Quarry Cross @ The Forge 2024

I was definitely in a bad headspace for this race.

This was a new venue last year and is part of the Forge Adventure Park.  Part of the park they incorporated into the course was the BMX pump track and wooden berms.  I crashed on the berms last year and wasn't really interested in testing my skills again.

Mad skills by Fabri

There were also a number of turns where there were transitions from one surface to another (dirt, gravel, pavement) that were more than sketchy.  Props go to the organizers for cleaning up the course design and making the transitions much safer.

So, I was not looking forward to this race.  The one nice thing was that they opened the course on Saturday for pre-ride from.  Bob, George, and I met out there and Mark Misicko was pulling out as we pulled in.  We took a few laps to get comfortable with the course which made me feel a little better.  I still didn't have the nerve to try the berms again but at least resigned myself to committing to that plan and was ok with that.

Race day brought colder temps and I actually wore both arm and leg warmers.  Also, because of the cold I only did the 55+ race.  Doing a quick change into dry clothes in the car wasn't high on my priority list.  I think the legs are starting to get a bit tired from the double racing too.  (Note: After the race the rest of the day my legs and whole body felt much less drained than it has been.  Good choice on my part).

You are not supposed to try new things on race day but since Lemont is so close I used my basement trainer to get the blood flowing and then headed to the course.  Theory being that I'm not getting the engine hot enough for the early push which causes the lull in the 3rd lap.  I was running a bit late and didn't get as much time as I probably should have but still was able to drive to the course and get one lap on course before the start of the race.

TLDR: 16th/38; 3rd in the Cat 4/5

2nd row start again and again I missed my pedal.  Wasn't as big a deal because the guy in front of me had a slow start so I wasn't going anywhere anyway.  There was also a long gravel straight to start so I was able to move up a little.

Leah Sanda was the head official for the day (center) and a guest appearance by Fran (left)

At the first turn I was in about 14th which isn't very good.  The course had only a little bit of mud but a lot a bit of mulch.  The mulch was soft and eventually ruts were forming in the really soft areas.  I tried to stay away from the ruts and find as much fresh mulch as possible.  Felt like I had a flat every lap I hit one mulch section.

Matt was behind me on the first lap but not for long

One feature they improved this year was a dirt mound.  Most people ran it last year although a few rode it.  Steep up and down.  This year they built stairs and they did a good job with them.

It was part of an A/B line option but the B line was close to 5 seconds slower so it was a no-brainer to take the stairs.

Besides the long gravel start straight there was another long gravel straight section on the back side of the course.  I was losing time in the turns so I decided to just hammer it every lap in both of those sections.  On the first lap I was able to pass a guy who had passed me on the off camber section and able to catch up to 2 other guys.  Gotta know your strengths.  My straight line power wasn't evident early in the season but came back to me here.

Fran with Barry (sitting out with achilles issue) yelling at me to move up

I battled with a guy in red for the first lap or so but he faded in the second lap and then I was able to keep him at a small distance the rest of the way.

My weekly catch of Fabri

The last 3 laps were just about staying in front of people.  No one was close in front of me except the odd 35+ rider I would pass.  At one point I saw Mark M. about 10 seconds behind me and felt pressured.  (Not a bad race for Mark considering he was in a car wreck earlier in the week).  

I noticed a guy in red on the last lap and started to worry but it turned out to be a guy from the front of the 35+ race lapping me.  

Bob and I passing in the night

I just kept doing what I was doing and tried to keep good technique and dial in the lines.  I finished on the lead lap which is about the best thing I can say.  As we get closer to the State Championship more guys who typically race up in the 45+ for better competition are joining us in the 55+ so 16th is where I was predicted and where I finished.  The leader in the Cat 4/5 subgroup flatted which got me onto the podium.  Take what you can... Give nothing back! (Jack Sparrow)

Perhaps the best part of the day was having Fran come out and cheer us on.  Great to see him even if he can't race.  He even brought homemade muffins and coffee.  We hung out for 2 hours tailgating after the race just catching up and talking about how great we are.

Next up, Montrose, which is the State Championship.

55+ First Lap: https://youtu.be/wVq47i7YUMc?si=DuHP3EFz1k9dCHmv

55+ Full Race: https://youtu.be/21zQR5fXBM4?si=Tk8qHHMmZDAz7ybs

Wheeling CX 2024

Welcome to Wheeling.  The annual "freeze your butt off or get really muddy or both race".

Heritage Park is the regular venue for the Wheeling race and this year we avoided both the deep freeze and the mud.  It was in the high 40's for the start of the 55+ race which last week I raced with nothing but a jersey and bibs.  For this race I added a windproof baselayer as the wind was a bit sharp.  In fact, I bought this baselayer specifically because of this race.

TL:DR 55+ finished 10th/39; SingleSpeed finished 24th/41

The course here is more or less the same each year but to jazz it up a little they created a couple A-B lines.  The A line is usually shorter but more challenging and the B line is longer but easier.

In my 2 pre-ride laps I tried them all out and settled on the A line for both.

The first A-B section had 2 off camber lines.  The A line had a couple railroad ties most people ran but had a direct exit.  The B line kept your speed up until the end where there were 2 turns where all speed was scrubbed and where some had to dismount.

On the first lap Chris Brown entered the section after me and took the B line.  Below (left) he dismounted and still has another turn while I've already exited the feature.

The second A-B feature was a no-brainer.  The A line was much shorter and had a little ramp with a drop at the top of a rise.  The B line was simple but long.  You could get air on the ramp if you dared but I would just push the bars down as I went over to keep it smooth.

                       (This looks flat but is probably a 2-3 meter drop to the bottom of the hill)

Pre-Race staging has me in the front row but a Day Of registration by the eventual winner pushed me back into row 2.  I still need to improve my immediate starts but after 10 seconds I was moving up and slotted into a good top 10 position before the tight turns.  George and Bob along with Mark also were racing with me.  And Tommy Will was in the 45+ until the sole of his shoe fell off (ask him for the pic).  Bob's son John raced in the 35+ race and actually won the cat 4/5 subgroup (12th overall).

