Friday, October 30, 2009
Strange...
I replaced my old Shimano 18t cog on the singlespeed with a Surly 18t. The Surly cog seems to have tensioned the chain a little more than the Shimano cog. Not sure how that happened, but I'm pretty sure my effective gear is either now 32/18.12653 with the Surly or it used to be 32/17.98564 with the Shimano. So I'll either be faster or slower depending on what the actual ratio change was.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Running Update of Things I've Learned from Racing
New blog feature!
I'm going to try to track the notes I make to myself at each race, and even think back to older races to remember those things I learned back in the day or even 2 weeks ago. I won't try to keep them in any order- that would be much too tedious.
1. Warm up on the trainer. Much more controllable that way.
2. Get to the race at least 90 minutes before the race. No reason to rush the warmup and registration process. Getting a look at the course helps, too.
3. Stick around for results! It might get you a 6-pack of beer.
4. Ride the mountain bike once a week. This must be one of the reasons my power and response are both gone this year. The changes in pace and terrain, especially on a singlespeed, and the sudden output needed are vital to training my ability to keep up with the attacks or charge to the group ahead.
5. Gloves. I usually race 'cross without them until the temperature demands them. But last week I was thinking about losing the wedding ring while actually racing, and thus distracting me from the race itself. That has to be worth a few spots, right?
I'm going to try to track the notes I make to myself at each race, and even think back to older races to remember those things I learned back in the day or even 2 weeks ago. I won't try to keep them in any order- that would be much too tedious.
1. Warm up on the trainer. Much more controllable that way.
2. Get to the race at least 90 minutes before the race. No reason to rush the warmup and registration process. Getting a look at the course helps, too.
3. Stick around for results! It might get you a 6-pack of beer.
4. Ride the mountain bike once a week. This must be one of the reasons my power and response are both gone this year. The changes in pace and terrain, especially on a singlespeed, and the sudden output needed are vital to training my ability to keep up with the attacks or charge to the group ahead.
5. Gloves. I usually race 'cross without them until the temperature demands them. But last week I was thinking about losing the wedding ring while actually racing, and thus distracting me from the race itself. That has to be worth a few spots, right?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
DCCX 2009 'cross race report
DCCX 2009 'cross race report
Cat 3/4
Washington, DC
October 25, 2009
I wanted revenge. If you recall, as I do, last year's race... I was in the top 5 or 6 on the first lap. Probably 500m into the race, the guy in 3rd crashed, I went down behind him, and the guy behind me rolled over my rear wheel, breaking the rim and making it unrideable. I couldn't get to the pit in any short amount of time, so I ended up dropping out.
This year, I knew I didn't have the fitness but thought I could at least aim for a top-20. I had a good starting position on the 3rd row, and figured I could keep myself somewhere in that vicinity throughout the race. Boy was I wrong.
I made it to the first climb (literally 150m into the race) in the top 15. And once I crested that climb, the race changed for me. I was suddenly sluggish and tired. This dirt wasn't even as soft as some of the upcoming muddy grass. Once I got to the softest ground, I was just struggling.
I only passed about 2 people the entire race and I'm pretty sure both passed me again later. I couldn't stay with groups that caught me, and I couldn't catch the groups that were in front of me. I was picking good lines, but completely lacking the power needed to climb and push through the wind.
On the last lap, I had enough of a gap on the group behind me that I tried to bunny-hop the uphill, slow, and soft-dirt barriers. I almost made it over the first one, but it was just too hard on the uphill grade. No speed to keep momentum, and not enough strength that late in the race to throw the bike over. But it got a really good cheer from the cowbell-wielding crowd.
I finished the race in 50th, which wasn't good for morale, but it WAS good enough for a 6-pack of beer that was being given to places 25, 50, and 75. Too bad I didn't find this out until about 2 days later, and thus my prize was left behind in DC.
Cat 3/4
Washington, DC
October 25, 2009
I wanted revenge. If you recall, as I do, last year's race... I was in the top 5 or 6 on the first lap. Probably 500m into the race, the guy in 3rd crashed, I went down behind him, and the guy behind me rolled over my rear wheel, breaking the rim and making it unrideable. I couldn't get to the pit in any short amount of time, so I ended up dropping out.
This year, I knew I didn't have the fitness but thought I could at least aim for a top-20. I had a good starting position on the 3rd row, and figured I could keep myself somewhere in that vicinity throughout the race. Boy was I wrong.
I made it to the first climb (literally 150m into the race) in the top 15. And once I crested that climb, the race changed for me. I was suddenly sluggish and tired. This dirt wasn't even as soft as some of the upcoming muddy grass. Once I got to the softest ground, I was just struggling.
