again, I was directed to the middle loop.
I was first out on the middle loop, and did not see a car or another rider for hours. The rainstorm had made many take shelter. A 6 and 12 hour division had been riding the same course, and as they finished their respective races it started getting lonely out there. Since I was first out on the middle loop, it took hours before I saw another rider, except at the central checkpoint at the middle school.
At about 5 p.m it was still raining hard, and the race directors made a decision that for the remainder of the event we were all to ride the smallest 8 mile loop. I did not like that we now had to ride in more total elevation than outlined, but I could see why: with the low visibility in the rain it was hard for cars to spot us, and we would be much closer to the checkpoint at all times. The small loop was around a few farms and field, and had a few stand-up-and-climb hills. The small loop was supposed to be only for the last hour, for better scoring distance (more about this later). I still ride with only a big-ring up front on the bike, as I have done all year... Now more than half of the race is in hillier terrain than they said.
A few possible thunderstorms in the p.m was the forecast. Not this. See what is happening here, It is so easy to find external excuses, blame it on that, and quit. I was tired and cold, and it was starting to get dark. Getting bad news about the now hillier race course, not having the right equipment. Sore and hungry, helmet straps chafing... There is just so much time out there, so much time to think, all alone, and dwelling on how much this and this sucks. I have the first serious will power struggle.
Snap out of it! This is exactly what I signed up for! The harder the better. I do a mental turnaround and decide to keep going non-stop out into the dark hours. I focus on the positive: I have covered a lot of distance. I am way ahead of my schedule - so much, in fact, that I modify my "at least 300 mile" goal to "at least 400".
I pass the 300 mile mark at 10:40 p.m. As midnight comes, I calculate that I will pass 400 miles 1 hour 20 minute before race ends. I start trying to guess how far I can ride past 400 in that "extra" time. Feels good to have a solid time "buffer".
The buzz at the pre-race dinner had been the 400 mile mark, which is the qualification requirement for RAAM, but it is also a nice round number and just one of those benchmarks. Breaking certain benchmarks in sports, puts you in a unspoken but respected club. Maybe comparable to doing a sub 10 hour Ironman, or sub 3 hour Marathon. Many try, few make it, some will stay just a few minutes short their whole racing career. I am exited that I am probably will get there on my first try.
I have no serious ailments, just the overall stiffness as I expected after so long in the saddle. I am dry - finally, and in a good mood. The stars are out, and I am enjoying riding and finding a nice rhythm. I yawn once in a while, but I have plenty of experience of sleep deprivation at work. I know I will have no problem staying awake. I do not dare to touch the Coca-Cola, though. This was intended to get a jolt of caffeine and sugar for the last few hours, but I feel that my stomach is in a very sensitive state and on the verge of not cooperating anymore. I am afraid a can or two of Coke would make me puke, so I stick to the Boost and Perpetuem. The Hammer Perpetuem is designed for stuff like this, much milder on the stomach than regular sports drinks, and a nice mild flavor, almost none.
I have more trouble getting all that Boost down, it starts to taste and feel like French Vanilla Coffee Creamer. Ugh! But the 11K+ calories must go down, and stay down! My best guess was that I would burn about 450 calories per hour. If I get behind adding these calories, I will be in serious trouble within the next hour or two. I am staying disciplined, and the bottles left in the cooler serves as a nice countdown to see how the race is getting closer to the end. Just 2 Boost and 3 Perpetuem left to drink, nice. Since we now are on the smallest loop, I don't even need to stop each lap to fill up my bottle holders and pockets.
My car is parked next to the Monaco team bus, and their crew is helpful by accepting the empties and garbage I toss them. They seem impressed that I am there alone, and very friendly and offering help and asking how I am feeling when I stop to switch bottles. I find myself having to be a bit short in my replies, just to keep going. They are probably just as bored as us riders, they are just looking after one guy. I have a bunch of stuff I want to share, and not talking to anyone for a whole day, makes you kind of drawn to just talking to anyone you meet. Another advantage of racing without a support team - no one to stop and share your experiences with while the "meter is running".
I would love to chat with the Europeans, they have a kick-ass setup, and seem like a very professional bicycling team, but my plan is to Always Be Cycling. Ciao! Arrivederci! Hope I did not seem too rude...
Now and then I catch up with another rider or another rider pass me, but not as many times as you would think - we are all going pretty much the same speed now (16-18 mph) .
Nice to have a few quick words before the faster of the rider go on ahead. As we crest a hilltop and head into a steep downhill, I notice that both the person I ride next to and I both grunt loudly as we move our hands to the drops. Yeah we are that stiff and sore by now. Each move like that is unpleasant. So far I have not stepped off the bike more than a few seconds at a time, quick changes of clothes empty for full bottles, switching bike, rain jacket and then reflective vest and headlamp. My strategy have been to minimize the off bike time, always keep moving.
My right knee started to bug me at about 3 a.m. At the same time period I am finding it hard to motivate myself to keep going without any breaks. I have a hard internal battle where I think of using some of the "buffer" time to take a 10 minute break one or two times. I argue with myself that who cares if I ride 422 or 428 miles, what's the difference anyways. I would love to just sit down a little while, and put my feet up. Maybe get some ice on my knees and just close my eyes for ten minutes. Oh, that would have felt great, but doubt I would have been able to get back on the bike again.
I take it really easy for awhile -the knee pain will disappear, but it does not. It just keeps getting worse and worse with each hill. I am OK on downhills and flats, but as soon I have to get over a grade, I am reduced to single- leg pedaling, or else shooting pain happens right to the outside of my kneecap. Fuuuuuuu......
I see my average speed numbers dropping rapidly. Crap.
Over the next hour I see almost all my "buffer" time disappear. Now there is 3 -4 riders that keep passing me regularly. Wow, the race is lost. I don't know how many miles the rest of these riders have logged, since we have been doing different loops and I don't know if they have had breaks or not. It is clear that these elite Ultra riders are catching up fast, and the overall winner have lapped me several times. I am impressed, but not surprised - this is what these riders do. Some of these riders are just in a different league; the Big Dogs of Ultra, I am just a puppy coming to try to play for a day, and right now I am getting my tail whupped. For example, Kurt Searvogel, the eventual winner, is on a year long streak of a double century every weekend. He did 16 centuries in August alone!
I pass 380 miles at about 4:30 a.m. Only an hour and a half to go 20 miles? I am in such pain and so fatigued my math skills are barely there. I have to finger-count to figure out that I can make it if I keep above 14 mph average. I am not even sure of my math at this time, try different ways of figuring it out; but all have the same conclusion: I still have a chance to make 400.
Every downhill I am optimistic, the leg pain is easing off, and I am free to update my math - yes, I can do this. Every uphill is hell, I am almost crying tears and cursing my own stubbornness. "Just stop, you idiot!" An emotional roller-coaster, that mirrors the terrain. Ups and downs, literally! I am thinking that this is how it must feel to have multiple personality disorder...
I am pretty sure the knee is just irritated and have some kind of inflammation from the constant movement. The healing time will be shorter if i stop at 380 miles, but my vanity wins. I really want to see 400. If I keep going above 14 mph I will make it with a few minutes to spare. Doable.
It will be close, and not pleasant. I know my speed is decreasing rapidly. Even in the flatter hills I am now in my last gear and just crawling up. As the time gets closer to 6 a.m it gets clearer and clearer how close it is going to be. Any stops are out of the question, I race trough the crew area, where some have been up all night, others are just getting out of their RV's and tents to watch the finish.
The format for the end of the race is a little unusual, since it is distance at the 24 hour mark that counts, there is no finish line. Riders will be spread all over the small loop at that point in time. Riders passing the lap counter prior to 6 a.m, will be permitted to complete one more lap of the short loop. Upon completing that loop, the total mileage will be divided by the total time to arrive at an average miles per hour, which will be multiplied times 24.
Finally, dawn! The previous lap had put me at 390 miles, so the next one would be at 398 miles. I knew what this meant...I MUST pass the timing station before six, and keep going! "Digging deep" doesn't even begin to cover it. Now it was pride on the line. My body feels like a total wreck, all this one sided pedaling have my whole body feeling crooked and uneven. I am so tense in one side, especially my back feels shot. Now my good leg is giving out as well - really feeling the effect of doing almost all the work. Both knees now are now staging an anti-pedaling protest! I can't and won't stop.
I passed the timing station with ten minutes to spare! A few of my fellow competitors said they were done and had already pulled off in the finish area. A little surprising to me. I felt that I surely was in the worst state of everybody, but I had to go on. Me and another rider headed out to make those little minutes count.
As I passed the 6 a.m mark, I had 402 miles. Yes! I made it, but this could be no "cool down" lap, I had to keep up hustlin' or else my average speed would be brought down too much. By now it was full daylight out, and it was nice to actually see the scenery I had passed so many times in the dark. Lots of farms and animals I had no idea had been there. I finished my ride at 6:23 a.m with 410 miles.
Happy to be done and off to the showers and chicken soup. That felt good. I hobbled up and got my third place medal in the 25-49 age group. All the riders hobbled about, by the way. Must be normal in this kind of race. I got my stuff in the car, and started on the 3 hour drive home. I pulled over somewhere around Dixon and had a 2 hour nap in the car, before I continued home. My back felt even worse after the drivers seat slump nap than from the ride. A good night's sleep did wonders. Did not even need a chiropractor to straighten me out!
My average speed for the whole race ended up being 16.7, with only 4 minutes total of not moving. No saddle sores at all ( used plenty of chamois creme, added every hour), and the knee got better in 3 days. My right ankle and feet was swollen for a few days longer. I took a week completely off the bike after, and maybe two weeks before I did any real training again. A race like this is of course a total crit form destroyer, but that season has ended anyways.
I learned a lot about how to prepare for a race like this, and I am glad I had this experience. Came back with good memories and a result I am proud of. Now that I know more what to expect, this would be a good late season event for next year as well. Any targeted training for this might in my case be counter-productive. If I get an over-use irritation after 21 hours, I probably should not do a couple of 10 hour rides in the weeks before. I figure I have enough time in the saddle during the summer to do well anyways.
I also learned that Ultra Cyclist are a fun bunch, and something to consider should my body get too old for crits, cross and road races. The recumbents looked fun. I can see my self in one of those at 60, doing 60!
Septmeber 24, 2011
Fall Fling Pella Crit - Stage 1
Tony Meadors - Masters 50+
I would be a liar if I said I had no worries about returning to the scene of my crash last year, but I reassured myself, “ride smart, pay attentions and you’ll be fine!” I must have thought I had all day to prepare, but Tim Radcliff spotted me and quickly assisted me with my bike, spare wheels and pinning on my number. Next came a good warm up, not too short or too long, and off to the line. Many of the usual suspects are there, a few names are missing, but can’t worry about that. Riders ready, the whistle, and off we go…
I am focused on the race, knowing I’ve got 35 minutes +2 laps, but have to confess that I really don’t know exactly when in the race all the moves I am about to describe occurred, but I will give my best approximation! The field rolls it up to 25 mph or so, we do a sensible first lap. From there, a few guys at the front surge it up to 26-27 and the field follows a while, then everybody sits up as the field slows to 23 as guys consider their next moves… I am having none of that and defiantly hold the original pace of 25 as I easily slide to the front; the peloton follows on my wheel. Radcliff is stationed between turn 2 and 3 and sees me leading the bunch. He shouts encouragement, but I know he is thinking “What the heck is he doing that for?”… This goes on for 2 more laps.
