I truly agree with my buddy and fitness guru Adnan Kadir about there being two schools of bike racer types, Fitness guys and Fun guys.

I thought I could be a fitness guy.  I decided I'd give it a try for one year.  I got started in the Spring with some great motivation and got in pretty good shape.  I'm not elite racer by any means, but as far as I go, I was riding pretty fast in the early summer.

Then I got busy.  Work, house projects, family stuff, personal issues...all things that need to be balanced with my riding. 

By late summer I was pretty off target in terms of preparation for cyclocross.  And as the season came closer, I was veering further off target.  At the first race of the year, Alpenrose, I got my butt kicked pretty good.  I knew it would happen but I was hoping I would magically be wrong and do well out there.  I decided I'd just buckle down and try to improve. 

I did improve, but it was too late.  I wanted a top 10 finish in my Masters 'A' category, and never got there.  I got close with a 14th, and was on track to place even better the next week before a flat tire dropped me to 17th.   And then the local scene was over.  The USGP cyclocross series came to town, and I did okay, but nothing to brag about.  Then came nationals.

This is what it was all about.  My slow start didn't matter because nats is at the end of the year and I could continue to improve into that race.  I tried my best, but it was clear my fitness was worse in Bend than in Barton.  The race was an awesome experience.   I loved the course and it was super fun.  But I was pack fodder.  65th out of 150.

So here we are, last day of 2010, and it's pretty clear to me as I look to 2011 that I'm a FUN guy, not a fitness guy.  I had the tools to succeed at racing, but in the end I just didn't do what was required of me.  There is no substitute for hard work, no shortcuts to success on the race course.  The better you work, the better you do.  I learned a lot this year, and maybe I'll be slightly less "fun" leading up to the 2011 season, but I'm not going to worry too much about it.  There are plenty of sources of stress in our lives, and for me, cycling is not going to become one of them. 

For 2011, I still want a top 10 finish in my Masters 'A' group in cyclocross.  Ideally, it'd come earlier in the season so I still have room to improve.  I don't know that I'll get there, but I'll give it a shot.  I think it's totally doable without letting training take over your life, but you need to be smart, disciplined and organized...not three words I'd use to describe myself ;)

2010 was cool.  I learned a lot.  I actually rode my bike and considered it a workout instead of a ride, and that was a first for me.  I learned how to push harder.  I learned weird things about myself like when I make a certain noise at LT, it's my mind trying to get me to stop when I absolutely don't need to.  Adnan was awesome teaching and encouraging me and I am really thankful for that.

Now it's time for a new year, and time to reset the 'cross countdown!  Looks like we've got 274 days before Alpenrose.  Here we go again, but different this time...just like always.  Good luck!

My race report is long overdue.  Bend was awesome this year.  Nats was awesome, too.  Here's a quick recap.

I left for Bend Thursday night after tucking in the kids.  My buddy Richard drove, and we stayed at his house in Bend, so my lodging was totally taken care of.  After nearly running out of gas, we rolled in to Bend at about 1am.  We got a good night's sleep and then prepared for the festivities the next morning.

I raced in my age group category, along with over 150 other guys.  To determine who should line up on the start line ahead of the other, the race organizers decided to run a time trial to seed us.  Pretty good idea.  The time trial was Friday, at a course separate from the actual race course.   I'm really glad they held the time trial, because all my nerves and brain farts seemed to come out there instead of the main event.  My start was ridiculous.  It took me at least a couple minutes to settle in to the TT, and that's not good when your race only lasts six minutes.  But damn, it was fun, and I was racing.  My time was not good (wasn't a surprise), so I was set to start in 76th place...right in the middle of the pack.  I could be worse!

Friday turned out to be a pretty nice day.  It was cold, but not too cold and not too rainy.  Richard and I rode from the TT to the actual race course and got in a few laps.  It was great fun.  The course was heavy, slippery, and challenging.  Even better than last year, hands down.  Longer, too...I think.

