Team CycleFitness showed up to the Capital Classic knowing that the 40/ 50+ combined field was going to be tough-going with heavy
individual hitters plus teams. We (Monte Frank(e), Mike Andrews, and
me ... Funky John) were ready to 'flex our muscles' and do the best we
could in both fields. The funny thing is ... we didn't 'talk' about race
strategies until the race started. I like it that way. A well-tuned
team doesn't need to talk.
It was a 3 lap race of just over 21 miles per lap. The attacks went
from the gun (after a long neutral start) on the first lap, but
nothing stuck. It was good to see that one of us was not afraid
to go up the road with a 'good' attack. On the flats, Mike flatted. While Mike was getting a change, Monte went to the front, and he and Carl controlled the front to give Mike a chance. I went to the back to help him out. Kyle gave Mike a quick change, and Mike was able to get back on.
We didn't see Carl much after that. Carl doesn't like groups.
On the second lap, I decided to 'recover' and slip to the back of the group to get a feel of the size of the group. The group was easily half the size from the start. There were a few hitters in the back, a few more hitters in the front, and a lot of 'hungry eyes' in the middle. Going up the 'major climb' on the back side of the course the second time, the front hitters 'hit the gas' hard. After the descent into the climb, Team CycleFitness was too far back from the front, and we missed the break of 6 riders. Ugh! We made an attempt to chase, but it was too late. Double Ugh!! Lots of followers, but no real chasers. Triple Ugh!!! Lesson learned boys, always have a least one teammate up in front before every major climb.
There must have been only 20 - 22 riders at this point with lots of Keltic riders. Mike Andrews made a major attack out of our group and he was the lone ranger between the break and our chase group. David Taylor attacked out of the group to help Mike! Yea!! The lads worked together to try to bridge up to the breakaway, and Monte and I had fun working the front of the field. The race stayed that way going into the third lap. Team Keltic, at this point, was doing most (if not all) of the chasing(since they didn't have a rider in the break). On the rollers before the major climb, Mike and David were brought back. Quadruple Ugh!!!!
Now, I was ready to attack on the major climb to see if I can create a
'new race'. Once the climb started, I upped the tempo just enough to
see who will go with me. As it turned out, I dropped a few more
riders, but I had LOTS of followers, and no one willing to push it over the top. Major Ugh! Time to rest for the finishing climb. Team Keltic did some more chasing, but it was very painful to watch. Nothing about the chase looked pretty. Sorry TK.
Monte was still in the picture and we chilled for a while, but Mike ran out of gas from his efforts with David. Monte tested the field a couple times, but nothing was getting away at this point.
With about 2km to go the Keltic train started forming. Rather than get on board that train, Monte yelled at me to grab his wheel ... Yes! We're going for the win in the 50+ (the break didn't have a 50+ racer). I'm feeling the need. We're Carquest, and Nascar is faster than MetroNorth. Monte did a good job getting me in place from 1 km to go to 500m to go, but Kevin Mosher saw what was happening and moved up to the front from the outside. A bunch of guys were looking for Monte's wheel. Sorry guys - that wheel's mine. Monte was drilling it at the front from 500+m. I lost his wheel for a second, but got it back with 300m to go and he took me up to the line. Monte carried so much momentum in the finishing sprint, I had to shift into a big ring (why was I in the little ring?) to catch his draft ... He won the field sprint (finished 7th overall in the 40+), and I won the 50+ race. Big YES! Mike finished just a few minutes behind our group, but he finished with pride ... rounding off our team efforts, which was nice to see.
Well done CycleFitness! Great teamwork!
Thanks for reading.
-Funky John
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
IRONMAN LAKE PLACID Part 1 swim/ bike
WOw, what an event and I have to say Ironman really took it out of me this time...(as you can see as it took me nearly 3 weeks to publish this)
The family and i got to Lake Placid a few day early to hang out and we were lucky to get some incredible weather for the entire week. Little rain and lots of sunshine.. HOT though. lIke in the 90s. I pretty much took it easy during the week, hanging out on beautiful mirror lake and doing some easy rides with a little course preview.
Race morning:
Woke up a few minutes before 4 am after a pretty good nights sleep. Not too many prerace nerves. Ate a decent breakfast of oatmeal and a banana. Veena and the kids, real troopers got me to the transitiion area around 450 in order to beat the road closures.. TUrns out first announcement, the race was going to be wetsuit optional.. If you chose to race with a wetsuit, no hawaii slot but you still get a finish etc.. Well, I knew on my best day to include a PR run I would probably not have an easy time getting a slot .and if I did i would not be able to afford it this year so I took all the possible questions out of it - if i did get a slot i would be so tempted so I raced with the wetsuit....
Swim- The swim at Placid is all about getting to the cables that follow the course. If you swim close to or on the cables, you dont have to spot and just follow the cable on both loops of the course. THis saves time. But 2700 people would like to swim the one small cable. Well, I wanted the cable and I went ofr it.. Lots of cantact, getting kicked and punched and pushed for the entire swim but I gave as good as I got ... I was out of the first lap in 29 min and the contact did not settle too much on the cable for th second, but i did get some fast feet and drafted a little more lap 2-- out of the water in 59 min and change.. Goal one down- to break an hour at an IM which is the other reason I opted for the suit.. I figured I would be around 1:03 without it and really wanted to break the hour mark..
Transition. THe run to transition is out of the lake and about a 1/4 mile to the change tent. I grabbed my bag, threw on my shoes and aero helmet and got my bike with some help from all the awesome volunteers.. so great to have som many people volunteer for a race like this.. 1st transit
ion was much faster than in my first IM last year where it was all about soaking it in..