The stake monster caught out someone in front of me on the first set of corners and I moved up a place but a minute later I gave up 3 spots by taking an uphill 180 waaaaay too wide.  My excellent cornering skills I've developed this season all left me at Wheeling (along with too much braking which isn't good).  That being said as we left the south section (farther from the start/finish) of the course the 55+ group caught up to a good chunk of the back end of the 35+ group.  Unfortunately, it was right as we got to a quadruple off camber u-turn section where it got all backed up.  And those that were able to start the section before some of the 35+ guys had a big advantage at the exit.  Catching them at only 6.5 minutes into the race was far too early.

15-20 guys all jammed together

Once we hit the North section the barriers were the next obstacle.  Everyone I saw ran them although my courageous inside voice tells me I could have hopped them.  The rest of the first lap and beginning of the second lap was status quo except for making sure I got by the 35+ dregs.

Chris Fabri sighting (#10) and he drifts backwards during his "warmup" 35+ race.

I was sandwiched by a couple of PSIMET guys, both of whom I use as barometers for my own racing.  Then, I slipped in a turn and unclipped which allowed Chris Brown to get by me.  I never stopped rolling but since it was up a small rise I lost momentum.  I kept with the low pressure I used the week before (22 psi front, 23 rear) but I think the rear should have been a little lower (I changed to 22 for the SingleSpeed race).

Even though the 2nd lap was my fastest things began to stretch out.  And on a paved path on the 3rd lap (which should be a strength of mine) I was passed by a couple more guys.  One of them over cooked a turn and went down in front of me and slowed me down enough for Fabri to get past (Grrr).

My 3rd lap was pretty slow and my 4th lap was only a little better.  Midway thru the 4th lap Steve Feehrey moved from a few seconds behind me to right on my wheel.  Attached to me to the point where he didn't show on the GoPro even in the u-turns.

The last you'll see of Steve

The only people in front of me the rest of the race were 35+ racers or lapped 55+ racers so there was no one to chase.  Now, with Steve right behind me, my focus turned to staying in front of him and distancing him if possible.  With my heart rate pegged (I averaged 166 bpm) I had a hard time thinking about the course and where I could make a difference.  If you remember last week I knew I could create a gap on the uphills in the woods.  But there wasn't anywhere on this course where I thought I could make a difference - at least my brain couldn't soak up enough oxygen to figure it out.  My best play would be to jump the barriers but I wasn't willing to risk that on the last lap.

Just before the penultimate time across the Start/Finish I bumped into Chris again...

...He is smart enough to get out of the way and also to not disrupt Steve.  In the back of my head of course I wished he'd cut him off and create a gap but that's not how we roll.

Also, in my befuddled brain, I had to try and figure out where Steve would try to pass me and be ready for it.  Again, I couldn't do it.  So I just kept pushing.  Anytime there was a corner I tried to push hard out of it to create a gap he would have to use effort to close.  But during the corners or places where I felt he couldn't get past I let off the gas a little.  I realized I wasn't going to shake him and I needed to preserve at least a little energy for the end.  For the last lap and a half we played this game and either I was cutting the corners so well he couldn't get by or he was as cooked as I was.

Finally, we were back into the North section and into the barriers.  He is really fast running the barriers so I was a bit worried (He cruised past me at Campton).  This may have contributed to a near fall as I dismounted.  In the video right before the barriers you can hear a big oof as my left foot unclipped earlier than I wanted and my foot slid off and landed on the ground.  Luckily, I saved it and kept going.  

Steve finally tried to make his move a couple turns after the barriers.  Below you can see I am set up on the outside of a left turn.  I could see under my left arm that he was trying to cut under me so I knew I had to make it sharp.

I didn't shove him into the stake but he definitely had to slow down which gave me an extra gap.  You can hear me huff and puff a little more right after the corner.

There was still a minute left in the race and a handful of turns so I had to keep pushing.  The finish straight is really short but there is a long winding curve before it.  I made sure to cut all the corners tight and got into the drops.  

I took off the power meter last week to save weight but I'm sure I was pushing a bajillion watts as I sprinted it out and stayed ahead of Steve for 10th place.  The last 2 minutes of the race I averaged 175 bpm.  The race withing the race is what's great about cross.

I was also 3rd in the Cat 4/5 sub group.

Photo by George

Quickly, for the SingleSpeed I chose a larger gear than I though prudent for the uphill turns so that I could pedal harder everywhere else.  The first 2 laps I was slowly tracking people down (except for the part where I lost concentration and ran right into a stake).

Boy meets Stake

Turns out my brain was pretty gone fore the second race and everything got sloppy.  This is the only point in the 4 laps that I really messed up (and I passed the 2 guys who got by me here) but I noticed serious zoning out moments.

The last 2 laps I was pretty much on my own.  No one to chase (45 seconds in front of me) and no one chasing me (a minute and a half behind).  So I just cruised the rest of the way.  I still averaged a 163 bpm with 164 bpm in the second half of the race.  

Bob stuck around and took a few pics and there was even a cameo by Paul Connelly with the family to watch.

Photo Big Ring Bob

Photo Big Ring Bob

Next week is at the Quarry at the Forge in Lemont.  Stop by and check it out.

Videos:

55+ First Lap: https://youtu.be/eYIkvceZ0YQ?si=6zoB2bUACiDx5OJX

55+ Full Race: https://youtu.be/jOcM9V9bp64?si=LgosLw0HIZUcVAZ6

Single Speed First Lap: https://youtu.be/9nE_QB2NF-I?si=vyWeAdAaOWQe3TVk

Groundhog CX 2024

This was a double weekend up in Woodstock, IL (Where the town square scenes of the movie Groundhog Day were filmed).  Both days were part of the overall CCC series and of course another chance at just having fun.  This year they added a beer garden and the food truck they brought in again was really good (Perk and Pickle).

It is quite the drive up to Woodstock and there is the usual drop off in turnout, but there were still over 350 race entries for each day.