A few more guys try to escape, but the pack reacts swiftly to keep them in check. Next lap an ABD Rider (Bob Marshall) and a few other try a dig and are thwarted, but this time Tom Doughty counters and it is officially on! A Bicycle Heaven rider quickly grabs Tom’s wheel (later I find out it is Andy Kerr) and they methodically open a gap. The two riders dangle 30 meters ahead and nobody chases, then Mike Farrell of ABD jumps away at turn 1 with a huge bridge effort and successfully joins with the other two.
The pack rounds turn 2 and heads up the back stretch, I sit somewhere in the top 8 places on the inside. The front of the pack moves left, code for “OK, who wants to pull now?” We are almost at turn 3; I can see the 3 man break just about to complete turn 4. Sitting there with that beautiful unobstructed inside line I realize, I can bridge those guys of I go now, so better try (after all I am here to race!) so off I go! I quickly shoot up the road, go around turn 3, and put it down at 28 steady. If I reach them, I have to be able to work, so I am going hard, but with a steady measured effort. I take a quick look back and nobody has gone with me. OK then, it’s on me now… I am the only EMC2 guy in the race, so I know there is no help coming on my behalf… Great! I am closing them! Wow, I made it! Even better, the pack is not closing us.
I get on the back of the break as we round turn one; Radcliff is ecstatic, cheering me on with vigor! My turn comes and I take my pull within this elite group of Masters 50+ riders. Tom Doughty is the beast of the break. His pulls are the longest and hardest, mine are long but not quite as hard, about the same for Farrell; Kerrs’s pulls are strong but shorter. This goes on for 5-6 laps and we build a 28 second gap over the main field. Sweet! Maybe I can stay with this! This could give me a finish no worse than 4th! I realize that Doughty and Farrell are in 55+, thus I could finish no worse than 2nd in 50+!
Well you know that saying if something seems too good to be true? Well sure enough, I am getting into the red zone trying to stay in the breakaway, and just after turn 2, I slip out of the back. OK. It is what it is. Recover and find your rhythm. The breakaway is not disappearing, but rather opening up ground slowly and steadily in front of me; the pack is still far behind. Over the start finish I see we are at minute 25. Can I hold this for 10 minutes plus two more laps? Yikes! This hurts!
Around turn 1 I go, and there is Tim, the teammate that he is, steadily encouraging me, “OK Tony, give it your best time trial effort now! You can do it” The laps roll by; the pain goes up, the break moves away, the field is slowly gaining, but not on me yet. The lap card is at minute 30. Come on! Radcliff shouts that the pack is closing and to give my best, “you can do it!” he screams.
Across the start / finish the official give me 3 to go; I look back and see the pack is closing between turn 3 and 4. Oh Crap! They are strung out in single file chasing hard. The gap is down to 15 seconds. I continued to dig as I came around the start/finish with 2 to go. The gap had now dropped to 8 seconds. As I rounded turn 1, Radcliff bellows, “Give it all you’ve got NOW! They paused! GO!” The field momentarily sat up as riders considered tactics instead of chasing.
I somehow settle myself and find a find a 25-26 mph final effort. I cross the start/finish line with 1 to go. I look across to the back stretch and see the welcome site of the pack easing off the gas, conceding 4th place to me as they prepare to fight out the remaining places. I take turn 1, Radcliff is going nuts, the pack is just through turn 4 so if I don’t keep on it, they could be on me in the back stretch as they wind up the sprint. I keep pressing the pedals with all I’ve got, I take turn 3, then turn 4. Radcliff is still screaming encouragement. I look right, see the pack just going into turn 3 and I know I have it, crossing the line 4th and immediately easing off the pedals for a well deserved rest, relieved that I held on!
Reflecting back on the race, tactically, things worked out well, as I was able to recognize “the move”, and react to it. As it turns out I was also lucky, as it ended up being the winning break away. I was so involved in my own individual race so I’m not sure to what extent ABD (Mike Farrell’s team) or Bicycle Heaven (Kerr’s team) were blocking. I will likely be a marked man for the rest of the series, a lone EMC2 rider with no teammates, but that is OK. I will just have fun and race the bike!
Sub 5 Century
Lee Pfefferman of Glen Ellyn
The event is a hybrid team time trial and organized century - more the former than the later. We began by signing in on a large team posterboard (just like the pros), attached disposable RFID timing tags, listened to presentations and then rolled to the starting line. Ten groups of about 12 riders started at five minute intervals. John Vande Velde, Christian's father, was the official starter. We heard that someone commented on the colorful glasses John was wearing, the frames were bright orange and yellow, and he said they were hand-me-downs from Fabian Cancellara.
********** end of name-dropping section ***********
The powerful Bicycle Heaven team, led by a couple of Cat 2's, started first and the team I rode with, Elmhurst Masters Competition Cycling (EMC2), was slotted second. The other powerhouse team, Endure It!, was originally scheduled to start second but their position was changed, possibly a result of their labor day training ride.
John counted us down and twelve riders, eight from EMC2 and four unattached, and a Sub-5 support vehicle were off. The car had spare wheels, tools and fluids but was not allowed to motor-pace us or provide handups. Although we didn't have any mechanicals, our driver, Steve, and his wife were very helpful and would pull alongside to provide timing and status information on the members of the group.
Thanks to a very light west wind the first 33 mile lap went pretty quickly with most riders taking long 23 mph pulls. Course marshals waved us through most intersections with large colorful Stop and Go signs. Two riders came off the back; one unattached that struggled from the start and one EMC2 rider. Steve, the sag driver, told us that they had joined other groups behind us. The remaining ten of us completed the lap in 1:26 and spent about four minutes in the well-stocked and staffed feed zone before starting the second lap.
Early on, Rene, the event organizer drove by and said that Bicycle Heaven was six minutes ahead. My first thought was that since they had started five minutes earlier they had only gained one minute but it turned out that he had probably received first lap timing and that they already had a substantial advantage. Several times on the second lap a photographer drove alongside and photographed the group. The group was working pretty well together and was making good time even though the wind had picked up. We completed the lap in around 1:29, spent three minutes in feed zone and were soon on our way.
On the third lap several of EMC2's big motors spent more time on the front - thanks Matt (and Jim)! Several riders were showing signs of fatigue however and the pace was moderated over the last 15 miles to keep the group together.
We finished in 4:34. Bicycle Heaven blew everyone away with a 4:17 but our time was good for second place with "Endure It!" close behind in third. The organizers reported that 78 of the 115 that started finished under five hours. Two bikes without riders also finished under five hours when their RFID tags were detected crossing the line inside their sag car.
The event was well-organized and had a great group of volunteers.
August 16, 2011
Jostein Alvetad - Chicago Velodrome
Spent another day volunteering with some of the final construction tasks of the new Velodrome on Burley and 87th - I worked most of the day on a scaffolding attaching the outside safety net behind the top fence. The fence is an extra safety net, designed to catch any rider that in a (very unlikely) incident should happen to tumble over the railing. The fence also makes it less scary to ride up high by the fence, as this net obscures the sight the 30-40 feet drop to the asphalt below!
At 6pm, I changed from my construction clothes and joined the certification group. I was fitted fitted on a loaner bike. I haven't ridden much on a fixed gear before, it is harder than you think - to not forget to not coast!
Another first for me is that the bike has absolutely no brakes, and also, I have never ridden on a banked velodrome ever before. This one is probably not the most beginner friendly velodrome, being tied for worlds steepest turns, at 50 degrees banking at the apex, but I was eager and exited about learning how to ride on this thing I had been part of putting together.
Track Manager and instructor is Peter Willcock, former member of the British Olympic team in Track racing. He gave good introduction. A few safety rules and track etiquette, and then he walked us around the track gave a lot of tips and explained the getting on and off procedures. Lots of new imformation to process, but at least I understood that the most important thing is to get up to speed fast so you wont fall off that first steep wall! You have about 50 yards to accelerate out from the infield and you need a minimum of about 18 mph to stick! Not a lot of space, you really have to commit and push hard!
The top half of the track has a sandpaper like surface, "the slow lane". the bottom half is designed for minimum rolling resistance, in other words pretty smooth. I remember the designer, Dale Hughes, saying that 8 world records have been set on exactly this kind of surface. In fact, the bottom "fast lane" is so smooth my sons were using the flattest part of the track as a slide earlier in the day! This was on straightaways where it is only banked about 15 degrees!
The other five riders in this session were all experienced track racers, but everybody have to go trough a certification session before allowed to ride this velodrome, no exemptions. Good rule to ensure that everybody is on the same page from the start. One by one these riders followed Peters instructions and got going. It started too look like he was sending out marbles into a bowl. Oh boy, I was getting nervous, no chickening out now!
xXx rider Sandra Samman was the last to go before me. She did not quite get up to speed fast enough,and she toppled in the first turn and I got to watch her slide from top to bottom on the sandpaper like surface right before I was to go. Not the best confidence builder! She got a few abrasions and a sore shoulder, but I think she will be alright.
OK, reset, I get back to the starting fence and go over the "getting on" instructions one more time. Lots of new, unfamiliar stuff, are swirling around in my brain, but let's just do it! I was a bit scared and exited at the same time. My very first pedal strokes on this unfamiliar bike type is going to be a very hard acceleration up to a scary banking turn, so there is not much room for error here! Track bikes has only one gear, the one that is suited to use at top speed, so it is a very heavy gear to get going in. I had a 15 tooth in the back - at Criterium starts I normally keep it in the 20 ring! This sure felt different than any other biking experience I have had!
I got a little push from Peter and start pedaling as hard as I can up to the high traction surface.
Midway in the turn I got the feeling that I would fall inward - with that angle and my speed just seemed impossible that I would not slip down like Sandra. I "dive" the bike down towards the bottom part of the track! Not at all as Peter had instructed, but I simply lost my nerve! I was able to stabilize the bike and get back up on the safer, grippier high part before the second turn.
With a brake-less bike there is no much alternative to keep going anyways! There is no sudden stop and restart on a steep track no matter what happens - you have to keep going and put pressure on those pedals at all times!
I spent the next five minutes in a mild state of terror! Round and round the turns, just coming to terms with that I unless I do any sudden, stupid moves, I will not slip off or fall off the wall.
I got a little more relaxed with each lap. Peter was very good at calling out the right instructions about where to look etc. I started getting used to how the bike wanted to creep upwards in the turns and downwards out of the turns. By the end of the first 10 minutes, I got the feeling that I could follow the lines pretty good, and when Peter told me to get up high and start slowing down, I was actually relaxed enough to even holler and smile to my spectating sons!
Now, for getting off the track, you have to slowly slow down your speed over the course of 2-3 laps, but not too slow, or you will loose grip, then at the right spot commit to ducking down to the bottom and transitioning to the apron and do that "resisting the cranks" thing that track riders do to stop. I was not too good at that on the first attempt - came in a little too hot and could not check my speed fast enough. Just not used to this kind of fixie "back pedaling" I bounced somewhat out of control across the infield until Peter tackled me before I headed back up the track! Thanks, buddy!
He told me to take a break and let the excitement settle a little. At this point I was not sure if I even liked it. I was scared of falling during most of the ride, and could not even imagine that I would be able to race on such an arena, when just staying safe and upright was hard enough! I was starting to doubt if this was for me. During the break, Peter explained a little more in detail about the finish procedure, gave me some good landmarks to start each step at. He also explained that I should look far ahead, about half a turn ahead.
He asked me if I was ready to go again, and yes, yes I was! Just having ridden it once but gotten my mind calmer about the sensation of riding on a seemingly vertical wall. This time, I was no longer scared. Like a cowoboy that have broken in a mustang, I felt I was now in control! The second time up, no problem getting up to speed - and I knew how "fast enough" felt.
