Kiss Cross #1 - Highland Park

Quite the mud fest out there today!  Terry and I drove out to Highland Park in Grand Rapids this morning.  It has been raining now for almost two days straight out here.  In Alma we're somewhere close to 5" as of now and it is still coming down.  I would imagine G.R. has been receiving about the same based on the course today.

Rick Plite of Kiss Cross put together a great course based on the conditions.  We only did eight laps in the A's, which ended up being pretty short but nobody seemed to complain.  There were two sets of double barriers and one in front of a slight hill.  Add to that two switchbacks (oddly enough the one on the uphill was very ridable while the flat one was sloppy mud about 4" deep) and you have a fun course.  

The A race started off like a gun, as to be expected.  Don Cameron and Steven Howard took it out hard and gapped everyone in their wake.  Rich Stark was up there a bit as well as one or two others that I can't remember at the moment.  I was in the chase group with 5th through 8th position for a few laps which included Simon Bailey and a Founders rider (name?).  The Priority rider in 5th place ended up blowing a gasket and dropped back pretty fast right about the same time that Simon and Founders put in an effort, which popped me off.  I ended up rolling in uncontested for seventh place around 30 seconds back of 5th/6th place (which ended in a sprint).

My body and bike were both covered with mud and it was a great day for a race.  At least it kept on raining today as if it had stopped we would have been breaking derailleur hangers left and right.  As it was my Michelin Mud tires were spitting up huge chunks onto me throughout the day.  The bike and clothing is all clean and ready for next weekend's romp over in Davisburg for  the Tailwind UCI Double cross!

Kristie is coming home from Florida tomorrow!!  I can't imagine why she would have wanted 90 degrees and sunny as opposed to this rain and clouds we've had...

T-SHIRT SALES END TONIGHT!

Sales end TONIGHT for Ithaca GP t-shirts...if you're interested in one please head over to the registration page HERE and buy one. I won't have any available for sale at the race!

Crosstube

Check out www.CrossTube.net on this rainy Saturday. Hopefully Highland Park is getting drenched!

T-minus one week

Mike and I rode out at Ithaca today.  Too bad there was a polka fest going on in the south pavilion...in a short amount of time the amphitheater of pain will be filled with the sounds of metal!

A week from today I'll be lining up with the boys from G.R. and probably a few stragglers from the east side at the Highland Park Kiss Cross race.  I'm excited to finally see how training has gone but that can have both good and bad results.  Let's hope they're good...

jb

Seven Sweetness at Star Crossed

Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Studio has teamed up with Seven Cycles to offer both steel and titanium ‘cross frames with a limited edition, glow-in-the-dark paint scheme to celebrate the Seattle’s pioneering night race and ‘cross party, Star Crossed. The frames are being offered with an impressive 2-week delivery time, which means if you act quickly, you could even be riding your new glowing steed at this year’s Star Crossed.

Zac Daab, owner of Cascade Bicycle Studio and founder of the Hup United club (featured in Issue 2), came up with the idea of creating a ‘cross bike specific to his market and region. Daab thought the Star Crossed event, being the “queen” ‘cross event of Seattle, was the ideal race to inspire these specially-painted frames.

Glow in the dark paint? Will it last? Daab says the special paint, if cared for appropriately, can keep its glowing properties for several years. But the paint and reduced prices may not be the biggest selling points; it’s the 2-week delivery time that may be the biggest draw, according to Daab. “Typically, if you order a custom ‘cross frame during the season, it’s likely you won’t see it until the following year,” he explains. “With this Limited Edition project, the customer can expect to receive their Limited Edition frame in 2 weeks.”

SOLD!!!

1 Yakima AnkleBiter Deuce top mount bike rack (msrp $100)...and 1 Yakima Lockjaw top mount bike rack(msrp $85).  Condition of both are used and probably 7/10 to 8/10.  No locks but the plugs are still in place.  Fits ROUND yakima bars.  $50 for the AnkleBiter and $40 for the Lockjaw OBO.

Cyclocross season is fast approaching it is time to get everything finally dialed in.  Chains, shifters, everything that wears on a bike wears 10x faster on a 'cx bike.  My absolute favorite is grip tape, which I seem to absolutely destroy.  

This year I'll have the luxury of a spare bike.  This is not only great for racing (mechanicals won't quite be such a downer if you have a spare bike) but also for training, by spreading the miles and wear onto two drivetrains instead of one.  In addition, I'm in the process of making the switch back to a set of tubular wheels for 'cross.  Back as a junior I had that great luxury, and I'm looking forward to them again.  This year I'll be running Challenge tires for the first time (back in the day all the only game in town was Tufo's...unless you went to Europe to pick up a pair of Dugasts).

So for these last few weeks before the season really starts it is important to keep all of your equipment maintained and dialed in, because before you know it we'll be lining up at the first KK race of the season in Grand Rapids.  Once it starts, it is a mad dash to December, with most of the weekends between now and then packed with at least one race.  Time and daylight for training will start to diminish, leaving time for bike maintenance at an all-time low.

Training for bike racing is always a bit funny to me because sometimes you don't know what you should have done until a few months after the fact.  You can always look back and think to yourself about what you would have changed during a certain training phase.  This year I'm in a whole new ball game with 60 min elite races.  My workouts have been going well but you never really know until you line up on any given weekend and slug it out for an hour.  These coming weeks before the first race therefore are left a bit up in the air as to what specifically to work on; you can only base your knowledge off of what limited you last year.  