We did a final impromptu hot lap (well, I'd say "hot-ish") and then rode home, giddy from the fun we'd just had.  The course was fantastic, and we talked about the various spots we'd enjoyed or had troubles.  It was fun.  I must have been on the bike for at least a few hours that day, and I felt great.  I had a lot of  cobwebs to get out, and all that riding flushed my system and got me back to feeling like a bike racer.  Just in time.

Saturday came around.  Race day.  My race was 9:30am.  I haven't raced that early in a very long time.  I got up early to see heavy snow outside.  My plan was to ride to the race course, and then maybe sneak in a lap to test the course in the morning.  I'd gotten plenty warm the previous day by doing this, so I figured it was perfect preparation for my race.

I left the house wearing all the layers I had.  It was pretty chilly out there, much colder than the day before.  And the heavy snow turned to heavy rain, with fluffy snow flakes mixed in for effect.  It was cold.  By the time I got to the race course, I was soaking wet and quite chilled.  I didn't have a trainer to ride, and there was still an hour to go before my race. 

I really tried to get warm but nothing worked, short of going into the registration building and running hot water over my hands for five minutes.  With 20 minutes to go I got back outside and did some starts to try and get my body ready for the effort.  Thankfully, Richard drove to the race course with my other bike.  He took my B bike to the pit and even was my pit guy for the race!  Never had that before, and it was pretty cool.

As we lined up to race, Richard took all my soaking wet clothes for me.  My gloves were saturated and I considered racing without them, but their bright red color told me that was probably a bad idea.  Wet gloves are better than no gloves when it's freezing outside...right?  How would I know?  I live in Portland for crying out loud.

Anyway, gloves are on, we are lined up, focused.  I look down the course and plan to take an outside line to avoid the carnage of the first turn.  Gun goes off, and we all charge down the starting straight, now covered in a good inch of fresh slush, getting tossed up and dousing my body, ensuring every square inch of me was soaked to the bone.

The first crash was predictably on the inside line.  I got around it before it spread to the outside and kept going with a lot of shoulder bumping.  Another crash right in front of me, so I moved over left, accelerating.  Then there's a bike flying through the air and I cut back right to get around the guys on the ground.  What a mess!  But after that, it was game on.  I survived the start!

I was not happy on my first lap.  Getting cut off and screwing up my lines from nerves, I was getting frustrated.  My hands were notably frozen half way in to the first lap.  I remember thinking this was going to suck after the race and just tried to ignore it.  By lap two, I found rhythm and was starting to do okay.  The mud was thick and I was totally loving it.  I was pushing as hard as I could through a heavy rutted section along the left side when I just got tossed into a course stake.  I knocked one of them over, and stopped instantly on the second one.  Took a bit to get the bike untangled and the chain back on, but I got going.  From there on out, it was smooth sailing.

I always moved up.  It was the good kind of moving up, too, where you set your sites on a group, catch them, move to the front of the group, and then leave them behind.  I just kept doing that, and  even though I was nowhere near the front, It was fun as hell.  I couldn't shift my bike without contorting my frozen hands, but I was still having the time of my life.

We soldiered on in the cold rain.  The weather was just terrible.  Cold is one thing.  Rain is another.  Put them together and you are not going to be very comfortable.  It was difficult, which made it even more awesome for me.

The race was over in 45 minutes.  I would have rather had another 15 minutes like I normally do, but this time I was kind of glad to be done.  Things started hurting.  Bad.

I crossed the line and let my bike fall on the ground.  My hands started screaming at me.  Well, I think they had been screaming the entire race, but I was quite distracted with other things.  Now, my hands were not going to take it anymore.  They were pissed, and they sure let me know it.  The pain was crazy.  I tried to find a warm spot on my body to put them, but everything was cold.  Richard caught up to me and started saying a few things, but I really don't remember what he said, or if I even heard him in the first place.  My hands were screaming louder than the PA system. 

