Global Warming?

62 degrees after I got back to timber ridge on saturday after the Iceman. Lots of people complain, well that is in general, but a lot of people complain about the weather being too warm for the Iceman. But riding in the warm and then hanging out at the campsite all afternoon when it is warm out is much nicer than the cold. I`ll take the snow in the cross races at least they are only a 1/2 hour.
So going into this race I really didnt know what to expect. I have been training a ton, but I have only done one longer ride in the last few months and that was only about 22 miles. Friday a few of us from the team met up at timber ridge and rode out about 5 miles on the trail. My legs were feeling pretty tight but I really didnt get a chance to warm up the legs at all. So I just took it easy and spun the hills and let everyone else ride at their own pace while I rode at my own.
It seemed for the race everything went smooth with all the extra people. I liked the start in downtown Kalkaska it seemed less crowded than starting at the school.
My wave had like 140 riders in it, and really was too many. On the trail it was a constant struggle to pass people. I dont know how many times I had to go around people and into the brush on the side of the trail. I am happy I didnt break any spokes or anything. I had a bit of a problem with my hamstring cramping up on one of the last hills, but I rode them all but the very last wood chip hill right after the single track section. I decided I would try to run it because there were quite a few people walking up it and I just opened up a gap on a guy in the single track and thought I could get up it faster that way. I did pass a guy in my age group so that was good. All in all I am happy with my results. 2:18: something or other. My goal was 2:15 so I was pretty close to that.
After the race we had the grill going and some chilli cooking at the TSB campsite. That was a really good way to go. We had a ton of room and a lot of people stopped by which was really cool. That is one of the best things about the Iceman, hanging out with all my friends one last time for the year. People can say what they want about it, but I am looking forward to next years already.

Racing Vets Park

Vets park, to sum it up: pain. Lots of pain. But that is part of the allure of the course and the race. It offers the most climbing it seems of any of the races in the series and a lot technical off camber sections.
Day 1, I got 3rd place. That was my best finish ever in a cross race. I had 4th once at the KTR UCI race a few years back, but that was awarded after the race when they decided to break the catergories up by age group. I had a good start and got myself into a position that I wanted to be in. The leaders rode away on the first lap so I sat in with the second group. The last lap I decided it was time to go so I attacked into the wind. I got around a couple of the guys, then on this off camber down hill the guy in front of me wiped out. Hopefully he is ok, but I didnt see him back on sunday though. That put me in third place and I held it for the rest of the lap.
Day 2, was another 3rd place. I really didnt know what to expect. My legs were sore, but the course seemed easier. I got out for my warm up lap, and felt really tired. I got back to the car and checked my blood sugar, and it was 41! No wonder the course felt so hard. Because of that I didnt get much of a warm up in before the race. At the start of the race I was sitting in second for about 1/2 the first lap, until we hit the big ride up. Then a 3 or 4 guys went around me and opened up a decent sized gap. I spent the next lap or two working my way back up to 3rd and 4th place. I finally made contact before the big hill and sat on for a bit. Before we hit the big hill I moved into 4th place, and rode there for most of the rest of the lap. We werent really going as fast as I would of liked so I was debating when I should go. On the start of the last lap I decided it was a good time to put in an attack. It worked and I opened up a decent sized gap. I was worried about being able to hold it up the big hill since that is where I got passed on the first lap, but it held all the way to the end.
I guess all the training hours are paying off finally. It felt good to get on the podium after all these years.

It was just myself and John racing both days. John continued on his streak both days with a fifth and a thrid place finish.

Derby City USGP

Pictures are posted on my picasa page. I will add a write up later.

Racing Lower Huron

One of my favorite places to race cross is Lower Huron Metro Park. One of these years I am going to ride the paved trail after the race since it is such a pretty park. I think that is one of the reasons that I like this race so much. I still remember my first time racing here. I was driving in and you can see the run up from the road and I thought to myself what am I doing? I have to run up that. Now I look forward to that run up.



















I wasnt sure how I would feel coming into this race. I have been putting in a lot of training on my way to my peak for vets park and Iceman. I stopped on the way and picked up Terry R. since he was having some car problems and got to the race plenty early. This was the first race this year that we had frost on the ground. It wasnt bad though, there was no breeze and the sun was coming out.
We line up and I make sure to get the front row this time after what happened at Munson. The whistle blew and I took off and was feeling really good. I put in a good hard effort and was leading down the paved straight. I could hear the guys gaining on me so I shift up to the big ring, and my chain falls off. I tried to back pedal to get it back on, but it was off too far by then. So I am coasting in the middle of the pack while everyone in my group passes me. They must of the started the next age group too soon because those guys were passing me also. I tried to get out the way and took a look behind me and it looked clear, but I guess I cut a guy off I didnt see. Sorry, but I had to get my chain back on, and I wanted to get out of the middle of the pack. I get it back on quick, but everyone in my group was long gone. I spent the rest of the race trying to get around the slower traffic, end up in a sprint at the line. I didnt know if the guy was in my group or not, and I thought I got him, but he beat me for 9th by .003 seconds or something like that. So what did I learn? Start in the big ring, and make sure the bike is working good. In a 30 min. race there isnt time to make it up unless you are a lot faster than everyone else.
John had another good day of racing and looked really strong in the B race. Terry had a flat so it must of been some bad luck riding down there with us.