Speaking of starting the season, the Ithaca GP is coming along nicely now.  I'm surprised that pre-registrations aren't over 20 yet (with the Enervit bonus), but it is still just under a month away.  Time for me to start finalizing staffing details for the day so I can watch the event go off (and maybe even race...).

School will be starting for kids on Tuesday.  This year Kristie has an air conditioned room!!!!  I'm very much mentally ready to get back into the swing of a regular schedule and teaching.

Can't wait to line up in a few weeks...'cross season is officially on us soon!

Nys takes 9th

Top 10 in his olympic debut, the results on Cycling News.  Top American was Adam Craig, one lap down.

From cxmagazine.com:

Sven N: ...Normally the season starts Erpe-Mere 14 sept, but I will start one week later in Neerpelt. But over the whole season I try to race I think 10 races less than last year because I see that the young riders are doing fewer races than me and I must try to be good at the end of the season also. So 30-35 races is enough for me in the winter now. For the last years we raced about 45 races in a season. That is a little bit too much. There’s no time for training anymore so you see that the condition is going a little bit down. It’s better to train a little bit and have some more rest so you can be good at the end of the season.

30-35 races??  WOW.

Fort Custer MTB TT

Yesterday I drove down to Lansing and picked up Chris Gehrs, Kristie's cousin, for his first mtb race.  On the way down I saw an antiques store burning...

When we got to the race it was already getting warm and the air was dry.  Fort Custer was pretty sandy, which made it almost as slippery as last year's mud fest.  I ended up 2nd in the Expert 19-29 but with a time of 1:05 and change there is room for improvement.  Good to know what to focus on for the next few weeks until 'cross hits.  This TT is a great feeler for 'cross racing because of the mix of slow, technical areas with pitchy climbs followed by fast, flat sections.  Seems to mimic 'cross as best as possible except for the whole getting off your bike aspect.  

The highlight of my day, getting to lead the kids race around the woods for a mile:

Next race will be Kiss Cross's highland park in September!  Before you know it we'll be in the middle of November wondering where the time went.  Until then, time to get back on the bike.

jb

Kristie's Trek XO2 is on E-bay HERE.

Tomorrow is the Fort Custer MTB TT. Looking forward to heading down with Kristie's cousin, Chris Gehrs, for his first mtb race! I'll make a post tomorrow after the race.

jb

Well my first and last crit of the year is officially over without incident.  BTR this year was run in the opposite direction as last year.  Fortunately we raced early in the morning so this year was about 20 degrees cooler than last year's event.  

The race started off as any normal cat 4 race would go.  Not too much excitement except for the relatively wild sprint for the water bottles prime.  The $50 cash prime next went a bit more smoothly though.  About 30 minutes into the 40 + 2 lap event saw one of the WMCR riders get off of the front.  I decided to bridge the gap into the wind on the back of the course.

After the bridge we worked together for about a lap and a half before we were joined by another rider.  At that point the group decided it wasn't going to be our day and they picked up the pace.  Back into the middle of the pack I went to recover for the sprint.  The last lap went as well as can be expected.  I ended up 13th after having to brake in the last turn.  It was the typical sprint, slightly sketchy but at least nobody crashed.

Today the weather was nice and cool, which only gets me more excited for 'cx!

2 official registrants for the Ithaca GP...only 18 more spots to go until the Enervit bonus expires!

jb

So today is August 6 and I have been in 'cross mode since the middle of July. I guess that isn't 100% correct because I'm in 'cx mode about 2 weeks after the season is over in December. It doesn't take me long to start thinking of the pain and suffering that will be in the coming months.

This year will be quite different as I'll be moving back up to the A's where I left off as a junior. Granted a lot has changed since then. Back when I used to race there was no separate "masters" category, rather you raced in the A's 35+ or under 35. That made for some nice sized fields and as usual it wasn't the under 35's putting the majority of the hurt on everyone.

This year the Ithaca GP is taking a similar approach on getting the "elite" field back up to where it should be, numbers wise. Also, the fastest 35+'ers can probably hang in the top 10 of the Elite race anyway, if they can stretch their effort to a full 60 minutes. It'll be interesting to see what happens! Speaking of the race, this year's event is coming off pretty well now. Sponsorship items have been showing up at my doorstep and online registration will be opened up in the next two days. John Osgood put together a shirt for us, which will only be sold as pre-orders available through the race reg website. Check the Ithaca site for pics, as they'll be posted asap.

Last night I went for a ride with the Alma Tuesday group, which was nice for no other reason than I got to ride with a group. Mike Seaman, Napper, Randy, Sally, Jeremy, and I headed out but after about half way, Mike and I were the only ones left. Considering the fact that we had both done good interval rides earlier in the day, our hammer fest wasn't at 100% but it hurt nonetheless. It felt good putting it down in a two man TT for about 25 minutes. Mike is definitely pretty fast right now. Hopefully my speed and endurance will come into form like it did last year.

I don't think I've ever been as excited for a 'cross season as this one. Despite knowing that I'm jumping into a category in which my expectations aren't to win, I'm looking forward to being back up with the fast guys of MI. I figure I have a lot of experience that most people moving up don't exactly have, so maybe that'll put me 5 minutes ahead of the learning curve for anyone else moving up. Speaking of that, it'll be interesting to see how much things have changed this season with a few 'crossers leaving and a few coming up. I understand that Joel Budacki along with Jay Moncel are gone, but who is going to make the leap up to the A's? Jer Walker is back in town and won't take long to jump back to his former form. Will Cory Stang or Patrick Russell move up? Roger Bowser has shown some form on the road earlier this year. Will Tony the Giant Killer make a move? If Justin Todd wasn't taking 3rd place he was nipping at the top 5 all year. David Morrissey showed some late season form as well as Jim Hilditch.