I was now riding with three other riders on, and this time I was much more relaxed and comfortable, practiced aiming further ahead, and got more and more comfortable with the different forces getting trying to get you off the line. It was a predictable pattern, as I got whipped out of each turn, just a little counter steering and I was dead on my line.
I practiced transitioning bewteen between the high and low lane, had other riders go above and below me. Yeah, that's right: Above and below! I am used to riding in packs and having riders pass on the left and right side, but this was totally new feeling: Passing under someone on the "wall", or seeing someone come by on another level below you in the turn! Wow, that was fun!
Peter must have noticed that I improved fast on holding the bottom black line - he told me to do some fast laps. I did and it felt fantastic! As my speed increased, so did the stability, now I could actually feel the G-forces in the turns. My body was pressed down on the bike in each turn! This was pretty exiting, I was having A LOT of fun now, too bad that after about five more minutes of this my legs started to get really tired! I moved out of the fast lane and started going trough the landmarks for getting off the track in my mind. Once I remembered it, I nailed it and found that it actually very easy to get off this time!
I rolled off with a big grin and got high fives all around! This felt totally different than after the first ride. I think I have to get a track bike!
July 12, 2011
ICC Superweek - Willow Springs Road Race
Jostein Alvetad- 16th Place
Masters 40+ 123's
Alvestad's response
Our race ended up opposite of our pre-plan. Tim had offered to work for me the whole race, and sacrifice his chances by doing a long last TT effort and pull me around to the front before the last hills. My job was just to conserve for the end. He was to chase back attacks, gaps etc.
Tim described what happened very accurately; in the crucial moment of the race he had great positioning and reacted correctly and instantly. His instinct was perfect and he got himself into the winning breakaway!
I saw the four of them getting a gap, and realized that it might stick. I was very happy that Tim was in it. He had been riding very strong. I instantly switched mode in my head from "star" to "assistant". No biggie - as the US Marines say: "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome."
My first thought was that I am must not be the guy who pulls the field back up to him. The race was getting faster the last lap, and the chase was full on. We narrowly avoided a XXX rider who went down, and by the final long straight on Archer, I got to the front of the main field and set a brisk pace. Just fast enough for the field to be satisfied with the speed.
Ironically, on the long flat highway where the original plan was that Tim was going to do his TT effort, I was now pulling the field in the wind! I was pretty spent by the base of the final climb, but happy to see that the breakaway now was at a safe distance; Tim now would be guaranteed at least 4th. He took 2nd ! His first podium this year. I got 16th. Go team!
July 12, 2011
ICC Superweek - Willow Springs Road Race
Tim Radcliff- 2nd Place
Masters 40+ 123's
That Wasn't The Plan
I should be writing this recap proud and fired up about the podium at a Superweek road race, but a goofy situation that changed the race plans has left me a bit reluctant to celebrate quite as much. I am proud of something else, however. Read on.
The Willow Springs Road Race was suited for Jostein Alvestad. It is a roughly 4 mile triangle - a 3/4 mile three-step hill, a fast, gentle descent, and a long pancake flat straightaway back to the bottom of the hill. Jostein and I discussed our plans, and I was clear: "I am working for you. Period." The finish is at the top of the three-step hill, and given I am a Clydesdale and Jostein has the power to weight ratio of a Saturn 5 rocket, we decided I need to deliver him to the base of the second step of the climb, at which point he would light the candle and go for broke. So my job: monitor breaks, and keep Jostien on my wheel if we needed to bridge.
This is exaclty what I did for three laps. On the very first lap up the hill, XXX attacked and no one let him get away. A strung peloton was probaly thinking "its gonna be a long day if we go at this pace." There were alot of painful faces at the top of the first hill. I, however, was feeling great. Maybe it was because I rode my bike to the race and was really warmed up? Maybe it was because it was an early morning race, and EMC2 trains early? Doesn't matter, my form was good.
Attack after attack was going off, and on several occassions, I found that I needed to stick my nose in the wind and drill it back. It was great not going too deep into the red zone to do that. However, after recovering a bit and on the base of the hill the third time, I checked for my passenger. Right behind me was Jostein. But. . . no one else was there! We were last! Not good Tim! Do your job! I signaled for Jostein to get on my wheel and I pushed up the side of the pack as we climbed. I moved to approximately 15 or deep by the time we hit the right turn to a fast descent. And a threatening break had formed off the front as well.
Then trouble. . .
The officials placed metal barriers on only part of the roads marking the yellow line. So what was an open road with a yellow line rule became an unforgiving metal barrier out of nowhere. And the peloton was far left. I recall thinking, "Holy Shit I didn't like being that close to the barrier" as I flew past it at 35 mph. Then "click" "Bang!" Crash. A rider 3 or 4 places behind me and Jostein was not so furtunate and clipped the suprise barrier. I understand he broke his collarbone, his shoulder, and was unconcious for several minutes on the road. Several others were taken out in the violent wreckage as well.
I had become focused upon dragging Jostein and the bunch back to the break when the lead car neutralized us. First, we were about to lap a rider, but then they realized the extent of the riders' injuries were severe. At the flat bottom section, they stopped the race for a long break as they helped the injured rider.
Jostein and I used the time to discuss plans again. I know he was concerned about the work I was doing chasing moves, but I really felt great, and it was nice knowing my job was to escort him. I enjoyed the work. But we also acknowledged, the fireworks are gonna go off when they restart this thing. Stay up front and out of trouble and be ready.
We did a neutral roll to the top of the hill when they restarted us with 3 to go. 3 climbs - one being the sprint finish. So I stayed up front, checking and hoping Jostein was there. Gary Doering took a flyer as we approached the hill and shortly after the catch, the fireworks began as we suspected. . . . and to the moment of my consternation. It happened fast.
I had done a bit of work pulling the group up at tempo, but not too much, and as we hit the second step, Bryan Rhuede and a Matt Silvia jumped. I heard Matt's teammate yell "Go hard as hell!" and I could see they were going for it. I lifted my tempo in response, maybe 20 meters behind when I glanced back to see what the situation was. As I looked back, eventual winner Mark Winston of Pact flew by me bridging up. Bad news - the peloton did not react and Jostein was a few riders deep in it. Shoot. Decision time. I am closer to the break, and far from the peloton. But this race is not about me - its about Jostein. What's the right thing to do.
I saw the threesome slow some on the third leg of the hill, so I bridged to them. My thinking at the moment was to not work too hard, and surely there was enough firepower in the peloton that we would be caught and I could be back to plan. Mack was not in our move. WDT's Otero was not. XXX was not in the move. OK, ride smart Tim and we'll see what happens. I kept looking back for my guy and the bunch as we flew down the hill with our foursome finding a decent rythym. The peloton was not more than 15 - 20 seconds back.
I did some work to keep it high and safe, but again, I was not going all out yet. As we hit the base of the second to last climb, the gap had increased! At this point, I invested even more. As we crested and hit the descent, I took longer, harder pulls. 35mph+ on the down hill. 30mph on the flat. My legs felt great. And I could tell by quick glance, that my partners were working hard, too. As we hit the last flat section, I took a few long hard pulls, and the peloton was no where to be seen. Two things were happening. Jostein was sitting on the group doing enough work that riders were not coming around him, but at the same time he paced the group much slower than our flying breakaway. My companions also had teammates blocking. Also, there was a second crash a few riders deep in the bunch. This also scrubbed off the intensity of the chase for sure.
I placed my self in 4th place at the bottom of the final time up the hill bracing for pain. On the second step, Mark Winston jumped from way out with a heavy attack. My remaining two partners took the chase but Mark was gone. I sat in until 50 meters to go and jumped with what remained in the tank to get 2nd overall and 1st of the Cat 3 riders.
The podium is great, but it did not feel right given I said I would work for Jostein. Jostein is a class act, and a most chronically positive man. He was happy for me and acknowledged that we have to be ready to make changes in the plan as the race dictates. I really appreciate his response, as I felt that I did not keep my part of the bargain. I was prepared for the peloton to come back to us, but when we were increasing the gap, I went full tilt. It turns out, Jostein was in the back helping me.
I am more proud of my teammate Jostein than I am of my podium. His approach to EMC2 and to cycling is balanced and positive. Some other riders would have been upset at the change in roles, especially in a race that suits him so well. Jostein didn't hesitate. When our move got away, he switched modes immediately.
I still cannot wait to return the favor and work for him. . . to the finish. Thanks Jostein.
July 3, 2011
ABR State Criterium Championships - Wood Dale
Gareth Reeves - 2nd Place
Cat 4
This was the first race that I had done after a crash in Galena 3 weeks ago. My injuries were relatively minor but it involved 12 stitches to the face and 4 hours in the ER in Galena, not to mention literally wearing the news on my face for a couple weeks and constantly answering the question 'shit, what happened to you?'. The more time passed without racing, the more nervous I was to finally get back in there. My internal risk manager was off kilter. I wasn't sure if I should throw my self into it or hang back and be cautious.
But before I finish that story, I must tell you this story. Back in the spring, when I signed @ElmhurstMasters up on twitter, I got chatting with the guys at http://www.daniale.com/ about a product they were promoting, called the IceCycle. The basic idea is that its an ice pack that you wear... Ingenious or disaster? After some delay, they were able to send me a demo and the weather was finally right to find out.
I rode to the race (about 12 miles in 30c) and generally forgot that I was wearing the IceCycle. When I got there I started to feel the chill across my back. I had warmed up nicely on the way so it was refreshing to get a bit of chill before the race started. That was generally the last time that I noticed the IceCycle but I never one felt overheated during the 50min race despite the heat. I am a convert... Order yours online at http://www.daniale.com/
Back to the race. I lined up in a medium sized field. The course was the shorter, basic square south course. I prefer the combined course, but there is a nice rise and fall approaching the line in this course that suits me and means that I can get a jump on the pure sprinters. On the first lap a kid from Northwestern 'straight armed' a rider right in front of me. I was already starting to feel more comfortable, but made some noise about 'taking it easy'. A few older riders came up and yelled at the kid, wagging their fingers and and looking him in the face. I felt this was uncalled for and just as dangerous as the initial push.
Second lap they call a prime. Some Homemade Salsa! I felt like stretching my legs and seeing how they felt so I went for it. A lot of the riders were huffing and puffing or standing their way through the slight rise into the last turn while I felt like I could just power through it. Leading the charge for the prime was a young guy from Tati so I sat on his wheel until we approached the line, then came around him for the prime. When we hit the first corner after the line I looked back and the pack was nowhere to be seen. 'Where are they?' 'I dunno' 'Well shit, lets goooo!'. Common sense kicked in a lap later. We were 5 mins into a 50 min race. I think neither Sasha (we exchanged names) or myself were up for that level of pain so we decided to sit up.
The pack caught and I sat in for a couple of laps. Sasha went for the next prime and I went for the one after that. Sometimes we traded the primes, sometimes we went for the same ones. I won 3 out of 5. They called a prime with 2 laps to go, I was trying to conserve but nobody was interested so I took a crack at it and took that one as well. Each prime was for 2 places so each time someone came with me. I was chatting with the last guy when the pack came past at last lap speed and we got popped off the back. I jumped to catch back on and as we came past the line with one lap to go, Sasha was by my side. I said 'Ok Sasha, lets do this'. We were mid pack but quickly moved up. We hit the hill like others were standing still . Sasha flew up the inside while I was stuck in traffic. I jumped off my line in between some riders to get to his wheel and once again rode it to the line. I came around a fraction too late and he beat me to the line by the finest or margins. A classy young rider indeed.
