Washington County Cross Crusade Race Recap

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I finished the race today pissed. Pissed that I can work so hard in the back of the race and do so crappy. I mean, I busted my hump for a shitty result.

Paul and I staged together near the 2/3s mark, and I was on his wheel coming out of the sand pile that acted as the biggest, dumbest choke point ever. (There were people literally minutes in front by the time the middle part of the herd made it over the pile. Neat!)

Then on this really simple part of the course, I randomly shot off course and got tied up in the tape. So fucking dumb.

I went from the middle of the herd to the back. I managed to pass a lot of people after that, but woooo! I got 114th out of 185.

I did a lot of good things after that. Jumping out of corners and putting in long efforts, riding smart. But the course was dry and fast, and there weren’t any places to make up time.

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Final Blind Date Race Recap

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HUP HUP! Over the barriers, Tubby!

I had a good last Blind Date race. Not great, just good. I tried some of the things I said I would, like riding the first lap like it was the third lap: fast and confident. That ended up back-firing, as I lost control in this really soft spot and shot wildly off-course. I was about three spots ahead of my teammate at the time, and by the time I got back on course, I was 10 spots behind him. It took me a lap to work through traffic to pass him again.

But after that, things went really well. I put in some longer sustained efforts, which was something I’d been thinking about subconsciously for a little while.

I think many times this season, I put the hammer down, and then instantly go into recovery mode. In cycling, that doesn’t work. You have to sprint, then keep up a hard pace for a while. At PIR this weakend, I passed people in all the technical sections and over the barriers, only to have them pass me 100 yards later.

A sustained effort is a subtle difference, but in practice, it meant a good hard effort for, say three or four features lasting 3-4 minutes. And then I’d recover sitting on a wheel until I was ready for my next surge. And the thing was: I didn’t need to recover very long last night.

I tried a few other simple tricks, too, like looking all the way up the hill, rather than just staring blankly ahead. That helped me gauge how long I needed to stay on the gas.

Between staging at the back — which is all I deserve this season — and my foray off-course, finishing 46th out of 79 is OK. Not great, but good.

Oh and this being my final Blind Date this season (I have to travel next week), the course was about as dark as I could take it. It was so hard to see some of the sections. But it really proved to me that I could let the bike “flow” more than I often do. Of course, it was also dry tonight with good traction; I’m not sure how well I’d let it flow on a super muddy, slick, wet course.

And I nearly forgot: Amanda and Lo came out with me. On the second lap, Amanda yelled at me: “THROW THE HAMMER!” I was like, “huh? You mean like Thor? That’s an odd cheer.” And I seriously puzzled over it for a minute. We laughed pretty hard when we got home, and started making up other nonsensical cheers:

  • MUNCH THE SAILBOAT!
  • TACKLE THE ANTELOPE!
  • KICK THE MUD!

Next year I might race single speed — it’s a longer race. But then again, if I put in the training to upgrade, maybe I’ll race C’s again to get some extra points. Time will tell.

Up next: ultra flat and fast Washington County Cross Crusade. Hoo boy.

Things I’ve Tried and Things I Will Try

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Inspired by The Girl with the Cowbell Tattoo who wrote about her mid-term score, here’s what I’ve tried and what I need to try still in this, my second season of cyclocross.

Things I’ve Tried:

Thanks to the Jens Voigt Army for the photo

  • Looking 10 yards out instead of at my wheel. This works especially well for me on off-camber sections. I don’t get worried about sliding out, and I pedal smoothly.
  • Eating a gel before a race. This has not caused me any problems whatsoever. And unlike short track, when I’d finish races with weird chills, I’ve been fine at the end of all my ‘cross races.
  • Not eating a gel before a race. I did that this weekend at PIR, and I definitely felt weaker at the end of the race.
  • Go balls to the wall in the first lap. I focused on this at Blind Date #3 and PIR. I think it worked better at Blind Date than it did at PIR, but the fields were also smaller.
  • Ride the first lap like the third lap. This means be confident in all corners, in all off-camber sections. I’ve *tried* this, but I can’t say I’ve been successful with it.
  • Run a low tire pressure. Done it. Love it. Felt great. Fabulous traction.
  • Look up, not down, on a run-up. Silly thing, but I run way faster if I’m chasing someone. So I don’t look at my feet, I chase someone ahead of me.
  • Shoulder the bike, rather than push it. I feel faster when I shoulder my bike. Pushing it always seems like a trudge.

