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April 30, 2007
My First Race!
So I finally got my first race under my belt. I was nervous going into it not really knowing what my fitness level would be and that my weight is no where near it needs to be. I also had my new R3 and I am still getting used to the Campy set-up. Finally, I am also racing with a new team, Loon State and really do not know any of the guys yet.
So I showed up at the Kenwood Memorial race looking for Neil as he is the only guy I really know on Loon State. We were to race the Masters 4/5 race which was 42 miles long. Two loops over a rolling course with strong winds and a steep mile long hile that drags right up to the finish.
I was racing with Andy, Bob, Brian L, Brian E, John, Tim, and Neil. I over heard Bob telling Neil that on the steep hill up to the finish that you need to keep on someone's wheel as the pack will accelerate hard trying to force a break. I tucked that knowledge into the back of my head and got ready to race.
The first lap started out pretty easy. We had a neutral car take us out on the course for the first 3 miles or so and then things got a bit settled down. The pace was not too high and I was able to spin in the small ring and keep my line. The wind was pretty light as we headed out on the course.
Once we got the second 90 degree right turn, we headed straight in to the wind. Well, actually it was a bit of a cross-wind. The peleton started to spread out and riders were hugging the double yellow line trying to find some shelter from the wind. I ended up accelerating several times up the right side to get behind others as I fought to stay on a wheel. It was motivating to see other LSC riders and to know there was someone there from your team.
There were several riders in the bunch that were squirrely and kept shifting their lines, hitting their brakes, etc. Eventually, one rider just to the left of me lost control and went down hard. Luckily I was able to avoid the crash and none of my LSC team mates were caught up in it. The peleton quickly got back to together and we rolled on towards the back of the course.
As we continued to fight the winds on the back side of the course, we all started to move up towards the front of the group as we geared up for the steep hill that leads to the finish line. You actually can pick up some pretty good speed coming into that corner, so if you are off the front, you may be able to carry some momentum. For me, as soon as I got around the corner I put my head down, grabbed a wheel and simply pedaled my heart out. At least a dozen times in that short mile I wanted to scream and just pull off, but I kept at it, telling myself that this pain will go away soon. After we got over the hill, the peleton kept accelerating. I did everything I could to keep on the front group, though I started to see a gap open up.
As soon as I saw a few LSC riders in the break I sat up looking for someone else to do the work. I did not want to chase my team mates down. A chase group quickly formed. A GP rider got on the front and I grabbed his wheel as he chased hard. I did not let him pull off the front and I did not pull through. I think that made him mad, but when I told him I had team mates up there, he understood. Soon another rider picked up the chase and I grabbed another wheel. We made it back to the lead group, but I was at the back of the group and was having trouble holding a wheel. I started to slip of the back and the next thing I knew I was alone. I had completely popped.
I figured I would be riding the final 17 miles on my own. Neil passed me and said something, and I think I just "I am finsihed!" Neil kept going though. Another 45 seconds or so went by and a chase group of about 8 started to pass. Brian from LSC was in the group and I found a bit of motivation to get back on the someone's wheel. The group was working well and we started to gain time on the lead pack. As we approached the second turn onto the back side of the course, we were close. As soon as we made it through the turn, I sprinted to get back on the lead pack. I saw Neil there and I was happy to be back.
Pretty much everything was hurting from may ass, to my lungs, but I just kept pedaling. I found it very tiring to try and keep my position and was working hard to find relief from the wind. As we got on the final stretch heading back towards the steep hill, I drifted to about 2/3rds of the way back from the front. A few miles later, a small gap had opened up and I was too far back to react. I started to move up and try to bridge what was left of the peleton, but was struggling with the wind. I was finally able to find a few riders, including Brian from LSC to work with. We worked pretty well together staight through to the steep section. A few of the riders did not grasp how to ride into a cross-wind and we were constantly trying to organize the riders. Me, I was simply to tired and just tried to keep my pace and position. As soon as we rounding the corner onto the hill several of the ridres blew by me and I settled into a decent pace to drag myself across the finish line. As I slogged up the hill, I passed a couple of riders and was able to find some energy to get across that finish line. I simply wanted to collapse after that.
Overall, I am happy with my race. I placed 31st out of a field of 67, so I was at least in the top half of the finishers. I was able to keep with the front group through the first lap and was even able to chase back on once after I popped. Finally, I did not crash which makes any race a great race.
My parents came out to see the race as well and that was very special. I was very excited that they got to see me considering everything that has happened this spring.
This week I plan to race Opus and Gluek Road Race this Saturday. Hopefully I can continue to find some form.