O'Fallon Illinois State Road Race
Jostein Alvestad- 1st Place
Masters 30+ 1,2,3
Left my house at 3:45 AM, for the long drive down to the southern end of our state. Picked up Joe Berenyi on the way, and we had a nice chat the next 4 hours. Discussed the race. We both were in the same race, but on different teams. Only 7 pre-registered, so we figured it would be a pretty small group, and no chance for any weaker rider to just sit in. In such a long race (75 miles) in this heat, the endurance and fluid/nutrition would be very important. We agreed it would be silly to try anything serious on the first lap. We made sure we drank lots, and added extra salt to our McMuffins and McOatmeal.
Joe had never raced this long, but I had several Ironman (and even longer) events in very hot conditions to draw experience from. According to Ironman legend Mark Alllen, your body can only absorb 200-300 calories per hour during a race. Eating more than that is counterproductive and may lead to GI distress. Less is more. Seems like many roadies think that ride a lot = eat a lot. I had of course a clear nutrition plan, coming from a Tri-nerd background: 2 gels per lap, and bike bottles with Gatorade that I had added 100 calories of Maltodextrin powder to.
By the way, Maltodextrin (an easily absorbed sugar that is the main ingredient in most endurance and recovery drinks) can be bought very cheap in bulk in Wine and Beer making stores. $1.99 for a large bag. Cheaper, cleaner calories is hard to find. Just in case of emergency bonk, I had two small Fuelbelt flasks with a home made syrupy mix of maltodextrin, Gatorade powder, Red Bull, salt. I had frozen these bottles solid, and placed in my back pockets. Right over my kidneys. They cool your core a little as they slowly melt during the race. I shared my last Endurolyte pills with Joe and Jared before the race: Buffered sodium, potassium and electrolytes. Jared Craft's fiance Melanie offered to do the bottle handups for us.
We did not do much warm up at all, it was like a wall of heat in the sun. We were more concerned with staying cool and in shade before start. Just putting the bikes together got us soaked in sweat. We dropped off our spare wheels and got the news that the Masters 30+ 1,2,3 had been combined with the Masters 45+ 1,2,3. Our field had 15 starters, theirs 21. These news changed the race strategy a bit. We are now a 36 person "peloton", with very stong riders such as Schwarzendruber, Stone, Fleckenstein, Doering, Shea etc. Largest teams were Mack with 5 riders and Wheel Fast with 4 riders. We would be scored seperatly, and only IL residents are eligble for the State titles.My race plan now would be to keep an eye on who is from IL, and in the 30+ field. I decided to mark Adam Sergent and Joe Berenyi, but of course if there was a split in the field - I had to get with the faster riders.
I noticed Adam Sergent attacking a few times during the first lap. The field did not let him get more than 50 yards or so before he was slowly reeled in. I thought,"Nice, let him exhaust himself ". Both him and Joe B can easily out-sprint me in a bunch finish, so I was depending on them spending themselves before that. This was a fast moving group, we are all Cat 3 or better. I admit I was sitting in relatively easily, sometimes all the way in the back on the first lap. Just biding my time, letting the hills, heat and time take it's toll.
Watching from the back, it was pretty obvious that the IL riders clearly knew who is who. Team Mack covered Scarletfire and vice-versa. Especially Swartzendruber was heavily marked. When he tried a couple of surges, you could hear people alert each other, "there he goes"...
Finishing up the first 25 mile lap, got a first taste of the two final hills. Not too bad, but I noticed something weird, like a braking feeling whan I stood up. Almost like the imaginary brake scrub feeling I sometimes get when I am close to bonking, but It could not be, I was feeling rested and hydrated. It was clogged brakes feeling. Oh - I see tar had accumulated around my brake shoes. I used my fingers to loosen them up and get some of it out. Wow, the heat had made the tar patches almost liquid! I felt the soft jello feeling a couple of times when the wheel cut into it. It seemed I was not the only one with this problem, I noticed riders throughout trying to clear the brakes.
Coming into the feed zone I stay to the left looking for Melanie in the pre-designated spot. Turns out that the officials had ordered all bottle handups from the right side only. I catch her out of the corner of my eye as I pass her, Crap! She is on the other side and I have a bunch of riders zooming by in between us. I momentarily slow up and think of turning around when a rider buzz me and yell at me for veering! Yeah, he is right, I messed up, too late now, gotta go on. To boot, someone at the front of our group attacked out of the feed zone! That was just not very sportsmanlike. It was supposed to be neutralized. Now we are spread out in smaller groups, but I think almost all riders catch back up in a couple of miles.
I assess my situation. No real problem; I still have one bottle left on my bike, I just have to make it last around this lap. I take small sips so it lasts me until a few miles before the end of lap 2. I dip into my "emergency" flasks, but nothing to wash it down with. I am now dry, but close within a couple of miles of the feed zone. Looking forward to finally getting a cool, fresh bottle. This time again there is someone attacking trough the feed zone! I see my hand up this time, but fumble my bottle! Panic mode! I am so thirsty! The front of the field is surging away! There is a row of people handing up bottles to their riders. I yell out "water anyone? PLEASE! WATER!". No one reacts. I hold my hand out for a few, but no one is of course giving me the bottle designated for "their" rider. There was folding table with a couple of bike bottles at the end. I briefly considered just grabbing one, but when I got closer, I could see that there was names on them. It would have been extremely rotten of me, to take another riders bottle, so I gave up on getting anything and started chasing back up instead.
The field had split in two. Joe Berenyi did a nice, long pull to get us back on, then I took over and closed the last of the gap for us. Once the groups were connected, a rider from the back field started cussing out the riders up front for attacking in the feed zone. He was livid!
Again I am forced to take inventory. Not good at all this time. So thirsty, super hot. Only my warm syrupy energy gel left. This last lap was when I had planned to start put the screw in and see if I could do anything. Now I am desolute. I drop back to the support truck and plead my case. They have no water. I tell Joe. He see he have a small clear water bottle in his back pocket. It is also his last bottle, as he too missed the hand-ups! I don't ask him, and he doesn't offer it at this time. In this heat I am sure every rider around me have their plan for using their own remaining on-bike water, and it would not be fair of me to start begging them. Only once I ask a guy who is drinking for a sip, it looked like he had plenty. He says "sorry, dude I have nothing to spare". I see him later in the race pour half a bottle over his head...that stung! In fact, everytime I see someone drink, it serves as a reminder of how thirsty I am, and how this is likely to not end well for me. There are no spectators to ask along the rural course. Just a few farms. I am looking at the buildings - at this point I would be willing to stop if I see a water hose. I scan each intersection officials. If I had seen any water bottles, I would have been prepared to stop and then chase back on. Getting some liquids would have been worth it at this point.
A guy crash out on some gravel in a turn. Seconds later I see Joe B drop a chain at the foot of a hill. It seems like these sounds of crash or a loud slipping sound automatically results in a surge in speed in the field. We are a ruthless pack of wolves: A mishap like that is like a free chance to drop someone off the back, whoever gets stuck behind a crash have to use a lot of energy catching up. It is still 20 miles to go. I consider cutting a deal with Joe - drop back and help him back to the field in exchange for some of his water. Nah, he is a friend, but also a rival. I am glad I did not, because Joe dropped his last spare bottle in his mishap!
He had to put in a good effort to case back on. I don't see Adam Sergent anymore, so now my hopes for a top finish goes up. My two main contenders are weakened. I have been patient and stayed in the pack, letting others set the pace and chased down surges. I know that I have to be one of the most rested riders in the field at this point. My hydration problem somehow benefited me; In my quest for water and knowing that dehydration is setting in. I had no moral qualms about sitting in the pack and trying to do as little as possible. My legs feel great. I am thirsty, sunburned and hot, but no headache or dizziness yet. That would gave been my symptoms to take it easy. 60 miles in, 15 left. I can do this.
The field seems to slow down quite a bit on the last lap. I was thinking that it was a combination of the heat and people trying to rest up before the finishing hills. I learned later that Stone and Fleckenstein (Masters 45+ eventual winners) had gotten off the front as I dropped back to the support car, looking for water. The slowing down of the field was due to both Swartzendruber and team Mack's wanted to let their two guys get away for a guaranteed first and second place. My confidence grew as I made a few pulls up front. My pulls weren't that hard, but somehow I got a small gap each time. Ignorance is bliss. I was getting the impression that the main guys were pretty spent, when in reality it was maybe some tactical riding going on! I kept my position in the front two-three spots the rest of the race. There surely had to be someone else fresh? I was optimistic; the end of the race was getting nearer. All I have to do now is defend my position at the front and be ready for the final surge.
The second to last hill had saw a acceleration, which I easily stayed with. Great, the contenders are separating themselves. The speed is pretty high, if you are behind now, you will never catch up. I am perfectly placed in the very front, 2000M to go! This is the State Championship on the line folks! I am psyching myself up. Try to get in a "anything is possible" euphoria. My legs are feeling fine ( I lie to myself). I block out the dehydration and sticking brakes issues. Only positive thoughts now.
I collect myself and even manage to get my heart rate down a little before the last hill. A similar high speed over the top here, this is all going great. Now just 1000M left of flat into the line. I latch on to a rider that come by fast over the top of the hill. Oh man! Proctor Cycling and blue number: That means he is from Illinois and in my division. I can not let him take the jersey. My jersey. I manage to draft him to the final turn. He looks like he is about to slow. I yell GO!GO!GO! I don't want to come around him yet. He keeps pushing hard, but I am sitting on. I realize I am getting a perfect leadout! I am sticking to his wheel, trying to sense if any sprinters are coming up on either side. No? 200 to go. The finish line looks so close now. I want to pull by him now, but discipline myself to wait for the 100M sign. The longer I stay behind him, the more tired he should be. All or nothing. Here I go! Yeah, I sprint so hard my front wheel jumps with each pedal stroke! I pass him completely before the line! It is all over! I got it!
I slow down and topple over on the grass in front of Team XXX's tent. I am lying on my back still clipped in to my bike and is pleading for water. Must have looked pretty pathetic. Thanks to whoever from XXX that gave me ice cold water bottle!
The rest is a little blurry. I made it back to my car, drank my own recovery drinks. My chocholate milk was warm after hours in the car! I did not care, I ate and drank everything I had. Confirmed with the official results that I had won, and staggered around waiting for the podium awards.
I got flowers, check, a medal for winning the race, and the gold State Championship medal and jersey. I am sure I was extra chipper in the car ride back home, all 5 hours, poor Joe! We passed an antique mall that had a giant tricycle outside. I said on the way down that if either one of us gets the jersey, we have to stop and take a picture on the way back.
June 4, 2011
O'Fallon Illinois State Road Race
Gareth Reeves - 2nd Place
Cat 4
I decided to do the O'Fallon GP because I felt like I had a good chance to earn some Cat 3 upgrade points. It was a long way form home (near St Louis) but I had another reason to be in the area around that time so I decided to 'kill 2 birds with one stone'.
The race was well organized and popular. Unlike a Crit, most categories were on the course at the same time and started pretty close together, so there was a good buzz in the starting area. The course was a 25 mile loop with a couple of decent 'short but steep' mid west climbs. My race was to do 2 laps. At the start of the 2nd lap there was feed zone but I didn't have anyone to hand bottles or food so I decided to take 4 bottles with me.
It was hot. Dangerously hot, with temperatures expecting to hit 100 degrees F so hydrating was crucial. I wasn't sure if 4 was going to be enough but with 2 on the bike and 2 in my jersey it was going to have to be enough.
For the first lap, I stayed towards the back. This was my first road race (not counting Leland which I am not because that is a completely different animal) so I wanted to take it easy for a while and get used to riding in a pack that wasn't just riding around in a circle. Because of the heat, everyone was taking it easy. There were a couple of attacks but you could tell that most people didn't want't to put themselves out there in the heat.