Bike- I wanted to stay around 200-210 watts for the ride. I figured this would keep me with a decnent split and not burn all my energy for the run. Getting out of the water in an hour allowed my to be pretty close to the front.. I was able to get just outside that 10 meter limit and really do some good pacing with some strong bikers.. Once again, not drafting but pacing really helps.. the marshalls pulled next to me and the two other guys I did the first lap with several times.. no penalty and they stayed with us watching a lot. ON one out and back portion we saw seveal big groups doing some serious drafting. such BS. Being a stronger swim biker than a runner makes you have to go for it kind of before the run but groups like that allow strong runners to really rest on the bike and than do their gazelle thing on the run... well i wasnt going for a slot so no big deal..but still I hate to see blatant drafting. So anyway I came in around 520, with the 56th best bike split in the 2800 person field and actually did not feel to spent. I had stayed on my nutrition, aiming for about 200 calories an hour drinking my perpetuem every 25 min.
The family and i got to Lake Placid a few day early to hang out and we were lucky to get some incredible weather for the entire week. Little rain and lots of sunshine.. HOT though. lIke in the 90s. I pretty much took it easy during the week, hanging out on beautiful mirror lake and doing some easy rides with a little course preview.
Race morning:
Woke up a few minutes before 4 am after a pretty good nights sleep. Not too many prerace nerves. Ate a decent breakfast of oatmeal and a banana. Veena and the kids, real troopers got me to the transitiion area around 450 in order to beat the road closures.. TUrns out first announcement, the race was going to be wetsuit optional.. If you chose to race with a wetsuit, no hawaii slot but you still get a finish etc.. Well, I knew on my best day to include a PR run I would probably not have an easy time getting a slot .and if I did i would not be able to afford it this year so I took all the possible questions out of it - if i did get a slot i would be so tempted so I raced with the wetsuit....
Swim- The swim at Placid is all about getting to the cables that follow the course. If you swim close to or on the cables, you dont have to spot and just follow the cable on both loops of the course. THis saves time. But 2700 people would like to swim the one small cable. Well, I wanted the cable and I went ofr it.. Lots of cantact, getting kicked and punched and pushed for the entire swim but I gave as good as I got ... I was out of the first lap in 29 min and the contact did not settle too much on the cable for th second, but i did get some fast feet and drafted a little more lap 2-- out of the water in 59 min and change.. Goal one down- to break an hour at an IM which is the other reason I opted for the suit.. I figured I would be around 1:03 without it and really wanted to break the hour mark..
Transition. THe run to transition is out of the lake and about a 1/4 mile to the change tent. I grabbed my bag, threw on my shoes and aero helmet and got my bike with some help from all the awesome volunteers.. so great to have som many people volunteer for a race like this.. 1st transit
ion was much faster than in my first IM last year where it was all about soaking it in..
Bike- I wanted to stay around 200-210 watts for the ride. I figured this would keep me with a decnent split and not burn all my energy for the run. Getting out of the water in an hour allowed my to be pretty close to the front.. I was able to get just outside that 10 meter limit and really do some good pacing with some strong bikers.. Once again, not drafting but pacing really helps.. the marshalls pulled next to me and the two other guys I did the first lap with several times.. no penalty and they stayed with us watching a lot. ON one out and back portion we saw seveal big groups doing some serious drafting. such BS. Being a stronger swim biker than a runner makes you have to go for it kind of before the run but groups like that allow strong runners to really rest on the bike and than do their gazelle thing on the run... well i wasnt going for a slot so no big deal..but still I hate to see blatant drafting. So anyway I came in around 520, with the 56th best bike split in the 2800 person field and actually did not feel to spent. I had stayed on my nutrition, aiming for about 200 calories an hour drinking my perpetuem every 25 min.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tokeneke 8-14-2011
Tokeneke RR
8/14/2011
Persistent, Assertive Riding
Yesterday Monte and I drove up to beautiful Northern CT to race Tokeneke RR. As I packed my gear up it was raining hard and even though I knew I was going to get completely soaked today, the first couple drops on your head always suck. The forecast was calling for rain all day. I rode to meet Monte and the rain continued. It can be miserable riding to a race in the rain, nobody likes the limited visibility at 50mph, getting hit in the face with overspray with road grime and riding in wet clothes. At least it was above 70*. We both stayed positive and didn’t talk much about the rain. We hashed over some scenarios and how we would react if each came up. I think Monte and I have been racing together enough to bypass these conversation but it is still a requirement for pre-race routine and it kind of helps to get you in the zone.
Tokeneke is one of hilliest races in New England with around 2100 ft of climbing per lap and each lap being 22 miles. We were doing 3 laps, 66 miles. Even in perfect conditions, this was going to be tough! We had a stacked field as usual in our Master 40+. We knew who to watch and who were the bigger threats of slipping away from the field. We could almost predict who would be pushing the pace and where. Right from the gun our good friend Carl was out there, he does this all the time and has proven that he can make it work. A few guys went after him but it was not a threat, everyone was still a little too fresh. About 10 miles in, after the first stinger of a climb Monte was slowly passing riders moving to the front with a small select group. Things were already starting to get thinned out. We came through the fist stage of the 3 tiered climb and Monte was in the small group that already had time on the field. I did my job and got right to the front. I watched guys try to bridge unsuccessfully and try to motivate a chase but I did my best to stay strategically discreet and just screw things up without getting noticed. I looked up a could still see the break, maybe about 10 riders, the formation was jagged and wide. It did not give me the impression of a smooth working pace-line which you need if you will stay away. Unfortunately, it did not stick. Guys were just too fresh and they caught up to the break right at the bottom of the final climb of the lap. This one is a doozy! Not a very steep climb but long (1.8 mile) and it wears on you. Once again, the peleton mashed up the climb and the pack thinned out. Because I was just sitting in and chasing wheels for the last 10 miles, I felt pretty good.