Groundhog CX holds the label as the CCC race with the most climbing.  No mountains of course but real punchiness and a woods section that takes some power to get up at race speed.  It isn't enough to make you change your gearing like for the Mineral Point trip but the effort is different.  Especially for those doing the single speed race - any gear you pick won't be optimal for half the course.

I smiled as I wrote the above because last week I DID change up my gearing; just not because of the course.  I decided to shed some weight by taking off the 2x setup and going 1x.  After all was said and done the bike was almost a pound lighter.  I have yet to use the big ring in a race (and didn't plan to).  I shunned the power meter too as it isn't helpful at all during the race and only marginally at best after (Don't tell that to Fabri).  If I had skipped the chain keeper too it might have been the full pound.  I opted for a 40 tooth chainring and went from an 11-36 in back to an 11-33.  I'll revert back once CX season is over and it's time for gravel.

We had good representation at Groundhog:  Me, George, and Bob in Tower blue.  Plus Mark Misicko, Chris Fabri, and Nick Diedrich as our tangential team.

On Saturday I raced the 55+ and on Sunday I did the 55+ and the Single Speed.  I had hoped to do Single Speed on Saturday too but my legs weren't very good during the 55+ so I bagged it.

TLDR:  Sat: 55+ 13/25; Sun: 55+ 8/30, SS 22/33

Saturday was dry and 43 degrees.  Nice enough to shed the arm and leg warmers but kept the base layer.  George and I did practice on Thursday and my legs felt horrible but the Friday openers had the legs coming around.  I was hoping to keep the good legs but they didn't fully come around.

I want to spend more time on the Sunday racing so I'll give a briefer recap of Saturday.  I had a relative good start but gave up positions on the first lap with a slide out in a corner.  After catching back up to a group of 5 someone in front of me went down in a corner on the second lap and then gaps got created.  I spent the rest of the race mostly by myself.  I finished 13th out of 25 with most of the people in front of me who usually do and the same for the people behind me.

Photo: @esharhaddon

Sat 55+ First Lap: https://youtu.be/n-bdYvQXqog?si=GdN_4fUhqxAER37k

             Full Race: https://youtu.be/2IRsYhPHSlg?si=-QIHn2HCJUySFa5s

Saturday night brought some rain and questions on the course conditions.  It was also 10 degrees warmer so I didn't even wear the base layer this time.  The course was in reverse Sunday so the lines burned in from Saturday may not be the exact lines we wanted on Sunday.  Pre ride showed that the course held up pretty well but still required a lowering of the tire pressure.  My gauge is acting up so I was going by feel (squish).  I probably ended up lowering the pressure 3-4 times by the time the 55+ race started.  Right at the start line I compared my tires to Martin Tepoele's (Wolfpack) and dropped it again.  I think I tend to run too high a pressure and I might have actually gotten to where I normally should be.  I only hit the rim once which is usually a good sign.

I had a second row start again and managed to be 7th at the hole shot.  The catch phrase in CX is Green is Good, Green is Grip.  So my plan was to take the corners wider to avoid the muddier lines and stay on the grass and keep my speed up.  The legs were feeling better but I wanted to stay within myself and not blow up.  So by the time we hit the woods the lead group had a gap on me.  

Photo: @esharhaddon

I know who has been finishing ahead of me and those are my targets.  Jason White is one of them and he passed me in the woods.  I kept near him throughout the first lap but he kept easing away from me.  Chris Brown is another.  He passed me on an uphill corner near the end of the first lap (7:44) .  He and I would then have a race-long battle.  Chris doesn't usually have fast starts but is really consistent with his lap times and doesn't have that 3rd or 4th lap fade that I am known for.  He also is about 70 points better than me on Cross Results.  Going into lap 2 I made an effort to keep his wheel.  Just sticking there all race would be an accomplishment for me.  I actually said to myself "I'm on Chris Brown's wheel"!

I have more straight line speed than he does and if you can pass someone in CX you should so I found an opportunity and did it (9:30).  But Chris is a real racer and he knew it was important to get into the woods first where it is harder to pass so he made another move (10:18).  This actually benefited me later in the race because I learned going up the hill that I was climbing faster than him (let that sink in people).

When racers are in front of you, you need to learn from what they are doing good or bad.  I also learned from him to go wide in the last corner before the finish line.  I had been cutting it sharper but then needing to brake and was losing speed.

At 12:34 I passed him again on a straightaway.  At 13:09 you can see a 35+ racer go down taking a tight line in a corner.  My wider grassier line was good.  I wasn't too far back of Jason White here but it didn't get any closer.

Chris passed me back on the same corner he did on the first lap (15:21).  I really needed to cut that uphill corner better.  For the first half of lap 3 I just sat on his wheel.  After the woods we hit a paved bike path and I pushed past him (20:00).   I was able to close the small gap in the woods and that gave me confidence.  In the following u-turns you can't see Chris in the video because he is right on my wheel.  We kept passing the back end of the 35+ field and when I was coming up to them I was hoping they wouldn't slow me down.  Then after passing them I was hoping they would slow Chris down.  LOL

Chris had had enough of my wheel at the beginning of lap 4 and passed again (24:16).  But guess what, we hit the outbound straightaway and I passed at 25:10.  As we entered the woods I watched all my corners.  I went wide where I thought he might pass and was tight on others.  

At 28:25 you get a glimpse of Chris Fabri as he eases his way through the 35+ as his warmup for the 45+ which is next.

Then comes the real drama of the race.  At 30:50 I hit too much brake and the back wheel slides out and I have to unclip.  I am up quickly but Chris keeps his speed and gets past me even making a comment as he passes (very cordial).  But he overcooks a turn 2 corners later and runs into the tape.  I make the pass and that turns our to be the final pass of the race.  By the time we hit the finish line to begin the last lap I only had 1 second on him.  But over the course of the last lap I put 8 seconds into him.  My last lap was the fastest of all 5 laps.  I didn't look back and just kept pushing.  I gained my time in the straightaways and in the woods.  I kept smart in the turns.

