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

Relay Cross 2024

 #CrossIsHere

We wait all year to be able to say that.  Relay Cross is a nice way to ease into the season.  Alternating laps with a partner gives you that breather you definitely need as you get your cross lungs and legs back.

Technically, George and I did a race in Wisc last weekend (with no resting between laps).  But Relay Cross is kinda like Milano San Remo is the kickoff to the spring classics.  Not really the first race but ya know...

Brad and I teamed up to do the 9am 35+ race.  Fran and George teamed up as well.  While this isn't a race we worry too much about placing, the competitive juices still flow.  Brad and I had a plan to just try and dial in more skills and keep it clean.  

The course at Jackson Park in the city was dry and flat and fast with a few power sections.  Having all done some version of the Tower Saturday ride our legs were not what they will be for the rest of the season.  (It's been fun on Saturdays.  See you next year).  

Relay Cross has a Le Mans start where one team member runs from the start line about 100 yards (meters?!) to tag the other who starts riding.  Brad and George ran while Fran and I rode first.  The first lap was crowded as usual (~25 teams) and my skills at moving up showed plenty of rust.  My hands were killing me after the first lap from all the hard braking into corners as you can only go as fast as the person in front of you if you can't find a line to pass.

I overslept and forgot my Garmin so I have no HR data.  I used my GoPro for time splits.  Best I can tell is my laps were consistent.  I also had Fran to chase down on laps 2 and three which made it fun (eg Hard).  Laps 4 and 5 I could close in on Fran.

I ended up doing 5 laps of about 6 minutes each (Brad did 4 + the run in the 60 minute race).  As the laps go on people spread out and you are more on your own.  This allows you to take the corners better and learn each lap.  I also feel like I go slower which also makes the corners easier.

George and I teamed up for the Cat 4 race at 11:15.  A quick turnaround so we ate something and drank to get ready.  I woefully under prepared for water and thanks to George and Brad for helping me out.  I needed it as it was warm out.

Again, this race was to help dial in form.  Racing is the best for of practice for CX.  But we did have a goal... to beat Barry Baston and Chris Brown.  Barry had done the earlier race with us but Chris was fresh.  

George did the run and I rode first (The benefits of a cobalt knee is I can pull out all the excuses).  There were about ~30 teams this race and it was crowded on the first lap.  I did another poor job of moving up but kept ahead of Chris (He fell down on either the 1st or third lap which helped).

This race was 45 minutes and I ended up doing 4 laps and George 3 + the run.  We were neck and neck with Barry and Chris the whole race.  Coming into the final exchange Barry had about a 1 second gap on George but Chris wasn't paying attn and in a conversation with someone else.  I could see it playing out and had to laugh. George tagged me and I was able to start just ahead of Chris.  He was on my tail the entire lap and I just kept waiting for him to try and get past me.  About a third of the way thru the lap I realized he was probably gonna sit on and then make a move later near the end of the lap.  So I didn't go too hard and protected my corners so he couldn't pass.

As we entered the last third of the lap I had to go hard.  Funny thing about adrenaline... On the lap previous I was cooked.  But with Chris right there I found a boost.  My strength in CX has always been my power (as opposed to technical ability).  So I hit the power sections hard right out of the corners to create some space.  The barriers were near the end and I flew over them (dismounting not jumping) faster than any other lap.  I didn't look back in the final straight and just pushed hard to stay ahead.

So while Relay Cross is more about practice racing there is definitely some competitiveness.  

Next week I may travel to West Lafayette for Boiler Cross with my Purdue graduate.  Then the CCC starts up on the 29th in Glenwood.  Come for the racing.  Stay for the food trucks.

First Lap of 35+ 

https://youtu.be/cedDceKInbU?si=f2vipRdZyT0QnUXQ

Wheeling CX 2022 - 45+

 Weeeeeeeeeeee-Ling

The Wheeling course has been pretty static over the years.  This was my 5th crack at it and it is the first time I remember it not being muddy and freezing.  There was a little rain earlier in the week but the course wasn't slick at all.  There is an off camber section that has a speed limit when muddy but can be ridden fairly normal in the dry.  There is also a short downhill u-turn that causes problems but was ridable this time.  The temps were low 30's but I only remember 20's and biting winds from the past.  So all in all it was a good day for racing.