Posted by kermisch at 8:27 PM
April 27, 2007
EZ Spinning
OK, since I have gotten the R3, I have put almost a 100 miles already. Yesterday, I went out with Neil and did a 2 hour ez spin through Minneapolis. The winds were light but seemed to come out of every direction, making it hard to simply relax. Neil and I bantered back and forth about racing. He is have a good year so far with a 2nd and a 6th at Opus and had an interesting first RR experience at Durand. This weekend brings us Kenwood which will be 42 miles of racing. Neil stated that there is at least one long climb that is pretty decisive. If I can get my legs in good enough shape to survive the hill, then I will feel pretty good. I am nervous and I know I will have to be very conservative on my efforts if I want to make a good showing tomorrow.
This morning I went out for an easy ride as well. The bummer was that about 2 miles from home, I went to hit a button on the Power Tap and the whole computer reset. That was truly annoying. I lost all the data from the ride! I will post a race update tomorrow.
Posted by kermisch at 2:18 PM
April 25, 2007
Welcome R3!
The new bike is here! I welcomed a new Cervelo R3 into the family today. The R3 is equiped with Campagnolo Record components, an FSA seat and Handle Bar, Zipp 303 Wheels, a Powertap SL 2.4 wireles training wheel, and a Fizik seat. It is a dream and weighs only 13.95 lbs with the Zipp 303s on.
I went out with the R3 with Kris today for its inagural ride. It was so sweet. The bike fits like a glove. It is snappy and immediately responds to changes in power. It handles like a Porsche, corning well and responding to accelerations quickly. The ergo FSA bars are very comfortable and I love the new Look KEO pedals. What was crazy is that when I went to pick the bike up, there were no adjustments that even needed to be made.
I have to thank TK at Gear West for helping select the R3 and building it up. The attention to detail on the bike is great!
Posted by kermisch at 9:52 PM
April 23, 2007
Rain, Rain Go Away!
I got some decent riding in this past weekend. On Saturday I headed out with Kris to catch some easy miles. We rode mainly on trails, which was a nice change of pace and allowed me to avoid cars. 1/2 way through we grabbed a cup of joe and then headed back towards his studio. One thing I noticed on that ride is that I am still very nervous when I see cars approaching an intersection. I tend to have both hands on the brakes and I am intent on keeping my eyes on the driver to ensure that they look directly at me. After the ride, I actually went out to get some Frog lights for the bike that I can have blinking when I am out riding at any time.
On Sunday I went out riding hoping to catch-up with some friends, but I had the wrong starting place in mind, so I ended up riding solo. The wind was brutal, but I tried to spin through it, not pushing to high of a gear. About 1/2 through the ride and the furthest point from home, the rain poured down. The wind gusts at times literally almost blew me off my bike and the rain felt like little needles slamming into your skin. Oddly enough I loved every minute of it. I got in about 35 miles or so and over the last 1/2 hour I started to bonk and my stomach was growling for food. Between the wind, rain, cold, and weak legs I had a hard day of riding.
Posted by kermisch at 8:40 AM
April 20, 2007
Back on the bike again!
So last Sunday I headed out for my first long bike ride (40 minutes) since my accident. I took out The Chairman (my cyclo-cross ride)for the occasion. I hit the roads vs. the trails to test my nerves and faired quite well. I was definitely nervous around the intersections, but felt stable.
My fitness has pretty much disappeared, but the ride was fun none the less. My legs did not feel too bad, but my aerobic capacity was shit! I could feel the effects of the accident still in my ankles, left knee, and lower back. During the ride, the ankles felt stiff and if there was too much movement of my foot during the pedal stroke, I could feel a bit of pain. The left knee, as I put some pressure on it would ache, like a minor bruise. Finally, the back was simply stiff and did not have a lot of strength.
On Tuesday, I headed down to the Opus Crits to volunteer and hopefully do a bit of riding. Unfortunately I flatted and did not have a repair kit with me, so I was stuck just volunteering. I corner-marshalled for the Cat 5 and Cat 4 races. I got see Neil take second in his first Crit ever! That was cool, especially since he did not have any teammates to support him.
Wednesday I headed out with Gear West on their usual Wed. evening rides. For the first 1/2 I took it pretty easy, and then the 2nd 1/2 I pushed myself. I definitely felt the lack of aerobic fitness, but since I was riding The Chairman, I was mainly spinning, so I did not feel to much soreness in my leg muscles. About 4 miles from the end I flatted again! I was quiet pissed off about the flat, but was relieved in that I was getting tired pushing the pace that I was. I had a new pump (since my old one was destroyed in the accident) and proceeded to rip off the valve on the new tube. So, I borrowed a tube from Kris. The problem was that the tube was a 700x23 and I needed a 700x35. I was able to put in enough air to get me home, but just barely.
Today I went out and bought new tires (kevlar lined) to hopefully prevent future flats!
Posted by kermisch at 2:28 PM