I finished 8th out of 30 which is by far my best finish.  My first top ten!  And being able to hang with Chris and even beat him was huge for me.  There were a couple other guys behind me who are really good too.

Photo: @esharhaddon

Sun 55+ First Lap: https://youtu.be/A_H-fd82W40?si=pYYA_iP3qgW69axs

              Full Race: https://youtu.be/7YIdUumhevM?si=EBfaq4RdBbq0-I6C

The Single Speed race was a matter of gearing.  I picked the 24 tooth cog which was horrible for the start and not good for the straights but really good for the uphills.  Might have been able to go with the 21.  I finished 22nd out of 33 but still had good legs and am happy with my finish.

    Single Speed First Lap: https://youtu.be/kC3Z1uR_cyM?si=ikXERJAn_VClmPs0

Both races garnered me my best Cross Results points of the season (the same for each race which is a weird coincidence).  The 55+ race also had me on the 2nd step of the podium for the Cat 4/5's.  Bob and George were also on their respective 65+ podiums.  It was a good day for Tower Blue!

Campton CX 2024

Campton was a data free day... but it wasn't planned that way.

Forgot to pack the GoPro so there is no video.

And during pre-ride I attempted to jump the barriers.  When I didn't quite make the second barrier my Garmin mount snapped as I didn't land rubber side down.  The new kit doesn't have a zip pocket so I didn't want to risk the Garmin popping out of a back pocket.

(My Garmin mount finds the misspelling ironic)

I was actually proud that I tried to hop the barriers.  Too many times I have chickened out even in practice.  These were probably 2x6 boards so not too tall.  My ego wants to think they were 2x8's but I'm trying to be honest with myself.  I made the first jump fine and the front wheel made the second jump but the back wheel didn't and down I went.  But, it was pre-ride and since the bike was fine all was good.  I'm used to running the barriers.

(Chris on the left, then Steve, Jason, and Mark)

Campton is the annual Halloween race and while I didn't dress up others do.  The guy with the full pumpkin head worried me a bit because there was no way he could see anything.

I did the 55+ race and the single speed race.  George did just the 55+ race as he wasn't feeling tip top and Tommy Will came out for the 45+ race.  Bob was in Michigan for Ice Man.  Mark Misicko raced with me and Chris Fabri did the 45+.

TLDR:  55+: 12/33, SS: 22/39

Tire Pressure: 22/25

The really good news was that it didn't rain.  At least not for our early races.  All week we were planning for it and thankfully we avoided it.  It was a bit windy which we could deal with but add rain to that and.... I don't like to think about it.

In the 55+ I started 2nd row again and again didn't get a good start.  I tried to clip into the pedal but didn't get in right away.  That said I wasn't in bad position it just wasn't good.  The course was reversed this year and we entered the woods right away which is concerning because the last time I did this direction the group was much larger and I was literally standing in a group waiting to get into the single track.  Being a smaller group and being near the front it didn't get congested and I made it into the woods ok.  There is a slight rise throughout the section and there are railroad ties every so often to help with erosion.  The first handful you need to pull up the front wheel and also the back wheel to get over.  The last handful it is just the front wheel and the back wheel can roll over them.  But, either section slows you down a bit and takes effort.  There is always mud in the middle of the woods but it was pretty good this year and not a game changer.

On the first lap I found myself behind Chris Brown.  That's a good place to be as he regularly gets top tens even though he is 65+.  But he was leaving a gap in front of him and I didn't want to get too far behind the others.  So I passed him and actually put 4 seconds into him after 1 lap.  I was excited.  I still didn't think I was placed very well so kept pushing.

The grip on the course was really good even in the up/down section by the baseball field.  There was a left hand turn transition from grass to gravel that gave me trouble in the single speed race but I'll get to that.  In this race it was tricky but didn't effect anything.  

There were 2 sets of barriers on course.  The first were just 2x4's (best guess) and I had no trouble hopping those.  Right after those there is a hill and then a slow drag which took it out of you.  That all leads into a second woods section which is short but has a couple whoops and a bunch of roots (which they spray painted for safety I assume - although it gave it a cool Halloween glow).  Right after that section came the 2nd set of barriers and then a slight downhill gravel path to the finish line.

I was strong on the first 2 laps and now I was now 6 seconds ahead of Chris.  I didn't know it but I was in 8th or 9th place now.  Halfway thru the 3rd lap I made it thru the up/down section I dread in 8th and about to turn onto a power straight leading to the first set of barriers.  In my head I said to myself (I actually thought this) it was time to put down some power.  I wasn't quite off the mild off camber yet and my rear wheel slipped out and I went down.  2 people passed me but I was able to get up fairly quickly.

The timing on my laps 3 and 4 went back to my normal this week where I have a lull.  I still was in the pack of 5 but chasing and losing places.  I took back places on the straights where I can power past.  One in particular I passed Chris but then made the mistake of going wide into a 180 turn and Chris got me right back and passed underneath me.

(Photo credits: Mary Lillie Imaging)

Most people were running the 2nd barriers but one who wasn't was Rob Capps.  He was jumping and I knew that was a problem for me.  Even Steve Feehrey, while running, was much quicker than me.  

Going into the last lap the 5 of us were spread out by only 10 seconds.  Me being the 4th in the group.  Places were being exchanged and lap times were dropping quickly.  I jumped the short barriers and then got out of the saddle on the uphill and sprinted.  I had Rob behind me with a gap but wasn't able to catch the other guys.

I'm not sure if it was before the race or during but the thought crossed my brain that if the end was tight maybe I'd try and hop the barriers crash be damned to save time.  But now that I had put in my effort I had enough room so Rob couldn't pass me at the barriers... or so I thought.  I ran, I jumped, I remounted, and he passed me like I was standing still.  Ugh!

Like I said at the beginning I didn't think I was placed very well so after getting bested by all 4 in my group I was a little unhappy.  But, finishing 12th, my best result of the season, I have to be excited.  It was a heckuva battle and I'm getting better (maybe?!).  

