2009 SC State Championship Road Race

Posted by Dan on 30. August 2009 06:40

The racing season is griding to a halt. Next weekend is my last opportunity to ride my TT bike (with its new carbon bullhorn) in competition. Celerity Cycling/Team Fitness Together and Hilton Cycling Club have joined forces to stave off the end by promoting the Bare Bones Training Series on Wednesday nights. Even GamJams has turned its mid-Atlantic eye to cross. To make matters worse, I had an epiphany somewhere in the rollers of Millersburg, PA last weekend and desperately needed to test my theories before winter came and I forgot everything while getting fat.

South Carolina came to my rescue with their state championship road race, held just south of Greensville. Not able to pass on the race, even with a 7 hour drive each way, and unable to recruit anyone to make the trip, I set out on my own Friday afternoon. This morning I set out for the race with a fairly good idea of what I was in for. Interestingly enough, the course I thought I would be riding was not only on different roads, but in a different direction. All my Google Earth fly-bys over the course and learning hills and wind directions was for naught. All the hills I thought I'd be climbing turned into descents and those areas I thought I'd simply coast down turned into climbs. Overall, the course was very mild - not at all like the roads we've been riding in Pennsylvania. There was one short 0.5 mile climb with a 6% grade that proved to be a great place to attack on the last lap, but not excellent.

At 11:00, the Cat 1/2 race started, followed shortly after by the 3s. The Cat 4s headed out about five minutes after that. I started in the last quarter of the field, but was able to quickly move up, testing my theories. Turns out when you make it a point to always be aware of your position and are constantly trying to improve it, you do better in these mass start races. Who knew?

As we approached the start/finish line at the end of lap 1, the pack swelled and broke the centerline rule (including me). The 1 km road to the line was very narrow and had no paint on it until we were nearly on top of the line. This would come back to haunt us about four miles later. As we tore into lap #2, a rider near the front went down for reasons unknown. Another rider rode right over him and went into the ditch. The pack continued, but there was quite a bit of concern for the first rider down as he was there to work for one of the larger teams. Shortly after that, the ref stopped us dead on the road and made sure we all understood that the centerline rule most certainly was in effect and that we could only have the full road on that last 1 km to the line on the last lap. If caught on the left side of the road before then, we'd be pulled. Lecture over, we rolled out.

Third lap and still no breaks. The pack kept a good pace (when we weren't stopped) and getting away proved to be difficult. We made it to the big climb and I somehow wound up on the front. I could hear the wheezing and shifting behind me, so I hit it. At the top, I had two riders on my wheel that helpfully said our gap was, "Not all that big." Well, too bad. I tried. We sat up and let the group catch up, but I'm fairly sure there were some that never did.

I was in the top 10 and had absolutely no intention of going any further back. I hopped on any wheel that went past me and stayed on the front. We made the last turn and the picked it up a little. It occurred to me that the sign on the right when we made that last turn said "1K to the Sprint". I remember taking a second to wonder if that meant 1K to the finish or 1K to 200m to go, then decided it didn't matter. I slowly wound up. With a few hundred meters to go, I sprinted, but didn't see a soul around to contest it. I was a bike length from the line when I was overtaken by one rider. Out of 65 starters and 51 finishers, I got 2nd. It looks like there just may be something to this "moving up" thing.

Bare Bones #2 on Wednesday and the Deep Blue Time Trial on Saturday.

Bare Bones Training Crit #1

Posted by Dan on 30. August 2009 05:54

Wednesday night was our team's first attempt at race promotion. The Virginia Beach Sportsplex played host to our single-field one-hour race, the first of a planned five races.

I could go into all of the details of what we went through to put this on, but I'd rather spend a little more time on it and make it useful for future promoters rather than crank out a quick "look what I did". Moving on...