Tactics of team say attack when your team-mate gets caught but with the climb in front of me, I was in no position to make anything stick against the whole field. We crested the climb, I looked back and naturally it was thinned out. I think riders were looking for a little break as we came onto the only flat section of the race. This is when 1 rider took off then another, then Carl hmm... 6 guys up the road I thought “maybe I should get in that”. Monte and I had talked about how reaction time is key, I couldn’t wonder about this for too many more seconds, just then B. Yarbroudy went by me and I grabbed his wheel. He wasn’t sprinting just pedaling at a creamy- smooth cadence. We hooked up with the other 5 riders looked back and I was surprised of the gap we had. Sometimes the field can get lazy and everyone waits for the next guy to pull through. With the previous statement I also knew that I had Monte back in the pack to work and if riders did bridge up he was going to be there along for the free ride and fresh as daisy. His form has been improving race by race. I knew he was one of the strongest riders back there and with his breakaway last weekend at the grueling Catskill Stage, he has proven this season that he has added one more weapon to his arsenal.
Well we had a good group and everyone in my group knew what was next. Head down, keep it smooth, fast and tight. We worked together like a dream! There was no communication just the sound of all of us turning over the gears. We hit the first climb hard and continued to work together. We had an extensive gap. This could definetly work to the finish even though we had gotten away 1 lap into a 3 lap race. I tried to do my part without over extending and conserving where I could. Everyone stayed hydrated and fueled up. We lost one struggling rider due to a flat. Minutes after that, out of nowhere came Ed Angeli, he is a friend and very competitive racer. He had bridged on his own and chased us down. Damn strong! I looked at him at disbelief and was amazed at how fresh he looked! He just grinned like it was no big deal. It took a while for the group to get comfortable with Ed but after a while we maintained our rhythm and continued on.
On the last lap as we hit the first climb we lost a guy. I looked back and he was drifting away. I felt bad for the guy but knew it could have easily been me. In looking back I let a little gap of my own open up. “Oh SHIT” I had to dig a little deeper than I wanted to get back on. There was no attack just smooth hard uphill riding and if you loose your focus for a second it could be over. I caught back on and unfortunately the thought of getting popped-off starting creeping into my head. Shortly after that, Ed asked me how I was doing “I’m freakin hurtin!”. He assured me that we were all “freakin hurtin” and just hang in there. Words of encouragement? Thanks Ed. I fought to stay in taking pulls and I think everyone was really starting to feel a little worn down. We were not playing games but we had definetly slowed and guys were starting to think about staying fresh to the finish.
I was getting tired and trying to stay focused, Truthfully, due to the fact of my condition on the last climb, I was a little worried. The finishing climb started and I tried to keep my front wheel glued to the tire in front of me. About half-way up it was slipping away. I stood up and closed back to comfortable distance. I sat down settled in and another gap, “damn” I tried clicked down a gear, then up, then I stood and I couldn’t hold on. I didn’t have it. A very sad moment and a hard one to accept. It haunts you for a couple of days after the fact. The 5 guys slipped away. Although they were still insight, I couldn’t do anything except keep pedaling at my pace. I looked over my shoulder and couldn’t see a peleton charging up on me but that didn’t keep me from getting worried about it all the way to the end. I finish 6th, last out of the break but all in all a decent effort from me.
I circled back after the finish line and saw Monte as one of the first riders coming to me. He got 8th! I knew he would do well in the field sprint but I didn’t even know if the field was together. It had broken up enormously but he did bridge and get away from the main group. Nice job Monte and thanks for the work back in the field. Great day for CYCLE FITNESS! John Funk 2nd in the 50+ (silver medal for New England), Monte 8th and myself with 6th. Not bad for a very small team in one of New England’s toughest races.
Mike
8/14/2011
Persistent, Assertive Riding
Yesterday Monte and I drove up to beautiful Northern CT to race Tokeneke RR. As I packed my gear up it was raining hard and even though I knew I was going to get completely soaked today, the first couple drops on your head always suck. The forecast was calling for rain all day. I rode to meet Monte and the rain continued. It can be miserable riding to a race in the rain, nobody likes the limited visibility at 50mph, getting hit in the face with overspray with road grime and riding in wet clothes. At least it was above 70*. We both stayed positive and didn’t talk much about the rain. We hashed over some scenarios and how we would react if each came up. I think Monte and I have been racing together enough to bypass these conversation but it is still a requirement for pre-race routine and it kind of helps to get you in the zone.
Tokeneke is one of hilliest races in New England with around 2100 ft of climbing per lap and each lap being 22 miles. We were doing 3 laps, 66 miles. Even in perfect conditions, this was going to be tough! We had a stacked field as usual in our Master 40+. We knew who to watch and who were the bigger threats of slipping away from the field. We could almost predict who would be pushing the pace and where. Right from the gun our good friend Carl was out there, he does this all the time and has proven that he can make it work. A few guys went after him but it was not a threat, everyone was still a little too fresh. About 10 miles in, after the first stinger of a climb Monte was slowly passing riders moving to the front with a small select group. Things were already starting to get thinned out. We came through the fist stage of the 3 tiered climb and Monte was in the small group that already had time on the field. I did my job and got right to the front. I watched guys try to bridge unsuccessfully and try to motivate a chase but I did my best to stay strategically discreet and just screw things up without getting noticed. I looked up a could still see the break, maybe about 10 riders, the formation was jagged and wide. It did not give me the impression of a smooth working pace-line which you need if you will stay away. Unfortunately, it did not stick. Guys were just too fresh and they caught up to the break right at the bottom of the final climb of the lap. This one is a doozy! Not a very steep climb but long (1.8 mile) and it wears on you. Once again, the peleton mashed up the climb and the pack thinned out. Because I was just sitting in and chasing wheels for the last 10 miles, I felt pretty good.