Not to mention the busting categories of the C class should fill a nice Killer B field this year. It is exciting to see 'cx get bigger.

This weekend I'll be hacking it out at the BTR and then over to Fort Custer on the 17th to race in my all-time favorite MTB TT. Kiss Cross came out with their schedule so it looks like my first 'cx race will be on the 14th at Highland Park in G.R.

Back on the bike...

jb

Europe Finally!

Ok so I guess it's time to update this about our trip to Europe.  I'll give you a brief picture show with the main areas we went to, as 15 days abroad takes a while to do completely!  

We started off in Rome for a night.  Here we are at the Trevi fountain, which was much larger than I ever thought.  Watch your wallets here...

Rome was all cobbled

Our ship, the Carnival Freedom, had an outdoor movie theater.  Nightly selections were tailored to the places we'd been or were going to (Gladiator, Elizabeth, etc.)

Naples was our first stop.  We went to Pompeii, which was really cool.  I remember learning about that in school and it was one of those things that I always thought would be neat to see.  If you get the chance, it is worth it!

Our next stop was to Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Originally this wasn't on my top sweet places to go, but it was on the cruise itinerary so I didn't really have a choice...man was I surprised.  This was probably one of the most amazing places I have ever been to.  There is a walled city that was absolutely blown to pieces during their civil war, which wasn't too long ago.  When they rebuilt the city required everyone to use bright orange roofing tiles, to remember the city's history.  I'd go back in a heartbeat.

After Croatia we spent two days in Venice!  Here is Kristie sitting by the Grand Canal.

Rialto Bridge...

Of course we took a ride in a gondola.  It was a great way to spend our 3rd anniversary!

After a day at sea we stopped on the island of Sicily.  We took a trip to Taromina, which is a very small town just past the place where they filmed the Godfather scenes in Italy.  It was HOT that day.

On our way over to Barcelona we sailed by the volcanic island of Stromboli (yes, I got hungry just thinking about the name).  Apparently they didn't learn much from Pompeii (see above pictures) because there is a very small town located just at the base of the ACTIVE volcano.  Hmm...

In Barcelona we walked all over the town, mainly to see this chapel by Gaudi.  Yes, apparently the term "gaudi" actually came from the guy that designed this chapel and other structures around Barcelona and Spain.  It looked like a sand castle that was dripping with water...

Apparently we don't have the pictures uploaded from Cannes or Florence, but they were both pretty cool places.  I can see why people like that whole area of Europe because it is pretty amazing.  

It was a great, long trip, but it is always nice to come home.  Kona played the entire time with Champ, one of her best friends.  When we got home she slept for 13 straight hours and definitely was exhausted beyond anything I had seen before.

I couldn't think of a better way to spend our 3rd anniversary!

Old Picture time...

Ok old picture time here folks! Here are a few from my former days...the first four pictures are all from the SAME location...WHERE and WHEN were these taken?

Your's truly running through the MULCH (hint hint) pit...carrying my IF Planet Cross! I took 6th that day behind Mr. Brent Bookwalter.

After the race I was an absolute popsicle. Who's over my left shoulder holding my pit bike? Who's over my right shoulder? For the record, my pitbike at that point was a Trek 930 26" mtb converted with stainless steel adaptors (hand made...) to run 700c wheels. I am OFFICIALLY the first ever 'cross racer on a 29er.

Who did I spot in I.F. colors?

Who was all smiles at the start?

Now for some serious old school...where and who are we? (I'll give you a hint...that's Robert in the maroon...)

Hope you enjoyed today's edition of old school cycling photos. Want more? I have a bunch.

E-bay

Check out my e-bay listings, but specifically check out this iPod touch!


Buy my stuff (please)!

jb

DVD & 'cross

When you get a chance check out www.cyclocrossvideos.com and their weekly contest to win a free dvd! I won last week's contest so check them out...

Training is back on track with one minor set back...my TCR broke so all of my hours are on my 'cx bike. Not bad to make sure I remember how that bike rides but I like my TCR. We'll see what happens but for now that means no road racing.

Yesterday I had a great ride with Matt Jankowiak in Saginaw when we were in town for my sister's birthday. It was good to see 4/5 of the family and get to ride with Matt too. We had a great time talking about old 'cross races in Michigan and how things were back when there were only A's and B's in the Tailwind series.

The 'cx bike is in great working order and I'm excited to race 'cross, but I have a long way to go before that first start. This year will be very interesting lining up with the best in Michigan for the first time since I was a junior. I'm looking forward to it but at the same time the goals for this year are very different than last year. Hopefully my fitness will come around and things will fall into place. If not, I'm only 25 and have lots more years to figure things out.

jb

Kristie's 2007 Trek XO2 is for sale. It has a 51.5 effective tt and a 50 cm seat tube (center to top). This pic has it shown with ultegra components, but her's is full SRAM Rival.

Frame - Alpha SL Aluminum

Fork - Bontrager Satellite Plus (carbon with aluminum steerer tube)

Shifters - Sram Rival (10 speed)

Derailleurs - Sram Rival

Cassette - Sram Rival 12-25

Brakes - Avid Shorty 4 Crankset - Bontrager Race Lite GXP 170, 46-38 chainrings

Wheelset - Reynolds AAlta Race Comp

Tires - Bontrager Jones CXR 700-34

Headset - American Classic

Seatpost - Bonrager Race X Lite Carbon

Seat - Bontrager Race

Handlebars - Bontrager Race Lite VR 42 ctc

Stem - Bontrager Race Lite (carbon face plate) 90 mm +7 degrees?