Lap times

7:16 (usually the first lap is longer but because of the staging/course design it was a bit shorter)

7:35 

7:47 (crash lap)

7:42  (Tired lap)

7:33 (Last lap should always be your fastest)

Single Speed

I sat in the car for the hour in between races trying to get warm.  Getting out of the car was not fun but at least the temps had risen from 50 to 57 for the second race.  As you heat up quickly in cross I went without arm or legwarmers for both races.  I missed my 3rd row callup trying to ride around the park and get warm and ended up in the 4th row.

I had a better start here but because of the hills I picked the 19 cog in back so didn't have any real punch on the flats.  There were 39 in this race so I needed to pick off people as best I could.  My times were a bit slower than the first race but my times were more consistent.  There were also more people who weren't jumping the first barriers and I was able to gain time there.  I was geared perfectly for the uphills and that's where I tried to make up time (Pause for laughter).

My one issue was that transition from grass to gravel where I over cooked the turn a bit and ended up in the tape.  A combination of loose gravel and fuzzy brain.  I had to stop and pull the bike out of the tape and was passed by 1 or 2 people.  By the end of the race I had passed them back and kept even power throughout the race. The other SS race I finished 25th/39 so 22nd/39 was an improvement.  While doing well is always a goal the SS race is more about just getting race time on course to help dial in the skills.

Lap Times

7:48 (More traffic from more riders ahead of me made this a slower lap)

7:41 

7:58 (hoping this is the tape lap)

7:45 

7:51

Next weekend is a double race weekend.  Both in Woodstock for Groundhog Cross.

Sunrise CX 2024 - 55+

What a mess it turned out to be.

Coming off a good result at Jackson Park I was excited about Sunrise Park.  Other than the dreaded (at least for me) Heckle Hill it is a fun course.  

There are a couple of wooded single track sections, logs to jump, and yes... Heckle Hill.

I signed up for the 55+ and the Singlespeed races again.  

TLDR: 13th/35 in the 55+.  DNF in the singlespeed with a broken derailleur hanger.

And the broken hanger was only part of the mess...

It was chilly (35) in the morning as I arrived at 6:45.  It was still dark (too dark to preride) so I sat in the car an extra 10 minutes.  I was also bundled up with multiple layers including a parka for the couple laps to check out the course.

With no wind and dry skies by race time it wasn't too bad.  Once on the course you heat up quickly so it is really only the 5-10 minutes before the whistle where the chill kicks in.

My Cross Results points have continued to improve so I had a 2nd row start.  I also got a slot on the left side which I prefer when the first turn is to the right.  I find it easier to move up when not getting bunched up on the inside of the turn.

As I've mentioned a couple times over the course of 2024 I like to judge myself by the company I keep.  In the 55+ I have my eyes on a few guys who typically finish in front of me and try to hold wheels as long as I can.  After a good start where I help my position I stayed with the company I wanted throughout the first lap which was a big deal for me.  Right before the end of lap 1 line I had a couple of them behind me (although they slid by at the line).  On the 2nd lap right before Heckle Hill the racer in front of me slid out in a corner and I had to brake and slid a bit too.  Only one guy got past me but it created the gap to the people I had my eyes on which I just couldn't bring back.  

Heckle Hill was a bit easier this year (not sure why they made it easier) but as the laps built up the grass got matted down and became a bit more slick.  I DIDN'T FALL though.  Whoo Hoo!

Laps 2 and 3 were about keeping ahead of people and getting past the back of the 35+ group quickly.

My lap times got quicker each lap which is great.  I usually have a lull in laps 3 and 4.  But not this week.  My fastest lap was my last.  8:05, 8:05, 7:56 and 7:53.  The first lap has a bit of extra yardage/time because of the start grid.  The second lap was probably a bit slower because of the slide out.  

On Lap 4 I kept pushing and when I was approaching the logs I saw ahead of me a friend Matt.  As I looked ahead I noticed he dismounted and ran the logs.  I kept going and bunny hopped and ended up passing him.  Looking at the video after I gained 4-5 seconds on just that lap because of my mad log skills :)  

I kept pushing and stayed ahead of him and when we hit the start finish line for what should have been the penultimate time and they stopped us.  This is where it gets messy.  We knew there should have been another lap because we had only been racing for 32 minutes of a 40 minute race and we were doing sub-8 minute laps.  So heart rate pumping we stop and start loudly questioning the judges.  The head judge (who was later deemed to have made the mistake) snapped back at us which was more uncalled for.  By the point we were done yelling at each other people from behind us were passing us and they were letting them continue racing.  It was a mess.

Without getting into too many crazy details we ended up being lucky that the racer right behind us on the course is also a judge.  After he finished his 5th lap he went to the judges tent and told them we should be placed ahead of him.  So all in all, our placing was correct (although who knows what disasters could have lay ahead > um, see above broken hanger) and they decided to give us a fake time for the ghost lap we didn't do.

13th is my highest finish this year and my legs felt good.  Also happy about the logs although I chickened out and ran the barriers.  Better to run than fall which I had 2 guys next to me do.  I also finished on the second step of the podium for the Cat 4/5 sub-group within the race.  Because of the goofiness above there was no official podium picture. So Matt and I took one of our own.  

Like I said above I didn't even finish the first lap of the Singlespeed race.  I had a good start from the 4th row.  In the second corner someone went down and caused a big clog but I had the inside line and made it through quickly passing maybe 10 people.

But Heckle Hill bit me one more time.  Every year I either fall or just don't even try to ride it and run it.  This time I made it through the first corner but then hit too much brake on the second corner and the wheels slipped out.  It was rather low speed and I even had my right foot unclipped to balance.  But the derailleur hanger bent and was clicking the spokes.  My brain was fuzzy but I did hear a spectator yell my derailleur was in my wheel.  So I stopped and tried to bend it back and SNAP!  It did what it was supposed to do but it also ended my race.

Next week is Halloween Cross at Campton Hills.

