Hillsboro Roubaix 2012

When the thunder started rolling Friday night I rolled over in bed and knew Saturday was going to be interesting.  Hillsboro Roubaix 2012 did not fail to disappoint in that category.  I drove down to Hillsboro, IL Friday after work which was about a 4-1/2 hour drive from Chicago.  Staying in a hotel is not the greatest thing in the world but I had high hopes that the weather would clear and that I could make a run at the top ten this year in the Cat 3’s.  Eating breakfast and watching the torrential rain come down I knew the weather was not clearing anytime soon.  Skilling’s forecast was for 20% chance of rain and temps in the 70s.  At the start line with no cool weather clothing the rain continued to fall and the temps hovered in the 50s.  Thank you sir!

At the start I was chilly but felt good and prepared for the race but as we rolled out of town and I got hit with the first spray from the wheels in front of me and the cold wind blasting through there is no other way to put it, I was cold.  When we hit the first hill going out of town the speed picked up I tried to see through my wet glasses and pick a good safe line but felt very unsteady on the wet roads and all but blind with the glasses on.  It was here that I got nipped with my first centerline warning.  Because the roads are not closed to traffic the race officials enforce strict rules about crossing the imaginary center line of the road.  Since the county roads have no centerlines this is somewhat arbitrary but strictly enforced.  Fearing for my life on the first hill I went way left over the line trying to stay safe but was instantly reprimanded for going over the line.

Mid Race Descent

 After the climb out of the river valley I ditched the glasses and settled into a nice pace with the group.  The rain let up a little and the peloton rode comfortably through the first lap.  The course is hilly with some flats that can be quite windy at time…  today was no exception.  Riding through the wind and rain I rode steady with no real action happening at the front.  Coming into town after lap one the peloton accelerated at the base of the climb and I was gapped and had to race to catch up.  Going through town for the start of the second and final lap I was struggling to regain contact with the pack after the acceleration through the brick sections.  I finally managed to get back into the group and settle into a rhythm again

Peloton Rolling Through Town

As the pace picked up more and more riders started taking risks to get to the front.  I saw numerous crashes and guys ditching to the right off the road so I chose the opposite and rode on the left near the center line knowing I was risking a DQ but thinking safety was more of a priority.  Near the 50 mile mark I made a big mistake and tried to move up the left side near the center line.  As soon as I started moving forward I knew it was a mistake but the peloton was so tight I couldn’t find a way get back in.  What I should have done is drop back to where the peloton was less dense and regroup… but I didn’t.  The official rode up alongside me and flagged me to the back.  I rode alongside the official and he said that since I had already been warned earlier I would be DQ’d.

At the time I was mad but in reflection it was the right thing to do.  I made a bad move and got busted for it.  Notwithstanding being embarrassed I was very disappointed to be riding well and then to have that result but I did learn a valuable lesson out of the experience.  I stayed in the pack and rode back into town but without any motivation to sprint or risk life and limb on the descents I took it easy rolling into town and finished with the pack.  There were many crashes and dangerous moves in the final couple miles and I was satisfied to avoid those and make it to the finish safe and sound.

Cat 3s on the Final Descent into Town

Final Downhill into Town
note: the tricky asphalt at the bottom of the hill lost a waterbottle and bar plug to those bumps

 In the end the race was disappointing for me but I learned a valuable lesson and got a nice 2.5 hour ride in.  Leave it to me to always look for the silver lining.  Full race data can be found HERE.  The rain was really a game changer for me because I felt some of the corners and descents became infinitely more dangerous with the wet conditions.  I wasn’t willing to put it all on the line and take the risks in those situations and my result reflected that.  I’m hoping for better results as the rest of the season progresses, and I am certainly glad to have this one behind me.

Me Post Race

Burnham Super Spring Crit. 2012

Cleaning Glasses Before the Start

“Let’s kick off racing in 2012” were my final words before the whistle blew starting the Burnham Super Spring Criterium on Saturday (3/24).  I was lined up in my first Cat 3 race and feeling a bit nervous despite a long winter of training.  I knew many of the guys on the start line but there were also a lot of new faces I didn’t recognize.  That always makes it hard when you don’t know who to mark or who to watch out for.  It was really nice to chat with some old friends at the start line that I hadn’t seen for a whole winter but when the whistle blew it was game on!