Pedals - not included

$1800...e-mail me!

(I'll post about Europe shortly...)

jb

Back

We're back from Europe, pics coming soon.

Easton Rocks

So my fork broke...not a big break but it was broken. Apparently it was slightly broken from about October of last year until December (state championships). I went on a dirt road ride a few weeks ago and the steerer tube started creaking more than usual, so I took it apart (for the third time) and finally noticed a hairline crack under where the headset/stem clamps on. I called Easton, and after I sent the fork in for inspection, a brand new EC90x showed up at my door! Now that is customer service...

Up to...

Wow talk about a hectic end of school year...biking went to poop after Hanson Hills, which wasn't exactly stellar in itself.

Mike Seaman and I made the trek to the hills and it was a difficult day, at best. It was good to catch up with a few mtb/crossers (those that you rarely see road racing) there. 11th in the Expert 19-29 was all I could manage but that result was higher than I felt like I would get once we started. It was funny because there were four members of team 'fast' that took it out like a bullet. Two of them finished behind me after completely blowing up once the first lap was complete. I'd be telling a lie if I said I didn't want to do better, but my goals are realistic and focus on the months of September - December.

The race has been moving right along lately. We recently picked up more sponsorship from Gin Optics as well as got Cyclocross Magazine on board. I'm patiently waiting to hear back from a few others, but one HUGE help was landing Enervit...stay tuned for what their sponsorship is!!

Bike racing is funny to me...I go in shifts to liking road racing or mountain bike racing better (currently road racing is losing big time) but cyclocross has been on top by far since I went to my first race with Dennis (1998 State Championships at Pontiac Lake). I raced on my Trek 930 with a water bottle cage. I distinctly remember that hill right after the start...Some things just never leave your head.

My Easton EC90x fork is currently back at Easton to inspect a crack, so despite the fact that my 'cx bike is not running well I'm in 100% 'cross mode. Part of me wishes I could get this ramped up for early season road races, but part of me doesn't. I don't think I have enough mental energy to stay sane.

Good talk, see ya out there.

jb

Expensive 'CX News

If you didn't have any better way to spend $149...here's a new one:

Shimano Dura Ace 46T Chainrings

June 2, 2008

"You’ve seen them on the bikes of Sven Nys, Erwin Vervecken and Bart Wellens to name a few and you’ve asked “where can I get my hands on those babies”. Wait no longer. Now available, exclusively at Cyclocrossworld.com, are the Shimano Dura Ace FC-7800 46T 130 BCD Chainrings. These factory chainrings were produced in extremely low quantities for the top Shimano sponsored cross riders. The chainrings are super rare and are in very limited supply. This is one of the best shifting and stiffest cross rings on the market and a perfect compliment to your Dura Ace, Ultegra or 105 10-speed crankset. They will also work on many other brands of cranks for that matter, but they look really sweet on the matching Dura Ace stuff. Why settle for anything less?"

Hmm...any bikes in MI going to have these? (Not mine!)

Milk Jug Racing - Cannonsburg

Again if you didn't make it to this race, you missed a fun time. Instead of an individual tt we started as a group, making the push to the first singletrack quite a challenge (my first mass start mtb event since the Iceman...which was 6 years after my last one...).

Let's just say that Cannonsburg has changed radically since I last raced there in 2000. I wouldn't doubt that only about a half mile of course is re-used in the new design. Unfortunately for me, the new course is incredibly twisty through trees, so I did my part in trying to hit a few.

I ended up 6th in the A-race...not bad considering who all was in the field. Nate Versilus crushed everyone on a singlespeed. Mike Seaman and Rick Plite remained slightly out of reach for me over the 16 mile race. Too bad that was the last race of the series. For a combined total entry fee of $30 ($15 per race), I walked away with $20 to the Daily Grill, a huge bottle of Hammer Gel, two pair of sweet DeFeet socks, and a bag full of Clif bars and Hammer gel.

Needless to say it was a fun race; I'm looking forward to racing at Hanson Hills on Sunday!

Man I can't wait for cyclocross...

jb

Milk Jug Racing

Wow, talk about my kind of race. Laid back, $15, TONS of prizes, and a fun atmosphere. Too bad I missed the first one.

Tonight Big Rich and I drove out to Ionia to race in the Wednesday night milk jug race. We met Napper, Seaman, and pretty much the rest of the Alma biking crew for a fun but slippy mtb time trial. On our pre-ride, which unfortunately was only 3 miles of the 8 mile loop, the rocks were quite slippery and threatened to put your face in the dirt at any moment. Since this was my first ever ride of the course there were surprises around every corner. I started fourth behind Seaman and little Chris. In the end I took 3rd in the A-group, losing to little Chris by only 7 seconds.

Sorry about the no-blogging lately...too busy riding I guess.

See you at Kensington and Frankenmuth.

jb

Dangerous Dave and Brutal Bob...

http://www.premierecycling.net/game.html

My best is 653.3 m

Have fun waiting until warmer weather and RACING!

Kristie's birthday

Today is Kristie's birthday! Too bad I have to teach and she has conferences...what a great way to celebrate...at least Kona has a free day today.