Tactics of team say attack when your team-mate gets caught but with the climb in front of me, I was in no position to make anything stick against the whole field. We crested the climb, I looked back and naturally it was thinned out. I think riders were looking for a little break as we came onto the only flat section of the race. This is when 1 rider took off then another, then Carl hmm... 6 guys up the road I thought “maybe I should get in that”. Monte and I had talked about how reaction time is key, I couldn’t wonder about this for too many more seconds, just then B. Yarbroudy went by me and I grabbed his wheel. He wasn’t sprinting just pedaling at a creamy- smooth cadence. We hooked up with the other 5 riders looked back and I was surprised of the gap we had. Sometimes the field can get lazy and everyone waits for the next guy to pull through. With the previous statement I also knew that I had Monte back in the pack to work and if riders did bridge up he was going to be there along for the free ride and fresh as daisy. His form has been improving race by race. I knew he was one of the strongest riders back there and with his breakaway last weekend at the grueling Catskill Stage, he has proven this season that he has added one more weapon to his arsenal.
Well we had a good group and everyone in my group knew what was next. Head down, keep it smooth, fast and tight. We worked together like a dream! There was no communication just the sound of all of us turning over the gears. We hit the first climb hard and continued to work together. We had an extensive gap. This could definetly work to the finish even though we had gotten away 1 lap into a 3 lap race. I tried to do my part without over extending and conserving where I could. Everyone stayed hydrated and fueled up. We lost one struggling rider due to a flat. Minutes after that, out of nowhere came Ed Angeli, he is a friend and very competitive racer. He had bridged on his own and chased us down. Damn strong! I looked at him at disbelief and was amazed at how fresh he looked! He just grinned like it was no big deal. It took a while for the group to get comfortable with Ed but after a while we maintained our rhythm and continued on.
On the last lap as we hit the first climb we lost a guy. I looked back and he was drifting away. I felt bad for the guy but knew it could have easily been me. In looking back I let a little gap of my own open up. “Oh SHIT” I had to dig a little deeper than I wanted to get back on. There was no attack just smooth hard uphill riding and if you loose your focus for a second it could be over. I caught back on and unfortunately the thought of getting popped-off starting creeping into my head. Shortly after that, Ed asked me how I was doing “I’m freakin hurtin!”. He assured me that we were all “freakin hurtin” and just hang in there. Words of encouragement? Thanks Ed. I fought to stay in taking pulls and I think everyone was really starting to feel a little worn down. We were not playing games but we had definetly slowed and guys were starting to think about staying fresh to the finish.
I was getting tired and trying to stay focused, Truthfully, due to the fact of my condition on the last climb, I was a little worried. The finishing climb started and I tried to keep my front wheel glued to the tire in front of me. About half-way up it was slipping away. I stood up and closed back to comfortable distance. I sat down settled in and another gap, “damn” I tried clicked down a gear, then up, then I stood and I couldn’t hold on. I didn’t have it. A very sad moment and a hard one to accept. It haunts you for a couple of days after the fact. The 5 guys slipped away. Although they were still insight, I couldn’t do anything except keep pedaling at my pace. I looked over my shoulder and couldn’t see a peleton charging up on me but that didn’t keep me from getting worried about it all the way to the end. I finish 6th, last out of the break but all in all a decent effort from me.
I circled back after the finish line and saw Monte as one of the first riders coming to me. He got 8th! I knew he would do well in the field sprint but I didn’t even know if the field was together. It had broken up enormously but he did bridge and get away from the main group. Nice job Monte and thanks for the work back in the field. Great day for CYCLE FITNESS! John Funk 2nd in the 50+ (silver medal for New England), Monte 8th and myself with 6th. Not bad for a very small team in one of New England’s toughest races.
Mike
Catskills TT, Stage 2
Tour of Catskill
8/5-8/7 2011
3 day stage race.
Time Trial
This was an out and back 12 mile stage that was different from the short uphill 3 mile TT in previous years. Monte and I had a similar plan to stay a little under threshold for the quarter and slowly ramping up our output. We were both concerned with going out too hard and running out of gas. The last thing we wanted was to run out of gas before the finish. We got in to town early and rode the course and talked strategy one more time. I was up to start and TT’s are not my favorite, I have yet to do well in one and it is always a little intimidating lining up with guys in full TT attire, bikes, helmets, full disc wheel, etc etc, the list goes on. There I was with my TT bars on my road bike and I did have a shiny new helmet that I had saved up for. I looked at Johnny Bold in front of me and just thought to myself.... well, at least he won’t pass me like last year. The gun went off. I was looking forward to putting in a good time and had a steady rhythm. I felt good, correction, I felt GREAT! My cadence was smooth, speed was high and I was averaging great power numbers. I was flying! After about 5 minutes, I slowed a bit realizing that this was probably going to come back and haunt me. If I kept this up I would be destroying my 20 minute PR. I made the turn around at about 11:00 and noticed I was not to far off from my 30 second man Johnny Bold. Wow! I have been able to hold my gap to a National Cyclocross Masters Champ who was in front of me. At this rate my time would be 24-25 minutes, not bad! After the turnaround there was a little rise, hey this was tough I thought. I lost my rhythm but fought my way over. Then it flattened out. I couldn’t find my smooth cadence, mmm. Things were harder, what was wrong? Speed was going down I didn’t feel like Superman anymore then it hit me, I finally noticed I was doing the first half with a small tailwind breeze, barely noticeable and sometimes that is all you need help push you along and give you a false impression. Anyway, I passed a couple guys and got passed by one too. I figured this was not going to place me in the top part of the field. I went strong but did have to recover a bit for the mistake of going out too hard. I finished the last quarter strong and ended up in the mid 20’s out of the 52. After the TT I talked to racers and it seemed that most made the same mistake that I did. Our leader won with a time which I think would have been good enough for 5th in the Pro field.
