A Four Letter Word

You don’t have to cover your kids eyes because the word I’m about to write won’t get you a fine from the FCC and it’s not featured in a George Carlin comedy routine.

BONK

It’s not all bad and the story goes like this…

Ladd put together the first Blythewood ride of the year and it was supposed to be 60-70 miles, now my brain cuts this as 65 and this detail becomes important.  We rolled out under sunny skies and warm temperatures, I was wearing shorts and arm warmers so conditions were gorgeous.  I have only done base and tempo work to this point, but I was feeling pretty good and did quite a bit of work on the front.  A bunch of the other guys were feeling fast so the pace was very lively for a January ride.

My problem started at mile 55, I was hungry and ate my last granola bar so I was good for another 10 miles.  Mile 65 came and went and I was starting to nudge up against the wall.  Somewhere around mile 68 I went and slammed into the wall and watched the group ride away.  This is a lesson I have learned and guess I needed to learn again; always take more food than you need!  If I’d had more food I would have been fine.  Some rides end up longer than planned and that is something I should have prepared for.

This was my last big ride in Columbia, thanks guys!

Winter Training

I’ve been putting in the winter miles recently, and the cold has kept me inside more than I would have preferred.  The cold seems to be on its way out, and I am done with all of the holiday festivities and winter vacations.  I had a great weekend in Chicago, but it’s back to business now that I’m home.  I am ready for the consistent training that an open calendar offers because my body thrives on being on the bike day after day.  I start the Threshold efforts tomorrow, which shifts the focus from base training to season prep.

My race season starts in less than a month and our next camp is in a week in SoCal.  When I leave camp I will settle into my new home at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center before heading to Tucson to finish out the winter and begin racing.   My early season race goals are just to gain some fitness and some points, and to race SMART.

2009 of the Year Awards

I promise you that this list is entirely my own, and I promise that you will disagree with me on some of these. I am perfectly ok with that. Really, what prompted me to write this is a love for the sport. Cycling is an absolutely beautiful sport, and I’m happy to relive some of the beautiful moments of the 2009 season.

The list in no real order…

Best Male Road Cyclist of 2009: Heinrich Haussler

The setting is early March at the Paris-Nice stage race, Cervelo has already put Thor Hushovd over the line first at one of the first semi-big early races at Het Nieuwsblad. To follow that up, Haussler wins stage 2 at Paris-Nice and people really begin to take notice of both him and his new team. Anyone who hadn’t noticed was about to get a facefull of this guy when he jumped out of the group at Milan San Remo. This is the first big race of the year and one of cycling’s “Monuments”. In what seemed like an attack from 2 lifetimes away from the line he drilled himself hoping to pull Hushovd to the line. Hushovd didn’t grab the wheel and we watched and waited while Heinrich looked back to see a hard charging Mark Cavendish. Cav would take the win ever so slightly, but Heinrich showed flashes of his future self. He would take second to win the bunch sprint at the Tour of Flanders by attacking from a long way out and wrapped up the Spring Classics with a 7th at Paris-Roubaix.
His crowning glory of 2009 came during Stage 13 of the Tour de France when he went with an early breakaway (5km into 200km) and stayed away, riding to the line solo with 4 minutes over the 2nd place finisher.
The only flaw I can see is his habit of looking behind when he attacks at the end of a race. If he hadn’t looked back I think he might have held off Cav at San Remo. I have money on Heinrich winning a major Classic next spring!

Best Stage Race of 2009: Giro d’Italia

It would have to be a Grand Tour, and it would have to be dramatic. I want the drama on the road, and not in the press, that is why I had to go with the Giro. It was a great tour, it had a beautiful route and an insane Time Trial that we could only expect from those crazy Italian race organizers. The racing was tight, but Menchov defended his jersey from every attack DiLuca could throw at him. His ability to save the Giro after falling in the final Time Trial could not be applauded more. Other memorable parts of the Giro were the return of Lance to grand tour racing and watching Chris Horner climb with a smile on his face and more speed than he’s ever shown before, at age 38!