The Tower crew this week included Fran, Brad, George, and Mark in the 55+.  In the 45+ I was the only Tower blue although Joe Doyle was next to me in the start grid.

The excitement on the day was George hitting his first podium.  Here he is on the second step of the 55+ 4/5!

Less notable but still exciting was Fran hitting the podium in the 65+ 4/5. (Again?!?!  This is getting old Fran!)

Before retreating to the warmth of my car I nabbed a quick video of the first lap.  In order are Mark (black), Fran, George (red), and Brad.

The 45+ races in the CCC have seen consistent numbers in the high 50's to 60's.  At Wheeling the cold temps whittled it down to 46 racers.  I had a 4th row start.  I had switched to the Donnelly PDX mud tires a couple races ago due to what were expected to be slick conditions.  I still have the all around MXP's mounted on a different set of wheels but choose to ride the PDX's for confidence inspiring grip.  This course is usually slick.  With the unusually grippy course I probably would have been fine with the MXP's.  I tried a higher pressure during pre ride (28/29 psi front/rear) but there were a number of bumpy sections where a lower pressure was needed to smooth it out.  If you can ride smoother and let the tires be your shock absorbers then it is faster.  I brought my gauge with me on the pre ride and dropped it to 26/27 and it was better.  I am not a light rider so going lower might be too low and I could get rim strikes or burp (With tubeless if the bead gets bumped away from the rim and lets a bit of air out that is called burping).  For reference George ran 21/21 but he is much lighter than me (Also running tubulars).

It is important to line up behind someone you know to be a good starter if possible.  In Wisc I don't really know anyone but here in the CCC while I may not know the names I do recognize certain people.  Of course on any given day it is a crap shoot how someone clips in.

Check out the guy in green on the left.  He just goes backwards immediately and I almost hit him.  If I had been behind him I would have lost a number of places.

I had a decent start and had George in my head as well: "Don't go out too hard on the first lap".  It is important to get past as many people as you can when the track is wide but not at the expense of blowing up.  

The course had a longer start section leading into the first half of the course which has a gazillion turns.  With the group largely together on the first lap it was a matter of holding your line and not letting people squeak through holes.  Pre ride is for dialing in the corners but on the first lap you can only go as fast as the rider in front of you in the turny sections.  This half of the course ends with medium sized barriers.  I sat there long and hard before the race and decided that even if I could bunny hop them now in the last lap of the race my brain would be a little fuzzy and it might not end well.  The old adage in cross is don't do something if you can't do it 10 out of 10 times.  So I ran the barriers.  (George has mad skills and jumped them each lap.  As of this writing I haven't heard of any chainring damage :) ).

The On Board view

From Brad's Perspective

I mentioned above that there is a short downill U-turn and this is the place that always gives me trouble.  Thanks to the dryness of the course I was able to ride it each lap.  Without the mud at the bottom the main concern was being in the right gear for when you started back up and don't stall.  In this snippet it doesn't look too steep but getting out of the saddle was needed and tricky to avoid spinning out the back wheel.

Because I had raced the previous day in Wisc I wasn't sure how the legs would be.  In my limited experience of 2 races in a weekend things actually haven't gone that badly.  The 3 times I've done it this season I've actually had good results the second day even if the legs didn't feel that great.  I've have 3 bad races and all came with rest.  Hmmmm.

Having raced the previous day was another reason to listen to George and take it easy on the first lap.  Normally I'd try to pass more people with micro efforts.  This time I took what was offered but didn't make lap one a hero lap.

My lap times did show a bit of fatigue as I went on.  The first lap has a minute of extra time for the start section.  9:12 (Really 8:12), 8:14, 8:26, 8:25, 8:06.  You can see in laps 3 and 4 I was slowing.  But how about that lap 5!!!!!!!  Why you ask?  

I don't know exactly when I noticed it but somewhere on the 4th lap 2 guys were closing in on me.  Both were faster on lap 4 than me by 7 and 8 seconds and were getting close.  I do remember Fran yelling near the end of the lap "C'mon Case.  Got someone on your tail!"

Different things motivate people.  I was now motivated by 3 things.  The guys behind me, the last lap, and the Tower crew cheering me on (Fear of disappointing Fran is a real thing).  A little adrenaline was kicking in and the mental acuity was getting razor sharp.  The corners are where you can lose tenths of seconds or even worse.  Focusing in on the corners to make sure I took the best line at the best speed (without crashing) was critical.  Making sure that I got every pedal stroke available was key too.  Time is lost when you coast 5 meters longer than the other guy.  Pedal if the course allows you to pedal.