Stage 2
“The Assault on Devil’s Kitchen”
Okay, with a name like that you know it is going to be painful.
After getting a good nights rest Monte and I looked for some quick fuel and were happy to find a crafty, eclectic little local joint right down the road. Monte and Funk had eaten there last year and we both agreed that since we were here we might as well check it out. After meeting the friendly owner we ordered breakfast and although it took longer than expected the food finally came and it was delicious. It was more like a breakfast that I would have on vacation. First a small fruit salad and coffee then, fancy fruity pancakes drizzled with oats or granola, with home fries and 3 eggs over on top of the whole pile of food. It was a ton of food but if you put food in front of me I am going to eat it. I never eat that much for breakfast, especially before a race but the food was very good and I gobbled it down.
We rolled to the start line which was right down the road and had small talk with a few guys. We had about a half mile neutral start then we raced. Someone took off immediately, not a threat and the poor guy ended up missing the first turn anyway. I bet he looks at the map before trying that move again. Immediately came a stiff climb to wake up the legs. I watched guys try to get a rhythm and one fellow almost took out Monte. He swore it was Monte’s fault but I assured his overweight ass that he was not riding the straightest line. No harm done. It was just a sign of fatigue as nobody was ready for this.
After we crested the steepest section, our buddy Carl Reglar (former National Champ for Nova Scotia?) started his attempts at getting away. Last year he was a bit unknown, since then he has proven that he can get away from the start with or without company to help and bring home the goods at the end of the day. He rides with power and can muscle out a punishing pace for miles on end. He has pulled this crap long enough to bring every one of his moves to the attention of the whole peleton. He just powers off the front not really a huge kick. Unfortunately for him, all eyes were watching. He knew this but kept popping off the front regardless. Monte courageously joined him for a few miles on one of his attempts. I covered moves and stayed attentive at the front making sure he got a little breathing room. It eventually got brought back. After about 10-15 attempts (I am not kidding) Carl finally sat in. Nobody was giving him an inch. With his aggressive riding the anxious peleton chased and the yellow jersey sat in for the free rides.
With about 30 miles in to the race I think riders started to think about what was coming up. People were taking in fuel, drinking, clamping and tightening down there shoes, zip up jerseys, stretching hamstrings whatever. It got really quiet, everyone knew what was coming. It was the “Kitchen”. With grades of up to 22% and about 3 miles long this climb was going to hurt and everyone knew it would be a game changer. Riders were fighting for every inch as everyone wanted to be at the front for the beginning of the climb. We took a turn and there it was. It was time to suffer! I settled in and it was quickly apparent that I was not leading anyone up the climb but I kept the leaders in sight. I saw Monte “above” me many times and I was glad to see he was feeling a little better from the previous day. It was steep, I pushed and pedaled on, a few passed me and I began to suffer next to a couple guys that were bugging me. They were breathing heavy and just making noises that annoyed me. I was fatigued, I saw the skyline, I thought “There’s the top” I gonna nail it to that point and I did! I reached deep and must have been pushing around 500 watts for about 25 feet and it took a crap load out of me. I got closer, then as I was looking for the top there was a bend in the road all of a sudden, “WHAT THE HELL” I saw Monte with the top riders continuing up the climb of even a steeper section. Son of a bitch! I still another steep pitch and the end was not even in sight.
After my hallucinations of the top it kind of killed my spirit and I was cooked. It was on to damage control and continued up, up and up. I passed a rider walking his bike then another who was just shattered and crying for his mommy. My heart went out to the guy as it is very hard to watch a grown man cramp-up and yell/scream in pain. He tried to get back on his bike but his cramping muscles said “NO, NO, NO” He cried out again. I handed him a couple Endurolytes and threw a gel without slowing down, I couldn’t I would have fallen over because when you are riding at 2 miles an hour you have a lot of time to take in the surroundings.
Finally over the top and on to flatter ground. I looked ahead but couldn’t see anyone and I saw a couple of riders bridging up to me. We worked together just to get home as quick as we could. There were a couple of rollers left and 6 miles to go but the race was up the road. We could see them, a small group of about 12. Monte was tucked in nicely. There was no sense in killing myself trying to catch them. I just wanted to get to the finish line and perhaps take a spot or two. Right before 1 K to go I went up a small rise in the big ring and that was enough for my quad to seize. It tightened into a little ball like I was flexing my muscles but I wasn’t. I had a major problem. Now I was the one crying. I just tried to take it like a man. I didn’t have to get off the bike, I just had to stop pedaling for a while, maybe 30 secs. It finally loosened up but I had to gingerly pedal to the line. It was hard because there was a decent crowd. Spectators were yelling “C’mon give it all you got! Well I did, unfortunately, today it was not enough.
Monte finished up strong, out-sprinted a few and took some time back from competitors. The stage was over and we rode up the street cooled down and showered up. We walked back downtown and watched the rest of the fields come in as we ate lunch on a porch overlooking the finish line. It was great to see a local “kid” and also occasional FJ Clark rider get 1st place for the Pro 1/2 field.