(Happy birthday)

jb

Finally...outside

Here are a few pics of my first race back in 2006 after a FIVE year layoff from the sport...too bad about that bike. It was an absolute rocket even though it only had Daytona components...

Even so, it is still hanging in my basement reminding me of its original owner and what he taught me about riding/racing/life. Lots has changed since I was a junior in the Michigan circuit. One thing that hasn't is the Spring Training Series...

So I'm a bit of an indoor training type of guy if given the option of training outside in sub-32 degree weather versus a nice, controlled environment. This isn't because I don't like being outside (believe me, I would MUCH rather ride outside...) but it is because my toes happen to freeze very easily when the weather and wind turn up.

This year I did manage to buy some P.I. typhoon booties which have worked very well, but not well enough for me to go spend hours on the roads in them. Just well enough to take the bite out of an hour or hour and a half of trainer break time. Sometimes that is just enough to break up the monotony of it all.

Anyway, last week's weather couldn't have come at a better time in my spring training since it was a large volume week for me. I managed to get long rides outside for 4 days despite teaching at Delta. Friday's ride was the best...almost 3 hours after a looooooong school day.

I love the feeling of anticipation to find out who has been putting in the time for the April/May/June races now. Then again I love that feeling before the first 'cx race even better, but at that time you have a pretty good idea based on road and mtb form.

We have a new addition to the bike family; I'll make a post shortly with pics when it comes in! Good thing I have a bike room...

jb

p.s. Kristie's birthday is on Thursday so I can't say what Kona got her for that, but it is SWEET!

Ithaca GP

Check it out...new sponsors!

www.IthacaGP.blogspot.com

Grand Tours as viewed from a mtb'er

On my way back from getting blasted around Hanson Hills on Saturday with Randy and Sally Vernon we started discussing the grand tours. Randy, a mountain biker, mentioned that watching the Tour de France has become just like watching professional wrestling.

Think about the last 9 tours. Lance x 7, followed by the first real open tour in 7 years (Phloyd is either innocent or an absolulte idiot), followed by another Johan B. team taking control. A bit repetitive indeed. Don't get me wrong, I still (personally) enjoy watching all of the tours, but 60 minutes through a Belgian park is quite a bit more entertaining.

TdF meets WWF Smackdown! Interesting point from a mtb'er...

Training and E-bay...

First, here is a shameless plug for a new e-bay auction I'm listing. Buy it and I'll give you a high five and a hammer gel next time I see you.



Second, now that I am back to normal health I have been resuming training with my new training partner. Unfortunately when the weather gets nice she'll have to stay home, as I think she would be a bit of a drag after more than 5 miles of running behind me...

Despite what the picture would lead you to believe, I've actually lost weight since 'cx...I look like a tubbo here. Probably should lay off ice cream sometime soon anyway...

Enjoy the snow while we have it!

jb

Normalized

After my last post and my quick but hefty bout with the flu, I managed to come down with pneumonia for (what seems like) the 10th time in my short life of 25 years. I can almost count on the fact that I'll get it every other year. I love looking forward to that...

Anyway, after a crazy number of snow days I managed to get healthy but obviously my training was sidlined for a while. Good thing I don't give a rats rear about any races before the 'cx season. Don't get me wrong, road racing is entertaining but 'cx is what's fun. As long as racing is still fun I don't foresee taking another 5 year break. From what I remember about why I stopped racing as an 18 year-old, one of the primary reasons was because I raced almost all of the spring training series races through the end of the 'cx season with 2 peaks. Wow. Talk about burned out...

Granted I'm a different person now from when I was 18. My mind can probably handle that and still want to get on the bike come the following February-ish. But why? Let's face it, unless you're one of the 2 people I know that are either currently a pro or an aspiring pro, you and I aren't going pro any time soon. Therefore, why not focus your season entirely on the part that you care about (and are possibly good at)?

Enough of my rant for today. Hope you have a good weekend and are on the bike or skis with all of this snow!

jb

p.s. be sure to check out the Ithaca GP, as we got a new sponsor!

The Kone

So despite all the time off I still managed to get whatever bug everyone else has. So much for 2 good weeks of training.

Instead I figured it would be a good idea to get the 6+ inches of snow off of our driveway. Too bad it is going to be in the middle 30's on Tuesday so we'll (again) lose all of this snow.

After recently watching the cyclocross movie, Transition, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd...next time you're watching it take a look around 22-ish minutes (Deleware and Phili races) for TGM'er JEFF WEINERT! In Deleware he scored a front spot on the start line and pokes his head in and out of that coverage. In Phili he has a 2nd row start and gets a nice close up while riding with Trebon (or Wicks...somebody in orange).

jb

Long time

Sorry it has been so long...lots has happened since December 3rd and my last post. Here's the quick catch up:

1) Kristie's JV basketball team rocks
2) After a month off of the bike I'm back on again
3) Today we had a snow day
4) I've been working a ton on the ithaca cx race
5) I teach at Delta now in addition to my normal teaching schedule...

Lastly, with the Ithaca event, I've been working a ton on getting things set in order to put on an even better event this year. When you get a chance, check out the website, http://www.IthacaGP.blogspot.com for up to date information. We're currently seeking some sponsorship help, so if you're interested or know anyone who is interested, call or e-mail.

That is going to do it for now...off to teach again!

jb

Waterford

So to start the fun Kristie and I drove down with Kona. It didn't take as long as I expected, which was a nice change. I had tons of time on my hands to check out the sweet heated GIANT tent that Matt Baroli has been setting up at all the cx races. Kerosene heater and all...it was a great place to sit on the trainer and not get cold.