The nerves for these events are not really about performance but the utter pain that the next hour is going to be.  From the moment the race started and my heart rate went from 60 to 180 in about 10 seconds this race was on a new level.  Not only was the pace faster but the teams were more organized and all the riders were much more experienced at spotting when and where to make the right moves.  Overall this made the margin of error very small and the increased my focus and attention to the race as it unfolded.

A few attacks off the front never materialzed

 The Burnham course is very easy.  It’s basically a large oval with wide sweeping turns and no hard corners.  A bike racers dream… However, the lack of technicality creates a new tactic all by itself.  You can’t bank on making moves at critical times in this course.  You can move to the front or back at almost any time throughout the race.  As the first few laps unfolded I sat in the pack judging the other riders, the wind, and the conditions to determine what was going to make the difference in this race.  After a few minutes I concluded what I have for the past three years.  This race will come down to a pack sprint. 

As the laps ticked by the pace remained high but all the riders rode comfortably and without any incident.  I was surprised at how aggressive some of the moves were early but no one made any attempt to attack or put riders up the road.  As the lap counter signaled 3 to go I moved up into the first 15 places and began to pace myself for the sprint.  The pace increased steadily and with two laps to go I was in great position in the top 10.  However at the start of the last lap a rider in front of me suddenly braked hard and I also had to brake and swerve to avoid a crash.  The slowing was due to the riders at the front all wanting to rest and recover briefly before the final push to the end.

Cat 3 Finish (white arrow is me)

But this sudden and unexpected brake and swerve caused the riders behind to surge and come around those in the front and I was swamped instantly by 20+ riders going from top 5 to 30^th in seconds.  From then on it was a struggle to gain back the original position… the push was on to be in the top 10 on the final spring.  When we finally went around the last corner I was in no better position.  Trying to find a line to sprint through 20 riders was nearly impossible and when a dude leaned over and puked right in my line I knew it was over.  I did manage pick a line and get a decent sprint to put me just out of the top 20  finishing 21 overall.  But the margin of 1 to 20 was very narrow and probably no more than a second or two. 

Overall the race was a success and I did accomplish my goals of the race to test my fitness and get the Cat 3 monkey off my back.  I know this season is going to be great, my fitness needs to improve a little but overall I felt really good and am looking forward to the next big challenge down in Hillsboro on 4/14.

FULL RACE DATA HERE

Spring Training 2012



From last winter but you get the idea

Like a bear coming out of hibernation its time to start thinking about bike racing again.  I don’t think you ever stop thinking about racing but after almost six months of training and racing by last September I was toast and in much need of a break.  Lots of riders use this time of year to race Cyclocross and I was hopeful this would have been my first year but I just couldn’t find the motivation and ended up taking it easy through the fall.  After an enjoyable holiday vacation and honeymoon in January I was well on my way to piecing together a training plan for 2012.

A training plan is very important for racing because it’s basically the roadmap to get you from fat in January to fit in July.  Well not fat exactly… but you know what I mean.  As with anything that takes planning the first thing you have to do is establish your goals.  Ok, so what ARE my goals for 2012?  HMMMM.  Go out and win every race.  Ok, that’s a good one… but not very realistic.  Just getting on a podium in a race can make an entire season.  So let’s say:

1)       Podium at least one Cat 3 race

It would also be nice to make some progress towards a Cat 2 upgrade.  So how about:

2)      Achieve 5 Cat 2 upgrade points

That seems like a good start but with the new USA Cycling ranking system this year it would be nice to be considered one of the top racers in the state of IL.  So how about:

3)      Be Ranked in the top 20 in the State of IL.

Screenshot of my 2012 training plan

Awesome now we have 3 goals for 2012… now how do we get there?  Achieving those goals is going to take a lot of dedication, commitment and a ton of miles.  When training its better to look at hours rather than miles because miles can be deceiving.  When you’re riding into a 20+ mph headwind on a 40lb. bike what would take 40 minutes in the summer might take over an hour in January.  So we set a goal of yearly hours.  For me this year the goal will be around 400.  Now we need to break that down into hours per week. 