I only passed about 2 people the entire race and I'm pretty sure both passed me again later. I couldn't stay with groups that caught me, and I couldn't catch the groups that were in front of me. I was picking good lines, but completely lacking the power needed to climb and push through the wind.
On the last lap, I had enough of a gap on the group behind me that I tried to bunny-hop the uphill, slow, and soft-dirt barriers. I almost made it over the first one, but it was just too hard on the uphill grade. No speed to keep momentum, and not enough strength that late in the race to throw the bike over. But it got a really good cheer from the cowbell-wielding crowd.
I finished the race in 50th, which wasn't good for morale, but it WAS good enough for a 6-pack of beer that was being given to places 25, 50, and 75. Too bad I didn't find this out until about 2 days later, and thus my prize was left behind in DC.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Chuckatuck @ Lone Star Lakes 2009 'cross race report
Chuckatuck @ Lone Star Lakes 2009 'cross race report
Cat 3
Suffolk, VA
October 19, 2009
Not a great start. On the start line, there's discussion of whether the B race will be 60 or 45 minutes. We agree to 45 (why is this even in question? It's always 45.) As soon as this "announcent" is made, the official walks off and says, "Have a good race". A couple of guys jump the line, the official mumbles "go" under his breath and John M and I are basically the last two riders off the line going into a headwind. I struggle to catch back on early.
First few laps I'm in no man's land trying to get up to the group in front of me. I get close a few times, and even make contact a few times but can't seem to get there and stay. There's a headwind and I'm able to close in the techical parts and the tailwind parts, but the headwind knocks me back every time. But with about 5 to go I make up enough ground to sprint to the back of a group of 5. After the technical bit, and into a headwind, I see some apathy in the group (Bob had just finished a pull and nobody else was doing the work), so I sprint into the next technical (and tailwind) section. I create a gap and go hard out of every turn. The gap widens and I continue trying to catch the next group. I never got closer than about 15 seconds, but I was making up ground, solo, for most of the race (the wind was sometimes really brutal). I end the race in 6th, but definitely feel that with a better start I could have been pretty high in the order.
Cat 3
Suffolk, VA
October 19, 2009
Not a great start. On the start line, there's discussion of whether the B race will be 60 or 45 minutes. We agree to 45 (why is this even in question? It's always 45.) As soon as this "announcent" is made, the official walks off and says, "Have a good race". A couple of guys jump the line, the official mumbles "go" under his breath and John M and I are basically the last two riders off the line going into a headwind. I struggle to catch back on early.
First few laps I'm in no man's land trying to get up to the group in front of me. I get close a few times, and even make contact a few times but can't seem to get there and stay. There's a headwind and I'm able to close in the techical parts and the tailwind parts, but the headwind knocks me back every time. But with about 5 to go I make up enough ground to sprint to the back of a group of 5. After the technical bit, and into a headwind, I see some apathy in the group (Bob had just finished a pull and nobody else was doing the work), so I sprint into the next technical (and tailwind) section. I create a gap and go hard out of every turn. The gap widens and I continue trying to catch the next group. I never got closer than about 15 seconds, but I was making up ground, solo, for most of the race (the wind was sometimes really brutal). I end the race in 6th, but definitely feel that with a better start I could have been pretty high in the order.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Granogue 2009 'cross race report
Granogue 2009 'cross race report
Cat 2/3/4
Greenville, DE
October 17, 2009
Not a great start, but I made up for it by passing a lot of people on the road into the first mud section. I continued to pass people in the mud until the guy in front of me stopped and I went OTB and off the course, sliding in the wet grass. The mob behind was too thick for me to jump back into, so I had to wait, and was back to the Theme #1 of the season- racing from the back.
1st lap was hard, I wasn't in great position or feeling too good, but I was passing people on most of the downhills, only to get passed on the climbs. Didn't seem to have enough gear or legs but had the skills to keep riding anyway.
2nd lap... rode well enough to pass a few guys, but also got passed by a few as well. Probably stayed in the same place most of the race, just musical chairs with about 10 of us. Crashed on the main descent in front of the crowd when the guy in front of me crashed and I had nowhere to go.
3rd lap... Just trying to get to the end, I see the leader on a part of the course that I have not too long ago ridden- meaning I am getting caught. I'm now riding to not get lapped. In the end, Theme #2 rears its ugly head- the leader laps me w/ 200m to go (3rd time this year.) End of day for me, in 69th, -1 lap.
Cat 2/3/4
Greenville, DE
October 17, 2009
Not a great start, but I made up for it by passing a lot of people on the road into the first mud section. I continued to pass people in the mud until the guy in front of me stopped and I went OTB and off the course, sliding in the wet grass. The mob behind was too thick for me to jump back into, so I had to wait, and was back to the Theme #1 of the season- racing from the back.
