via yfrog.com
Holy Honey Badger Batman! This is a crazy leap.
Credit to @ispaphoto Check his site here
11/11/2011
10/30/2011
Hardwood Cross - I didn't fall!
I'll keep this short. Mainly because I need to down a Cognac and go to bed to get ready for a busy week.
Today the usual suspects were up at Hardwood Hills for what was for most people their 7th or 8th race, my 4th this year. It seems like a big gap. Perhaps not, but I'm sad I missed those other races.
The race today was better than last year, and I liked last years cours a lot. Varied and quick, some twisty bits, and a couple small hills to shake things up. This year had a sand pit that was awesome!
So, the race.
I got out front off the start, and almost lead the entire field off the course and through the tape. HA!
I kept it steady for the first 500m or so of the prologue lap and came through the start/finish in front and got to hear my name on the PA. I almost pulled over right there.
At that point, on the climb, about 8 guys went by me. Fast.
The rest of the race was fun. I rode the sand pit every time, and made up a couple of spots there. I went by a couple guys on the climbs. I slowed down on the corners and everyone caught up.
But I DIDN'T FALL! That really helped.
On the last lap, a trio of us reeled in third place, who promptly threw himself on the ground.
We wound around the corner to a long shallow decent. Guy tries to pass on the left. I hammer and shut him down just prior to slamming on the brakes and taking a sharp corner like a snail.
Next corner, same thing. Slam the door!
We pull out onto the flat section and I feel someone, who turns out later to be a grey haired gent, pulling up along side.
Hit the gas, go for the big ring, jam my chain, un-jam it, and stomp as hard as I can to take 3rd. My season goal of "A couple of podiums" is complete.
Good times were had by all. Jack Sassville and his team put on a great event as usual, and the other races were loads of fun to watch.
10/25/2011
Baseball CX 2011... or BLAM!
Recently I've been super busy, and not recording my thoughts here, thus causing it to be even less regularly visited by readers than usual. I suppose it's a good problem, but really need some breathing room.
Anyway, I've actually had lots to talk about, but I'll focus today on rambling about my return to the rough and tumble world that is Masters cyclocross racing in Southern Ontario.
Last week I decided that my recently separated shoulder was feeling ok enough that I should try and race during the weekend. I'd been on the trainer for about 6 hours since my crash 4 months ago and I wasn't expecting to much. Perhaps a top 10 if I was lucky, considering that a couple of the faster riders have moved up to M2 after winning pretty much every race.
Baseball CX up in Barrie is very very flat, except for a small steep bump that looks like it's a topsoil storage pile. So that's not my strong suit, but it's also not too technical and twisty, which is better for me.
I showed up, family in tow, and went through the usual routine, thankful that it wasn't as cold as last year when I wore two pairs of gloves and still couldn't feel my hands.
I rolled around the course with Mathew, and Edmond, who was aggressively re-riding every corner to get the best line. I was just keeping warm and hoping that nobody would notice the terrible leg shaving job.
The race pretty much had 4 phases, which was great, cause they usually only have two; the start, and the rest of it.
The Start. I started second row, rolling through the start gate in something like 10th or so. It was a tame start considering the 38 rider field. The next 500 m was a game of follow the leader and then get cut off by some dude who was even worse in the corners than me, slamming on the brakes. Or maybe that was his tactic 'cause he slammed the door on me several times.
The Chase. I was happy where I was, but there was so much drafting going on I was only about 30 ft back from the lead group of about 6. I managed to push the pace through a few of the flat sections and worked my way up to them. I was on the limit, certain I was going to be shed any moment. But there were no attacks, no crazy antics, so I passed a couple guys to sit in 4th.
Glory. I think it was on 3, I don't really remember how it happened, but I turned on the gas and went up to the leader. It was still very close. We sprinted towards the dirt pile, which I had ridden up for the first time the previous lap, although not well. Really, it was full gas. Up he went, up I went, and then he bogged down a bit and I hit his rear wheel and fell in a heap. My falling managed to make everyone else run up, and I was in 4th or so.
My calf cramped like crazy, but I jumped back on to the wheel and hammered it. I went by the leader and took the lead. Such a cool feeling, even if it was the slow, old guy race. I urged him to go with me so we could work together and put in some distance.
No sooner had I stomped on it I hit a corner and showed why I'm the worst technical rider on the planet. The wheels went out and I hit the deck. It was flat, grassy, no excuse.
I was in 4th, and feeling good about being up and the head of the race. So I chased and chased and eventually rode by 4th.