On my first warm-up lap on the course I was amazed at how much I actually liked the course. Now granted it is Waterford and there's only so much you can do, but I really thought Joe and the crew did a great job with what they had to work with. You'll always have the ridiculously bumpy infield and that horrible section after the long downhill by the guard rail, but considering all the elements at play I was pretty happy with how it all turned out.

At the starting line we got a call up based on the series points, which was great because I got to pick my spot right in the middle. Granted at this time there wasn't only one nice smooth path down the finish straight; rather there were 200 lines all crossing each other. I knew there were a few things I would need to do in order to be in contention after the first lap. The start is obviously crucial in any race. For this course, I wanted to be first on the first lap in four spots. The first left turn on grass, the first barrier set, the first tricky off-camber turn down the gully, and the first into the second set of barriers.

I took it out as hard as I could to make sure I wouldn't get into trouble with my first three goals, which in this case came fast and furious. After I had a good gap on the first run-up I put the hammer down in the only places I could, which were the straight sections of the course. Nobody was gaining huge time in the corners, but you could definitly lose huge time if you made a mistake. So I concentrated on working my rear off through all the power sections while recovering and taking it easy through the turns.

After the first lap I knew that if I let anybody catch me I was going to hear about it from Jeff. See, previously at the first Vet's park of this year, Cory and I took it out HARD on the first lap. I had a very small gap of around 5 seconds on him going into the finish line on the first lap and I figured I wasn't going to be able to hold onto that. I eased just a bit and let Cory catch on, only to be dragged around for the remainder of that race. I took 2nd to Cory that day and got a (good) earful from Jeff about that...so I wasn't going to let it happen again without a fight.

After I had my gap I just tried to control things as much as is possible in a 'cross race. This year there seem to be a lot of guys close together in the B-field. For one, Cory, who showed he has the power of somebody much older than him. Tony dropped me like a lead weight at Munson and can run through sand with motor legs. Patrick and Justin aren't easily out of sight and Roger has been known to throw it down as well. David also came on strong at Munson. With so many people to watch I just decided to take it into my own hands and make as many people chase as I could.

Man on my last lap all I could think about was not crashing and not breaking anything on my bike. Coming across the finish line I probably had the dumbest smile on my face but I didn't really care. Seeing Gordon at every finish line this year and the support he's thrown out has been great. It was a great feeling giving him a high five and then seeing Kristie, Shannon, and my inlaws (Mike and Karen). Mike even brough Tink (toy poodle) who was wrapped up in his coat to keep warm. Not what you expect to see at a cross race! (apparently Kona got a bit tired from the cold and had to go sleep in the grand prix...)

Next year will bring a whole new level of pain while racing for 60 minutes. As Jeff said, it's only a matter of time until the "new guard" starts to overtake the "old guard." Joel, Eric, Matt, and Andy all slugged it out this year with the big dogs. I guess I'll have to live up to the big boy knickers and step it up one more notch. I've never been more excited to step to the next level.

For now I'll be skate skiiing with Kristie and watching her coach the JV Alma girls bb team. I'm looking forward to a bit of time away from training. I hear ice cream and oreos calling in the distance.

Next year isn't far off and we're already planning for a BIGGER and BETTER Ithaca GP of 'cross for 2008! Stay tuned for updates...

Also I found all my old pics from when I used to race. I'll be occasionally posting up a few that I got scanned into my computer.

Thanks to Kristie, Matt Baroli (and Lisa), Jeff, Tom K, Matt Janko, and the team for a great season. Also thanks to all that came out to support our 'cx race. Good luck to all those heading out to Kansas. I believe the last time nat's was there they had a freak snow storm and sub-freezing weather. Again?

jb

State Championship Predictions

If I were a betting man I'd bet that one of these four racers will be the Michigan State Cyclocross Champion! (Don't worry, the link is G-rated...but quite, quite stuipd...)

Just doing my part to make the internet more fun...

jb

Munson cyclocross

(photo courtesy of Jeff Zimmerman)

So why not? Well I'm sure there were a few objections to the Big Boy knickers today. I guess I don't really care about those nay sayers. They were warm, matched the kit pretty well, and were obviously attention-getting.



Anyway, back to racing. From the gun Cory jumped off the front. I figured we would be able to bring him back and after a lap we were all back together. Tony tried a brief jump heading south on the gravel and got a small gap. By this time Cory had a mechanical issue and it was down to a small group. (Please excuse any mis-writing here...it was cold and my memory seems to have a few gaps here and there) At one point with about 4 to go Tony jumped again on the gravel and was able to maintain a small gap over me for the remainder of that lap. For the next 2 laps that gap continued to grow and I was getting caught by David Morrissey.



David and I rode together for about a lap and a half. I figured I wasn't going to bring Tony in by myself and that wind was relentless today. I welcomed the draft. With the bell lap Tony was gone and I wasn't about to let David have third in a sprint. I attacked him in the sand (he ran, I rode) and maintained a small gap to the finish.



I have to be happy with 2nd today since I am still feeling the effects of the Iceman-crampeth race last Saturday. With two great weeks coming up here before the state championships I'll be able to recover and focus on what needs to happen to take down the state championship. Hopefully between Jeff and Joe we'll have a course BETTER THAN LAST YEAR with more laps and less back and forth on bumpy stupid grass.



The Big Boy is out.