BG Photography

On the back side of the course there is a long gradual rise.  Before the rise I was about 7-8 seconds ahead of the pair.  By the top it was down to 6 seconds.  There was a quick downhill and it was back up to 8 (Heavy things go downhill faster I guess?).  I'm getting all of these times from watching the video and wasn't actually counting on the course.  I knew they were close and I knew I had blown 2 last lap leads this year.  My focus was on the corners and trying to remember which ones were sharp and which were easy.  Where did I need to downshift and which could I keep my gearing.

I was almost at the final section which was a hundred meters of straight grass with a right turn and 30 meters to the line.  This time I can hear a duet of Fran and Brad yelling "Gotta guy behind ya!"  I switched to the drops and as soon as I crossed a paved path got out of the saddle and put what I had left into the pedals.  Fran said that as soon as the guy behind me saw me jump he let up.  Nothing left in the tank for him either.  I dared to look back and and saw he wasn't on my tail (I then looked over my left shoulder to just make sure) and pulled across the line 4 seconds ahead of the first guy and 8 in front of the second.

I finished 29th/46 which from a percentile perspective isn't that great.  But 29th in general is fairly good.  I was the 5th Cat 4 out of 14.  And I like to think that the 10-20 guys who didn't show up at all are the weak ones who would have filled out the lower placings.  :)

My average HR was 164 with a Max of 176.  The last lap however was an average of 169.  

There is one more CCC race which is in 3 weeks (Regional Championships).  Region Riot is in 2 weeks and we might hit that up too in Crown Point.  

Here is a short video of my Fan Boys:

https://youtu.be/ovtJMu9ZlIc

Here is the full race video:

https://youtu.be/NX4CLwPmnYY

CamRock n Roll CX 2022 - 50+ Cat 4/5

 North of the border once again.  Things worked out well this weekend.  Jerilynn was out of town and my Madison friend actually was in town.  So I drove up Friday night and we watched the Spartans choke away a game on an aircraft carrier and the Badgers pulling one out at the Brewers stadium.

The CamRock n Roll race is in Cambridge WI, southeast of Madison by about half an hour.  So the drive in the morning was much nicer than the 2 hours I've done earlier in the season.

I found a couple of fairly old videos of the course and it was to my liking.  Essentially a hiking path through the woods with some u-turns thrown in by the picnic area to make it more crossy.  It looked like more of a power course which last year would have been right up my alley.  This year I am lacking some power.  But at least it wasn't super technical which is where my real failings lie.

The temps finally became more fall like.  Actually, one of the reasons I made the drive was to get used to the temps for the CCC race the next day.  Low 30's for each race.  It takes me a while to get used to temp changes.  I like to ease in.  CamRock is in a wooded park which really helped with the wind which as cyclists we know is what really makes things cold.  

My race was the 50+ Cat 4/5.  We had 40 racers which is about par for a Wisc race.  The cold doesn't deter them cheddar heads.  I had another front row start which set me up for a good result.  

I lined up in between the top two callups.  I looked after the race the the top guy has over 50 upgrade points - it's pretty ridiculous that he is still in the 4/5 race.  He's actually still a 5!  

Our race starts about a minute behind the 35+ Cat 4/5 group so there are usually some stragglers we need to navigate through which can at times be tactical (See the Lion Cross recap).  I had a good start and was third wheel at the hole shot.  George has been advising me to not go out too hot and save something for the rest of the race.  We took a right turn off of the pavement and onto the grass.  There was one actual hill on the course and it was right as we hit the grass.  It wasn't too steep but took about 20 seconds to get up with a slight kicker at the end.  Then, to be mean they put a set of barriers at the top.  It's not like they needed to slow us down.  There was a Trek tent at the top where people gathered so I think it turned into a heckle hill.

I made a pass and went over the barriers in 2nd position.  The Upgrade Points guy had a gap and slowly just increased it.  According to Strava my hill segment times were 18, 23, 23, and 22 seconds.  Not too bad for consistency.