One rider from Metro East Cycling (Bradly) attacked and got a bit of a gap but the field held it. A rider next to me said 'That guy is a good time trial'er, but he aint that good', meaning that it was way too early and too hot for a single rider to get away. Pretty soon he was back in the safety of the pack.
As soon as we hit lap 2, I decided it was time to move up towards the front. I wanted to hold a position in the top 10 for the rest of the lap. Now the attacks started coming and a group of us worked hard together to bring them back in. This went on for the next ten miles or so but eventually the attacks died down and so did the pace. We slowed right down to about 15mph and stayed there for about 5 mins until Bradly came back up and said 'OK boys, lets race' . He rode fairly easily off the front and had a gap of about 10m.
I jumped for his wheel at the same time that he attacked and it took me about 30 seconds to latch on. We gave it everything we had for a couple of mins and then looked back to see that we were away. At this point I was completely redlined and at ~97% of my max heart rate. Bradly was still strong and I told him that I was going to have to just sit on his wheel but that if he could keep us away until the end, I would not contest the finish.
The moto gp pulled up along side us and said we had 30 secs. A few mins later he said 40 seconds. A few mins later he said '24 seconds and they are chasing hard, you guys have to pick it up or you will be caught soon'. Our hearts sank a fraction, but we pushed as hard as ever, Bradly doing most of the work with me taking a couple of short pulls.
The moto gp came back. '(mumble)4 seconds'. I said 'what?'. He said '54 seconds. They sat up.' Revitalized and realizing that we might just pull this off we kept pushing as hard as we could. Bradly started to question our deal and whether I would honor it. He knew that I could beat him on the last 2 hills but I told him that his first place was safe.
We had 500m to the finish when the moto came and said that the group had just passed the 2k mark. We did it. What an incredible feeling. I hung back on the last climb to stay true to my word and we rode down to the finish line together.
Bradly had a camera on the back of his bike so he said 'get behind me so I can get video of you crossing the line'. I guess he still didn't trust me ;-)
May 28, 29, 30, 2011
ABR Memorial Day Masters
Jim Ward - 3rd, 2nd, 2nd Place - 2nd Overall
Cat 5
I decided about two weeks prior that I was definitely going to enter the race, all the books recommend that you have a specific event/goal established in order to motivate training and so I gave it a go. Committing worked well for me as I had been a chronic fence sitter, specifically in 2010 race entries. The endless back and forth mental machinations with the in/out decision made for moderate commitment to the training and poor preparation. Ok, it’s 2011, so I am in! A few days prior to the race I was getting pretty edgy and probably not very much fun to be around (so what else is new) but I was nervous and wanted a good result after a lot of hard work this past winter and spring.
Saturday, race day, arrives and my confidence is good, not great. Jordan and Rob Hocking are also racing and my fantasies of an EMC2
As soon as the whistle blows, it is amazing how quickly you assess riders and begin to create strategies of who you want to get away from, like within 15 seconds. I was lucky, having Rob and Jordan in the race, riding next to them and being comfortable with their riding and sharing good communication during the race. Our race was short, so pretty manageable peloton, Rob Hocking spotted the key moment, a last lap break on the back stretch, he yelled out to the field and then did the work to reel the break in. I was a little slow to go chase and ended up at about eighth wheel coming into the final turn and sixth wheel on the way out of it. Apparently, this early break put a few riders in a premature sprint and consequently an early redline and you know how it feels to reach too high, too far, too soon…. I was able to draft one of those fading wheels for about 50 yards and then made my break for the line. Rob’s catch and strong riding was key for me to get a third. The EMC2 support at the race made a huge difference, and made the whole event a lot more fun. Thank you all very much!
Ok, if you are still reading, Day 2- Sunday, Conditions were very wet, the field small and eventually a good learning experience. After turn one, I was just going moderate, but the field was very cautious and willing to let me go, I should have really gone. It was a short race, but I am such a social person that I just had to wait around for company. He arrived and we were a two rider “break”, without actually going very fast. After a few turns, realize he is getting about a 10 yard advantage on every corner, my cornering was very weak and his strong; I also was not willing to risk laying the bike down on the wet surface. In the closing lap, determine that I am going to need to build a 10 yard gap going into the final turn in order to be even coming out of the turn for the sprint. I pedaled hard on the back stretch but could not shake him, final turn comes and you guessed it, he out corners me and not enough space to make 10 yards up. 2nd place.
Found myself in the awkward position at the front on the final lap, which felt like making payment for my new bike computer! Nobody wanted the lead, what the hell, the pace is not that fast and it was easier to have the lead than to squeeze into any position behind me. From my limited vantage, it looked like a wall of riders, at least 5 across directly on my wheel. This, of course, did not last, as I was overrun on the second to last turn while waiting and looking for my mark to come along. Once located, latched on to his wheel and followed as we passed a few riders and made our way near the front of the group, coming around the final turn, focused only on the wheel in front of me, glance up to view the final 100 yards and surprise! I had underestimated the day 2 winner, Mr. “10 yard”, the cornering specialist has us both on the wide side of the turn, he’s gone, no chance to catch, I pull by my mark near the line for 2nd place.
May 28 & 30, 2011
ABR Memorial Day Masters
Tim Radcliff
30+ Cat 1-2-3 and 40+ Cat 1-2-3
Saturday was a tough day. In the 40+ race, a small group of slipped off the front fairly early and dangled out there for quite a while. I had not realized the break included Wayne Simon, so any non-organized effort had one of, oh I don't know, maybe fifty Enzo members sitting on every effort, thwarting a good chase. Unfortunately, the field also had its fair share of cling-ons, and we never got organized.
I waited until way to late to bust out of the bunch and go for them. They were 30 seconds up the road and I got to within about 8 seconds. I was out there for several laps and my HR was abnormally high. I used markers to track their distance from me, and I could see I was gaining on them steadily, and the peloton was out of site behind me. Unfortunately, once I saw 8 seconds to the break, it went the other way. The next was 12, then 15, and going the wrong direction. Soon, I saw a strung out line of chasers coming my way. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And Saturday, even though my effort failed, sitting in would have been worse.
We had a good-size peloton of guys with many unwilling to do any work - they conceded the break and many just sat in for the sprint. Jostein did what he could do with me, but he was sick, and the gap to the leaders had gone nothing but up. The efforts to sincerely chase were just too individual, mine included. Some could say Enzo's rode well. They did, but the pack was not too aggressive either. I finished way back not even bothering to contest the sprint against those guys who just were out for a Saturday ride until the final 500 meters. So frustrating.
In the 30+ 1,2,3 I raced more conservatively in the beginning after my efforts in the prior race. I did bridge what I believed were good moves, but it all stayed together unti the end with 2 or 3 laps to go. We averaged over 27mph the whole race, so it was swift and fun. I was just too cooked from the prior race to do a darn thing. Pack finish again, and boatloads of frustration with my racing tactics in the 40+.
Monday I was ready to suffer. And so when I saw a break with Otero, Kron, Gerlach (guys I respect and I know are smart) and 2 enzo guys drifting up, I jumped immediately to the back of it. Kron was not going to work yet as his main finisher was in the pack. I took a strong pull and saw we were in fact getting a gap. As I came around the back of the line, I soon felt a tap on my back with "I'm here Tim." It was Wayne Simon. Not sure how he did it so fast, but he jumped up to us, so it was now on.
Several of us did what we could to drive us, and we soon were out of site from the field. Once the gap was firmly established, Kron worked too. We shed 2 guys, and 7 of us got ready for the inevitable fireworks on the last lap. I was prepared to suffer, but when Wayne jumped from pretty far out, I was too slow to react. I stood on the pedals to go after him and had a small gap from me to the bunch. Unfortuately, non enough of a gap. Essentially I towed my sprinter competition up the hill to the finishing turn. 3 strong guys came around me and I took 5th.
It was certainly not the placing I wanted out of the break, but it sure was nice to work hard, race safely, and be in the move. I knew all too well what the pack was dealing with behind us if it was anything like Saturday.
May 15, 2011
Fox River Grove
Jostein Alvestad
30+ Cat 1-2-3
Our field started combined with he 45+ Cat 1-2-3, it is finally time to play with the big boys! State and National champions on the line.
I learn on the first lap that this is people that have skills and balls on a totally new level when it comes to descending and cornering! A 90 degree corner at the bottom of a very steep hill. I would not have thought before this that it was possible to take that one with absolutely no braking. Seems like most of my peers can! I am impressed and scared at the same time.
I know when I am in over my head and decide quickly that the the safest spot for me is that I place myself as the last guy of the bunch. Then when I check my speed, I will not annoy or endanger those who go no scrub. As the race progress get more and more comfortable with this decent, but somehow I come out of that turn with 20ft gap to the wheel in front of me. Time that I should have been tucked in a draft and rested is spent catching up. Not good, gotta learn to trust my tires again after slamming hard down on my hip twice this year (in rain)...
Rob Ruggles and Wayne Simon (Enzo's-PSIMET) attacks and get away on lap two. Big John Whipple(Tati) lead the group in a strong chase. It takes a lap or two. The laps are fast and since there are all these alpha-male types here, the pace is constantly high, it always seems like someone is on the push. In contrast with my training runs, there is not much relief in the time between the climbs. My HR is higher than I really want it. On the bright side, I have no problem up the 200m long climb, I know it well and with two laps to go I even attempt to attack up it. I do my best and get maybe 15 feet on them, which they quickly close. Oh. At least I am now moved up to 3rd wheel for the last lap and getting ready to duke it out on the final climb.
Turns out Lil'Wayne Simon has just been playing with us. Halfway up the hill he accelerates away from all, not to be seen again! The rest of us make it in a bunch , Ricardo Otero (WDT-Allwoi) wins the sprint. I end up 5th, (3rd- Cat 3).
Cat 3
My plan for this race was to try to stay with the lead bunch, conserve and try to get my heart rate down better in between each climb. If successful, this time attack up the hill at the last lap, not second to last, DUH! Did not have much expectations since my quads still felt rock hard since the previous race ended.
I did manage to keep up with the front guys, this time the descent were a little less hair-raising so I managed to stay in the back relatively easy, just monitoring the situation and jumping up whenever I sensed that the guy in front of me was done for. Not to say we were going slow - out of the 20 starters, 15 were left in the front bunch after the first lap, and after that about the hill took one rider away each time. These were strong and experienced Cat 3 riders that got dropped each lap. Some just by mis-gearing, but most by Acute Lactic Acid Overload!
Except for one or two riders getting a temporary gap on the flat, we stayed as a bunch. I counted 9 riders left with two to laps to go. My hopes went up - I knew I had one good attack left in me, and felt I was more rested than most in my bunch. Just as I am getting giddy about my forthcoming surprise, we all get a surprise; Tim Speciale launches hard out of the bunch way out on the flat before the hill! One of those moves that seems insane if it fails, genius if it works!
I knew from my training runs on this hill pretty much where my starting point for an all out attack has to be, if I want to make it over the top still going full speed. He has a good size gap on the bunch as I start my effort. I slip smoothly by the other riders, get my climbing on' . By the uphill turn I can see that Tim has totally cracked and is pretty much standing still! I blow by him, and keep on focusing on my own effort. I can sense that I am getting a gap on the rest. Yay!
OK, time to man up on the descent. I have lots of laps on this course now, this is it - time to really nail those turns! It goes fine, always easier to corner alone than with people close. Barely any feathering of the brakes in the steep turn, none in from then on!