The final lap. As first and second slowly rode away I did what I could to stay away from a group about 10-12 seconds behind me, but then, looking back, I could see riders catching me, at a steady pace. I couldn't stay away.
First, one of the beginner men passed me, then another. They let me know that they weren't in my category so I moved over.
Then, I looked over, and a "kid" maybe 16 years old, pulled up beside me. "I'm trying to catch my Dad" he said. And he rode off like I was riding a rusty commuter with panniers on the back.
The finish. I rode, as best I could, trying to be cautious enough to not fall but not lose too much time. Crossing the line felt great except for the burning sensation in my lungs that made me want to puke.
The goal the season was a couple of podiums and a move up to M2. At this point I'll take this result and call it a success. 1, maybe 2 races to go where any actual performance is just gravy.
For those that somehow think I'm deserving of some kind of congratulations, my laps times are such that I'd be in the bottom third of the next masters category, and dead last in the M1 group by a long shot. I need to improve my lap times by more than 10% to be close to respectable.
Still, I'm happy to have the photo above even though some guy jacked me up about wearing my hat.
09/29/2011
09/27/2011
Want Mud
I'd trade having to wash my bike 200 times if it meant healing my shoulder any faster.
09/23/2011
Cowbell V - Conky's Cross Crusade - Hammer!
Seriously. Where the hell was Conky? Last year had the missing cheeseburger. This year, a missing puppet. What gives?
I woke up feeling good, and scored some expensive french toast made with white bread with icing sugar. Holy cow no wonder the world is fat.
Car packed, kids cranky, wife pissed off at me 'cause we're running late and I'm ruining my karma.
Arrive, snag a parking spot and drag out the tent and the rest of all my kit I brought to the races. I think I over packed, and yet, when asked for some duct tape, I didn't have any.
My warmup was short, not enough for sure. But I remembered the course from last year and was really looking forward to it.
I lined up again, early, and once again was rewarded by being in the lead for 100m or so. The kids were impressed.
This course, while flat, was better for me, and I was on the gas the entire time. I did fall, loosing a place, but I eventually got it back and succeeded in riding past a couple guys.
I even put in a bit of an attack and gapped a rider I was worried about. Nothing major, and the guys in front rode away from me at a very steady rate.
All in all a good race. 4th out of 27. F! Yeah!
I'm pretty sure that rocking carbon wheels, on a friggin' Pinarello, gave me some added incentive to ride as hard as I could. You can't hide on that thing and pretend you're just there for some fresh air.
Drill it.
09/22/2011
Fireman's Cross 2011 - Turning
Here begins my 3 part series about the beginning part of my CX season so that future historians may shake their heads in sorrow. Or so I can read it next year and be somewhat inspired.
This past weekend was a double race weekend and the family, minus my wife, who was catching up, and I, headed down to Niagara for some CX fun. So dark and early, we got in the car, hoping not to have forgotten anything and rolled out.
We got there early, saw Jeff frantically taping off the course, and set up the Lapdogs tent, and convinced myself it was ok to let my kids be by themselves while I raced, watched only by the odd Lapdog who was getting ready for the next race. That bit turned out ok. The kids were very well behaved all things considered.
Jeff put on a great race, warming up on the course I could tell it was going to be interesting the entire time. And by interesting I mean that in the same way the old chinese proverb does.
The race started, and this time, learning from last year, I positioned myself on the front row. Boom, hole-shot! No sooner had I reached the first twist around some trees, I spun out and almost smashed into tree two of two.
I was then 6th or 7th or something like that.
The course was dry, but very turny, and somewhat technical with lots of sketchy bits and loose sections and roots in a couple of the corners. It featured a couple, "don't fall in the pond" sections, a run up, and a bunch of up and down.
I lost a meter every turn and finished probably a km behind. Mid pack. 6/11.
I needed to be way better at stomping on the pedals out of corners and at holding speed through turns. A lot better.
It was really uneventful other than that. The organization was fantastic except for the fact that I didn't get a t-shirt or a new set of wheels.
The kids loved the kids race, and then rode the entire course as they were taking down the tape. Not bad for 6 and 8.
Seeing the few other Lapdogs that showed up was fun. I like people. Despite what you might think. Wait, I hate people. Mainly. Except for people who are like me.
We then headed off the the hotel for a dip in the pool, dinner with Mike and Kevin and their SOs. Meat, laughs, bike talk. Fun times, good people.
Then on to day two.