There’s lots of scientific strategery that goes into this part of the plan which I will skip now, but in short by planning to “peak” at different times of the year we can build up the hours weekly so as not to put too much strain on the body early on and build a solid base of miles early in the year.  Reducing the miles as the summer progresses and focusing on intensity more than quantity.

And that’s basically how I put together my yearly training plan.  As of now I’m finishing up my second block of base miles which started back in January.  What do January base miles look like in Chicago?  Well here are a couple examples…

But it hasn’t been all bad, the winter has been mild and temperatures around 30 are tolerable.  It’s about this time of year that the race dates start getting finalized for the year which gets me really excited.  This time of year can be hard because of the cold, dark, and long riding days.  And when racing couldn’t seem any farther off… but now finally a little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.  The first races are getting finalized for March and April.  More on this year’s race schedule later.

Goodbye Cat 4... Hello 3s

This week I officially got my Cat 3 road license.  It was a mixture of emotions for me because it was  really something I NEVER thought I would accomplish.  It makes me reflect on the past three years and all that has happened to get to this point.

I always tell people the best thing that can happen to a person is having their bike stolen!  I know, I know WHY, you may ask... Because it gives no better reason to get a new, BETTER bike.  Who would have thought that leaving a garage door open could change your life.  Well as it would happen when my bike was stolen I replaced it with a nice new Specialized mountain bike.  While working down in Louisville, KY on a project I began to take it out on the trails at night after work.  I rode more and more and eventually started taking it on the road doing longer and longer rides.  After a summer of riding I was falling in love with the sport and decided to get a real road bike.  When I brought that first road bike home it was like no other feeling.  I thought it was just about the coolest bike in the world. 


Early bike ride in the Daniel Boone Forest in Louisville, KY

 Ironically my first ride was on a set of rollers I had bought to train inside for the winter.  Note: my old mountain bike in the corer and hairy legs!  After a few months I thought I was in great shape and would try to enter my first race...  What an eye opening experience that would be.


One of the first times on my new road bike



It was early March and the race was on the south side of Chicago in Calumet Park on the shore of Lake Michigan.  The temperature was hovering around 50 degrees, it was misting rain and the wind was blowing 20+ mph in what seemed to be coming from every direction.  I had to ask someone to pin my race number on for me, not yet realizing to take my jersey off first.  Everything I did was a new experience.  At the start my heart was racing and I was so nervous I thought I was going to pass out.  At the gun I could not clip my shoe in and was at the back of the pack in the first 20 feet.  Within two laps I was off the back and riding into that headwind all alone in last place.  I was able to NOT get lapped for about 10 minutes but after that it was all over.  I was lapped at twice by the pack and as they flew by I thought to myself... "How could ANYONE go that fast"  Eventually I finished completly exhausted.  It was dark and I was cold and wet and tired.  My race stats were as follows.  Average 19.4 mph for 35 minutes.  Average heartrate 172 bpm.  But something in my head just said, "well you're just going to have to work harder."





Early Race in 2009 Before Joining XXX



It was much of the same for a long time.   Ride more, and try not to get dropped by the pack.  Then eventually it was try to finish WITH the pack.  My goals for this year were to finish on a podium and be ranked anywhere in the IL Cup series.  Meaning to score at least 1 point.  Achieving that first goal at Glencoe this year was an unbelievable feeling.  But how do you feel when you go so far beyond your goals.  For me winning a race was not even a goal this year because I didn't think it was even possible.  Don't get my wrong I dreamed about what it would feel like and thought about it all the time but it was never "real."   



To win not once but twice this year and upgrade to Cat 3 is hard to put into perspective.  Its a little scary to be moving into a class where the riders are so fast and the field of talent is so deep.  But in another way it makes me so proud to know that I accomplished that, and I am one of those riders now.  Its been a long year and 18 races is a lot for one season and it makes me think what more can I accomplish?

Fall riding is my favorite time of year and I'm going to spend it NOT thinking about racing but just enjoying being outside, catching up with friends, and riding for fun again.  But its also a time to reflect and think about what the goals might be for next year and just how far can you push yourself?  We'll certainlly see.