Time Trial mode, pulse is maxed out, and my legs stiffen up, but I know I have less than a minute left of racing. I see two guys coming up behind me on the flat, but no one else! Holy s...! I am guaranteed top 3! I learned later that I did have a good gap over the top, but Cesar Hernandez (Play it Again Sports) with Dustin Morici (Burnham Racing) in tow reeled me in by the time we hit the last turn. Dustin easily won the sprint, while I managed to stay on Cesar's wheel over the line, but no way I could get by him.
I was of course very happy with my podium spot anyways, in my second day as a Cat 3 racer, especially after barely hanging on the pack at Monsters 24 hours earlier. I got my confidence back, and identified areas to work on: Become more comfortable with high speed cornering, and get a higher top-end speed in my finishing sprint.
Monsters 45+ 123 and 30+ 123
Tim Radcliff
This was my first race on my new bike - the replacement due to Sherman Park's residents who thought my Ridley was theirs. To make it even more interesting, the wind was 20+mph and the chill was 48 degrees and damp. This reduced the 45+ field to 15 to 20 riders.
The 45+ race had no team with more than 1 rider, so attacks were tough to stick. But I tried - A short move with R Ruggles and a few bridges to threatening moves. I watched a very experienced field, almost all of whom I know and respect as strong, smart riders. So to the final lap.
I was prepared to suffer, and prepared to move near the front into turn three. I did just this, but a little too far front. I was first. I ramped it up so the inevitable jump over me would not be something I could not hang on to for the sprint. I hit turn 4 with a nice turn using all of the road, planning on keeping to the right, as the wind was from the left (North.) Houston, we have a problem. Gravel. I did not want to touch my brakes knowing I had a train behind me, and I would surely jack them up if I hit the brakes. I also did not want to dive harder left, as my wheels might have gone out from under me in the gravel. So I bunny-hopped the curve into the grass, 2 seconds later, bunny-hopped back to the course, and went from podium to the very back of the pack.
The 30+ race was a larger field, and even more animated. I had no idea what to expect from race 2, as my legs are not race fit since the bike change. But I hung in there. I even put down a decent move to try to bridge to a solo break. I thought it was going to work until I saw a strung out field deciding enough was enough.
Final lap, XXX had a helluva solo move off the front, and I was mid pack. I know from racing this course I MUST be top 5 into turn 3. And I CANNOT get boxed in down the backstretch or it is hard to do that. Buuuutttt, I got boxed like I said I wouldn't, and I hit turn 3 fifteen deep. I had a decent sprint, but 8th or 9th was the best I could grab. And yes, they had swept the gravel off turn 4 by then..
Not bad training, and I know what I need to work on. Live to fight another day.
April 16, 2011
Leland Kermesse Masters 30+ 4/5
Gareth Reeves
I was in the 30+ 4/5 category for the Leland Kermesse. We started at 8.55am in what was probably the best conditions of the day (roughly 40 degrees, rain and 15mph winds). The race has a neutral start so for the first few miles we were just rolling along at a comfortable pace. The start of the race was into a head wind, and it would soon turn 90 degrees into a crosswind. As soon as we hit the cross wind the pace picked up as the stronger riders did what they could to split the pack.
The race is 4 loops of a 25km circuit, the first half of the loop was largely into the wind with tough cross winds on the road, and the second half of the loop was mostly gravel. With the rain, the gravel had become soft, muddy in places and wet sand in others.
By the time we hit the gravel, I was working hard, but close to the front. At this point the group started to split and a couple of different groups was riding off the front. I was in the second group and working hard to get to the first group. I figured if I could get there, then I would just need to hang on for the rest of the race and would secure a top 5 finish. My heart rate data was flicking in and out, and before I knew I was over my limit and in need of some serious recovery. Shit. Pat White came around me in the gravel and kept the pace up. I was barely hanging on.
We made it back onto the road with a group of 6 riders. There was Pat and Shon from Bellum, a guy from Psimet and the TT guy from Lamb Little who's name I forget. We worked together well but I was a mess. I took every other turn in the rotation and felt bad but figured it was better for the group that I do some work than get popped off the back and not help at all. I made a mental note to not go past any of them if I made it to the line with the group (ha, wishful thinking!). We went through another section of the gravel and I felt a bit better. The Lamb Little guy and Psimet guy would drop back a little on the gravel while Pat and Shon drove the pace while I did my best to hold on. Pat had an awesome ride and took 5th. I was already cramping at this point and we weren't even half way in.
I was able to stay with the group until we reached the gravel again on the 3rd lap. I was cramping bad. It was great riding in the draft of the group but I wasn't able to handle the changes in pace required to stay in the draft. I knew I had to drop back and ride at my own consistent pace. The gravel section was tough but I could relax a little now. I kept the group in site for the next 10k, until we came out of the gravel but as soon as we hit the road I had a major problem. The winds had picked up and I had to battle them all the way back to the gravel again. It was seriously hard work by myself. At times I was in my easiest gear, just trying to make forward progress into the wind.
Getting back to the gravel was a relief in the end but now my legs were locking up. To make it worse, riders from behind me started to come around. Every other thought I had was about getting off the bike and lying in a ditch. At one point, both of my legs completely locked up and I had to stand with straight legs and drop my ankles to subdue the pain. I couldn't do anything but coast, but luckily the wind was so strong behind me that it was actually pushing me along and keeping me upright. When the wind dropped I stopped for a few seconds but quickly got back going again. I was only about 5k from the finish now.
After the legs locked up, I actually felt a bit better. I looked down the long gravel road and saw a train crossing it in the distance. I knew we didn't cross any tracks so we had to turn before that. Once at the end of the gravel it was a short stretch completely down wind back to the finish line. This race was one of the hardest things I have ever done.
April 16, 2011
Leland Kermesse Cat 4
Jostein Alvestad
Did one huge mistake, thinking I could race this course similar to Hillsboro (wait until people get tired, then attack...) Sat in the pack maybe 30 or so back when we hit the first gravel section. The front group of 20 riders attacked and opened up a gap. The gravel sections were very wet and soft gravel, I think it raided during most of our race. The field stung out in single file during these sections, because there was generally just one good track to stay in. It somehow felt like a cyclo-cross race, where you just have to hold your spot in line until it is possible to get by.
When the front guys surged very hard, it was about 20 minutes into the races - great timing for them, as a few weaker riders started popping and moving backwards through the line. I could do nothing but see the leaders take off into the distance, and the rest of us shattered and strung out. Hats off to the front guys - they really put the hammer down and rode away from the rest of us.
I ended up in a chase group of about 5 people, we spent the remainder of the race never seeing the leaders again, except a few of them falling off the pace and coming back to us. Some of them were able to hang on with us for a while, so our small group regularly gained a rider, and lost a rider as people fatigued. We got our act together and had a pretty good rotation going into the headwind straights. I am so glad to not have been alone and exposed into those 30-40 mph gusts. It was still a very hard race - when the wind didn't fight us, the sucking mud did.
We were all nice and tired as we entered the 4th lap. The wind had picked up, the temperature had noticeably dropped, 34F rain and constant mud splatter in the eyes made us suffer. Everyone was right on the limit. I had noticed that Todd Simeone from Half Acre had some really strong gravel legs, and I was able to sit on his wheel as he accelerated and dropped the rest of the group one by one during the last couple of gravel sections. I really had to dig deep, just to stay in contact. He told me later he had just got back from France, where he rode the Sportif (citizen) version of the Roubaix. Now wonder he had legs of steel!
I told Todd I would not try to pass him at the line, he could have it. We finished in 14th and 15th place overall. I was not able to share any pulls at the end, and he deserved it.
Hillsboro Roubaix -Cat 4 - 1st Place
Jostein Alvestad
This race has a few names and nicknames"The Hell of Downstate", and is deservedly gotten a Spring Classic status and is one of Illinois toughest road races. Mark Swartzendruber (Scarletfire/Verizon) described it as “86 miles of narrow back roads that would make the stoutest of Belgians feel right at home. Except for the deep piles of gravel dropped here and there the roads show no evidence of visits from a county maintenance crew in years.”
I knew firsthand the course and the dangers from riding this last year. Broke the frame on the bike after crashing into a ditch. I was in a 3 man breakaway on the last lap when I pulled off to the side to let the next person come by, unfortunately this happened as we went trough a steep downhill turn, and I lost grip on some gravel on the outside of the turn, and cartwheeled into a ditch! As I gathered myself, assessed that I had nothing broken, got the chain back on the wheel etc, the main field whooshed by and I got back into the smaller groups of stragglers; riders that had physically cracked and were falling off the main field. I never made it back to them, and ended up a disappointing 41st place. The two other guys from the breakaway ended up 1st and 2nd place!
So it was redemption time. I have had enough of crashes this year; my bike is now a collection of mismatched parts that have broken; generic handlebar, a heavy training front wheel. Clincher front, tubular rear, no spare, carbon fiber repair repair job, etc. I removed the small chain ring and front shifters earlier this year after I realized I only use it for warming up anyways. I could not remember if I ever used it in last year's Hillsoboro race. Oh well. At least now I have no excuse for slacking up those hills, gotta stand up just to get over them! "Carbonara" was battle hardened and ready, and so was I!
Race Start was at not until 11:40, so I decided to not sleep at home, get up early and do the 4 hour drive in the morning. Pretty neat drive southbound down the whole state of Illinois at dawn on Interstate Highway 55, formerly known as Route 66. There was a section of road by Lexington that had been transformed into a "Route 66 Memory lane" complete with old fashioned billboards and Burma Shave signs in the fields. Had a nice breakfast at a diner.
Looks like spring has come in the south. I started driving in 40F and stopped with in 55F! Nice sunny day, for the first time this year I will race without toe and legwarmers!
On the way to the registration I walked past the table full of the mounted brick trophy awards. I was thinking how cool it was to get one of those, but realistically decided I should be very happy with a top ten placing in this huge field. But what a cool trophy to have on the mantel, anyways...
My plan was to take it easy the first lap, then go hard on the next. That was how the race played out last year, and I expected it to be somewhat the same this time. The roads are very narrow- and with 120 starters going two or three wide it is a long column rather than a pack. I wanted to be relaxed and keep my heart rate down, so I could be ready for the endgame.
I also knew I had to stay with the certain teams and individuals: Rhythm Racing and Bicycle Heaven are teams that dominate this spring, and I knew about 5 other riders from other teams that I had to watch for. Since the race is close to St Louis, about half the field is from this area, and I have no idea which of them would be real contenders. Everyone looked pro at the starting line!
Each team have a game plan before the race. Rob Curtis (PSIMET), made a nice allegory in his blog by calling it a "high speed chess match with your body as playing pieces". I liked that. There is traps, bait and switch, sacrificing a pawn for a opponents valuable piece, etc. However, I am the only one from my team in this field, so I only have one playing piece, and can only make so much ruckus against a field of 120. I better make my move a good one, and time it right! On the other hand I have complete freedom to position myself wherever I want and follow my own intuition about how the race is going.
I told a couple of riders on other teams when they asked whet my plans was: I said I was going to attack on the second lap. I don't care if people know your plan or not - it is obvious when anyone attack, it is in your face. Come with, or not. I would rather have people with me in an attack anyways, much easier to sustain it then.
The first lap had a string of accelerations and I had my plate full just staying with it. Several times I had to go above my threshold to hang on riders in front. So much for my great plan! Of course I had to stay stay with any of the surges. The pace did not slow down a little until we were out on the second lap. By now, the riders of less fitness started cracking one by one with each surge. The course had a bunch of corners, and as the front braked then accelerated out of them, the domino effect was harder the further back you were. Repeated slow downs and accelerations is very fatiguing after a while.
