Started out thinking this post was going to be a long one but I don't think I want to rehash 2012. I'll just say that it was a good year. The family had a great year and everybody is healthy and happy. I had a great year of bicycle racing with the Mercy crew on the road and the Trek Cyclocross Collective this fall. Pretty amazed that I continue to perform better every year even as I get older. Have to say thanks to my coach Adam at Source Endurance, it just doesn't happen without his guidance.Also have to say thanks to Jay, Kent, Scott and the whole crew at the TREK Bicycle Stores for the support and equipment. Of course none of this happens without the understanding of Mathgeek and the boys. Bicycle racing is a time consuming expensive sport and they let me follow my dreams.
The racing in 2013 starts off early with the National Cyclocross Championships in January and then Masters World Cyclocross Championships in February.
Even Champions fall now and again. Makes me feel better about the race last Saturday. I was definitely off my game and even raced on the wrong tires. I was struggling during the race but after falling 6 times I decided to call it a day. I have figured out that the reason that I was struggling is a hip injury that is killing my power on the bike. Bummer, only 1 week to get it fixed before Nationals.
Fun times at Christmas. I'm not much of a holiday guy but Mathgeek and the boys love it.
On to 2013, best wishes to all for a Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Things that happen in Bend should stay in Bend........except for this! Once again there is video proof that Bike racers can't dance. It helps if you know who the people are but it's still funny if you don't.
Still paying the price for the long road trip. Pretty travel weary and my honey do list is long.
Sunday morning came with cold and clear conditions and we were pumped. Everybody on the team rode well Saturday and we felt like we could do it again. We were up early and at the venue to everything in place for the races. I was one of those early races so I was kitted up and ready to pre- ride the course between the first couple of races. There were only a few course changes so my hope was to check them out and get on the trainer to finish warming up. I got out a little late and before long I heard the announcer say the course was closed so it was back to the trainer until the race was over. Mark and I tried once that race ended but after a short time on course we were thrown off the course by an angry official. Turns out that OBRA(the local sanctioning body)has a rule that nobody can pre-ride the course once racing has begun for the day. I had no idea there was a rule since we had pre-rode on Saturday but it took a lengthy discussion to get them to let me race. Kind of hard to focus on warming up for your race when you are talking to race officials 30 minutes before the start. In the end it got sorted out and it was race time.
I got a decent start and once again got the lead before the technical part. Right away I knew that I had messed up on tire pressure. The course was a little bit faster than Saturday and my pressure was a little low. In fact it was low enough that I had to be careful no to bottom out the tire on the many rocks around the course. Now the issue was that I was in the lead but Bart Bowen was chasing and closing in. If I changed bikes right away he would catch me or I could try to stretch out the lead and then come out of the pit still in the lead. I tried to run but in the end I had to take a bike just as Bowen was catching me and that was it. Bowen had a 10 second lead as I exited the pit and I just didn't have the legs to close the gap. Other than getting taken down by a lapped rider the rest of the race was pretty uneventful. 2nd place, not too shabby.
The drive home was a 2 day marathon on the sprinter but it really was not too bad. Overall I think both Mark and I came through the trip in pretty good shape. Now it's time to focus on Nationals and Worlds.
Wow, what a great day for the Trek CXC crew. Two wins and a 3rd and 4th in the 35+ race as well.We woke up to cold and cloudy conditions for the first races of the day but it quickly started warming up as the day wore on. Course conditions were also changing with the warming temps. As the sun started popping out and the frozen ground started to thaw leaving a layer of mud on top of the frozen ground. Usually that would make for pretty challenging conditions but with the volcanic soil there was still traction.
In my race I got a pretty good start slotting in 3rd or 4th going into the first few turns. I decided to jump the leaders so I could lead into the technical wooded section. After the wooded section I had all ready established a 10 sec lead and that was it. The rest of the race I stretched out the lead a bit and could ease up the last few laps and hopefully saving something for today's race.
In the end I won by 30 seconds or so.
I got cleaned up and soon it was time for the 35+ race. We had 3 TrekCXC riders in the race so I was in the pit ready to go. Mark got a good start and after the first lap was in the lead with one other rider. Throughout the race they pulled out a lead and then with 2 laps to go Mark got away from the other rider. Our other 2 riders, Shannon Skerrit and Jesse Reints were right in the mix. At the finish Mark won with a good lead with Shannon 3rd and Jesse 4th.
Mark in the series leader Jersey
Finally got a Win
Katie's in Europe winning
Pretty artsy shot by Anders
Popping over the flyover
This is what happens when your tires don't fit through the gauge
The team area was rocking all day
So just about time to head out for day 2. Similar conditions to yesterday.
Here's a few pictures from today's pre-ride session plus a video from the Cliff Bar crew.
Got done with set up a little early so Mark and I walked the course.
Fast narrow sections in the woods
there are a couple of steep ride/run ups
Tod Wells is back this weekend
Found this picture on Cycling Dirt. Velonews is going to stream live coverage both days. Pro races only
Nice video from the Cliff boys.