Things I Will Try:

  • Jump out of every corner. It’s just a few pedal strokes, you wimp! Do it!
  • Ride my trainer at night. I have a kid, a wife, a full-time job, and 90-minute round-trip commute. I take long lunches already to ride 35 minutes on a spin bike 4x a week, and that’s pretty much ALL MY TRAINING since the end of July. I need more saddle time. If you need me, I’ll be in the garage. You know, after I put Lo to bed.
  • Roll faster into the barriers. I’m sure my dentist is smiling at the notion.
  • Last-second braking into the corners. We’ve been talking about this among the Muddy Iguanas, and it’s the reason Jimmy is getting some new brakes. Anyway, I’ll try it — I think the idea is to maximize the amount of time you’re going fast.
  • To be happy for the opportunity to race. After a *really* great short-track season, I went into cyclocross thinking I’d be hot shit. I was wrong. I need to stop wallowing in what this season isn’t, and focus on the enjoyment of getting muddy and pushing my body hard.

‘Cross Crusade PIR “Heron Lakes” Race Report

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The beer pocket.

What to say about PIR? I dug deep. I am finding new ways to push myself harder than ever before, and I will take that as a good thing. Training the mind to master the body.

But as deep as I dug, I placed 113th out of 196. Oops, apparently I slipped 8 spots overnight to 121st. Wow, that sucks.

I rode the technical stuff really well. I passed people in corners, up hills, over barriers, in the off-camber stuff. But apparently on the fast straightaways, everyone passed me. That’s lame. In my defense, I think I staged near the back, but that’s a pretty thin defense.

And there’s really nothing I can do about it. I mean, I’m riding on the absolute rivet. There’s really not a hell of a lot more for me to give out there. I’m at my redline and higher the whole race. Which means the answer is “train more.”
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Cyclocross for Beginners

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Be prepared for crowds.

A husband of a friend is starting cyclocross this Sunday, and he asked me for “any advice whatsoever.” (Update: Brett killed in his debut. He is crazy-strong.)

Needless to say, I got longwinded. Here, unedited, are the emails I sent him.

Random stuff to bring, other than the obvious stuff (bike, shoes, helmet, kit):

  • A pump (you’ll want to run your tires pretty low)
  • A complete change of clothes — you’re going to be filthy.
  • A towel or robe for a hint of modesty while you’re changing
  • Cash (for waffles and frites and a cowbell for your lady)

Get there early so you can get your number and pin it on. Numbers on the left — I think they have a mannequin that shows how they’re supposed to be pinned on. Since you’re racing beginner, the course will be open — ride twice at least. Try to ride it really fast at the end, because the start of the race is the fastest part of the race.

Pass as many people as you can at the start of the race when things get bottled up in corners. There will be openings on the left and right. If it’s faster to run, then run!

Push a big gear rather than spin in a little one — you’ll go faster and be more stable.

Hold your line in corners as best you can.

Laugh when you crash.
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Short Track Mountain Bike: Training for Cyclocross

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I’ve been riding Short Track Mountain Bike the last several weeks to train for ‘cross. I figured it’d be a good way to squeeze the competitive gland, get in a hard workout, and improve my bike handling. It has been all that.

The first race was awful. The course has a lot of loose dirt on it, much like the CCX course at Sherwood that I disliked so much. And my balance was crazy — not left and right balance, but fore and aft. I’ve discovered recently how important it is to think as much about weighting yourself front and back in the corners. Also, the course was super rutted, and I stupidly ran my tires with too much pressure. I didn’t rattle my teeth out, but I did get 58th out of 70. Ouch.