1st lap was hard, I wasn't in great position or feeling too good, but I was passing people on most of the downhills, only to get passed on the climbs. Didn't seem to have enough gear or legs but had the skills to keep riding anyway.
2nd lap... rode well enough to pass a few guys, but also got passed by a few as well. Probably stayed in the same place most of the race, just musical chairs with about 10 of us. Crashed on the main descent in front of the crowd when the guy in front of me crashed and I had nowhere to go.
3rd lap... Just trying to get to the end, I see the leader on a part of the course that I have not too long ago ridden- meaning I am getting caught. I'm now riding to not get lapped. In the end, Theme #2 rears its ugly head- the leader laps me w/ 200m to go (3rd time this year.) End of day for me, in 69th, -1 lap.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Bryan Park Cyclocross 2009 Race Report
Bryan Park 2009 'cross race report
Richmond Festival of 'Cross - Bryan Park
Richmond, VA
October 11, 2009
35+ race:
1st lap, with lead group, maybe in 6th or 7th. After the barriers I set the bike down in a hole, jump back on. Bike stops, I keep going. I don't crash, but come close. Chain comes off. Put chain on, I'm now in last. Rear axle also gets off-center (skewers are fickle things), chain skips every half pedal stroke. Starting 2nd lap (in second-to-last), I snag the spare bike. It's a singlespeed, 42-18. Not fun on a course with at least a half-mile of road. I end up in second to last. Not sure how that happened, unless the guy behind me was a lap down.
Cat 3 race:
1. Starting line. I'm on the front row. Then a few latecomers show, and get in front of us. I'm now on the second row. I don't like this system. Especially considering the one of the latecomers ends up in front of me when everyone moves up about 10 feet in front of the start line when the A race goes off 1 minute before we do (I was on the start line, everyone else moved up a bike length). And this particular latecomer can't clip in on the start, I end up not having anywhere to go, and most riders go around us and I'm close to the back of everyone.
2. I go over the first set of barriers much faster than some, and end up running into someone who's basically stopped in the middle of the course.
3. I get in the 2nd group. We won't call it a "chase" group, because nobody was willing to "chase". They were all content to race for, oh... 8th, 9th?
4. I put in a really hard effort to separate a few of us, really get a chase going. Everyone sits on, I get in the singletrack a few riders back (it's not singletrack, but you can't pass as there really is only one line, and going off the line would slow you down) and can't pass. Everyone seems to be soft pedaling. Not catching up with anyone, just content to ride for 8th, 9th...
5. I put in another really hard effort after diving a grass-pavement-grass-pavement U-turn and create a 3 rider selection. Once I pull off, the two behind me stop pedaling and sit up. Grouppo of 7 riding for 8th, 9th compatto.
6. I get frustrated, float to the back of the group, and in the next set of barriers get hung up by someone who looks as though he's never once seen barriers, much less tried the dismount, run, remount technique. I am now trying to get back on the bike and on top of a taller gear than my speed will allow, and I am now solo chasing the group of 5 in front of me.
7. I'm closing the gap. I am not racing for 8th or 9th, but maybe 10th.
8. Over the first set of barriers w/ 2 laps to go, I am going as fast as I can. I've been running the barriers as fast as I ever have in practice. However, the barriers on this day are about 10 feet apart instead of the 4 meters (13 feet) that is standard. I forget this, and trip over the second barrier. Bike slams to the ground, as do I. Get up and feel the left shifter is turned inward about 20 degrees. I yell some obscenities while picking up the bike to throw it discus-like over the tape and into the grass.
9. Throw helmet.
10. Yell a bit about how I'm sick of people who don't know how to corner, go over barriers, or clip in to their pedals, and how I'm sick of not being able to race my own race.
11. Monday night trying to sort out shifter alignment, find out the carbon bars are broken. Order new bars.
Richmond Festival of 'Cross - Bryan Park
Richmond, VA
October 11, 2009
35+ race:
1st lap, with lead group, maybe in 6th or 7th. After the barriers I set the bike down in a hole, jump back on. Bike stops, I keep going. I don't crash, but come close. Chain comes off. Put chain on, I'm now in last. Rear axle also gets off-center (skewers are fickle things), chain skips every half pedal stroke. Starting 2nd lap (in second-to-last), I snag the spare bike. It's a singlespeed, 42-18. Not fun on a course with at least a half-mile of road. I end up in second to last. Not sure how that happened, unless the guy behind me was a lap down.
Cat 3 race:
1. Starting line. I'm on the front row. Then a few latecomers show, and get in front of us. I'm now on the second row. I don't like this system. Especially considering the one of the latecomers ends up in front of me when everyone moves up about 10 feet in front of the start line when the A race goes off 1 minute before we do (I was on the start line, everyone else moved up a bike length). And this particular latecomer can't clip in on the start, I end up not having anywhere to go, and most riders go around us and I'm close to the back of everyone.