Female Track Cyclist of the Year: Sarah Hammer

I was ever so close to selecting Paralympic Cyclist Sarah Storey after she rode a 3:34 3km Pursuit at Para-Worlds after only being a cyclist since 2005. However, Sarah Hammer has had 2 rides in the 2009-2010 season that point to her returning to the absolute pinnacle of female pursuiting. The first was a track record 3:31 to win USAC Elite Track Nationals. 3:31 isn’t anything special when compared to the elite of elite times, but at the track in LA, 3:31 is blazing. Sarah also won the Points race at Nats by taking a lap, no big deal.
Her performance that has the rest of the track world talking is the 3:27.5 she rode at the Cali, Colombia World Cup. It’s the 3rd fastest Pursuit ever, and the best performance since the 2004 Olympics. My bet is on her to win another World Championship and attempt to build a Pursuit Team for the Olympics.

Gutsiest Ride of 2009: Thor Hushovd

Stage 17 of the Tour de France, in the mountains, solo attack to take Sprint points to legitimize his green jersey after a dispute with Cavendish. It really needs no explanation. A sprinter attacked in the mountains to get his sprint points, freaking gutsy.

Female Road Racer of the Year: Kristin Armstrong

I know it’s another Cervelo rider, but she was a one woman wrecking machine. She won stage races at will and without teammates. She capped off her career by winning another World Championship Time Trial in dominant style, nearly a minute up on the next best woman.

Male Track Cyclist of the Year: Cameron Meyer

The Aussie is aggressive and likes to take laps or take Points out of breakaways, not unlike a certain Spaniard that won a pair of Gold medals in the Points Races at the Athens and Beijing Olympics. While Meyer isn’t quite as strong in his attacks as Llaneras was, he is only 21 and won the Points World Championship this year. He has a recent World Cup victory to his name and is looking prime for another shot at Worlds in March. Don’t look now, but he also a promising roadie.

Time Trialist of the Year:

I almost did not include this category because it should be obvious. Then I was reminded of the Anency Time Trial in the Tour de France, you remember that one where Contador beat Fabian Cancellara. Well, Cancellara went to the Time Trial World Championships and rode with a vengeance to crush all challengers, he was fastest through every time split and finished the race so far ahead of second place that calling it a “race” is almost unfair, he had enough time to raise his arms coming into the finish.

Pickup of the Year: Coryn Rivera to Proman
Who and what team? Rivera is 17, has won 25 Junior National Championships, has won an NRC race on Jr gears, and qualified and raced in the Scratch Race final at her first Elite Track Cycling World Cup. Proman Women’s Cycling Team is the only UCI registered women’s track team, they also have an elite women’s road team. The story goes like this: Sometime in April the Metro VW Team went down the gutter leaving a lot of riders stranded. Proman swooped in and snatched up Coryn. It’s the best pickup any team made all year.

Young Rider of the Year: Andy Schleck

First at Liege, solo. Second at the Tour. A whole slew of other wins and Podiums. Andy can ride a bike for one day and he can ride a bike for 21 days. This is a new skill not recently seen. The Radio Shack/Astana/Discovery/Postal team model was and is to prepare one rider to win in July at the Tour. The classics were never of importance, but Andy has proven he can do both. Look for him to win a tour in the near future. I’m keen to see a 4 way battle between the top 4 next year at the Tour. The only question about Andy is if he can learn to Time Trial, but if he can attack solo I think he should be able to develop his skills against the clock.

Breakout of the Year: Brad Wiggins

This guy has 3 Olympic Gold Medals and 6 World Championships, but all on the track. The modern cycling community does not care about this, does not care about the track, and has considered Wiggins a has-been. They did until he went to the Tour de France and finished 4th. I have to admit that I did not expect him to do that well in a grand tour. I thought he’d make a good Time Trialist and Classics racer if he focused on the road, but he lost 20 pounds and learned how to climb. Brad will be riding with Team Sky next year which is structured similar to the Great Britain Track program which turned him into a track monster. It will be interesting if they can do the same with him on the road.

