Haven't touched this thing since after Clear Lake, well...because there hasn't been much to say! This upcoming weekend is the Iowa State Road Race. Will be my 2nd try at this race of 108 miles. Last year, I flatted at the beginning of the 3rd lap and had to DNF. This year, with a separate Cat 3's payout, I am even more hungry for the "V". I have trained much harder/longer this year, and hope it will pay off.
Will be a great race, hopefully a field around 50! That would be sweet. Clear Lake was a great race, and should be similar conditions. Sarge/GMac will be coming from Decorah area and Sarge will be the man to watch. He recently won the Cat 3 Overall at America's Tour of the Dairyland. Another good thing is Bethany will be coming with me. I will have to give her a comfy seat, and she can read a book and get tan while I ride my bike for 4 hours. Anyone up to it, invite her to chat and entertain her :)
I have been almost hit training almost 3 times here in the last 3 weeks. 2 of the times have been by people who I am sure have to Class C licenses, or able to drive commuter vans/dumptrucks. They have tried to cut in between myself and another car on the road. I believe State Law gives me 3 feet off the shoulder? And these people would have to know this in order to pass their tests. I just don't get it. Sorry you have to wait an extra 10 sec. to get past me.
After State RR, it is down to Kansas City with Bethany for the T of KC. It will be fun, we are going to make a weekend of it and stay at her brothers!
More after the race!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Clear Lake BBQ Weekend Races
So I was able to get my bike fixed last week by the guys at Halls. Thanks so much to Karl/Steve and the gang for all they do! Raced at the Oval on Tuesday and had some good results, opening up the legs for the weekend.
Drove over to Clear Lake on Saturday morning and met my dad at the AmericInn. He had gone over on Friday to see some of the Blues music going on downtown. We went to the "Other Place" for lunch. Had a good spaghetti dinner and then we drove out to the Buddy Holly memorial site. Then we went and relaxed for the afternoon and then headed down to Clear Lake city park for the crit. Saw some of the other fast guys in the Iowa and Wisconsin scene. Lined up for the 50 minute race. Right from the guy the pace was very fast and it never really slowed down from there. Derrek Cassady and Jerome through down some attacks. I followed and had a couple of my own. We shed most of the Cat 4's but most of Cat 3's weren't dropped. I was surprised at the speed of our race. I didn't see my heart rate under 185 for most of the race, most of the time being 190 or so. Didn't get where I needed to be for the finish and only managed 6th.
After this I lined up Cat 1,2,3 race. Again started out just as fast with B2U sending off numerous attacks and Paul having his own and chasing others. Pretty uneventful, I was behind Tim Campell when he flatted going into a corner, and got gapped. I fell off the pace and couldn;t get back on. Ended with a DNF. After the races, wen to Cancun mexican restaurant with Paul.
Sunday, got up and had a great breakfast at the hotel. 2 years ago at this race, I didn't eat much for a 40miler and bonked, so I knew 82 miles would require big intake of food. Got to the Surf Ballroom and got all ready to go for the 10AM start. We started out North of the "Lake" and the finish was on the Southern end after 3h45min of racing. A couple hard crosswind sections, headwinds and a lot of tailwind on the road home. 2 B2U, 1 All9 and 1 Rassy's got into the break, so Paul, Jeff Barnes and Adam Price set tempo for the first half of the race. They let the gap go to 2 minutes and then let off through the feed zone. This is where All9 picked up the pace as their member in the break was only a Cat 3 (Steve Robinson). We caught the break after a hard chase after about 60-65 miles. They road awesome!
Guys started to fall off the pace in the cross-tail wind and tail wind sections. Tim Campbell put in a great attack with 15 miles to go or so and looked to be staying away. We turned onto the finishing 3 mile stretch of road and the games started. Tim came back at about 500m to go. I tried to follow Lou Waugaman and the Rassy guys. Ended up coming in 5th overall and 2nd in Cat 3's. Rich Winse(Rassy), a Cat 3, actually won the race.
I loved the distance and know the long/hard weeks riding with Novian, Garrett, Sarge, Justin really helped my results here!!!
Next up I think is State Road Race and then Tour of Kansas City with Bethany!!!
Drove over to Clear Lake on Saturday morning and met my dad at the AmericInn. He had gone over on Friday to see some of the Blues music going on downtown. We went to the "Other Place" for lunch. Had a good spaghetti dinner and then we drove out to the Buddy Holly memorial site. Then we went and relaxed for the afternoon and then headed down to Clear Lake city park for the crit. Saw some of the other fast guys in the Iowa and Wisconsin scene. Lined up for the 50 minute race. Right from the guy the pace was very fast and it never really slowed down from there. Derrek Cassady and Jerome through down some attacks. I followed and had a couple of my own. We shed most of the Cat 4's but most of Cat 3's weren't dropped. I was surprised at the speed of our race. I didn't see my heart rate under 185 for most of the race, most of the time being 190 or so. Didn't get where I needed to be for the finish and only managed 6th.