First Lap:  https://youtu.be/sPpj3O94bpo?si=rI737c_6wJUqqGb3

Full Race:  https://youtu.be/CZRwIc72yFI?si=QgqQdIBJWE_ob3lt

Jackson Park CX 2024

We were back to Jackson Park near the Museum of Science and Industry - the home of Relay Cross.  This time they changed up the course and there were no partners to rely on... it was all on each of us.

At Glenwood George dabbled in the single speed race as well as the 55+ race so I decided to join him.  I like the idea of doing two races but waiting around 3 hours for the Cat 3/4 is just too much.

Besides the beautiful October weather the big news was that it was my first race on my Cervelo R5-CX cyclocross specific bike.  (The bike created for Wout and Mariana Vos).  I built up the frame with the components from my Crux and it didn't disappoint.  The handling was impeccable.  I kinda suck at turning but between that and the counter-steering technique I was practicing last week I was actually catching up to people in the corners... I never thought I'd say that.

The 55+ race was first and got off to an awkward start because the official walked away from start line and we weren't sure when he was gonna blow the whistle.  A whistle from a distance blew and off we went and my start was ok.  Not near as good as Glenwood but slotted right up there in the top 15 (there were 28 of us at the start).  After getting some really good Cross Results points at Trek CX I moved up to the 3rd row which helps.  

The one technical challenge that was on the course (and not included in Relay Cross) was a 180 up a short embankment (right near Lake Shore Drive).  On the first lap I knew it was gonna be a mess and sure enough someone slipped out and the rest of us were running.  The rest of the first lap was a back and forth with a few different riders.  It was really fun to try and move up and protect corners.  

The course was dry and didn't even have any dew.  As I mentioned in another race report the first race of the day (8am for us) doesn't have the lines burned in yet so while that means good grip (Green means grip) it also means that you don't have lines to follow.  I started pre-ride at 25/26 PSI and lowered it in the middle.  Probably ended up around 24/25 which seems to be my sweet spot.  My rear tire slipped a few times throughout the race so maybe I could have gone a little lower but since I didn't go down it was probably right.  It was a fast enough course to go with a higher pressure but it was fairly bumpy and it is better to smooth out those bumps with a lower pressure.

My legs felt good (other than right after the sprint start).  I kept my power and had the energy to keep pushing throughout the entire 40 minutes.  It was a light week on the bike which may have accounted for the freshness.

Most of the second half of the race (5 laps total) was spent catching up to the back end of the 35+ race which had started 2 minutes in front of us.  Trying not to get stuck behind people which can let others catch you from behind is a challenge.  

Early on I had a back and forth with #32.  He finished only 5 seconds in front of me which means I should have pushed that much harder.  Next time.

I finished 14th/28.  I continued my goal of finishing top half and achieved my goal of top 15.  I hope to keep moving up.  My last lap was my fastest lap and and I was pretty consistent all around so I am pretty happy.  Average HR was 164 with a max of 173.

For the single speed race I had no idea what I was doing and just hoped to pick the right gear.  In the 55+ race I shifted 150 times (SRAM AXS app lets me know this) and now I wouldn't be able to shift at all (I took the battery out of the derailleur).  George had let me know for Glenwood he picked too easy of a gear so I went 1 gear harder than I thought might be right.  I have a 35 tooth small chainring up front and I'm pretty sure I ended up in the 17 in the back.  The course was pretty flat except for that 180 turn mentioned above.

The legs still felt pretty good surprisingly and the lap times reflected that.  In fact my fastest lap all day was the last lap of the SS race.  I was in traffic the whole race which makes it a lot more fun.  Trying to pass people or trying to hold on to wheels.  On the second lap I tried to make a pass but ran out of real estate when the course jogged right.  I hit the brakes but also the bushes.  Thankfully the new frame seems to have come out ok.

Just before that I had passed a couple people and now I had to chase back again.  With the adrenaline rush from the vegetation I kept going and not only caught the 2 people but also passed the guy who put me in the bushes.  He ended up 6 seconds behind me and there were two guys who were 8 and 2 seconds in front of me so the motivation was there the last couple laps.  I tried to pass the guy right in front of me on the last lap but couldn't do it and was hoping to take him in the sprint but as I took the last corner and ramped it up my back wheel hit a couple of holes and that was that.

I ended 25th out of 39 which isn't too bad as it was my second race and I had never done a SS race before.  Looking forward to doing it again this week.  Avg HR 165 Max 181.

Upcoming race is Sunrise Park in Bartlett.

Full Race - 55+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-xTTf6pjyw

First Lap - 55+: https://youtu.be/esC5mYRMw2Q?si=WJQ4enUGPb-h5ok_

First Lap - Singlespeed: https://youtu.be/x9mbw5CmDDY?si=YdMKYP9Y93gt8FUg

Trek CX Cup 2024 - 50+

 Let's bring a Volkswagen to an F1 race.  Or, perhaps a better analogy, fuel that F1 car with E85 instead of rocket fuel.

Trek CX is always one of the highlights of the racing calendar for people and it brings people from far and wide.  This year, though, it isn't a World Cup.  So, only a couple of Euro pros were racing instead of most of the best.  But that doesn't mean the rest of the categories weren't stacked.

There were 3 days of racing and George, Bob, and myself did 2 of them; Saturday and Sunday.  All total there were probably 20-30 CCC people up there with some good representation (and at least 3 podiums).  We did the 10:30 time slot which had 4 different age groups starting each about 30 seconds apart: 40+, 50+, 60+, and 70+.  All told 120+ racers on course at the same time,

Before the weekend my Cross Results points were about 500.  My points aren't good but for a Cat 4 slumming with the 50+ age groupers they aren't horrible.  Of the 60 guys in my race I was predicted 58th based on points.  The top 10 all had sub-300 points.  Top 20-30 had sub-400 point.  This field was crazy stacked.  In fact only 11 guys of the 52 who actually showed up (8 guys paid and didn't show) finished on the lead lap.  41 people were lapped.  That's crazy.

I finished 40th out of 52 on Saturday.  Much better than predicted but still far down the line.  