Limits Vs. Limitations

One of the cool, and potentially dangerous, perks of frequently riding my bike for hours on end is that I have a lot of time to sort through my thoughts. My favorite time of year to do this is during the winter when my rides are longer, often done solo, and without specific tasks. There’s nothing else going on so I am free to think.
Yesterday I was thinking about my limitations. I have CP that affects how much I can do with my left hand and how I pedal with my left leg. What it does not do is set any kind of established limit for how fast I can get. My heart and my lungs function well and become more efficient the longer I ride. My heart, or desire, is strong, I’m willing to put in the work, I’m willing to suffer. I’m willing to trust those smarter than myself in the ways of training. These aspects of the cycling trade are completely untouched by my disability, and some are probably enhanced by my experience with CP.
I know my limitations but I do not know my limits. As I set and reach goals, I am constantly having to establish new goals. The funny thing about reaching goals is that the next one has to be bigger. My short term goals are now what used to be long term goals. My long term goals are getting pretty big, but my stretch goals scare me, in a good way. I figure that if I keep hitting my goals then I should let my imagination have a bit of leash. I concluded my ride while trying to figure out what my limits are, but I can’t, I just don’t know. I’m interested in find out.

Winter Training Camp

My very long 2009 season only saw a comma separating it from the 2010 season. I had 3 weeks off and I managed to get a solid 12 hours of riding in during that time. I had to have some miles in the legs before I went to Winter Camp at the Chula Vista, Ca Olympic Training Center. The first ride started with a 9+ mile Time Trial on a rolling course to serve as a fitness assessment. My legs were blocked from the flight the previous day and conditions were poor. It’s was cold and windy, so cold that I wore gloves. My interest in aerodynamics has taught me that gloves should NOT be worn in a TT, that should give you an idea of the cold factor. My time was lackluster based on historical times, but was decent given the conditions. I ended up riding the 3rd fastest time of the day and was only beaten by the tandems. My time compared to those closest in ability was respectable so I felt alright about the result.

The second day saw some good riding and was really the first day to assess how I was riding in comparison to the other bikes. I was figuring out which wheels were good wheels in different situations. The tandem duo of Clark R. (Reigning Para-Cycling World Champ in the Pursuit) and his guest pilot, Eric B. of the US U23 National Team proved to be the powerhouse bike all week and became known as “The Pro Tandem”.

After a wet and windy day off on Monday we were back on the road Tuesday for 10 minute hill repeats. This was the same climb we would be using in Friday’s Hill Climb TT so I was interested in scouting the lower slopes. My splits were pretty even, with the last effort being my best by a good margin. I was ready for Friday.

We did some extended climbing on Wednesday, which ended up being a lot of fun. The group broke up pretty quickly on the first climb and when the dust settled I was riding in the front group with The Pro Tandem and Mari Holden, former World Champ and Silver Medalist at the 2000 Olympics, who was helping coach at the camp.

I was planning to ride easy on Thursday to save the legs for the Hill Climb, but 90 minutes into the ride a few riders went down in front of me on a descent and one of their bikes slid into my path, causing me to go down. I was fortunate to have seen the crash take place and slow down so I was not going very fast when I hit the road. My shifter broke and I was banged up, so the hill climb TT was a no go. I have unfinished business with the hill and I’m looking forward to going back in April.

Other than the crash, it was a fun camp. The riding was good and the company was great. It was a fun way to kick off the 2010 season which I have very high hopes for.

Goodbye 2009, Hello Next Year

The time of the season to put 2009 in the past and 2010 in focus has arrived. I’ve enjoyed the medals from Worlds and will continue to do so, but having those medals does not mean I can slack off. In reality they mean I need to work harder, work smarter, and learn how to suffer more.