2. I go over the first set of barriers much faster than some, and end up running into someone who's basically stopped in the middle of the course.
3. I get in the 2nd group. We won't call it a "chase" group, because nobody was willing to "chase". They were all content to race for, oh... 8th, 9th?
4. I put in a really hard effort to separate a few of us, really get a chase going. Everyone sits on, I get in the singletrack a few riders back (it's not singletrack, but you can't pass as there really is only one line, and going off the line would slow you down) and can't pass. Everyone seems to be soft pedaling. Not catching up with anyone, just content to ride for 8th, 9th...
5. I put in another really hard effort after diving a grass-pavement-grass-pavement U-turn and create a 3 rider selection. Once I pull off, the two behind me stop pedaling and sit up. Grouppo of 7 riding for 8th, 9th compatto.
6. I get frustrated, float to the back of the group, and in the next set of barriers get hung up by someone who looks as though he's never once seen barriers, much less tried the dismount, run, remount technique. I am now trying to get back on the bike and on top of a taller gear than my speed will allow, and I am now solo chasing the group of 5 in front of me.
7. I'm closing the gap. I am not racing for 8th or 9th, but maybe 10th.
8. Over the first set of barriers w/ 2 laps to go, I am going as fast as I can. I've been running the barriers as fast as I ever have in practice. However, the barriers on this day are about 10 feet apart instead of the 4 meters (13 feet) that is standard. I forget this, and trip over the second barrier. Bike slams to the ground, as do I. Get up and feel the left shifter is turned inward about 20 degrees. I yell some obscenities while picking up the bike to throw it discus-like over the tape and into the grass.
9. Throw helmet.
10. Yell a bit about how I'm sick of people who don't know how to corner, go over barriers, or clip in to their pedals, and how I'm sick of not being able to race my own race.
11. Monday night trying to sort out shifter alignment, find out the carbon bars are broken. Order new bars.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Kelley Acres 2009 'cross race report
Kelley Acres 2009 'cross race report
Kelley Acres Cyclocross
Middletown, MD
October 4, 2009
I loved this course! It had just about everything- grassy power sections, hills, fast technical descents, fast sweeping descents, log barriers, and a flyover! And I was good everywhere but the hills.
If you realise early in a race that you don't have power, especially when there are 2 short steep climbs and one long steep climb to work with, it makes for a long race. I was riding well, and even able to make up ground on all of the other sections. But the 3 climbs just killed me. I knew that my lack of power was going to make the race harder than it needed to be, and it was. I never felt good on the climbs. I am a little overgeared for the amount of climbing the course had, but it shouldn't have affected me as much as it did.
Hard to stomach being technically good and smooth and fast for 70% of a race but being dreadfully slow on the other 30%.
Positives- bunny-hopping the logs on all but the first lap when there was a veritable "log-jam" (HA!) over the first set of logs. Also, Joe J (the announcer) told me after the race I was the smoothest and fastest going over the flyover. A lot of guys ran the logs before the flyover and stayed on foot. I bunny-hopped them and carried speed into they flyover making it flow really well. This was the highlight.
Negatives- I got lapped by the leader with about 100m to go, which effectively ended my race. Unfortunately it was scored based on total laps and not the "everyone finishes on the lead lap" ideology we normally use. Therefore I didn't complete my last lap and am listed as a DNF.
Kelley Acres Cyclocross
Middletown, MD
October 4, 2009
I loved this course! It had just about everything- grassy power sections, hills, fast technical descents, fast sweeping descents, log barriers, and a flyover! And I was good everywhere but the hills.
If you realise early in a race that you don't have power, especially when there are 2 short steep climbs and one long steep climb to work with, it makes for a long race. I was riding well, and even able to make up ground on all of the other sections. But the 3 climbs just killed me. I knew that my lack of power was going to make the race harder than it needed to be, and it was. I never felt good on the climbs. I am a little overgeared for the amount of climbing the course had, but it shouldn't have affected me as much as it did.
Hard to stomach being technically good and smooth and fast for 70% of a race but being dreadfully slow on the other 30%.
Positives- bunny-hopping the logs on all but the first lap when there was a veritable "log-jam" (HA!) over the first set of logs. Also, Joe J (the announcer) told me after the race I was the smoothest and fastest going over the flyover. A lot of guys ran the logs before the flyover and stayed on foot. I bunny-hopped them and carried speed into they flyover making it flow really well. This was the highlight.
Negatives- I got lapped by the leader with about 100m to go, which effectively ended my race. Unfortunately it was scored based on total laps and not the "everyone finishes on the lead lap" ideology we normally use. Therefore I didn't complete my last lap and am listed as a DNF.
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