I did hear Richard suggest I go find a fire to warm my hands up, which I agreed was a great idea.  They had fire pits scattered around the infield, but of course none of them would light because the wood was drenched.  I somehow stumbled over to a Hammer tent and the guys there let me warm my hands with their propane heater.  I was desperate, and they helped me out.  After a good five minutes, my hands were feeling okay.  And then I started to realize the rest of my body was pretty damn cold, too.  Richard again caught up to me and bought me a big coffee.  My hands were shaking so bad, I couldn't hold on to the cup or drink.  It was weird.  Richard then got me to his car, where I got on some dry clothes, and got home for a warm shower.  He totally saved me a trip to the ER for hypothermia.  Thanks, Richard.

So Bend was pretty awesome.  I'm gonna say it was even epic, which I don't use lightly.  Any time you say to yourself "Damn, this is going to be awesome if I survive" is epic in my book.

Barton Park is my favorite race venue, and it did not disappoint this year. 

All season long, I've just wanted to improve my finish places and feel more like a bike racer out there.  I've made some improvements, and for the past month, I've been hoping to crack the top 10 at this race. 

But then I ran into a little hiccup.  I got sick.  Food poising, I reckon.  I didn't ride my bike at all since the race at Hillsboro last Sunday.  Not once!   I had no idea what was going to happen, but I figured I'd just relax, ease into it and enjoy.

Enjoy I did.  The course was really quite fast this year.  The gravel sections were slippery but totally manageable.  The paved sections were not as bad for me as in years past, too.  The run-ups were even run-able.  So after I got going, I felt pretty great out there. 

I was sitting 16th or so in the second lap.  I just kept at it and eventually hooked up with this guy "TJ" from Iowa.  We rode well together, and having him on my wheel helped me make sure to keep the pressure on.  We eventually passed a few more riders, exchanging the lead throughout several laps.  As we got towards the end of the race, I just lead the whole way around.  I was feeling great, leading a group of at least three guys when I got a front tire puncture.  The sealant I had in there plugged the hole, but not until I was down to almost zero pressure. 

I didn't realize the front tire was gone until after I passed the pit.  I went through a bumpy technical section and almost crashed a few times, so I knew the front tire was gone.  Then came a fast, curvy paved section, and riding that with a flat front was scary as hell.  But I didn't want to loose too much so I just did whatever I could to stay upright and keep at it.  I eventually made it to the pit again and Jason Pfiefer dug out my spare bike for me.  I got passed by a few more guys while that happened, and I don't know if I caught any of them.  But I finished the race feeling strong and ended up 17th.  The two guys I was riding with got 11th and 12th, so I am pretty confident I could have at least got 11th out there.  That's not top 10, so I guess it makes no difference.    Oh well.  Close, but it wasn't meant to be. 

Now I guess it's USGP up next, followed by Nationals in Bend.  I hope to keep improving.  The next fields I compete against will be deeper and faster than our local scene.  And from now on, the races will only be 45 minutes long (rather than the hour I'm used to).  Usually, the last 15 minutes of the race are my best, so I'm going to have to ride with a little more abandon to leave it all out there on the course.  It will be hard with a long break of racing in between but I will do what I can do.

Photo courtesy Dave Roth.  Thanks.

I have been sick this week.  Not sure if it was food poisoning or what, but I was hit pretty hard.

Started Tuesday evening, just before I was going to go do a roller workout.  I rode around the block on Wednesday, and immediately had to lie down for an hour.  Took me out.   Yesterday was the worst day yet and I spent a good deal of it trying to sleep.  So that means I haven't ridden since the race last weekend.  Dang.

I might try to ride lightly today if I feel up for it.   I think I'll be okay by Sunday for Barton.

I am really disappointed I got hit so hard, right before my favorite race of the year.  I'll just have to adjust my expectations and have fun with it.