Iceman

This year marked my 4th Iceman attempt, but the last time I raced was in 2000. Lots has changed from what I remember. Maybe part of it was racing in the 19-24 category. I guess most of it was because of the expert-nature of the 19-24 category. That was the fastest and most sketchy start of any race I've ever been in. I figured things would sort out (and slow down...) after the first 2-3 miles. Not quite. This reminded me of the worst cat 4 race I've ever been in. The speed wasn't bad, it was the sand that was killer. And the frosty leaves. And the fact that there were 20 guys plus myself that wanted to be in first going into the singletrack. Combine 2-wheel slides, frosty leaves, sand, a crazy fast start and you have yourself one FUN race!

I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. To start out the morning I managed to screw up my normal pre-Iceman food of pancakes. I figured the next best thing would be oatmeal. I messed that up too. How can you mess that up? Trust me you can. I managed to leave on time but with an uneasy feeling of things not quite going right for my return to the MAN of ICE race.

I loaded up the truck and headed out to Kalkaska to be greeted with the coldest Iceman I've ever raced. Come to think of it, there was even crusty snow (old) on the first single track. That marks the first time I've raced the Iceman with snow!

In the parking lot I unloaded the F3000 (sorry Giant, some old classics just don't go out of style...but their forks break). After my first spin to warm up I found that my front tire was punctured with a slow leak. A smooth change of the tube got me back into business, but with less than the perfect warmup. I managed to line up in the 2nd row a full 15 minutes prior to my 9:30 start time.

The gun went off and it was on. Full speed onto the first narrowing; we had a really nice group rolling right along. Then we hit the first singletrack section and things splintered.

The next half hour or so of racing kind of blurs together, but I remember putting in a monster pull on the dirt-paved road. Two other guys were with me and we managed to close a gap of about 10 seconds on the group of 5 in front of us. In that group were the likes of Tom and brother Torrence from Colorado (Pearl Izuimi). Dangling off the back of our new group by about 30 seconds was a U of M rider in my category. By the time we hit mile 17 I think I was in 4th or 5th place in my category.

After the hills by Williamsburg road was the first sign of difficulty. I started to get those light tingles in both of my lower quads. A quick shift took care of them...but with 10 miles to go it was a sure sign that things were going to get extremely difficult.

It really hit the fan with about 7 to go (I think...). The U of M rider caught me after the "wall" downhill and I was unable to raise the pace (due to the leg crampage getting into the painful to very painful range). Since the last 7 miles of the race have the steepest of the climbs in it I prepared for the worst and dropped it back to a comfortable pace. I figured we had done a lot of damage to those behind us, and if I maintained a moderate pace while trying to spin the cramps out I could still manage a place in the money (top 7).

Well let's just say things didn't go as planned. It all really came to a head on the LAST single track section (about a mile to go) after I had been passed by (seemingly) everyone and their brother. The cramps were bad but managable until we slowed and turned into the right-hand drop into single track. When I briefly stopped pedaling to make it around a turn both legs (quads, calves, and hamstrings) simultaneously siezed, forcing me off the bike completely. Talk about the absolute worst pain I've ever experienced on a bike...

With 1 km to go the last racer in my category to finish ahead of me would pass me. I was again on my bike at this point but with every pedal stroke I could feel the pain seeping back into my muscles. Finally over the bridge and across the finish line. Ouch.

The bottom line is that I had roughly 21 miles of the best MTB racing in my life followed by the absolute worst racing (and pain) on a bike in my life. I was very happy to be finished and greeted by Kristie, my dad, Shannon, and Patrick, but I was dissappointed by my last half hour of racing. End race time was 1:55.09. For someone who starts concentrating on 45 minute 'cx efforts in JULY that doesn't seem too terribly bad, but what is bad is that I was with the group that finished in 1:49 (for 5th place), meaning that in the last 7 miles of racing I lost 7 places and 6 minutes (ended up 12th). Not exactly what I had hoped for.

With all the negative things done with, I have to say the majority of racing was fun, which is exactly why I like racing. The cramps are something I can deal with by preparing for a 2 hour effort, but let's not joke anybody by thinking that I would ever give up a season of 'cx for one Iceman. I'll definitely SIGN UP IN THE LOTTERY to get into next year's event.

Some good news: Kona got her stitches out last week so she's all better and shopping like a little shopper. Kristie started her official coaching career (AHS JV girls basketball!!!!!), which will be an exciting experience for her!

Also, mad MAD props to Jeff Weinert who returned to the Iceman after 8 years to DOMINATE the single speed class with a win (1:42.36)!!! Maybe those naysayers commenting on tms should quiet down before they awake the little giant again...

2 races left (Munson cx and the state championships...) Then it is time to RELAX and skate ski with Kristie. That is if we get any snow...

jb

Vet's Park Weekend

Finally a cool weekend to race 'cross! The course on Saturday was a clockwise beast with a very long and decisive run up. After Roger took it out fast, Cory and I pegged it until we had a gap we could play with. With two to go I hit my pedal on the long run up and Cory put it down enough to gap me. I got it within about 30 meters at various points for the remaining lap and a half but he proved to have more power that day. 2nd is never the most desirable position but I was happy my form was where it should be.

Today's course was counterclockwise with lots of similar features from Saturday's event. Our field today was 20 strong with a new guy from Ohio (name?) and a bunch of U of M racers. From the gun we took things out quickly. Roger ended up spilling on the off camber, slippery section coming back from the tennis courts. Fortunately for me he stopped sliding in time for me to squeeze by on his right. I dropped a few gears and put it down for a bit. Tony was able to hang for a bit but eventually we (Ohio and myself) were able to gap him a bit.