I had to re-think my plan - this was not easy so far, pace was high and crosswinds and surges washed away my idea of hiding in the pack and stay relaxed. I was tired and started doubting my fitness. Could I really be having a bad day? Am I next to be spit out the back of the field?
At one point the front of the field markedly slowed down for a minute or so. That gave me hope; EVERYONE is tired now. That gave my motivation a toal turn around. I really get inspired the whole survivor thing "outlast, endure, outwit" It might sound sadistic; but in a race it gives me joy to see and hear other people suffering - it boosts my morale and of confirm my belief in my own superior fitness, (imaginary or not!)
Andy Swims from Bicycle Heaven seemed strongest at this point; he was pretty much the only one driving the pace and attacking now. When he attacked off the front I felt the time was right, and I went after him bridged the gap and connected up with him. Andy is on a different team, and we are rivals in the Time Trial circuit, but he is also a friend and I know he is honest and strong. This is totally different than chasing down an unknown ST Louis rider that might crack the minute I reach him. Andy is solid. I knew we would be golden if we could get a minute or two gap on the field before town. We both know each other's TT abilities, but most of the field might not know this. As we settled in two-man time trial rotation mode, I was confident that on these narrow roads we can hold the same speed as the field. I also knew that his teammates would not chase us, and whoever did lead the field chase would also be tired.
Hopefully our pace and the forced chase would shatter the main field; a little Darwinism: the barely-hangers-on from the real contenders. 15 minutes our lead lasted. We kept our speed up and pressured it until they slowly reeled us in - we really made them work for it.
At that moment I was happy to get back in the pack and get some shelter from the headwinds, I considered myself lucky to get a chance to get my heart rate down before the final part of the race. I was really suprized and amazed that Andy Swims within a minute of the field catching us, he attacks again!!! I was very impressed at his coruageous attack, and when no-one chased pretty much decided good for you Andy, you are going to win today. We all could do nothing but see him speed off into the distance.
I looked around, catching my breath. About 40 riders left, Rythm Racing going up to the front setting a high tempo. It looks like we are going to have a bunch sprint for second place. I will probably be outsprinted by at least 10 of these guys. To top that, this race features a pretty gnarly ending with a high speed downhill, potholed turns etc, I was not liking my odds in taking this on with a bunch of fearless teenagers with no mortgage or kids to be responsible of! My only better option was to attack again and hope to catch up with Andy again. The gap seemed too big to bridge alone, so I pulled out from the field rather slowly, hoping that I could get one or more riders to come with me.
No one came with. Andy kept charging off in the distance. I was no in no-mans-land, in headwind, halfway between the field and Andy. I was making very slow progress, but with the pain, negative thoughts and doubt started sneaking in: How stupid; I was sure to be too shelled to latch on with with the field again once they caught me back. I had to force myself to think of positive things and try to force my attitude around: I congratulated myself for making the right decision: I would rather "go out in a blaze of glory". And what if I did catch back on with Andy; We would again be GOLDEN. His team would for sure not chase and pull the field up to their own man. (Thanks, Heaven!)
I just HAD to get up there! I remembered how Tim Racliff had motivated me during the indoor time trail: "This is what you trained all winter for. Use it now. All that time on the rollers. Use it now. All those squats. Use it now!". It worked. I was slowly gaining ground; away from the field and up to Andy.
Looking at the Garmin, it took me from 15 miles to go to 9 miles to go to bridge the gap. Once we connected we started a rotation again and I got my heart rate under control. All we needed now was to keep on rotating and it looked the top two spots looked like a sure thing.
Town was getting closer and there was two steep uphills left. I knew we had to get over these fast, first hill I see Andy suddenly fall behind! Oh no, he is cracked! He is 15 pounds heavier and have worked longer and harder than me today. I had hoped we could keep rotating all the way in. I call for him to keep on, but he is fading fast. I can't wait for him. The field is too close for that, and we both know they will go all out the last miles. I gotta go on alone. I make it over the last major hill and get to catch my breath on the last 40 Mph downhill. All I need to do now is cruize it in. A feeling of bliss as the bricks rattles the whole body, still no one in sight as I finish of the last rise up the cobble stretch. Yeah! I have time to coast and celebrate. I hoot, holler and fist pump unashamedly! I am 41 year old who have just beaten a field of 120 elite riders, and I am not afraid to show my emotions!
After crossing the line I turn around and watch the field come in for the sprint for second place. Unfortunatley, Andy gets beaten by the 2 fastest sprinters right before the line! Oh man, he must have have worked so hard to hold off the field all trough town! While I could afford to on coast on the finish straight coast, he really must have dug deep. Must have been hard to keep going after cracking on the hill like that. Hats off back to you Andy Swims! You initiated both decisive attacks, and gave me inspiration to chase.
The drive home was fun; stopped at the same diner and ate two dinners, still had one more when I home! Legs are looking swollen and sunburned!
Additional Commentary From Andy Swims (Great race, Andy):
The reason I attacked so quickly after we were caught from our 5 mile two man TT, was when they caught us there wasn't that many guys. They slowed down a lot after they caught us and that is when I suggested to everyone to keep the pace....figuring we would shed the pack and only have 10 +/- guys to have to out sprint in the end. I looked around and everyone looked pretty worked. That's when I figured if they were hurting as bad as me, I might as well continue the suffer fest, so I took off. Only thing is, I didn't realize we still had about 10 miles to go.
When I saw that gap get bigger and bigger....I was like, hell ya, it worked. Right before you made the bridge up to me, I was starting to loose a little steam. I was happy to see you, it probably gave me a little mental motivation to keep the pace. The problem with you joining me was I knew coming into town you were going to pull away from me once we hit the hills. I had enough steam left to do the flats, but was in no condition to hammer up the hills. btw; I think I might have a bit more than 15 lbs. on you (180 lb.). You must have not heard me (couldn't talk at that point too well), but I actually told you to go with out me. I was completely okay with you winning....I knew how hard you worked with me, how hard you must have worked to bridge that gap, and you were a friend of mine. Then the pack started to get closer and closer....I fought as hard as I could to keep them off. I was not about to have worked that hard for 10th place. In the end I would have been much happier with a podium, but I gave it all I had and the tank was empty well before the finish line.
That was the most fun I have ever had in a race! I was glad to share it with you. If there was one person (besides my teammates and myself....of course) in that pack of 125 guys that I would have liked to see win that race it was you....NICE JOB!"
Pleasant Prairie Crit Cat 4
Andrew Stevens
1st race of the season after a couple of false starts because of weather. I raced the Pleasant Prarie Crit in Wisconsin today, second foray into the cat 4 arena and not feeling too confident in my winter training. It was 32 degrees with a 15 mph wind - the warm up was brutal enough so I wasn't looking forward to the race. On the start line 12 brave souls turned up and off we went. The first 4 laps of the 0.7 mile course were like a yo-yo, because of the small field people were attacking every few seconds, a quick lesson to me that I had not done enough intervals this winter. I was hurting but felt that this couldn't continue so tried hard to hang in there, heavy wind on the outward part of the course and decent following wind on the back and the uphill finishing straight. Then the snow started to fall, I was hurting, but then things eased off.
13 mins to go of the 35 and three guys hit off the front and got a gap. The guy in front of me thought for a while and then decided to try to close, I went with him and when he was cooked went through to continue the pull, we were closing. I was hurting again and noticed the group on my wheel so called my follower through, and called again and again but he was wheel sucking while the group pulled away. I just sat up and thought some obscenity as I saw the race ride away. Of the group of three in the break one started to fade and someone from our group attacked, I went with him and we were left with only two out front but they were away. So the race unfolded for the next few laps, last corner I was towards the back, a couple of riders hit the last corner hard and were away I hit out of the last corner hard and finished fourth in the sprint by half a wheel which meant sixth overall.
Good fun, it hurt and I learned a lot - work harder at home, more intervals and it was the first time I have raced where a break away has succeeded so now I know how it is done!
March 20, 2011
Spring Autobahn Crit Cat 4
Gareth Reeves
The autobahn race is on a car race track which means no curbs, no sharp turns and grass along the side of the road. Perfect for the first outdoor race of the season. I recognized a lot of strong riders from last year that were also still racing in the 5's. The USAC 5's are quite a lot stronger than the ABR 5's in my experience.
I took a couple of laps and the course was great but the wind was brutal and we were very exposed. The race lined up and I noticed that there were a lot of young guys. Kids that looked 15 or 16. One guy (kid) showed up late still with track pants on and looked liked he had no idea what he was doing. I made a mental note to stay away from him, which didn't at all go to plan because the two of us did most of the work at the front and then he went on to win!
1 long (the course is 2.1 miles with 15 turns) lap in, it started to snow, then hail, then rain. I started in the middle but quickly made a point to get up to the front. Within seconds of the rain coming down, we approached a corner that was quite sharp and I made a note to make a little space on the inside. The rider in front and outside of me lost both wheels in the corner and caused a bit of a pile up. There were two guys up the road so I sprinted up to them and did what I could to split it without going alone. We made some progress but weren't very organized and were naturally cautious in the turns. A group of 10 or so formed with 3 to go. Next lap it was 1 to go and the group was still forming and trying to stay with the pace we were keeping at the front. Wait, 1 to go? Yep we went from 3 to 1. This was good, the group was still in disarray so we kept the pace up. Half way through the lap the pace car pulls up and tells us 2 to go! So everyone took a breather and the pace dropped into the usual pre last lap 'catch your breath and prepare for the explosion in pace' pace.
I had a couple of wheels that I knew that I wanted. Both guys that have beaten me before and I consider smart and experienced riders. One of which is a legit rider, the other I know is a squirrel and wont do any work until he comes out of the draft 20m from the line. I followed the legit guys wheel into the 2nd to last corner and realized that I needed to switch to the wheel sucker. The 'kid' had been at the front almost the entire time and was still there. There were about 5 of us going for it at the last corner. The corner was slippery so most of us went in fast, but conservative.
The squirrel was 3rd wheel and I was 4th. We rounded the corner and the pace picked up (we went into the corner into the wind and came out down wind). I started to stand and realized it was too early and sat back down. The squirrel came out of the saddle and I started to come around him. I saw the kid a number of bike lengths ahead and on the inside was another young guy from Mack who had come out of nowhere. I was at my sprint limit and could not make it around my man. I took 4th place. I definitely need to work on my sprint. Its been a long winter of medium to longish intervals.
It was a good race. I was disappointed to come in 4th, but felt like it was another good learning experience and that I had ridden well.
March 20, 2011
Spring Autobahn Crit Cat 3, Masters 123
Tim Radcliff
The weather was not looking so good when I decided to drive to Joliet. In fact, I was in a downpour doubting my decision to go. Fortunately for me, the weather broke shortly before my Cat 3 race. I warmed up and decided to stick to my game plan of watching who I thought were going to be on the attack.
A few attacks went early as usual, and one foursome with Scott Knoepke looked good, but never got more than a couple of hundred meters up. I even took a stab a counter attack but my Burnham wheel had no interest in working.
Once 5 or 6 guys got up the road a bit, some bridging was developing that I could not ignore. Soon enough about 10 of us were hitting it pretty well. I tried to ensure we got a gap by drilling it into the head wind, I felt great, like I could drive that for a long time. But its March and I know would jeapordize my chances if I got too stupid. But man that was fun drillin' it.
With a half lap to go, I was where I needed to be. A XXX rider jumper early but very well, and my reaction to the bunch was not crisp. I moved down the finish straight from 8th to 4th, but my tactical error cost me the podium in the 3's. Missed 3rd place by an inch. Literally.