Because this course was heavily in the woods there were a ton of roots on the course.  Most were marked with paint and we were able to avoid most of the big ones.   But, there were plenty of little ones that you needed to roll over which sapped the speed.  

The eventual 2nd place rider passed me about 4 minutes in.  I thought I was doing ok but then over the course of the 4 laps 7 others passed me.  I ended up 10th out of 40.  Top 10 (and top 25%) is nothing to sneeze at but I had wanted more.

There were a couple fun features on the course.  There were 2 logs to bunny hop (smaller than the telephone poles from previous races).  In this GIF I hit the second log on the way down and was close to going down myself.

And a bumpy downhill with a slight turn at the end.  The hay bale in front of the tree at the bottom instills confidence.

In cyclocross the idea is to do a negative split.  If you paid attention to Ganna's Hour Record recently you'll know what I'm talking about.  Basically, you want to get faster lap times as you progress.  At least the last lap should be your fastest. The idea is that you've dialed in all the turns and are motivated to finish strong. I had 7:46, 8:07, 8:20, and 8:16.  So, while my last lap was faster that the 3rd lap it was still slow.  And based on the first lap time I did go out too fast and just couldn't hold it.  Average HR was 164 with a max of 173.  It was a pretty steady line so I was happier with how the heart was pumping.

I liked the course.  Not overly technical and not wet so it wasn't slippery either.  Enough short ups and down to keep it interesting.

Here is the link to the full race video:  https://youtu.be/nrQjweuQ2Mg

Groundhog CX 2022 - 45+

 The movie Groundhog Day was filmed in Woodstock, IL which is where we raced on Sunday and thus the name of the race.  This year it was also the Illinois State Championships.

The Tower crew was a little light as Iceman was on Saturday (among other things). That meant I was alone in the 45+ while Fran, George and Mark were in the 55+.

The temps were in the mid to high 40's so in theory not too bad, but the wind was 15-20 mph which made it chilly.  

The wonderful thing about cyclocross is that you are going so hard so consistently that once you get going the cold doesn't usually factor in.  In fact this is the second race where I've shed my arm warmers in the middle (I didn't forget them this time).

The hard part about cyclocross (besides the racing) is that you tend to freeze at the start until you do get moving.  It also plays with your mind as to how warm to dress.  Like I said I ditched the arm warmers.  Probably didn't need the knee warmers either but they didn't seem to bother me.  I also went with a windproof base layer which I think was ok but probably overkill for the second half of the race.

The highlight of the day for certain was Fran bringing home 2 medals.  Way to go Fran!!!

I had a good week leading up to the race.  A few good shake out rides.  On Saturday I did some good openers > I got a new warranty wheel from Reynolds and needed to test that out also as well as some new PDX (mud) tires... Kudos to Reynolds.  I found the crack, submitted the claim, and sent the wheel back with an RMA# all on Monday.  Got the new wheel on Friday! <

But then came Sunday.  Temps were fine but that wind...  I just couldn't get warm and I didn't do a proper warmup and stayed in the heated car longer than I should have.  A few short sprints to get the engine more than ice cold and we were off.

The start of a CX race is always congested and there is an off camber right off the bat.  2 u-turns where I decided it was better to run than ride.  I didn't really make up any ground but I didn't lose any until it was time to remount where 3-5 guys passed me up.  I should have tried to remount earlier but it was a slight uphill and I was worried about getting up to speed.

After the first lap I was pretty much on my own just chugging along at a slow pace.  I couldn't generate any power and after searching deeply for any excuses I decided it was the lack of warmup.  My heart rate climbed steadily throughout the race where usually it is pinned from the beginning and then stays there.  To their credit and my demise both Fran and George had faster lap times than me.  None of us fell which is a great thing.  I was consistent at least.

The last lap there were 2 racers in front of me acting as a carrot and that lap I actually shaved 30 seconds off of my time.  In the woods section there are two climbs and I went deeper to make up space.  Finally at the end of the second climb the first guy had nothing left and I got past him.  The second guy was just out of reach and I didn't have the power needed to close it.  He finished 7 seconds in front of me.  

I finished 41st/57.  My worst performance of the year although honestly my technical skills weren't too bad.  Maybe they were and I was just going so slow it didn't matter.