Another muddy race.  It was awesome.  It didn't rain for most of the day, so I was worried we'd get stuck with one day old peanut butter mud.  But things were still plenty slippery, and it worked out okay.   I would have preferred a little more wet stuff that doesn't stick to the bike so much, but it was pretty good anyway.

I left off at PIR two weeks ago.  I think I got 18th in that race.  Since race number one, I've been improving in the results slowly but surely.    45th, 37th, 18th and now 14th.  I got a fabulous starting position today in the third row and was in the hunt for a top 10, but I was just not able to ride as hard as I wanted.   I probably would have placed a few spots back, had some of my competition not had mechanical failures, but that's racing.  I'll take it.  I had a better ride at PIR, but I started so far back I still ended up 18th.  I still haven't placed in the top 10 this year, but if I'm going to do it, there is no better time and place than this weekend at my favorite race course, Barton Park.   We'll see.

My pit bike was not running well and my SS had two flat tires, so I just left them all home and came with the A bike.  I was confident the bike would last a whole hour, for better or worse.   That was stupid.  While riding around in circles, minutes before my race, I heard a loud SNAP.  I got off the bike and found a seat rail was broken.  I just stood there, bewildered.  Broken seat.  Really?  I didn't have a spare, and I certainly didn't have any time to deal with it.  I still kind of worked, so just hoped it would last the whole race.  I tried to ride on the nose as much as possible, and I did a stutter step remount every time to make sure the landing didn't break that one remaining rail.  It worked.  Felt a little weird riding a slanted seat, but I made it to the finish. 

I usually like to get in a couple of preview laps so I know what's coming.  I only got half a lap in today, though.  There was a little ditch kind of thing that was pretty tough to ride.  I knew I could ride it, but I just couldn't figure it out during the race.  I should have tried it a few times during the pre-ride.  Oh well.  The six pack of barriers was back.  I usually enjoy those, but the bike must have weighed 40+ pounds with all that mud, and they spaced them out such that there was no rhythm to your running.  It was actually kind of tough. 

There was plenty of slippery mud, and it really challenged my technical skills.  I was able to not use my brakes as much but then I lost traction around a few sharp turns, saved by a quick foot to the ground.   Other corners I was too tentative.  It was a good experience going into what's sure to be a messy course next week. 

I'm looking forward to racing at Barton Park.  I got a 10th place last year, despite some mechanical mishaps.  If I have a clean race and a good start, who knows?  I'll see what I can do. 

Photo courtesy David Roth.

I missed the Cross Crusade's double header Halloween weekend.  So much to do around here, I could not even spare the time to drive down for a day-of race.  That's okay, I was planning it that way from the beginning.

So now we've got Washington Country Fairgrounds coming up this weekend.  That's a good one for mud.  Fairly flat with a lot of fun twisty turns if I remember right.  And the forecast says RAIN.  Sweet.

It's feels like it's been forever since I've raced, so I hope I can pick up where I left off.

When the forecast says rain,
or the doctor says pain,
I'm telling 'em just to give 'er.

-The Deaner

I'm starting to understand just how hard cyclocross is.  I've kind of known all along, but Wednesday night, I was actually able to push hard enough to comprehend it. 

Concentration is so important, and you can't loose discipline even when you're exhausted.  Every single inch of the course matters.  If you lose just 3 seconds in a certain spot, that's 30 seconds over 10 laps.  Little mistakes and hesitations could easily add up to five minutes over an hour long race.  Any time you use the brakes, it's just going to make it harder to get back up to speed.  Any time you can use your strength to gain on your competition, you need to do it without hesitation.  It's easier said than done, but I am starting to clue in.  I'm one of the guys loosing those minutes, but I didn't really get it.  It's a race, and it's not easy.  Like any sport, it's as hard as you make it. 

I think cyclocross just got harder for me, and that's progress.

photo David Hanes

The mud at PIR is the best cyclocross mud in the world.  For real.  So when it started pouring rain on Saturday, I was very happy. 