The adrenaline was still pumping for the smallest ever field I have seen. 7 riders in Masters 123. We STARTED the crit as a breakaway! It was great to have Jim Kime back racing with me as well. The first 2 laps were smooth as I recall, then a few attacks popped up. You could not ignore them as there were only 7 of us!
The group reeled in 2 guys, making catch into a stiff headwind, and little gaps were forming. I could see a couple of tired faces from the caught break and I just hit it. Solo, wondering if anyone would come. As I rounded the turn with the wind now at my back - nobody was coming. 50 meters. 100 meters. 200 meters. What the heck are they doing? I got down and forward into TT mode and thought of Jostein's report. I actually wondered if I could hold them off solo for 25 minutes. "Time to eat shit Tim!" I drove as solid a TT as I could getting a bigger and bigger gap.
As came down the start/finish stretch, I could see two guys coming back to me, and I could see one of them was Rob Kron of Mack. I kept at it, but a 1/2 lap later they were now within 100 meters. I sat up, and as soon as they hitched on, I hit it again. The three of us worked well and the "peloton" / other 4 were gone.
We said our classy pleasantries to each other before the fireworks were to begin. I can do this, right. I drift back to check my competition. I can do this! I stood up to stretch my legs. Ping.... A bit of a cramp. Nice. 1/2 mile to go and I may cramp. F*** it. I can do this. Toward the final turn, and Kron jumped. And I . . . no so jumped. I didn't give up by any stretch, but I was not quick after back to back breakaways, and I rolled in 3rd. Nice riding from my colleagues. And fun racing/training.
March 19, 2011
ABR Indoor TT Cat 4
Gareth Reeves
I rode out to Winfield in the glorious sunshine and checked in within about 45 minutes of my start time. They have trainers setup that anyone can use 30 minutes before a race and an area in the back for use with your own trainer. With 3 minutes to go I took my bike off the trainer and realized that I had a slow flat! I changed it quickly and thought I had some time because the previous group was still standing by the computrainer that I was to race on. I was wrong, the race had started a minute ago without me. They put me in anyway and offered to try get me in the next race. Apparently there were lots of 'no shows' because they got me in on the B side about 10 minutes later.
Even though you do the computrainer 'horse race' with others, you are not in your categories, so there will be a wide range of riders and times. I did notice that Konrad Witt was on the other side and figured we would be the two stronger riders in the heat. Konrad pipped me at the line in the 4's in the fall fling last year and I am sure he will be a great rider one day.
There is not much to say about the race. I have good form at the moment and new that I was well prepared for this type of effort. I knew it was going to last about 16-17 minutes and knew where I wanted to target my heart (about 5% over my LT). I pedaled smoothy and kept the power up on the downhills. I was at about 90% and saving some for the finish. I figured I could hold almost 2 mins at 95+%. Unfortunately the distance was off as it was showing around 4.25 out of 5.29 (miles) when I kicked it up and I hit the line in just a few seconds. My time was 15.20 with averages of 345w, 184hr, 84rpms.
I won my heat, my category (Cat 4), beat the time for the best Cat 3 (Sorry Jostein ;-) and would have taken 2nd in the 1/2. I think I had the 5th best time on the day, due to some strong riders in the 40+ and pretty much exactly the same time as Jessica Prinner. Damn, all of that felt good.
March 13, 2011
Kenosha Velosport Spring Criterium, Masters 40+
Jostein Alvestad
The first outside bike race of the season always have some big unknown factors. I knew my training has been going well, and I should still be in great aerobic shape from ski season. But where is everybody else? Who is in form, and who sat on the couch over the winter?
This was also the opening race of the Tour of Illinois/ Wisconsin and Rider of the Year point series. The category was men 40-49, any category. Since most of the ca 40 man strong field was unknown to me (mostly WI) riders, more unknown factors. I recognized a few Team Mack riders and Ricardo Otero from Team WDT/Allvoi International Cycling Team.
I know Otero is a rider normally a good bit above my level, so I made up my game plan: If he goes in a breakaway, I need to be in it.
First two laps cruizin' at a good clip - nothing happening. I am fully occupied with just defending my spot about mid-field.
The race format is called a criterium. That means we go round and round a loop for a predesignated set of time. In our case 40 minutes. There is a display by the finishing line that displays minutes passed and laps to go. Today it takes about takes about two minutes to go around each lap on a closed off street in an industrial area in Pleasant Prairie, WI. There is significant long headwind stretch before the last 90 degree turn, before a slight hilltop finish.
I suddenly see Otero go on a flyer on lap 3, but I am stuck in the pack of riders around me! He is solo off the front - he gets 30, then 40 yards on the field before long. I takes me a while to get free and towards the front. I have lots of thoughts and decisions to make at once: "Should I try to jump up to him, or let other people tire themselves out chasing him down? ". He is being slowly reeled in by the field in about one lap. I am sitting in forth position, and happily seeing a few eager riders doing good pulls into the headwind. Good for me - that means that they will be gassed when I jump! Just when Otero sits up and place himself into the field, I go off the front in time trial mode. Not a full effort, I think it is too early in the race to "burn all the matches" as they say.
I am holding back a little, doing more of a tentative steady pull, at an effort I know is not easy to even sit on my wheel, but I can still sustain it for several minutes. I know the timing is smart versus Otero - he just did the same thing and must be somewhat gassed now. If he still manages to come up to me, he will be very fatigued. Such is bike racing, you have to be a little devious...
I look down under my arm at regular intervals to see how it is working. My hope is that whoever else is strong will take the bait and bridge up to me. I am just 20 yards in front of the field, and we are keeping the same speed- just enough that they have to accelerate to catch me. "Yes!Perfect!": I see two Wisconsin riders putting in that effort to get up to me. I ease a little and do a pull as soon as they connect with me to show them that I am fresh to keep going. What I am hoping for is a pace-line rotation; each rider do a 20-30 second hard effort, then pulls off and latch onto the back in a smooth, fluid rotation. With 3 people that means it you can catch your breath between each time it is your turn to pull, and only work hard for 1/3 of the time.
One rider pulls trough and does a good pull, when he is done the other rider is not pulling up. I ask him "are you going to pull or what?" So far he has gotten a free ride to the front, but I guess he did not have that little extra today. Fueled by the adrenaline of by wanting to drop the "blind passenger" , and being in the lead of the race, of course, I do another strong pull. So does my new compatriot. We drop him and we have a two person breakaway! We put our heads down for a few laps and take turns accelerating each time the other start slowing down a fraction. Next time I look back on the long straightaway, I cant see the field anymore. Good!That means they cant see us either! I know it is very demoralizing for the field to not see who they are chasing, and in such a short loop, we might even lap the field If they don't get an organized chase going!
Only problem is that we are just 10 minutes into a 40 minutes race!
A bike race naturally always pick up the pace the last 10 minutes; by the end the field easily gets up to a speed that no solo rider can attain. With a large mass of riders, there is a huge draft effect. When you are sitting in the pack of riders you can be pulled along at +30 MPH with relatively little effort. Each person can do one quick pull, (maybe none if they are sneaky!) and then most people are fresh for an all out sprint for the finish line.
We have committed now. We have to push on and get as big a gap as we can. If they hunt us down, we will be too spent from our repetitive max-interval efforts to have any chance against the rested field at the end of the race.
I am trying figure out my new friend: based on his pulls, breathing and style, we seem very evenly matched on form. I am glad - if I am stronger, I have to longer pulls, and if he is stronger, I will barely hang on; In either case I will tire myself out and risk blowing up, and in either case our overall speed will be slower. He is about my size, and has to be my age too. (We are racing age group 40-49). His jersey says Magnus (a team unknown to me), and I hear spectators calling "Go Chris!", so know his name. There is no time for chit-chat, we are both at or above our out-of-breath threshold, but have use non-verbal communication: a quick flick of the elbow and move over a little to signal the other person that our pull is over. It seems we are on the same page. We are keeping the pace consistent and high. We share the pulls fairly, especially that long headwind stretch that is just draining on our legs. By riding steady and blocking the wind, we giving each other time enough time to rest between each effort, but as soon as we can take over, we do.
I am very happy with the way this is going. We are 20 minutes in and I catch glimpses of the field between the factories. We are exactly half a lap apart, and it seems we keep it steady that way. I notice he has no drink. I offer him my Gatorade, he passes it back with a "thanks". I tell him I see them half a lap back. He says he has two teammates in the field chasing anyone else down.
Great news! What this means is that his team mates sit on the front of the pack and monitor the pace to ensure we stay gone. If anyone else try to attack, they will ride behind them, and then NOT do a pull when the attacker is done with his initial effort! That happened to me at this very race last year and plain out sucks! I missed the leaders going in a break, and had to try to chase. Every try ended with the blocking teammate on my wheel laughing at me when I signaled for him to pull trough. "You have to do it yourself, dude"!
Very glad to see this tactic being implemented on someone else!
Before I know it it is 3 laps to go, and I am pretty sure we will be first and second place, unless something stupid happens; like we crash onto each other, (not unlikely, since our wheels stay very close to maximize our draft), we could slip on gravel in a turn, pedal could un-clip, we could get a flat tire or some other mechanical problem with the bike, we can get too tired to make a good racing line in a turn and hit the curb (also likely in the state you are in at the end of a race)...
I hear someone yelling "Race smart, Chris! ", and that wakes me up a little: Time to think about the finish. I want to win, and so does he. We seem very equal in fitness. We have both given a fair surprisingly even effort in terms of work. I was hoping to at one point suddenly hear his breathing become more labored as we pick it up a notch with two laps to go. That would be my signal to try to attack him. Finish him off with a attack in to solo victory ! I am paying close attention, but no such luck. We both evenly trade pulls and evenly get closer and closer to our physical limit! This is going to be brutal. Everything hurts now. But I know it is going to hurt more and more, this guy is not giving up without a fight.
I am in that mental haze and physical state I can never get myself into in training.
Again I hear "Race Smart, Chris!" as we pass the same guy again who is promting Chris to think of the finish sprint. A bike race is much like a chess game in that you have to think ahead a few moves. Start at the end result, and think move for move backwards how to get there. My "check mate" would be sprinting by my opponent the last 50 metres. Before that is the turn; he has to be first trough that, so I can control where he is. If he is behind me, I can't see him and he might surprise me with a attack. Before that last turn is a pretty draining headwind stretch.
I realize that whoever does the last pull on the headwind stretch before the last hill will be the loser in the sprint.
The way I make sure that is him, is that I do a much longer than normal pull as we start on the last lap, then just as we hit the headwind, I signal him trough! He comes by and I know that for each second that pass right now he is working a little harder than me while I am getting a tiny relief in the pain. By the last turn my breath is somewhat under control, and as he stand up to sprint out of the turn, I know I got it. A great feeling - realizing I am staying on his wheel and in his draft as he sprints out of the saddle up the hill.
I urge myself to hold back just a little longer - I have to time it right. Too early, and he will get my draft again. Him going all out 10 seconds earlier than me makes all the difference. I time my "NASCAR slingshot draft pass" right where I wanted it. I can see the finish line, just a few more seconds now!!! I can sit up, take my hands off the bars and post up my finish victory salute. Just like the cool guys on TV! I have always wondered how they dare do that - seems a bit risky! Now I know for myself it feels like time slows down a lot those last seconds of a close race. I had full awareness of where I was, where he was, where the line was and that he could not possibly get by me! Awesome feeling.
After I yell an exited "JAAAH!" on the cool down lap, Chris asks if I am Norwegian. Turns out he is too! Selvsagt. We talk a little as we get out legs and lungs and bearing back. He says his team is from Madison and named after a Norwegian king! Ah, must be King Magnus the Good. Chris says by with a "Heia Norge" and congratulates me!