The East Coast Bicycles kids' race started at 6:45 with three riders. Elijah and Arianna Shipp and Dane Craddock took the line and gave it their all in the one lap race. In the end, Dane narrowly beat out Elijah for the win. The top 3 riders received a limited edition Bare Bones Training Series tag:



Around 7:00 PM, the main event started. The pace started high and stayed that way throughout. Last year's Heat of the Summer series was similar, but I remember a lot more carnage last year. Dropped and lapped riders were sprinkled around the course making it a bit interesting. This time there didn't seem to be any carnage. While several pulled off, most hung on for the duration, even when the speed was 30+ mph.



Our light was quickly fading and our race was shortened by a few minutes. We covered 24 miles in just under 55 minutes and ended with a bunch sprint. Unfortunately, the light was too far gone to get video, so only the top seven were scored:

1. Brent Lehew (Atlantic Velo)
2. Tyler Karnes (Hincapie Development)
3. Gene Fowler (Final Kick)
4. Mike Hosang (Tripower)
5. Jeff Parker (Virginia Beach Velo)
6. Wick Smith (Celerity Cycling/Fitness Together)
7. Bill Collins (Virginia Beach Velo)

Next week we're starting at 6:15 (kids' race to go just before then). We're losing 10 minutes of light each week and most likely be moving the start to 6:00 in for races #4 and 5.

Church Creek Time Trial #2

Posted by Dan on 24. August 2009 23:19

Coming home from Millersburg, PA last weekend, Kyle mentioned something about a time trial in Maryland on 8/22. At the time, I couldn't have been less interested. About an hour later, I was looking at the extended weather forecast and trying to pull up the course profile on my phone.

The Church Creek Time Trial was the second such race against the clock to be run on that course this year. The first, aptly named the Church Creek Time Trial #1, was in June while we were doing the Amphibious Assault Crit and PLT #1. Needless to say, this was my first time to Church Creek, MD.

Tim and I left Norfolk bright and early on Saturday morning after making a stop on the other side of town to pick up Tim's aero helmet out of Wick's car. Our goal was to hit the registration table in time so I could get a nice 30 minutes on the trainer before my 11:20:30 AM start time. We got there around 10:30 and the start line was 5 miles from the parking lot. I quickly got the bike set up and changed into my super suit. Tim pinned my number on while I drank Gatorade and made a half-hearted attempt at warming up. We finished and threw the bike in the back of the Explorer and Tim drove me to the line. I had enough time to unload the bike and make a few last minute tweaks before it was time to line up. I made it to the start house with literally 40 seconds to spare before taking to the road for the 40K Men's Cat 4 ITT.

The wind was pretty calm when I started and I quickly got my pace up to roughly 28 mph while keeping my power below 300 watts. The first 15k or so went very smoothly. Then I made the first turn and the pavement, if that's what you wan to call it, turned churlish. There were brief patches of asphalt that seemed like 10 foot patches of heaven. Unfortunately, there weren't many of them. After the second turn, the road became a little better, and I use the term 'better' very loosely, but there was a wind. Not very strong, but strong enough. I'd gone past the half-way point and turned on the gas. After the half-way point, I continuously asked myself, "Can you go harder?" and if the answer is "Yes", I'd go harder and make a note to flagellate myself for not lying when the race was over. The finish finally came into view and I made that last desperate effort to shave milliseconds off my time.

Following my ITT, I coasted up the road a bit and collapsed in a parking lot near the start house. Tim met me there with more Gatorade and a banana which I cautiously consumed lest my body reject it in a spectacular technicolor display. We rested there about 20 minutes and then made our way to the start house for the Men's 35+ Team Time Trial.

When we rolled up to the start line, a group of four were lined up and ready to depart. The fact that they had twice as many people as we did was a bit intimidating. They took off and we had two minutes to line up and get ready. I started a new interval on the PowerTap and prepared for Round 2. What I didn't realize is that I inadvertently changed the display from speed to average speed. When we started, I couldn't figure out why we were only going 23 mph while putting out 350 watts. It took a while to figure it out because I wasn't spending a whole lot of time staring at my computer. Tim took the lead and I set it straight. We were going 28 mph. Excellent.