>>>Side bar - I've always thought that as the laps keep counting that I get more dialed in and take corners better.  I'm starting to think that perhaps it is just that I am going slower so it is easier to take the turns<<<

Below is the video of the first lap.  After that there isn't much to see (the damn GoPro shut down again but at least I got 26 minutes this time).

Next week is Wheeling.  25 Degrees at race time.  Sigh.

Video of the first lap:

https://youtu.be/fuOZKVDTkV8

PS:  Make sure you check there is TP in the porta-john first.

Campton CX 2022

What's the phrase?  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice then shame on me.

We will get back to that.

Campton is the annual Halloween race.  Many people dress up either a tiny bit or just all out.  I just stuck to my Tower kit as did the other Tower racers.

In my race we had myself, Bryan and Joe.  Both Bryan and Joe have continued to improve their placing each week.  Tony is working out some back issues and is sidelined for a bit.

The 55+ race had George, Fran, Bob, Brad and Mark.

Having a good start to the race can make or break your race.  At Campton I just got lucky.  I missed my pedal with my right foot and then accidentally unclipped with my left foot.  So I was just sitting there on my saddle not attached to the bike.  While that doesn't sound lucky it may have kept me out of the carnage.  A front row guy snapped his chain and took down/blocked a ton of people on the right side.  Joe and I were near the left and avoided it all.  I think there was a second faller too right after that but heck it could have just been part of the same crash.  That being said I was in a decent position.

The course after the star this year took us up a gravel path which then took us up a grass rise.  So, we were going up just enough to take the mickey out of our legs.  It wasn't steep but it just kept going.  It was important to not blow up and just keep your pace.   

Besides the normal barriers this year they added logs (telephone poles??).  The logs were right after a short drop so you could get some speed into them.  Just like last week at Sunrise it was a difference maker if you could bunny hop them.  On the first lap, when we were more congested, I think I passed 3 people.  On each of the 4 laps I think I passed someone.

Following the logs and barriers there were some off camber u-turns.  Not as sharp as last week so I was able to manage them without getting off the bike and without falling.  A number of people hit the ground trying to keep up the speed.  I usually fall here every year but took it nice and slow which is faster than falling (imagine that).

Earlier in the week there was some rain but the course was pretty dry on Sunday.  A tall grass prairie section with innumerable turns was very ridable.  I only made one mistake where I overcooked a corner on the 3rd lap.  A guy was on my tail and I felt the pressure to keep up the speed and forgot the exit angle of the turn.  Luckily, I was able to almost keep riding through the grass to get back on the course.  A couple of one-footed pushes did the trick.  I apologized to the guy but he said he overcooked it too.  

There are a couple of short woods sections at the park and the question each year is whether we will go up the section with railroad ties or down.  Much easier (and more fun) to go down.  This year was a Down year.  

Brad Green Photography

For me this year it all came down to the last lap.  As I slowly made my way up the hill for the last time I was passed by a big Cat 2 guy.  But as we approached the logs I think he decided to have a picnic as he dismounted.  I hopped the logs and got past him.  My goal now was to keep him behind me.  To my surprise he didn't try and pass me after we left the pinwheel section and transitioned to the tall grass.  Right after we entered the tall grass he slipped and crashed in a corner.  That was the 5 seconds I needed.  So I put a little more power down and made sure to keep upright.  After the woods sections there were a few long straights and then the line.  I put as much power down as I could without blowing up.  In the middle of the second straight I peeked back and he wasn't in site.

Let's return to the first line of this post.

Shame on me!

I saw a couple kids handing up twizzlers and grabbed for one (I couldn't feel it in my glove so accidentally dropped it).

Then Fran told to to finish it off.  The big guy still wasn't in site.

Then this happened...

BG Photography

Unlike last week where I lost by a couple inches this time I think it was a full half a bike (if not more).  Kenny was on the microphone and was nice enough to say he thought I was able to hold him off.  I didn't.  (Kenny is in the brown vest on the right up above).

Nothing angers you more than being stupid.  I was pretty angry after this race.  Let's not forget this was a race for 25th place and relatively meaningless.  But we race for a reason.  We are competitive.

Maybe one day I will learn my lesson.  Last year when I won my sprint at Nationals I came from behind.  Someone needs to teach me how to win from the front.

I finished 26th out of 59.  Again in the top half of the field which is a big deal for me.  Out of the 24 Cat 4 racers I was 5th.  Not too bad.

Next week is the state championships in Woodstock.  

