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