The course is very different than anything we see in the CCC.  And we didn't even do the pro-only line.  Lot's of punchy rises along with 3 man-made flyovers.  A couple of slow drags uphill.  There was one descent that really should have been done on a mountain bike.  I am honestly shocked I didn't crash and I didn't see others wipe out:  bumpy, dusty, and steep.

Needless to say my Chicago legs were not ready for this.  I've raced up there 3-4 times so I know it is hard but it is always a shock to the system.  My last two laps were 30-40 seconds slower that the first 3.  I was burnt out.  One thing about doing things out of the ordinary is that you have to plan better to not forget anything.  So, I forgot to take any caffeine before the race.  My HR was an average of 161 so not too bad but not the 167 of the week before.  (More on HR later)

The rest of Day 1 I spent watching all the races including the pros.  It was warm and a lot of fun.  Lots of walking and not near enough water.  Trek has an area tucked away on course called the Secret Bar and they were giving away beer back there.  No water.  So I had a beer just for something - I'm not a big beer drinker.

That leads us to Day 2 where I was not in good form.  My legs hurt after the first day like I had just done 100 miles at Mineral Point.  They didn't bounce back for Day 2.  I actually did take caffeine this time but for some reason (lack of water/fitness?) I could only must a HR avg of 152.  My times weren't actually all that horrible but they weren't good.  I finished 44th out of  48 and three of those guys DNFed.

The highlights of all the races is hanging out with friends.  George and Bob and I had dinner together at a surprisingly good truck stop/restaurant.  So fun to hash out the racing and make excuses.

We also got to talk to some of the pros (Not the Taylor Swift security level up there) and got a picture with Maghalie Rochette.

Day 1 Lap 1:  https://youtu.be/Y8RfkHaD6zs?si=E-ozjcBAQ2Bt2Ey1

Day 2 Lap 1:  https://youtu.be/Gut1d-PPgj8?si=inFTzQO7-TCnNzCf

Glenwood CX 2024 55+

 I have graduated by virtue of the clock ticking.  I am now eligible for the 55+ category (I'm only 53 as I type this but Race Age is a funky thing in cyclocross.  I get to join the other great Tower Racers now instead of just watching them.  It also means racing an hour earlier at 8am which I wasn't looking forward to.  I had a nice rhythm with the 8:55 start I need to adjust now.

Glenwood is the first stop in this year's Chicago Cyclocross Cup (CCC) series. It is on the campus of Glenwood Academy and has pretty much no elevation.  The trickiest part of the course was around a couple trees where roots were exposed and my back tire kept slipping.

It has been dry and the course matched that.  By the end of the day the lines were probably pretty burned in which can make it a bit more slick but in the morning it was fine.  Not even any dew on the grass.

Before I get into the actual racing I wanted to take a minute to talk about my mentality for the 55+.  Being the youngest guy in the category in my mind meant I should be one of the fastest.  At least in my cloudy brain that made sense.  One thing about racing is that as you get older it is the good racers who keep racing and the others drop out.  So you are left with a higher percentage of good racers.  So when I started looking at racing points for the guys I'd be racing against my dreams of a wide angle podium started to change to more of a top 15.  Let's see how the season goes.

My call up was 4th row based on my points which wasn't great.  But the last guy in the 3rd row was lazily walking his bike to the start so I rode past him and snuck into the 3rd row.  This turned out to be very fortuitous for the start. It was also good that the slot was near the right side of the row.  The first turn was to the left and in my experience it is better/easier to move up on the outside of the corner as most people dive for the inside and it is clogged.

As it turned out the sea parted in front of me at the start and at the hole shot I was in 6th position without having to work too hard.  It was a paved start which also made it a bit easier if not potentially sketchy (I've been crashed on paved starts before - can anyone say new helmet?).  Now it was a matter of holding my position as best I could.  There are only so many places on course where you can pass but also only so many watts available in my legs. I started vaguely counting as riders passed by as well as checking out numbers.  If the number is higher than mine then I know I'm falling too far back.  By the end of lap 1 my top ten had gone away but wasn't too poorly placed.

Actually, after lap 1 only 2 guys passed me so once I settled in things were relatively good.  On the first lap there was a Half Acre Cycling guy who was having issues with the corners so I made a point to get by him.  Turns out he is a pretty good racer and I'm not sure what was up.  He finally got it together and snuck past on the 3rd or 4th lap (of 5).  At the end he was only 3 seconds in front of me.  Our friend Mark Misicko was only 9 seconds in front of me.  The company you keep....

After doing CX for so many years you get to know people.  At least on course.  Tim was one of those guys and he passed me on the second lap but I held him close.  He's one of the people I mark myself against so I wasn't happy to see him slide away.  But later in the race he started to come back.  I was getting excited that I might catch him until we were about to hit the berm which was the highpoint of the course (insert laugh here) and saw him pull over with a flat.  Ugh.

On the last lap I knew I has someone behind me but not too close.  Then, at one point he tried to cut me in a corner.  I had taken the inside line and blocked him (A great move if I had known he was coming).  But now I knew he was there and my mission was clear.  Keep on the gas and keep him back there.  I was able to do just that and finished ahead of him by 2 seconds.  Again, the company you keep; he is a Cat 3 with almost 100 points better than me on Cross Results.  That pushed me to my fastest lap of the race (which is how it is supposed to be).

I ended 17th out of 38.  That's top half of the field which makes me pretty happy.  It took me a long time to get into the top half of the 45+ category and even then I didn't always stay there.

Tires: PDX

Tire Pressure: about 24 front, 25 rear

Avg HR: 167, max 178 (40 minutes)

It was also fun to race with George and Bob.  Wishing Fran was there too.  (Read the sign George is holding).  Brad will join us for the next race.

Next race is Trek CX Cup in Waterloo WI.

Lap 1:  https://youtu.be/0wyeV0_D-7M?si=zC6VSh4KcZsYcEcD

Boiler Cross 2024

When the best part of the day isn't the podium!