Stage 3
I blew up about 30 miles into the race. SOmetimes you have to just chalk it up as a bad day. Monte did well and got 5th! An update soon.
8/5-8/7 2011
3 day stage race.
Time Trial
This was an out and back 12 mile stage that was different from the short uphill 3 mile TT in previous years. Monte and I had a similar plan to stay a little under threshold for the quarter and slowly ramping up our output. We were both concerned with going out too hard and running out of gas. The last thing we wanted was to run out of gas before the finish. We got in to town early and rode the course and talked strategy one more time. I was up to start and TT’s are not my favorite, I have yet to do well in one and it is always a little intimidating lining up with guys in full TT attire, bikes, helmets, full disc wheel, etc etc, the list goes on. There I was with my TT bars on my road bike and I did have a shiny new helmet that I had saved up for. I looked at Johnny Bold in front of me and just thought to myself.... well, at least he won’t pass me like last year. The gun went off. I was looking forward to putting in a good time and had a steady rhythm. I felt good, correction, I felt GREAT! My cadence was smooth, speed was high and I was averaging great power numbers. I was flying! After about 5 minutes, I slowed a bit realizing that this was probably going to come back and haunt me. If I kept this up I would be destroying my 20 minute PR. I made the turn around at about 11:00 and noticed I was not to far off from my 30 second man Johnny Bold. Wow! I have been able to hold my gap to a National Cyclocross Masters Champ who was in front of me. At this rate my time would be 24-25 minutes, not bad! After the turnaround there was a little rise, hey this was tough I thought. I lost my rhythm but fought my way over. Then it flattened out. I couldn’t find my smooth cadence, mmm. Things were harder, what was wrong? Speed was going down I didn’t feel like Superman anymore then it hit me, I finally noticed I was doing the first half with a small tailwind breeze, barely noticeable and sometimes that is all you need help push you along and give you a false impression. Anyway, I passed a couple guys and got passed by one too. I figured this was not going to place me in the top part of the field. I went strong but did have to recover a bit for the mistake of going out too hard. I finished the last quarter strong and ended up in the mid 20’s out of the 52. After the TT I talked to racers and it seemed that most made the same mistake that I did. Our leader won with a time which I think would have been good enough for 5th in the Pro field.
Stage 2
“The Assault on Devil’s Kitchen”
Okay, with a name like that you know it is going to be painful.
After getting a good nights rest Monte and I looked for some quick fuel and were happy to find a crafty, eclectic little local joint right down the road. Monte and Funk had eaten there last year and we both agreed that since we were here we might as well check it out. After meeting the friendly owner we ordered breakfast and although it took longer than expected the food finally came and it was delicious. It was more like a breakfast that I would have on vacation. First a small fruit salad and coffee then, fancy fruity pancakes drizzled with oats or granola, with home fries and 3 eggs over on top of the whole pile of food. It was a ton of food but if you put food in front of me I am going to eat it. I never eat that much for breakfast, especially before a race but the food was very good and I gobbled it down.
We rolled to the start line which was right down the road and had small talk with a few guys. We had about a half mile neutral start then we raced. Someone took off immediately, not a threat and the poor guy ended up missing the first turn anyway. I bet he looks at the map before trying that move again. Immediately came a stiff climb to wake up the legs. I watched guys try to get a rhythm and one fellow almost took out Monte. He swore it was Monte’s fault but I assured his overweight ass that he was not riding the straightest line. No harm done. It was just a sign of fatigue as nobody was ready for this.
After we crested the steepest section, our buddy Carl Reglar (former National Champ for Nova Scotia?) started his attempts at getting away. Last year he was a bit unknown, since then he has proven that he can get away from the start with or without company to help and bring home the goods at the end of the day. He rides with power and can muscle out a punishing pace for miles on end. He has pulled this crap long enough to bring every one of his moves to the attention of the whole peleton. He just powers off the front not really a huge kick. Unfortunately for him, all eyes were watching. He knew this but kept popping off the front regardless. Monte courageously joined him for a few miles on one of his attempts. I covered moves and stayed attentive at the front making sure he got a little breathing room. It eventually got brought back. After about 10-15 attempts (I am not kidding) Carl finally sat in. Nobody was giving him an inch. With his aggressive riding the anxious peleton chased and the yellow jersey sat in for the free rides.
With about 30 miles in to the race I think riders started to think about what was coming up. People were taking in fuel, drinking, clamping and tightening down there shoes, zip up jerseys, stretching hamstrings whatever. It got really quiet, everyone knew what was coming. It was the “Kitchen”. With grades of up to 22% and about 3 miles long this climb was going to hurt and everyone knew it would be a game changer. Riders were fighting for every inch as everyone wanted to be at the front for the beginning of the climb. We took a turn and there it was. It was time to suffer! I settled in and it was quickly apparent that I was not leading anyone up the climb but I kept the leaders in sight. I saw Monte “above” me many times and I was glad to see he was feeling a little better from the previous day. It was steep, I pushed and pedaled on, a few passed me and I began to suffer next to a couple guys that were bugging me. They were breathing heavy and just making noises that annoyed me. I was fatigued, I saw the skyline, I thought “There’s the top” I gonna nail it to that point and I did! I reached deep and must have been pushing around 500 watts for about 25 feet and it took a crap load out of me. I got closer, then as I was looking for the top there was a bend in the road all of a sudden, “WHAT THE HELL” I saw Monte with the top riders continuing up the climb of even a steeper section. Son of a bitch! I still another steep pitch and the end was not even in sight.