I feel that I have unfinished business in both the Kilo and the 4000M Pursuit. The snapped chain really did mess with my head and cost me considerable time, not enough to have won, but I would have been much closer with a clean race. The Pursuit was a tale of two different races. My qualifying run was not good. It was only ok, 5:07 was enough to take to the Bronze Final, but I really thought/hoped I had a sub-5 minute race in my legs which would have placed me in the Gold/Silver Final. I didn’t get the mental part of the race right and it cost me. My finals race went almost perfectly to plan. I got out, quick enough, got on schedule, and only had one lap of missed focus, but I recovered from that. I was behind for most of the race, but was even with 1000M left, and eventually won by a few seconds. An interesting note is that my final Kilo was faster than the previous 3 so I was accelerating in the final laps, and perhaps left some time on the track. Another point of interest is that I rode faster than the World Champion’s time in the Final, he rode a 5:02.9xx to my 5:02.4. That hasn’t really bothered me because I know the Pursuit is a race where maturity counts and I grew up a lot in the hours between the qualifier and final. I still have a lot of growing and learning to do, and I’m looking forward to that.

If I had double podiumed in any other year I would have that Rainbow Jersey as a definite goal for next year, but 2010 is the start of a new classification system. My category is getting integrated with a faster category so my realistic goal is to get faster and climb back onto the podium against stiffer competition. I still have a World Championship as my big goal, and would like to realize it in the coming years.

I’ve given a lot of thought to my goals for next year, and like I said, another Podium at Worlds sits very high on my list. Most of my goals are specific time or power numbers. If you’re interested in those numbers, you can ask me. I do feel that it’s high time I got my Cat3 upgrade, I have the ability to ride with the 3’s, I just need points. I’m planning to race a little more on the road than I did last year to get them. I’d like to do another TT at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and beat my old time. Road TTs will be a more prominent part of my racing internationally so I have some work to do (I also need a TT bike!) Something new and exciting for next year will be Elite Track Nationals. It fits into my schedule, and while I might not be able to beat Taylor, I should be able to ride a respectable race with the rest of the field in the Pursuit.

It’s going to be a fun year!

World Champs Debut

It is no secret that when it comes to bicycles my biggest fascination lies in the Velodrome. That being said, the Manchester Velodrome is a special place, a mecca of sorts for track cyclists. I think it is because of the large number of events hosted there and because the strength of the GB Cycling program. Being able to race there made the whole experience even more incredible.

We got on the track a few days before the racing and it was FAST! The track is the same size as our track in Los Angeles, but the turns are longer and allow you to carry more speed. It was looking like we might have some good rides throughout the team. I started having some sinus issues 2 days before the competition began so I had to take measures to makes sure it didn’t get worse. It never cleared up and I would have to race through it.

The night before my first race was a rough night. I went bed at 9PM local and I was fully on terms with the new time zone, but I could not sleep. I was a bundle of nerves, and ended up lying awake in bed for hours. I finally went to sleep and when I woke up I had to wait until 8pm to race. It was pure torture.

My first race was the Kilo Time Trial, 1 Kilometer from a standing start. I got on the bike, timed my jump out of the gate well, and promptly snapped my chain. I was lying there on the track knowing I would have to do it all again. I had about 15 minutes to regain composure before attempt number 2. Breaking my chain had messed with my head and I got off to a slow start. It was over a half second slower than my opening lap should have been, but I settled in during lap 2 and could tell that the crowd, the announcer, and my coach were getting excited. At the end of 4 laps I had produced the second fastest time and had won the silver medal! Standing on the podium was amazing, I cannot put into words how it felt.

The next day was the Individual Pursuit. 4Km and 16 laps around the track, the qualifier is all about racing the clock to get into the final. In my attempt to not go out too fast I went out too slow. It took me 4 laps to get to top speed, but I never really felt like I was on top of the gear and my race fell apart a little bit. I qualified 4th with a time of 5:07. It was an ok time, but it was slower than it should have been.

The final is all about beating your opponent to take the medal. My race in the final started just a little on the fast side, but I didn’t panic and allowed myself to ease into my schedule. I got in a rhythm and started ticking down the laps. At halfway I knew I was behind, but gaining. I made the catch with 1Km to go and just had to maintain my pace. I finished with a time of 5:02.4. It was a 5 second PR and a bronze medal. This one was special because it is what I had trained for all year and I was able to get my head in the game to ride like I was capable of.

The last day was the Team Sprint, but our tired legs couldn’t muster more than 4th. It’s also a race that we didn’t do a lot of preparation for so I can’t feel too bad about it.