ABD Sunrise Park CX - CCC# 3

 Kryptonite - "often used to describe something likened to kryptonite in causing someone's weakness, failure, etc."

There are plenty of things in cyclocross I'm just not that good at or can't do at all (Jumping tall barriers) but the hill at Sunrise Park is absolutely my kryptonite.  It isn't a big hill like Saturday's in Grafton and getting to the top isn't a big deal, but at the top there is a U turn that goes steep downhill/off camber.  Every year I fall and every year I lose time there.  This year I crashed embarrassingly in warmup twice.  It is a combination of a mental block and a non-clinical panic attack. I just can't let go of my brain and point my front wheel down and to the left.  Bryan Connolly has tried to help me multiple times (He has mad skills) to no avail.

So here we are again.  We have the hill I can't ride down right after a day where I had no power (See the Grafton recap).  

Tower had another great turnout.  In the 45+ Bryan and Tony F. were with me along with Joe Doyle (Not everyone wears a Tower kit but we adopt them nonetheless).  In the 55+ it was George, Fran, Bob, Brad and Mark M.  Even Mitch plunked down his retirement money and was out there.  Later in the Day Bob's son John raced the Cat 4's.  And the new entry to the CX game on the women's side was Fran's daughter Margaret, who, after a pre ride lap with her father, went on to tear it up for a top ten finish > someone get her a Tower jersey for next week's podium! [Oh, yeah.  She hadn't ridden a bike in over a year!!!]

It was a beautiful weekend in the 70's which meant for me at race time (8:55 am) it was a balmy 60 degrees.  That is both good and bad.  It is never fun freezing your fingers off but at the same time overheating when you are going 100% for 40 minutes is a real thing.  The humidity was also low which meant my mouth was dry from the first lap on.  That slowed me down.  Lesson learned is to carry a water bottle when it is warm.

Above GIF shows the first lap of the 55+ race.

In the 45+ race the burning question is how many times did I fall and again I will disappoint and say I didn't fall at all.  The best way for Superman to win is to put that kryptonite in a box.  So I did just that and instead of bothering to try and ride the hill I just ran it each time.  In fact, on the first lap I passed 3 people while running it.  This year they put barriers just before the hill so I was off my bike anyway (I watched too many people crash on the barriers in warm up to try it).  The downside of running is that you run the barriers, run up the hill, run down the hill and then remount.  I was pooped.  It would take me a couple more corners to try and catch my breath.

Right after the start two people bumped and came to a stop right in front of me.  I probably lost up to 10 places because if it.  That's hard for me because I make up spots in the first lap and slowly give them back as the race goes on.  

There was another section where they had 2 telephone poles on the course and you could make up time if you could bunny hop them (one at a time) instead of dismounting them.  I wasn't graceful but I did the bunny hop thing and passed people/gained space.  When you can do that it perks you up a bit.

Courtesy Brad Green Photography

Evidently, a neighbor complained about us tearing up the park on the far side of the course so there was another off camber spot removed which was a bummer (Not for me but in general).  To make up for it (I think) they added loose dirt to a wooded section to make it more slippery.  

Overall, my power was better than Saturday and I just kept it steady.  Halfway through the last lap I noticed 4 racers behind my.  Now my goal was to keep them there and place as best as I could.  The back half of the course has the woods where you can't really pass anyone and coming out there are a number of turns.  So, I made it to the woods first and kept them all in check.  The guy right behind me was a bigger guy so I started to think about the sprint.  The finish is uphill so it isn't easy.  I was in the drops before the last corner and gave it the gas.  

At this point I made 2 mistakes.  The first one is forgivable as I was blinded by fatigue.  I didn't look under my arms as I was sprinting to check where he was.  The second was just plain dumb.  The thing where you just roll your eyes at the tv screen during the Tour etc.  Right as I was about to hit the line I let up.  Literally one pedal stroke away.  Then all of a sudden I see a blur to my left.  I still thought I had won at the time but when the results came out and then were confirmed by the photo finish camera (How cool is it that the CCC has a photo finish camera) I was devastated (mostly by embarrassment).  He beat me by the 40mm depth of my front rim.  Stupid!

I finished 27th out of 67.  Still a good result for me.  Being in the top half of the results is new for me still and a good accomplishment.  I was the 4th placed Cat 4 in the group.  I'll take what I can get.