After the last race of 2011

Morton Cycling Classic 9/20

If you would have asked me at 3:00 on Saturday how I felt I would have told you “terrible.”  After my run in with the car Thursday and laying new sod in the front yard Friday night I was sore beyond belief.   At the start line my legs felt like Jello and it was 97 degrees with not a cloud in the sky.  I was sweating buckets already and my Garmin computer was broken.  Needless to say I wasn’t necessarily feeling “in tune” with things going into the race Saturday.  The course was a .8 mile rectangle with wide turns and almost no grade change defiantly not the most technical of the year.

Even at the start I seemed "off".  I had trouble clipping in and by the first corner found myself at the back of the pack chasing.  However, within a couple laps I seemed to find my rhythm and moved up easily in the group and sat in.  From the start the pace seemed slow and without my computer I didn’t know exactly how fast we were going.  A few riders tried to go off the front one by one but the attacks were lazy and half hearted and the pack was able to bring them back easily.

Sitting in early in the race

The race almost seemed boring at times during the midst of it.  There were no attacks or team tactics of any kind.  A few primes spiced things up but I was not interested in those.  It wasn't until about 10 laps to go that the pace started to pick up and riders began trying to position themselves for what was sure to be a sprint finish.  I continued to ride second wheel from this point on hopping from each leaders wheel as they rode on the front conserving my energy for the sprint finish.  As the laps continued to count down I was in perfect position to mark any moves that were made.  Sure enough with 5 to go a guy attacked from just behind me.  In perfect position to respond I jumped with him and followed his wheel off the front.

Sitting second wheel with less than 10 to go

I rode his wheel as he attacked and we formed what was probably a 15 second gap.  Suddenly as I was pulling up alongside him to discuss teaming up he faded and dropped back telling me afterword he pulled a muscle in his leg.  So there I was 15 seconds up the road with no one to work with.  Decision time… do I put the hammer down and try to go solo for the remaining 4 laps?  Or drop back into the field and wait for the field sprint.  I told myself “lets see whats behind door number 1.”

I looked back and saw the field far off the distance and put the hammer down.  I rode hard but not all out.  As I came around the finish line with 3 to go I was in my own world of pain.  I did not see the fans or hear the announcer.  I made each lap its own mini race to stay away… telling myself at every lap, “on more”  when I finally reached the bell lap the gap was starting to come down.  When I looked back I could see the peloton catching me.  I told myself to hang on for one more mile.  As I made the last three corners going into the final stretch I could see the peloton rounding the last corner just seconds behind me.  It had all come down to this final sprint. 

With 30 guys trying to chase me down I sprinted with every ounce of energy I had left.  The line never seemed to get any closer…  Finally my vision sharpened up and I could see and hear everything.  I took one final look behind me and knew that I had it.  I sat up and raised my hands up for a victory salute.  However the pack wasn’t quite done sprinting yet and the line was still a few feet away. 

The field never caught me although the finish was closer than what I had expected.  As I crossed the line in first I let out the loudest shout you’ve ever heard.  The feeling was indescribable.  My break away had succeeded!!  The field had failed to get organized enough to chase me down and I had done it.  So many thoughts flooded my mind as I shifted down and did a short recovery lap.  As I came back around the fans started clapping for me and as I pulled off the course Heather came up and gave me a hug and kiss.  It felt great.  Many people at the finish had never seen a bike race before and asked questions like, “how fast do you go?” and “doesn’t your butt hurt?”.  It was so fun to answer questions and be the total center of attention for a little while.  The Peoria Journal came up and asked me some questions for the paper and even posted a picture of me online.

It was the most satisfying ride I’d ever done.  Everything Tactics, fitness and luck all combined together to give me this moment.  There is no better way to cap of the season and upgrade to Cat 3 than this.  I’m already looking forward to next year.  But first I’m going to take a little time off.

I want to give a special thanks to Corey Lyons who took all the pictures you see above.  He is clearly a very talented photographer as anyone who has ever tried to photograph a cycling event knows.  Thanks again Corey!