Last weekend was Relay Cross and next weekend is the opening of the CCC at Glenwood.  That left a nice free weekend in search of a race.  Wisconsin had 2 races but the first was in Sheboygan and the second in Waterloo.  The former is just too darn far and the latter is just a bit too far for a 9am race start.

A new race this year in the Ohio Valley CX series was hosted by the Purdue Cycling Club and called Boiler Cross.  Well, my son Evan graduated from Purdue a year ago and I thought this would be a great chance for some bonding and racing.  Race time was 4pm which meant we wouldn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn and could spend some time checking out campus again.

Purdue is a simple 2 hour drive straight down highway 65.  A walk around campus and lunch at a Mexican place he likes lead us to plenty of time to to get to McCallister park in Lafayette.

The park has a big open grass area but also with tree sections which are all incorporated into a disc golf course.  Evan had actually played disc golf there before which made it more fun.  The CX course made good use of what little elevation the park had to offer.  Short little steep areas were dotted here and there.  Barriers were placed at the top of one of them and then there were stairs leading up to the top of another.  Those aside it was primarily a power course which usually favors me or at least plays more into my wheelhouse than a technical course would.  But by 3pm the temps had risen close to 90 degrees and in the sun it felt even hotter.  

Being 2024 and having access to the internet I was well aware of the weather forecast and had been hydrating for a couple days. I even had 4 glasses of water just at lunch.  That said, halfway through my first pre-ride lap my mouth was dry.  Most cyclocross races aren't run with water bottles let alone bottle cages but this was a complete exception.  I downed 2 more bottles between pre-ride and the race and had a full bottle in my cage at race time.  The course was also really bumpy.  On the first pre-ride lap I stopped to significantly lower the pressure.  Usually, on a dry grass course a little higher pressure is good for speed, but the bumps were significant so I had to take air out.  I didn't re-measure so I can't give you the exact PSI but probably in the 24-25 range.  That did make it smoother but the blisters (plural) on both hands after the race tell a different story.

The day's racing was broken up into 6 waves and I was in wave 6.  Within wave 6 was a junior group, a Cat 4 group and then my group which itself had 3 sub-groups (Cat 4 - 40+, 50+, and 60+).  Each of the main groups started 1 minute apart which made it easier to keep track of who you were racing against. I was officially in the Cat 4 50+ group.  

Boiler Cross being a first year race and being on the western border of Indiana it had a harder time drawing in the Ohio and Kentucky racers (and I'm sure even some Indy racers.  Heck, I'm sure I wouldn't have gone if Evan hadn't gone with me to make a day of it.).  There was one Team Hungry racer there from Cinci - his team is the one the Georgia crew used to ride with.  The total number of pre-registered riders was only 111.  The Ohio Valley race the weekend before had over 250.  This lead to my main group of only about 13 racers with 7 in my specific category.  Even with that few racers the trick was keeping track of who you were racing against.  Had to know the numbering.  The Cat 4 50+ guys were in the 230's.

Ideally, you race everyone and beat them all.  But if a 40+ guy goes up the road (figuratively speaking) then you don't blow yourself up trying to hang on.  

By 4pm mother nature graced us with cloud cover which helped to no end.  It was still about 90 and we still sat in the car with the A/C running until race time but I was thankful.  

In the small sub-group I had a front row start (most of us did) and had everything dialed in.  My Garmin was started on time, my GoPro was rolling, and my cassette was in the right gear (the 3 G's) [all three of which I've messed up in the past].  All I had to do was clip into my pedal at the whistle.  The whistle blew and I totally missed my pedal.  A little panic kicked in which made it harder to clip in.  

We went straight for about 75 meters and then hit a soft S curve.  By the first turn I was slotted in mid-pack.  The course straightened out and 2 of the 40+ guys had a small gap.  We were in a little double track area So I moved out of line and moved up a couple places.  Barry from Chicago based Mox Cycling was leading our group so I was gonna let him pull until a Midwest Devo guy (also 40+) decided to pass him and I grabbed his wheel.  After a few turns I was able to pass the Devo guy but just didn't think it smart to try to burn matches in the heat to bridge to the 2 40+ guys. 

The entire first lap video is linked below so I won't go too much more into detail.  But Evan was parked under the shade of a tree (that Purdue education paying off) right after the barriers so every lap I had a cheering section.  On the first lap he caught some video which was cool because the guy who had passed me a little before, I was able to pass running the barriers.  Granted, the guy was in the 60+ sub-group but he also won the entire group by the end so there's that.

If you are reading this most likely you have also seen the podium picture.  The guy who won our sub-group passed me mid way though the second lap.  I watched in the power sections as he rolled away from me.  I was wary of going too hard but also just didn't have the full power I had hoped.  At some point I noticed there was no one else behind me.  Barry had crashed on the first lap and was now about 30 seconds behind me.  I kept pushing but the gap in front of me (and behind me) was growing.  

The first 2 laps were near the 7 minute mark but the last 3 laps were all 7:45ish.  Not having someone to chase or chasing you doesn't get the adrenaline going and the heat kept the brain in cruise control mode.  I didn't crash which was a plus and the bike worked well and my cornering progressed.  I am running PDX mud tires all season for the extra grip even though is will also increase rolling resistance.  I need all the help I can get in the corners.  Not sure what was up with my HR strap in the first lap but the last 4 I averaged about 170 bpm.

It was really fun being on the podium even with the small group.  Doing it in front of Evan made it really sweet.  I'm sure he still sees some old dude in spandex up there even if it is his dad.  But that's ok.

On the way home we stopped in Crown Point and hit a restaurant called Square Roots.  The evening was cooling down so we ate on the patio.  I'd recommend the Hall of Famer brisket sandwich.  

So, to recap the recap... I got to spend 4 hours in the car with my son, hung out with him on campus and had a couple meals with him.  I got to have him watch me in my passion hobby.  And I as on the podium.  All-in-all a good day.  But by far the best part wasn't the podium.

First lap video:  https://youtu.be/hJoaCDdxjLE?si=nVZsjg5vGSo-AAxf