I want to congratulate my teammates for some great rides! There were a ton of PR’s, American Records, and even a few World Records set in Manchester! To all that earned the World Champion stripes, I give you an extra salute! As a team we shattered our medal projections for the year and look to have a solid group for the build towards the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Manchester

My journey that started with a bus ride to Denver at 5AM Saturday, ended at 2PM when we got to the hotel, on Sunday.  It was a nearly uneventful journey, but our final descent into Manchester was quite a wild ride.  The clouds were low and the winds were high and swirling.  I must say that the English country-side is gorgeous, but back to the wind.  We landed on 1 wheel!  I raise my glass to our pilot for a job well done!  She wrestled the Airbus to the ground and a safe stop. 

Our hotel is on the small side, the rooms and beds are tiny so our bikes are being stored in large metal shipping containers outside.  The containers make a nice place to set up the trainers as they are cool but sheltered from the wind.

I am still trying to get on terms with the time difference, I am close, but not allowing myself to nap as I may hibernate back into the Mountain Time zone. 

There was a Track Cycling World Cup held over the past weekend at the Manchester Velodrome and several of the teams were staying in our hotel.  It was cool rub shoulders with the Pros.  I also saw a few of the Americans here.  I’d like to congratulate the women for getting Shelley Olds into the breakaway and into 3rd for a medal in the Scratch Race! 

Our first ride on the track will be tomorrow, I’ll be sure to bring the camera along.

My First “W”

I won a Mountain Bike Race last year and I wanted to win a road race this year.  I never made it happen, but I did manage to score a Victory on the Track.

I went to the San Diego Velodrome for my first night of Tuesday Night Racing in May.  I had nerves like no-one’s business during the warm-up, but they faded once we rolled off.  Category C was racing first that night and we were doing an 8-lap point-a -lap.  The first to cross the line each lap got 1 point and the racer with the most would win.  I sat in at first to get my bearings, and I realized the sprints were getting slower as the laps ticked by.  With 4 to go I attacked hard right after the sprint and had a straightaway gap at the line so I put my head down and stayed away ’till the end to claim the most points and the “W”.

I stayed in the C’s for 3 weeks and got a bunch of top 3’s but no more wins.  I moved up to the B’s and left California before I could get any placings against the faster fields.

Racing on the track is great because there are so many formats that you never do the same race twice in a night of racing.  It also teaches the importance of positioning with brutal honesty, which I am slowly learning.  I’m looking forward to doing more track racing next season.

My First Hour

I was looking back and realized I hadn’t wrote anything about my first successful 40km time trial.  I did one a year ago, but it was nothing to talk about with a time of 1:08.xx.

The California State TT Championships were held in late May on a rectangular course that was actually only 37-38km (I don’t remember exactly) because of the rectangle.  We arrived the night before and were up early to get to the course.  My warm-up was short because the line for registration was long and slow.  I question how hard it could be to process pre-regged people, but it must be harder than it looks.  In the end, a short warm-up for an hour TT isn’t the end of the world because I would use the first 5 minutes to get heated up.  I had borrowed a disc wheel and a deep front, so I was rolling in a much style as you can get on a road bike with clip on TT bars.

I started and settled down into a rhythm, I didn’t have a bike computer, so I was tracking progress with my stopwatch and the course markings.  The front stretch was a mostly flat 6-7 mile ribbon of asphalt in the Ca. dessert, it was also directly into a headwind.  I was caught and passed inside the first 5 minutes, but it was Thurlow Rodgers, a local legend and racing in a different class.  A check of the watch at the first turn and some quick math showed a promising result if I could keep the pace.

The backstretch had the only hill, but it was shallow and was a nice break from the aero bars.  With the wind at my back I was alternating between the 13 and 14 cogs at my customary 100+ TT cadence.  It was FAST.  When I got to the front stretch for a my trip to the finish line I knew I was going to have a good race as long as I didn’t bog down in the headwind.

I crossed the line somewhere in the 56:15 range, had the course been 40km I would have finished a few seconds under 1 hour.  I was very pleased with the way I rode, and I was thrilled to have my first “hour”.