After my hallucinations of the top it kind of killed my spirit and I was cooked. It was on to damage control and continued up, up and up. I passed a rider walking his bike then another who was just shattered and crying for his mommy. My heart went out to the guy as it is very hard to watch a grown man cramp-up and yell/scream in pain. He tried to get back on his bike but his cramping muscles said “NO, NO, NO” He cried out again. I handed him a couple Endurolytes and threw a gel without slowing down, I couldn’t I would have fallen over because when you are riding at 2 miles an hour you have a lot of time to take in the surroundings.
Finally over the top and on to flatter ground. I looked ahead but couldn’t see anyone and I saw a couple of riders bridging up to me. We worked together just to get home as quick as we could. There were a couple of rollers left and 6 miles to go but the race was up the road. We could see them, a small group of about 12. Monte was tucked in nicely. There was no sense in killing myself trying to catch them. I just wanted to get to the finish line and perhaps take a spot or two. Right before 1 K to go I went up a small rise in the big ring and that was enough for my quad to seize. It tightened into a little ball like I was flexing my muscles but I wasn’t. I had a major problem. Now I was the one crying. I just tried to take it like a man. I didn’t have to get off the bike, I just had to stop pedaling for a while, maybe 30 secs. It finally loosened up but I had to gingerly pedal to the line. It was hard because there was a decent crowd. Spectators were yelling “C’mon give it all you got! Well I did, unfortunately, today it was not enough.
Monte finished up strong, out-sprinted a few and took some time back from competitors. The stage was over and we rode up the street cooled down and showered up. We walked back downtown and watched the rest of the fields come in as we ate lunch on a porch overlooking the finish line. It was great to see a local “kid” and also occasional FJ Clark rider get 1st place for the Pro 1/2 field.
Stage 3
I blew up about 30 miles into the race. SOmetimes you have to just chalk it up as a bad day. Monte did well and got 5th! An update soon.
Pawling RR
Pawling Road Race
I was thinking of skipping this race to give myself a little mid-season break. It is put on by Pawling Cycle. They are a great bunch of guys and I have gotten to know a few of them throughout the years at the FJ Clark circle. I decided to go because (basically) I said I would and I wanted to help support their club. The 35+ field was small last year and this year it was larger but not by much, maybe 22 riders. It was my first race back from Sutton and I was eager to see if the long weekend of riding and racing would have any positive affects. As the race started, I knew the climbs would be tough but I wanted to make sure I was at the front for the beginning of the first section. Well, as the first climb came up guess who was in front (the front)? Yours truly. I had coasted to the front, kept tempo and brought the riders to the first rollers before the big 20 minute climb. I was pedaling at a good tempo, not too hard but respectable. This did not last long, my legs were feeling weak and I started to think maybe my comfortable tempo would soon drop my own ass. In hindsight, I did very little for a warm up big mistake. One by one riders passed me, I tried to jump but no spark, nothing. Legs said “NO!” A group of about 12 went up the road and there I was in no man’s land. Left to climb alone, I didn’t panic, I knew I must have some fitness and to get shelled like this on the first climb! I knew the guys would be hurting as well. I told myself not to give up, keep going and keep suffering, it will be over soon. I kept going as hard as I could never felt great but kept the group in sight. I was getting closer and closer and finally, I had made contact with the lead group before a fast downhill. Whew!
After recovering on the downhill section it brought us to Route 55. It has a long climb but not as steep and I started getting a good rhythm and my legs were waking up, they were back. I was first (again) going in to the next set of climbs but this time I felt much better. I misjudged the crest but decided to continue a little surge to get over and nobody came by me. It felt good to know that I could put an effort in and maintain it at decent wattage. The group was strung out but came back together on the very hairy decent. I felt good and continued to race with a little more confidence. On the next lap there were no fireworks. Maybe 2 or 3 riders got dropped on the big climb but at least one came back. There were no efforts to catch a solo rider who got away. We handled the big climb like gentleman. After the last climb before the finish we had maybe 10 in our group. There were a few attacks but everyone was a little too attentive and nobody got away. I was at the back waiting for the sprint. Someone behind me jumped (finally) but he came out of his pedal. That was enough to start everyone sprinting. I stayed seated until 50 meters because of the uphill sprint, passed a few riders and ended up 6th.
Lessons learned:
Don’t be the first rider into a climb just be towards the front.
Don’t give up! If you do get dropped for riding stupid keep going as hard as you can, most of the time everyone else is hurting as well.
Thanks,
Mike
I was thinking of skipping this race to give myself a little mid-season break. It is put on by Pawling Cycle. They are a great bunch of guys and I have gotten to know a few of them throughout the years at the FJ Clark circle. I decided to go because (basically) I said I would and I wanted to help support their club. The 35+ field was small last year and this year it was larger but not by much, maybe 22 riders. It was my first race back from Sutton and I was eager to see if the long weekend of riding and racing would have any positive affects. As the race started, I knew the climbs would be tough but I wanted to make sure I was at the front for the beginning of the first section. Well, as the first climb came up guess who was in front (the front)? Yours truly. I had coasted to the front, kept tempo and brought the riders to the first rollers before the big 20 minute climb. I was pedaling at a good tempo, not too hard but respectable. This did not last long, my legs were feeling weak and I started to think maybe my comfortable tempo would soon drop my own ass. In hindsight, I did very little for a warm up big mistake. One by one riders passed me, I tried to jump but no spark, nothing. Legs said “NO!” A group of about 12 went up the road and there I was in no man’s land. Left to climb alone, I didn’t panic, I knew I must have some fitness and to get shelled like this on the first climb! I knew the guys would be hurting as well. I told myself not to give up, keep going and keep suffering, it will be over soon. I kept going as hard as I could never felt great but kept the group in sight. I was getting closer and closer and finally, I had made contact with the lead group before a fast downhill. Whew!
