Kenosha Velosport Spring Training Criterium #2, Pleasant Prairie, WI, March 18, 2012

Well, today felt like a step back.

We lucked out yet again with another unseasonably beautiful day for mid-March. Temps were in the low 70s with plenty of sunshine. Plenty of wind to go along with it, too, but I suppose that is a given.

Just like last weekend, I raced both the Masters 30/39 race and the Cat race. My plan for the Masters was just to sit in and get a respectable finish while keeping myself as fresh as possible for a strong finish in the Cat 4.

MASTERS 30/39

The 25-rider field started out a lot mellower than last week, but was surprisingly squirrely for an experienced field. On the 2nd lap a Velocause rider almost took me out when he made a quick move to the right without even looking. I had to swerve to the right, and fortunately my path was clear. But, yeah, I swore a little bit.

At 10 minutes in the attacks started coming fast and hard. I stayed with them, and at about the 26 minute mark I ended up in a 2-man break with a Velocause rider. That lasted a couple laps, and then we got absorbed. Instantly some more attacks came, and at that point I was just hanging on for dear life. At the 32 minute mark I got popped but got absorbed in a group of 6 or 7 other riders. With a few laps to go we caught back on to the field, but just barely. I blew up hard on the last lap and ended up dangling off of the main field. I ended up taking 17th out of 25, and could only hope that I had saved enough in the tank for the 4s race.

CAT 4

After a nice between-race warmup, teammate David Ross and I rolled to the line to find ourselves in a 10-man field. I am not kidding.

Seriously, what is going on? Here it was, an unbelievably warm, sunny day, with good racing a mere hour or so away from Chicagoland, and we had 10 guys show up for a Cat 4 race? Hung over from St. Patrick's Day? Afraid of being involved in a bad crash like last weekend? I don't get it.

But I digress. The official sent us off for our 35-minute race, and two KV riders led us around the course for the first lap. When lap 2 came around I did the gentlemanly thing and moved to the front to take a pull. I led for the entire lap, at which point I moved to the right to let someone else pull through. No one did. So, I figured "what the heck, lets do another one" and led for the entire 3rd lap. As we turned out of the start/finish, I moved to the right yet again. And no one came through. No matter what I did, or how much I slowed, I could not get anyone to pull through. I could almost here the pack say "no thanks, we like you right where you are."

After another lap of this, Dave came to the front and relieved me. Still, I was never further back than 3rd wheel. Eventually a Colavita rider came around, and we spent the better part of the race working together at the front. No one else did a thing until with about 8 minutes to go a Team Plus rider spent a few laps at the front.

With two to go, it was me and Colavita marking each other. We were still in the lead halfway through the last lap. About 3/4 of the way down the backstretch, he jumped. The riders that were just biding their time started streaming past me on the left. I was tapped out. I fought as hard as I could but had nothing. A Pegasus rider came around me shortly before the line, and there I was...the lantern rouge. A top 10 finish feels pretty cheap when you finish DFL in 10th.

Dave had another strong showing, though, taking 2nd, so another great result for him and the team. I'm betting we'll be seeing him in the Cat 3 field before this season is over.

So, it was a disappointing day, but lessons were definitely learned. Family is coming in from out of town, so I won't be able to make it up for the 3rd and final weekend of these races. Up next is the Burnham Super Spring Criterium at the Blackhawk Farms Speedway in South Beloit on March 31. I missed this race last year, since it was just days after our son was born. I'm looking forward to being out there again for the morning Cat 4/5 race and the afternoon Cat 4 race.

Kenosha Velosport Spring Training Criterium #1, Pleasant Prairie, WI, March 11, 2012

At long last the offseason was over and it was time to start turning the pedals in anger. First up, as usual, was the 1st weekend of the Kenosha Velosport training criteriums in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

The weather was unbelievably beautiful as I drove north to race in both the Masters 30/39 race and the Cat 4 race. I had come fully loaded for chilly weather, but in the end all I needed were shorts, a jersey, and arm warmers (and even those I could have done without). Temps were in the mid-60s, with a pretty stiff breeze that was going to hit us after turn 3 and continuing all the way through the start/finish.

MASTERS 30/39

22 guys rolled to the line for the start of the Masters 30/39 race. Given the great weather, I was really surprised at the low turnout. Now, since this was a race based solely on age, it meant that I could be mixing it up with anyone from a Cat 1 on down to a Cat 5. The Velocause team had a big showing in the field, as did Nova IS Corp. I was the only representative of Bicycle Heaven.

The pace was fast right from the whistle. The field instantly splintered into a few groups. There were a couple guys up the road, followed by a few more, and there I was with my heart in my throat trying to catch up to them. Right from the start I heard my brother's voice yelling in encouragement...he was going to be joining me in the Cat 4 field, and had arrived early enough to cheer me on in this race. The first 3 or 4 laps were crazy fast, and I was just hoping to hang on, while also being mindful of conserving my strength for the Cat 4 race.