Somewhere on the first stretch, we ran into a small car accident. Apparently, a north-bound Corvette crossed the centerline and t-boned a south-bound Suburban, pinning it up against a tree just past the ditch on the right side. Then it burst into flame. There were stopped cars and spectators/victims standing around and a mess of broken glass and Corvette parts all over the road. I won't lie, what I saw out of the corner of my eye as I raced through was pretty spectacular, but not enough to stop. Tim slowed a bit, but then caught back on and we were back on our way.

We took roughly one minute pulls. Even in a high-speed, low-drag time trial configuration, drafting still rocks. We were both hurting after the third and final turn with maybe 9 miles to go. Knowing the end was near helped considerably. The pace picked up as we pushed through the pain. I think we were both sprinting in the aero position at about 31 mph when we crossed the line. And that was that. We collected our things from the little parking lot and rode the 5 miles back to the car, registration, and most importantly, results.

Results finally came out: for the ITT, I got second place with a time of 0:57:16.95 and average speed right around 26 mph. For the TTT, we won with a time of 56 minutes and some change. Our average speed was about 26.5 mph, give or take. Good enough for a medal and a C-note.

And that was our Saturday. Next race is the Bare Bones Training Series.

Boot to the Head Prime

Posted by Dan on 21. August 2009 18:33

This coming Wednesday marks the first race in the Bare Bones Training Series. Because this race has no categories, no payout and no chance for points, I thought it'd be nice to offer a prime of some sort. Because I'm a lowly Cat 4 who will spend the better part of an hour hanging on for dear life, it seems natural that I'd want to somehow level the playing field. Therefore, my plan is to offer a 'Boot to the Head' prime to the race leader every 5th lap until the race ends.

For those of you who have never heard of a 'Boot to the Head', watch this:

2009 Tour de Millersburg

Posted by Dan on 21. August 2009 17:06

It's nearly a week after the event so I guess it's time to write up a race report. Last Friday, Kyle, Wick and I made our way to Millersburg, PA, a small town about 30 miles north of Harrisburg, for the third running of the Tour de Millersburg. This two day stage race provided a terrific opportunity for Kyle to score a few points towards upgrading and gave Wick and I another opportunity to tear up the roads of someone else's state.

We made camp at an Econolodge in Wormleysville which is across the river from Harrisburg. This was particularly exciting considering we had two double beds and a cot plus 6 bikes all fighting for space. Finding room to pull a cassette, make a sandwich or have a thought proved to be difficult.

Still dark and foggy, Saturday morning brought Stage 1 - a 9.5 mile out-and-back time trial along the Susquehanna River. I had high hopes for this one given my recent success in various TTs in VA and NC. What I didn't count on was that this race drew people in from all over the northeast, including Massachusetts and New York. We had some decent competition. Wick also threw his hat in the ring in earnest by borrowing Tim's Equinox 9.5, a set of HED Stinger 9s and a slick aero helmet. Kyle wasn't interested in the TT, instead choosing to focus on the sprint finishes of the other two stages.

Long story short, I wound up in 13th place with a time of 0:21:59, which is an average speed of nearly 25 mph. This is uncharacteristically slow, even for the slightly rolling course. I blame the guy in front of me that went REALLY wide in the turn around causing me to come to a near standstill while I waited form him to pass the cone. I'm assuming it's bad form to pass someone on the inside of the turnaround in a TT. Wick's time was 9 seconds down and he got 17th place. Kyle finished, buying him a ticket to Stage 2, though he had no points in the GC yet.

We took a cool down lap, changed clothes and went to breakfast at the Wooden Nickel. After refueling, it was time to suit up for the criterium at 12:30. This was an interesting course that conjured up memories of the Waynesboro Grand Prix. There was a nice climb spanning several blocks, then a gentle descent down the other leading to a highly technical stretch ending at the start/finish line. Doing several warm-up laps, it became crystal cleat the hill was going to pose a problem, but the descent would provide a good opportunity to catch up. The trick was to not let too big of a gap open or it'd be over.