After this I lined up Cat 1,2,3 race. Again started out just as fast with B2U sending off numerous attacks and Paul having his own and chasing others. Pretty uneventful, I was behind Tim Campell when he flatted going into a corner, and got gapped. I fell off the pace and couldn;t get back on. Ended with a DNF. After the races, wen to Cancun mexican restaurant with Paul.
Sunday, got up and had a great breakfast at the hotel. 2 years ago at this race, I didn't eat much for a 40miler and bonked, so I knew 82 miles would require big intake of food. Got to the Surf Ballroom and got all ready to go for the 10AM start. We started out North of the "Lake" and the finish was on the Southern end after 3h45min of racing. A couple hard crosswind sections, headwinds and a lot of tailwind on the road home. 2 B2U, 1 All9 and 1 Rassy's got into the break, so Paul, Jeff Barnes and Adam Price set tempo for the first half of the race. They let the gap go to 2 minutes and then let off through the feed zone. This is where All9 picked up the pace as their member in the break was only a Cat 3 (Steve Robinson). We caught the break after a hard chase after about 60-65 miles. They road awesome!
Guys started to fall off the pace in the cross-tail wind and tail wind sections. Tim Campbell put in a great attack with 15 miles to go or so and looked to be staying away. We turned onto the finishing 3 mile stretch of road and the games started. Tim came back at about 500m to go. I tried to follow Lou Waugaman and the Rassy guys. Ended up coming in 5th overall and 2nd in Cat 3's. Rich Winse(Rassy), a Cat 3, actually won the race.
I loved the distance and know the long/hard weeks riding with Novian, Garrett, Sarge, Justin really helped my results here!!!
Next up I think is State Road Race and then Tour of Kansas City with Bethany!!!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Season Over?
So yesterday, Bethany and I went up to the Twin Cities for our friend Kat's 21st b-day. Kat, TPow, Doug, Beth and I were there. It was fun, we went to Sayja, a Japanese restaurant where they cook right in front of you. It was really sweet, the cook was very funny and made great food. From there, we just hung out at Kat's house and watched a couple movies. This morning( Sat) we went out onto Lake Minnetonka in Kat's boat and did some water skiiing and tubing. I left at around 11:30 for Northfield, for my first race in 30 days.
Got to Northfield, got everything going and legs felt pretty good. Took a little bit to get back into the groove of things, but it was fun. All9 guys had a few racers. So towards the end of the race, I moved up and got ready for a field sprint. Nothing was going to get away in this race. Sprinted to about 12th or so? Not to bad, but didn't get as far up in the pack as I needed.
Anyway, right after the race, I was climbing the short hill on course and all ofa sudden my pedals stop and it sounds as though my chain fell off. I got off and notice my derailleur had snapped in half. It got caught in my wheel afterwards and bent my derailleur hanger. On my bike, the hanger is an integrated aluminum forge, and thus can't be fixed.
My frame is toast, and so I don't have a bike to race. I am going to talk to Hall's and here in Decorah to see if Trek has anything I can do. If not, I don't know what to do, I don't have the money being a college student to just get another frame.
I feel as though part of my life was just ripped away from me. I don't know what to do with myself now. This was my best season so far and I was getting ready for State Road Race and Tour of Kansas City. I am just at a loss for words as I drove home. I guess I can just get started with swim season and just swim the rest of the summer.
Have to miss my team's first race in CR tomorrow.
Got to Northfield, got everything going and legs felt pretty good. Took a little bit to get back into the groove of things, but it was fun. All9 guys had a few racers. So towards the end of the race, I moved up and got ready for a field sprint. Nothing was going to get away in this race. Sprinted to about 12th or so? Not to bad, but didn't get as far up in the pack as I needed.
Anyway, right after the race, I was climbing the short hill on course and all ofa sudden my pedals stop and it sounds as though my chain fell off. I got off and notice my derailleur had snapped in half. It got caught in my wheel afterwards and bent my derailleur hanger. On my bike, the hanger is an integrated aluminum forge, and thus can't be fixed.
My frame is toast, and so I don't have a bike to race. I am going to talk to Hall's and here in Decorah to see if Trek has anything I can do. If not, I don't know what to do, I don't have the money being a college student to just get another frame.
I feel as though part of my life was just ripped away from me. I don't know what to do with myself now. This was my best season so far and I was getting ready for State Road Race and Tour of Kansas City. I am just at a loss for words as I drove home. I guess I can just get started with swim season and just swim the rest of the summer.
Have to miss my team's first race in CR tomorrow.
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