Thanks for reading!

Grafton Pumpkin Cross - 2022

 One more time the decision was made to head up north.  After last week's podium my head was full of bravado.  George talked me into it (or the other way around if you ask him) and we made the early morning drive to Grafton, WI, just north of Milwaukee.

There was a pre-ride video done by the hosts before all the tape was up and it looked pretty tame - a grass crit perhaps.  When we got up there it was anything but.  It was a good course with plenty of off camber turns and one big hill.  There were a couple barriers at the top of the hill and a short run up on the back half of the course.

Our race was 50+ Cat 4/5 > the old and slow group.  It was a big group with 57 racers.  There was also the 35+ group who started 30 seconds before us with 25 racers.  Luckily, it was a long course so the course didn't get too clogged.

Being a long course it also meant that our 30 minute race was going to be 3 laps (which turned out to be fine for me).  The starting grid is based on points and I was the 4th callup and on the front row.  One row here or there doesn't matter all that much as long as you are a strong racer but the difference between 1st and 4th row is a big deal.  You immediately have a sizable gap to the front of the race when you are 4th or farther back and there are a lot of racers to get by.

The start straight was a paved road that went slightly uphill and then we turned left onto the grass and came back down.  The down part helped to recover after the sprint from the line.  The highlight for me for the entire race was the start where I once again got the hole shot.  And I kept the lead for the first minute without going into the red.

As I said that was the highlight because after that I just slid backwards.  My cornering was pitiful and I kept letting gaps go.  Then when we hit the hill the plug was pulled and all my power drained.  The hill had an "A" and "B" line.  The "A" line was steeper but shorter and the "B" line was shallower but longer.  I chose the "B" line and lost 2 places because of it.  On the second lap I took the "A" line.  The first 2 laps it was a 25 second effort.  Being fresher on the on the first lap I expected it to be quicker so in retrospect The "A" line was better.  Well.... if you have the legs.  The 3rd lap I took the "A" line and blew up to the point that I had to unclip and walk up the second half.  That lap the hill was a 43 second effort.

Just before the hill on the 3rd lap George flew past me and was making good progress.  The only silver lining I can take is that after the hill on the 3rd lap no one else passed me.

I finished 18th.  A far cry from the 3rd of last week.  It was humbling.  The fact that I started front row is the only reason for me not falling into the back half of the results.  Other than it being the 3rd weekend in a row of driving to WI and doing double races the only thing I can think of is that I got very poor sleep the night before.   Training is important, but recovery is more important.  Especially at my (our) age.

Thanks for following along.

Here is the video from the race:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeWGA3-Rhv8&t=1452s

Glenwood CX - CCC #2

 After the Saturday podium it was time to be brought back down to earth with a smack down in the second CCC race of the season.  The CCC 45+ race has all categories (1-5) and my lowly Cat 4 status pushed me back to the 4th row (races are also 40 minutes instead of 30).  I did have company as Tony F. and Joe Doyle right there with me in row 4 and Bryan C. was just behind.  

We had a really good Tower turnout for the Glenwood race.  In the 55+ there was Fran, George, Bob, Brad and Mark.  Bob's son John raced in the Cat 4's later on in the afternoon.

The Glenwood course is what I expected of the Field of Riches course > flat and grass.  This is the second year of the course.  They made a couple tweaks to it so it was longer.  It is more of a power course favoring steady sustained power.  Technique is important in any cyclocross course but this one less so.

I didn't know exactly what to expect from the legs after racing on Saturday but last year we did Jingle Cross the 2 days before and I still did pretty good so there was hope.  The temp was about 45 for my race (I race right after the 55+ group) so while it wasn't warm it was warmer than Saturday and we had tons of sun so it was all good.  I made the strategic decision to keep the arm and leg warmers on but change the gloves and hat to something lighter.  I ended up ditching the arm warmers midway through the race. [I actually forgot them on course and while driving home had to turn around and go back :(  It actually worked out, I spotted a Portillo's and treated myself to a morning chocolate cake shake.  Glycogen replenishment right?!]

Clipping in at the start wasn't near as good as Saturday but wasn't horrible.  I might have been able to make up a few spaces but it was pretty clogged and not too much lost.  I was near the inside of the first corner when all of a sudden some jack-a-loon in a UPB kit with a curly mustache flies up and smashes into the guy in front of me.