Saturday Night Lights

Well no lights for me since I did the C race and it wasnt dark by the time we got done, but it did make for a cool race experience. I must say munson is not one of my favorite races and I was kind of on the fence about doing the race. I need the points, but it is just so far away. But I made the trek down there and am really happy I did. The race was a lot of fun, and it just seemed like everyone was really into it. The course was also pretty cool, different than years past, much more compact with a lot of straight aways out in the flats. John and I were the only TSB guys that did the race, and John did really good.

My bloodsugar was all over the map before race, too much good food at the tailgate party I was at earlier in the day was the cause for that, so I didnt know how I was going to feel in the race. Usually when it is high my legs are dead, when it is all over the place I just feel tired. I got there a bit later than I wanted and was trying to squeeze in as much warm up time on the course as I could, but it seemed like people lined up way earlier than usual. So I got over to the start and was the at back, not where you want to be. So the whistle blows and as we get up the hill I got stuck in traffic, and had work my way up and around a bunch of guys. I saw a big pack forming so I worked my way up to them and sat on for a bit. Seems like I went off the front once it spread out some, and I found myself riding with a couple of guys for a few laps. I couldnt shake them and we stayed together pretty much the whole race. On the last lap on the finish stretch I decided it was time to go. I probably should of done it on the second to last lap, but I am still trying to figure out how much I have in the tank in a race. I didnt want to go too soon and blow up, but with all the hours I have been putting in I am in much better shape than a few years ago. So I stayed away and finished about 12 seconds behind 5th. I feel that if I would of got a better start I would of had a top 5 finish. Oh well, it takes a while for the body to come around and it does for the mind also, but every race I am getting my race smarts back. :)

Next up is lower huron, possibly my favorite in the whole series.

GP of Ithaca

First off let me say thanks to JB for putting on another great race. This was my third year doing the race, kind of, stupid knee last year. If you havent done this race you need to do it next year. The course is always challenging with one of more technical routes taking advantage of all the terrain in the park. Luckily the sandpit was off limits this year so that wasnt part of the course. I dont think anyone complained about that. :)
This year TSB was a sponsor of the race. It has been really cool seeing cross grow, but especially on our team over the last few years leading up to us sponsoring such a great event. I am hoping that we can help out again next year.

A few of us made it over on saturday to help set up the course and get a few pointers at the same time. I have never set up a cross course before, and have a new respect for how much work it takes. Setting up the course is just a small part of putting something like this on, I cant imagine how much work Brian & Kristi put into making it all happen over the course of a year.

So after how bad I did at the double cross last weekend I decided that I wasnt quite ready for the B`s just yet so this week I raced the C class. This year I think there were 24 guys lined up at the start which was cool to see the turn out grow over the last few years. I was feeling pretty good, and it seems like my cold is mostly gone now. We rode a few a laps on saturday and I got a good warm up in on the course. My legs were feeling a bit sore, but not bad. So I got to line in the front row, and debated trying to get the prime. I thought better of it, figuring that if I tried I would be cooked on the first lap. So the whistle blows and we are off up the hill. I look around and I am sitting pretty much even with a couple of guys for the lead and the prime. I gave a few more strong cranks, but decided it wasnt worth it and a couple of other guys were already starting to open a bit of a gap. Most of the race was a blur of suffering and pain, but it seemed I was second going into the grass. From there I lost a spot and dropped back to thrid and then fourth. There were a lot of crashes around me but I was able to get around a couple of them, but they never really happened in a spot where I could open up much of a gap. I rode in fourth place most of the race. I could catch the guy in front of me but at times but he able to gap me in certain parts of the course where he was a bit stronger than me, then I would catch him in the areas that I was better. That was pretty much it for the entire race. The last lap a guy got my fourth place and slight bobble cost me the chance to sprint with him to the line.
I am really happy with the results even though I know I could of done better, but that is racing there always places where you could of done better that you think about after the race.

Waterford Hills CX

Well a less than spectacular weekend of racing for me. Someone at work had a saying that seems to fit pretty well.

I was so far back I thought I was in first.

How true that was. Hopefully I have better results as the season rolls on.