Ohio and I rode around for the next 5 laps testing each other at various points. He was pretty strong on the flats but I was faster in the technical (running or barriers) sections. With two to go we were neck and neck through the trees on the corner of Dexter and Maple. He lead us down the hill towards the softball fields when I noticed him having chain difficulties. I figured it would be as good a time as any to put the hurt on, so I went as hard as I could and was able to hold the gap until the finish.

That officially marks the first time in my life I've crossed the line first in a 'cross race. It was a great feeling but with two races left (plus the Iceman) I am more focused now than ever.

Next up is the Iceman!

For those about to 'cross...


jb

Vet's Park day 1 update

Quick update here...

Today was a great day to race 'cross! Shannon came out to watch us run around Vet's park for 45 minutes. The race started FAST with Roger Bowswer going to the front quickly. Right before the long run up I came to the front to set the pace. The only follower was Cory Stang, who eventually proved faster up the run than me. We had 2 minutes on 3rd place today, which is a great indication that I'm ready to race tomorrow and at the Iceman a week from today.

Another post will follow sometime after tomorrow...

See ya,
jb

October 13-14

So this weekend Matt Baroli, Jeff Weinert, and I headed down to the UCI races in Ohio. I drove down to Matt's house on Friday night so we could get an early start on Saturday morning. The ride to the Java Johnnie's UCI race Saturday went faster than I thought. Saturday would prove to be the first time I've had to wear my LS skinsuit because of the temperature. The course was twisty beyond belief, which didn't exactly suit my riding style the most.

I got a great start (3rd into the first turn) but quickly the two juniors from Papa John's put the hammer down and I slid back to the chase group. There were only one set of barriers to navigate, and they were on an uphill section meaning there would be no braking while racing into the barriers. Down and up another hill brought you into the sand volley-ball pit with a 90 degree turn in it for fun.

When I was with a group I managed to do ok through that section (not great...just ok) but I would find out watching other races that there were much more efficient ways to get through all that sand. Check one up for the "learned something" box.

At the end of the day I finished 7th out of 30 or so, which was respectable. I was hoping for a top 5 but I just didn't have it on that course with those competitors.

Sunday brought about a HUGELY different course than Saturday's course. Harbin Park is 1) Gigantic and 2) Hilly and fast. This course had a very difficult off-camber turn within 300 m of the starting line, so I pretty much knew the top 5 would be a necessity on the first lap. I applied some good advice from Saturday's event to Sunday's start, and sure enough I got the whole shot. 1st into that corner definitely helped, but I would soon fall victim to the two Papa John's juniors again.

This course was crazy fast, and even though it had some nice power sections, there were enough technical fast turns to make it not my favorite (but better than Saturday's!). At the end of the day I ended up with a group of 3 others racing for 8th place. I lost that battle in the sand on the last lap (again...sand gets me) and took 11th. 11th doesn't sound so good, but when you line up with almost 60 guys it isn't so bad.

Important thing #1 from this weekend was that I had an absolutely great time. Important thing #2 from this weekend was that I learned more from this weekend than I have all 'cross season. Knowledge is everything when it comes to 'cross. I guess fitness is important too. And bike-handling skills. Ok knowledge must be up there pretty high anyway.

See ya.

jb

Sandy Creek

Special thanks to Thomas K for capturing this great pic of the winning break!

Man. Sunday felt like I was in a sauna for 45 minutes of sweating. Aside from the heat, it was an amazing day of racing!

When I left Alma it was already warm. It's october, so why fix the air in the car? Days like this, I guess. Warming up for the race was difficult at best. With that kind of heat this late in the year my body does wierd things. I never really know how I'm going to react until about 2 minutes into an effort. Then it's either good or bad, and there's no tricking myself into thinking bad can be made into good.

Luckily for me, two minutes into my first effort I was feeling great. Great is not the right word, because I was riding 'cross in 85 degree weather, which is never really great in my mind. I'll take 50 and rainy anyday for a 'cx race. Anyway, we lined up for the start with the usual suspects minus Roger (Two Wheel) ready to take it to each other. I got a great start behind Scott from New England (in town for a wedding). He went pretty hard but I was very concerned about going at it too fast and blowing up with the heat. I let Scott chill out front for about a half a lap before we gradually caught him going into the first sand 180 degree turn.

Our lead group was relatively large after the first lap (8 strong?). Rolling through the finish line we turned out a pretty good lap. It wasn't long before our group dwindled to 3/4 with a Tree Fort racer dangling on and off the back with Cory Stang, Scott (from Mass), and myself working pretty well together. At the pavement on the bell lap I put one hard dig in and popped Cory and Tree Fort off the group, but Soctt was able to hang. I was pretty maxed at that point and was hanging on with everything I had.

I knew going into the beach run that I needed to be in front to have any chance of gapping him after the run, but I just didn't have the power to get by on the sections that were clear. Scott gave about 5 hard pedals as he jumped on the bike and had a 5 m gap pretty quickly. That's all it took to pop me off, so I rolled in for 2nd place.

Considering how fast our times were compared with other races (we beat both masters classes...which doesn't happen every day) I am pretty happy with 2nd place. It's better than 4th at Bloomer and I'm getting faster.

Next up is the two Ohio UCI races. Matt, Jeff, and I are headed down. I hear other MI'ers are going to show...Foshag, Wiz, Card, Steele, etc. Hopefully we'll be able to light it up.

See ya.