Oh, I learned GoPro 101 and will post the entire race plus a recap video (hopefully).

The last CCC race I was mentally broken when I saw 4 laps to go at the end of the third lap.  I made sure to prep myself this time to make sure my expectations were not too low.  It was a longer course than last year and I was pretty sure we would do 5 laps so I mentally prepared for that.  Turns out that was what we did so that mental box was checked.

The first lap was all about just following a long line of wheels.  There were 54 racers and I was somewhere right in the middle.  The second lap started to string things out and is where Tony and I started to dance.  He passed me in a straight and then I passed him back over a barrier.  Tony and I had done a lap together in pre-ride and we chatted about preferences.  He prefers to rest in the straights and I prefer to use my power to extend gaps (power is relative to my technical ability).  At the end of the second lap he was right behind me with one rider in front.  I said Giddy Up and he grabbed my wheel as we punched it.  We passed the rider and gapped him and then once in the grass Tony passed me for good. He was even nice enough to say thanks lol.  He dangled in front of me but slowly pulled out a gap of 30 seconds by the end.  Spoiler > Tony was the first Cat 5 to cross the line and the second 4/5.  Tony is a monster. 

I should take time here to mention that I DIDN'T FALL!!!  I know you are all waiting for the GIF so sorry to disappoint.

I got a new pressure gauge after discovering that my gauge and George's (which are the exact same) were off by about 2-3 PSI.  A big deal when you are running in the 25-28 range.  So maybe I was dialed in just right.  I ran 28 in front and 29 in back.  It was dry and I'm heavy so I needed more pressure than most.

The last three laps there were 4 of us battling for positions.  And here is a good spot to talk about mental strength.  You can only control what goes on in your head and can't assume what is happening in someone else's.  Just like on the road if you are hurting the others are probably hurting.  Two racers were in front of me at one point.  The lead guy started to put a gap into the second guy.  I should have made an extra effort to get around him to close the gap but I didn't.  The gap went out to 5-10 seconds or so and so mentally I let him go.  Eventually I passed the second guy.  

An important thing in cyclocross is that if you are in the lead of a group and you make a mistake then the other guy is slowed too.  But if it is the opposite then there is a gap.  So taking what little aero drag there is in cross is usually worth it.  Surprisingly, that is not a precursor to a story about me making a mistake.  Just good tactics.  You can also go as slow as you want in the technical bits because they can't get past you and you can rest a bit.

Getting back to the mentality of it all.  I think this is where the ABD guy started to lose it.  Me passing him and then a SpiderMonkey guy passing both of us just broke him and he started to fade.

I was not thrilled that the SpiderMonkey guy passed me.  He was dangling for a bit behind me and then at the beginning of the last lap he got by me.  What is ironic is I finally was able to pass him back later in the lap on a straight stretch that was parallel to the stretch where he passed me. And within about 30 seconds he was 3-4 seconds behind.  I think he was at his limit and that was it.

Do you remember the guy who got a gap on the 3 of us and I kinda mentally let him go?  Well near the end of the race I could see him 4 seconds in front of me.  A measly 4 seconds.  (You actually count these things while racing to mentally help you).  I'm not sure if he slowed down or the chase with the SpiderMonkey guy brought us closer but he was there.  But I had reached the depths of my mental strength.  I think if I had been willing to go all in and really go into the red I might have been able to catch him.  But that pain cave was a bit too much for me.

I settled for 23rd place.  Actually, that is a fantastic result for me. Not only is that my best result in a CCC 45+ race it is the first time I've finished in the TOP HALF of a CCC 45+ race.  This is headline news!!!  Now, I hear you saying that I shouldn't really be bragging about a 23rd place.  That is positively pedestrian.  But it is progress.  Significant at that (especially considering my crap result at Schiller Woods 2 weeks ago).  So I am happy!  It improved my points which also helps improve your start position in the grid.

I do want to reiterate something.  The comradery of the Tower team (and heck the cyclocross community in general) is amazing.  Having other guys there to race or to cheer you on is immeasurable.  You can hear them cheering you on and you can cheer them on.  They also take pretty good pictures (Thanks Brad).

The same can be said for the entire Tower club.  Let's keep it that way.

Full race video: https://youtu.be/9S-7iVVlvso