Should be an interesting day tomorrow. Cold but clear and not much mud. A little more technical course than in the past but there is still the slog in the grass by the brewery. Since Mark Legg isn't here I ended up with #1. Hope it's a good sign.
Traveling to races can sometimes be a pain but usually I'm so amped to race that I have to remember to calm down just to make sure I don't get a ticket getting there. But this trip is a little different. In the past my trips to Bend have been a 30 hr straight through slog that totally drained the life out of me. So this year we went the opposite route and did the drive in two days. There is no doubt the easy pace of the two day drive is much more relaxing and today I'm sitting here totally fresh and ready to go. So today we are waiting for some of the other CXC riders to show up at the house and then it's off to the course to set up the Trek compound and pre-ride the course.
Um, yea, Mark's not texting......somewhere in Utah.
Somewhere in Idaho, pretty much looks like Utah
Got to the house just at sunset, pretty sweet place on top of the mountain.
The 2 hour time difference is wreaking havoc on our bodies. up at 4 every day!
Time to get rolling and get ready to head to the course.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I'm sitting here this morning with Mathgeek and Curly watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on tv. I've been trying to get a post done for Jingle Cross since last weekend but it was just not happening until today. With only 3 days at home between the USGP in Louisville and Jingle Cross nothing got done around the house. This week I paid the price for traveling so much and had to focus on family life. Good thing my coach had planned a mid season rest week.
What can I say about Jingle Cross that hasn't been said. 3 days of racing on craziest courses we do all year. The main feature is Mt. Krumpet, we go up it 2 different ways and of course, what goes up must come down. Then there is the part that I like, the technical turns through the barns. Overall the course is pretty balanced. The big difference this year was that for the 1st time the temperature was warm and there was no rain, snow, or mud.
Friday Day 1:
We got to the venue in plenty of time to set up our tents and pre-ride the course before race time. My race was one of the early races so darkness was not an issue. After a pretty easy training week I was a little worried I would be flat and that ended up being the case. After a good start it ended up with 3 of us in a battle for the win. I definitely had a advantage on the decent, my Garmin said I hit 28mph coming down. Unfortunately it could'nt overcome how slow I was running up the hill and I ended up 3rd.
Helen Wyman going up the ascent of Mt. Krumpet. We had to go up this both Friday and Sunday.
Saturday Day 2:
I'm still working on my new warm up routine and on this day it felt perfect. Got to the line and my legs felt great. I jumped into the lead from the start and got the King of the Mountain Prize for leading over the top of Mt. Krumpet on the first lap. Today we rode up the climb so I felt like I was on a good day. This is where the race went bad. The 35+ race started 1 minute before us and we were all ready going through the back end of the field. We hit the swiitchback downhill and some of the 35+ guys started crashing. I chose to go low and it was a huge mistake. One of the guys flipped over his bike and hit me on the way down. I went sailing over the bars catching my knee between the frame and the front wheel twisting my knee. On the way down I hit wooden post with my thigh, snapping it off at the ground. I wanted to get up, tried, but couldnt stand. Eventually my leg settled down unough to limp back to medical. The guys from the hospital cleaned up my wound and packed my knee in ice. I could only hope it settled down before Day 3.
Sunday Day 3:
After a night of ice and stretching I woke up feeling pretty good. Minimal swelling in the knee and leg. My warm up went well and I was ready to race. After another good start I got into the lead and began to strech it out to 15 seconds. Once again we had to run up Mt. Krumpet but this time we had to jump on the bike and ride the rest of the way to the top. After that there was the decent to the bottom. Unfortunately, the on the bike climbing and decent could not overcome my run/walk pace up the climb. Half way through the last lap I got caught and even though I felt like I could of put some time on the other rider through the technical section before the sprint, I really had no interest in battle that would ensue to do it. One hard crash was enough and it was going to take some agressive riding to make the pass. So it came down to a sprint and I just didn't have enough gas to get around him at the line.
Overall it was a good weekend. 3rd Friday, 2nd Sunday, and in contention for the win both days. I feel like I had my best chance to win on saturday but that's racing. The weekend was a success for the whole TREK CXC gang as everybody had great rides.
Andrew had a few issues Friday night.
The winner of our 45+ race didnt show for the podium so Mike and I shared the top step. This guy is one of my favorite guys to race against. Great rider that impresses me everytime I see him. His son fast and heading to EuroCross camp soon. How he handles training and working with his son, and everything else insires me to do more with my boys.
Matt Shriver getting the holeshot in Sundays race.
Matt on the Log Roll. 6 wooden post less that a wheel lenght apart.
Mark racing the Elite race. We had to make sure he didn't score a UCI point or we was out for Masters Worlds. By far the most stressfull part of the weekend.
I saw this picture from a race in europe. They get them started young there.
Looks like it's back to training after todays Thanksgiving extravaganza. Time to start getting ready for the Final USGP weekend in Bend, OR.