After recovering on the downhill section it brought us to Route 55. It has a long climb but not as steep and I started getting a good rhythm and my legs were waking up, they were back. I was first (again) going in to the next set of climbs but this time I felt much better. I misjudged the crest but decided to continue a little surge to get over and nobody came by me. It felt good to know that I could put an effort in and maintain it at decent wattage. The group was strung out but came back together on the very hairy decent. I felt good and continued to race with a little more confidence. On the next lap there were no fireworks. Maybe 2 or 3 riders got dropped on the big climb but at least one came back. There were no efforts to catch a solo rider who got away. We handled the big climb like gentleman. After the last climb before the finish we had maybe 10 in our group. There were a few attacks but everyone was a little too attentive and nobody got away. I was at the back waiting for the sprint. Someone behind me jumped (finally) but he came out of his pedal. That was enough to start everyone sprinting. I stayed seated until 50 meters because of the uphill sprint, passed a few riders and ended up 6th.
Lessons learned:
Don’t be the first rider into a climb just be towards the front.
Don’t give up! If you do get dropped for riding stupid keep going as hard as you can, most of the time everyone else is hurting as well.
Thanks,
Mike
Norwell 7-23-2011
Norwell Circuit Race: Monte finished 5th in 35+. Tough fast race. Monte was in break that got caught with 1k to go, but he still managed to grab a top 5.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Back From Track Nationals, Posted by Rick
At the beginning of the season, I was happy to hear my coach tell me not to climb to many hills, and spend as much time as I can behind the motor scooter. I hate hills and I love motor pacing.
I had 4 events. The First was the individual pursuit on Wednesday. It is only 2000 meters, I only pulled off an 11th. Way to Short. The next day I had the 60 lap point race. I tried like hell to plant myself in a break. No luck. I duked it out for a couple sprints and earned 4 points. On the final sprint I was almost knocked down and ended up with nothing. I was 10th place in that event. Peg got some good photos in this race....
I was a little bummed about the points race, luckily I have a day job. Next was the 24 lap scratch race on Saturday night. Sprinters love this race because it is short enough they can hang out and then spank us endurance guys in the sprint. I decided since I was sprinting pretty good, I would hang out on Bruce Donaghy (7 time national champion and Olympian). In the first half of the race he was getting frustrated with me. We did chase down a couple of breaks though. At about 10 laps to go I decided I was going to bolt up the road and try to catch a loan rider who was up the track about 100 meters. I came up on him pretty fast and decided I would try to fly right by. About a lap later I was sure I was alone until I peaked behind me and saw him glued to my wheel. We worked hard together and almost lapped the field with 3 or 4 laps to go. At this point I knew we had 1st and 2nd wrapped up. I even smiled up at Peg and the kids as we went by. At this point I figured I caught this guy with ease and I'm pulling way harder than him. Not only that but he stayed on the front for the entire final 500 meters! I figured I would come around him in turn 3, which is a little early, and then bask in the glory as I cross the line with my hands raised. I went for it, got even with him, then he hit the gas. I couldn't believe how much that dude had in the tank. His name is Kent Menzel and he deserved that jersey. I think he got a standing ovation...
A couple of guys from California needed another rider for the team pursuit. In all my years on the track, I never competed in this event. It is 4 guys (timed on the 3rd rider) going 3000 meters and fast as they can. Dave and Kelly were the brains behind the operation. We had a couple of practice sessions and they taught me a lot. We ended up a solid 2nd place. It was a ton of fun and I would love to do it again.
I had 4 events. The First was the individual pursuit on Wednesday. It is only 2000 meters, I only pulled off an 11th. Way to Short. The next day I had the 60 lap point race. I tried like hell to plant myself in a break. No luck. I duked it out for a couple sprints and earned 4 points. On the final sprint I was almost knocked down and ended up with nothing. I was 10th place in that event. Peg got some good photos in this race....
I was a little bummed about the points race, luckily I have a day job. Next was the 24 lap scratch race on Saturday night. Sprinters love this race because it is short enough they can hang out and then spank us endurance guys in the sprint. I decided since I was sprinting pretty good, I would hang out on Bruce Donaghy (7 time national champion and Olympian). In the first half of the race he was getting frustrated with me. We did chase down a couple of breaks though. At about 10 laps to go I decided I was going to bolt up the road and try to catch a loan rider who was up the track about 100 meters. I came up on him pretty fast and decided I would try to fly right by. About a lap later I was sure I was alone until I peaked behind me and saw him glued to my wheel. We worked hard together and almost lapped the field with 3 or 4 laps to go. At this point I knew we had 1st and 2nd wrapped up. I even smiled up at Peg and the kids as we went by. At this point I figured I caught this guy with ease and I'm pulling way harder than him. Not only that but he stayed on the front for the entire final 500 meters! I figured I would come around him in turn 3, which is a little early, and then bask in the glory as I cross the line with my hands raised. I went for it, got even with him, then he hit the gas. I couldn't believe how much that dude had in the tank. His name is Kent Menzel and he deserved that jersey. I think he got a standing ovation...
A couple of guys from California needed another rider for the team pursuit. In all my years on the track, I never competed in this event. It is 4 guys (timed on the 3rd rider) going 3000 meters and fast as they can. Dave and Kelly were the brains behind the operation. We had a couple of practice sessions and they taught me a lot. We ended up a solid 2nd place. It was a ton of fun and I would love to do it again.
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