This was the first race of the year where I've arrived at the venue during a downpour.  It takes a lot more planning (and clothing) for races like that, and I was not well prepared.  It was cold.  I swear I saw little pieces of snow hitting the ground.  I put on every piece of clothing I had and got in a good preview lap. 

Next, I went to the car and changed everything.  Shoes, socks, everything.  It's a lot nicer to warm up in dry clothes.  But I didn't bring my trainer, so I just rode around in the rain.  The weather let up a bit so it was not bad at all.  Before I knew it, it was time to line up.

I started DFL.  Decided to do a couple extra warm up efforts on my way back from the car and completely missed the starting callup.  So I just asked Brad Ross what chute to go in and lined up behind everybody.  I was kind of bummed about that, but there were other things to be happy about.

Anyway, the whistle blew and we squished off into the mud.  If there is a nice thing about starting behind everyone, it's that you can only move forward.  I passed a lot of people, moving up from group to group.  The mud was awesome.  I was totally in my happy place.  The bike performed perfectly, so all I had to do was focus on moving up.

After the traffic thinned out, things were pretty smooth.  I was moving forward and gaining ground throughout the entire race.  I sure wish I'd had one more lap to catch the next big group up ahead of me.  With a little more effort, I could have been several places higher up in the finish.  I wasn't sure I could put out much more, but I think I could of.  So I'm encouraged by the result, and hope I'll keep improving with my next race at Washington Country Fairgrounds in two weeks.  It's getting better.

photo courtesy sosovelo.

I've raced at Sherwood before, and the two things I remember most where:

1. Super Bumpy
2. Super Ouchy Hill

The bumps were better this year, but still a defining characteristic of the venue.  The hill was most certainly still there.  This course was fun.  Not well suited for me but I had a really good time.

I was near the back for the start, and I lined up along the left and tried to pass as many people as I could before a run-up that would certainly be a bottle neck.  I got going pretty fast just in time for a little traffic jam.  I ran into the guy in front of me and then hit a pole that was surprisingly well planted in the ground, feet on the ground, rear tire in the air at eye level to anyone behind me.  I don't think I was last after that but any passing I did was certainly undone.

Down and around some loose, twisty turns and into a canopy of trees, we did a hard right turn into the run-up hill.  It was possible to ride it if you were alone and had the strength/gumption to do it, but not on the first lap.  Bikes tangled, bodies on the ground, what a mess.

Out of the canopy, squinting into the sun and a left hand turn that led to a fast, loose and bumpy rolling section.  Transition to a fast downhill, the same place as the bump-fest we had last year.  It was way nicer this time around, but still pretty jarring. 

Sharp left turn at the bottom of the hill into another shaded climb, this one quite ridable.   Flow into a bumpy plateau with a couple of barriers, followed by another section of rolling, bumpy terrain.

Quick dismount to get through a little creek crossing, followed by the hill.  The ouchy hill.  Just go up, and up, and up.  There was a slight flat section and even a little down hill for respite, but it still stung.  The hill led us to a sharp left turn into a pasture and the finish line, where we (or at least the race leaders) must have crossed a good 10 times.  It was tough but I really enjoyed it.

This was my first race of the season running tubeless again.  I overdid it on the pressure and went really low, a little too soft for the hard bumpy stuff.  With about four to go, I hit something hard after drifting sideways and I went over the bars.  Pine needles ground their way in between the front tire and rim, and air started hissing out. 

I cleaned out the dirt and pine needles, but the tire was flat by then.  I limped over to the neutral pit and pumped it up.  The bead snapped back but I decided I'd take a spare just in case.   I lost a few minutes there but was able to finish the race.

The big hill was still ouchy but not as bad as last year.  So maybe things are coming around a little, but still nothing great.  I really don't like riding in the hard dry stuff, but at least it makes cool dust clouds when you ride through it.

PIR next weekend.  And rain is in the forecast.  PIR has the best damn mud in the world.  Can't wait.

Photos are from Craig Ruby's Flikr Set.  Thanks for sharing.