Since then, it’s gotten a little better each week. My placings have gone:

  • 58
  • 50
  • 42
  • 34

I’ve learned to push as hard as I dare early on, because my bike handling gets more confident as the race goes on. And also, the first lap is impossible to make up any time. I’ve learned to trust the bike a little more, and that running my tires at 50 PSI won’t cause an instant pinch flat (but will reduce the fatigue in my arms and jaw). Next year I might invest in either a mountain bike, or maybe at least some fatter tires. Ha!

Anyway, tonight is the last night. I’m sure it’ll be competitive, and I don’t know if I’ll improve this last night because I’m still sore from a workout I did last week. But it’s been a blast, and I feel totally ready for ‘cross season to start.

Cyclocross, season 1

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Just finished with the weekend I wanted when I first considered cyclocross: Halloween weekend. And it did not disappoint.

Mud, cowbells, cheering, beer, friends.

I raced pretty bad both days, but Saturday I was in the middle of a cold. Can’t recommend that — it was like breathing through a straw.

Sunday I felt better and I raced better, if a bit over-cautious. I want to work on my cornering in the next two weeks — those were the places that had me losing time.

Anyway. We hung out with some new friends, got muddy, got a little drunk, picked up a few new scars, and had a blast.

Dryland Shoulder Stability Exercises

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I found these really cool dryland exercise videos on the site my friend runs, Coach Vern Gambetta. I’m sure he wouldn’t approve of me just sending these videos out there without context. You need to:

  • Know how to fit them into your overall training plan.
  • Have a coach watch you for proper form
  • Decide if these exercises are even  right for your situation

This video is my favorite, because it mimics some of what I’ve been doing in physical therapy.

High-Y-Fly from Vern Gambetta on Vimeo.

Yeah, that’s right. I said physical therapy. See, I’ve been swimming again for the last few weeks! I wrote to my friend, Coach Vern Gambetta.

I finally sucked it up and went to a doctor about my shoulder. Impingement. Not a shocker. Went through PT, and am SLOOOOWLY building back up to swimming (I swam 1,000 yards today, and it was really nice to do it mostly without pain).

The PT teased me repeatedly that I am terribly out of balance in my chest and back from having grown up swimming. I have LOADS of flexibility, but almost no scapular strength — working on scapular strength and my rotator cuff was mostly what the PT had me do.

Anyway. Go check out the rest of those dryland videos, and talk with a good coach to see if they’re a good fit for you.

Funemployment

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Since losing my job two weeks ago due to my boss being an ass, I’ve actually been on vacation.

We’d planned it months in advance and would’ve lost hundreds of dollars in cancellation fees, so going seemed like a good way to have a clean break.

Plus, you know, touring Vancouver and kayaking in the San Juan Islands would be fun.

It totally, totally was.

Today, we’re headed back. I turned on my iPhone for the first time in days. I did the usual rounds–email, Twitter, Facebook. But suddenly, all the marketing and advertising stuff that I should be caring about? Not so much.

One of the things that I kept telling myself would be good about this vacation would be that I could think about what I should do next. Should I start an agency? Should I try to find a job at an agency? Should I try to find something client-side?

The work stuff still feels all jumbled as my urges to move on and work conflicts with an urge for revenge. Yes, revenge.

Every rumor and whisper you’ve heard about that guy is pretty true. He really is that much of an ass.

What makes all this so hard is that I remember a time not long ago when I was happy. When the idea of revenge seemed silly. What could be less mature than genuinely wishing ill on someone? How wisely spent is energy on vengeance? Not very.

Thus far, all I’ve decided is that I want to spend this fall outdoors more.

Backpacking seems the easiest plan because it’s cheap and I have everything already. Cycling is another thing I’m not going to sacrifice any longer.

How did this happen? Well, I’m legally prohibited from discussing it so you can do with that information what you will.

The thing about working there was that the CEO sees everything as a negotiation, so you’re pushed to work longer and harder and faster. I can’t remember what I got in return during that negotiation.

At least, that’s how I felt. Especially when the economy tanked, three directors were fired, our media person was let go, and I got to manage, pitch, learn analytics and plan, buy, traffic, and analyze online media. And p.s. Enjoy that 10% pay cut.

Is it any wonder I got fat again during 2009?

Ugh.