Roughly 8 laps into our 20 lap race, my left thigh cramped up so bad I couldn't put any weight on it. A volunteer midway up the climb seemed ready to call an EMT for me. I coasted up the hill, made the turn and made my way down to the start finish line, hoping the chief ref would see it in her heart to deem me out of contention and yank me out. If pulled, I could start stage 3. If I resigned, that would be the end of it all. Fortunately, she pulled me. Wick and Kyle fell off the back too. Instead of hobbling in with a look of agony on their faces, they unzipped, sat up and posed for the cameras. They too were yanked out just before the pace car got to them. No points for Team Fitness Together.

Following that miserable excuse for a race, we headed back to our spacious lodging for a nap. I guess the plan was to attend a social gathering later that evening, but the nap took longer than expected. We woke up hungry so set out for food at Outback Steakhouse.

We packed and checked out of the Econolodge the next morning and made our way back to Millersburg for a 54 mile road race beginning at 8:05 AM. This time, I made sure to super-hydrate myself. There would be no cramping today lest I chop my own legs off and beat myself to death with them. This race would be a good one. Three laps of an 18 mile circuit over rolling hills with nothing significant enough to warrant the little ring. It seemed like a good opportunity for a break to get away, but on the other hand, maybe not.



We set out a bit late. As predicted, many tried their hands at a breakaway, including Wick and Kyle. Personally, I felt it was still too early to leave the comfort of the peloton, but as they say - "Fortune favors the guy foolish enough to take off early." None of the breaks lasted very long. After the first lap, we hit the feed zone for the first time. The main field blasted down main street at 35+ mph, making the act of taking on water very interesting, especially for the volunteer high school girls who had little to no experience passing bottles. More than a few wound up soaked. It seems our group got its act together on the next pass.

The third lap had a break with more than a minute on the pack. They had a few teammates that hung back to set a false tempo, but they also had a weak rider or saboteur in their ranks and were eventually reeled in just before the final descent into town. Unbeknownst to Kyle or myself, Wick flatted about 5 miles into the last last lap. He was able to get a wheel out of the wheel truck, but didn't catch the pack. Kyle did a good job moving to the front and lingering there despite everyone's frantic need to move up. I found myself on the back with no opportunities to move up given the center line rule and sheer size of the main field. So with 5 km to go, Wick and I were done.

The pack flew down the last stretch of road leading into town, made the turn onto Union Street and got ready for the round-about coming up. Everyone knew the sprint would go from there. Kyle found himself on the inside of that turn and was pushed onto the sidewalk where he came to a near standstill. Starting his sprint from scratch, he managed to hang on for 9th place. I strolled across the line in 34th and Wick came in much later with a fat DNF, ending his GC hopes.

When the dust settled, Kyle was in 21st place in the GC and I was in 26th. Kyle would up with a single point for the weekend. While a bit disappointing, the Tour de Millersburg provided exactly what I was hoping it would: a well organized weekend of racing that consisted of more than a single crit.

Next up: The Church Creek Time Trial in Cambridge, MD is being held on Saturday. Tim and I are going up to contest the Cat 4 and Men's 35+ TTT. This is a true 40km (24.86 mile) time trial on a very flat course. The trick will be recovering enough after my Cat 4 ride to dominate the team time trial.

Next weekend is the South Carolina State Championship Road Race in Greenville, SC on Saturday. On Sunday, the pros will be doing their own championship road race which I'm sure we'll stick around for.

2009 Tour de Millersburg

Posted by Dan on 20. August 2009 06:52

I've been too busy to write a report for this year's Tour de Millersburg stage race, but sandwiched between two articles about a meth lab bust was a short blurb in the Upper Dauphin Sentinel with the following photo:



That's Wick in the process of attacking. I'm on his left looking fat, dumb and happy.

Wick at Page Valley Road Race

Posted by Dan on 11. August 2009 02:00

Big Wick Nasty leading the 4's up the second climb at the Page Valley Road Race. More pictures are here. Thanks Lydia!