The race did settle in to a pretty comfortable groove, and I was able to stay with the surges. Unfortunately, we let a 4-man break get away, and they stayed away to the very end. I kept myself comfortably in the peloton, trying to stay out of the wind.

On a side note, the difference between riding in a very experienced Masters field and riding in a Cat 4 field is like night and day. During the course of this 40 minute race, the only sketchy moment for me came when a rider directly in front of me blew a shift and his whole bike stuttered. He kept it upright, and on we went. Later in the race, two guys drifted into each other, but no biggie, neither of them reacted and they went their separate ways.

During the sprint I gave it what I had, but some of those boys were burning some much bigger matches than I have. I'm stuck with those small crappy cardboard matches that you find in a fishbowl at the Holiday Inn, whereas they have those big, long fireplace matches (and don't read anything Freudian into that...let's all be adults here). I eyeballed about 8 guys in front of me. And I was right...the group of 4 stayed away, 8 other guys beat me to the line, and I took 13th out of 22. All in all, not a bad showing and I still felt pretty fresh for the Cat 4 race. In between races, I warmed up with my brother and watched teammate David Ross crush the Cat 5 field in the sprint to take the win. First road win of the season for Bicycle Heaven! The first of many, to be sure...

Cat 4

A slightly bigger field rolled to the line for the 35-minute Cat 4 race...a whopping 25, including my brother (riding for Wheelfast Racing) and the aforementioned David Ross. who was OK'd by ABR to do that Cat 4 race. ABR tends to be more relaxed about the categories, especially for training crits such as this. There was a good mix in the field...some Half Acre, some KV, some Team Mack.

My plan was to sit in and do absolutely no work. I wanted to shake out the legs from my efforts in the last race, and conserve as much energy as possible for the sprint. And right from the start, that plan went out the window. Just like in the last race, there were attacks right from the start. And I worked hard to cover them.

I was feeling good. It was becoming clear that one of the good effects that all of those Computrainer classes had on me was my ability to recover. I could put in a hard effort to stay with a surge, and moments later my HR would be low, I wouldn't be gasping for air, and my legs would feel just fine. And you can tell from looking at some of the photos that have been posted...when I'm suffering, I tend to pull what I call the "Bucky Beaver" face, with my mouth gaping open and my front teeth bared. In the pics that I have seen from this race, I look calm, cool, and collected.

But I digress. As to be expected from a Cat 4 race, this was much sketchier than the Masters. Lots of near misses, contact being made here and there, guys yelling at other guys about how poorly they took a corner, etc. And coming out of Turn 4 the lead riders must have thought that they were in the Tour de France, for many a time we would follow a line that would take us to the right side of the road, but then they would instantly dodge all the way to the left side of the road and the field would snake right along behind them. Uh, guys, it isn't any less windy 10 feet to the left then it is on the right side of the road. Very bizarre, and very unsafe.

I hadn't seen my brother for much of the race, and just as I was wondering whether he was hanging off the back somewhere I heard his chipper voice right behind me, asking how I felt. He, too was feeling good and sitting pretty comfortably in the field.

With just a few laps to go I was still sitting right toward the front of the field, and was feeling great. My downfall came in where I was positioned, not in how my legs responded. When the final surge came along the backstretch, I was boxed in and couldn't escape. And then to make matters worse there was a terrible crash in turn 4. The wheels of a Half Acre rider slid out from under him, and I saw body hit pavement and bike fly into air. I was juuuuust far enough behind that I could hit the brakes (my wheels did briefly skid) and get around him. As I went by, I saw another rider plow directly into him. Not good.

In the end, I wound up taking 8th. A solid finish, but a disappointing one. After his Cat 5 win, David was able to bunny-hop to the grass to avoid the crash and ended up in 10th. Kev took 15th.

I can tell that I have the strength, now I just need to work on positioning. In the final laps I need to make sure that I always have an "out" so that I can escape the surly bonds of the peloton and maybe...just maybe...score myself a podium finish one of these days.

Kenosha Velosport Spring Training Criterium #1, Pleasant Prairie, WI, March 13, 2011

With temperatures in the mid to upper 30s and with winds at 8-10 mph, I ventured north of the Cheddar Curtain for the first race of the 2011 season. This was my debut race for Geneva-based Bicycle Heaven, having transferred from Wheelfast Racing in the off-season.

Our Cat 4 race was scheduled to last 35 minutes. However, there was a bad crash in the Cat 5 race (involving lost teeth, a broken jaw, and blood on the pavement) which necessitated a visit from the ambulance. I’m sure the thoughts and best wishes of every rider went out to the fallen, knowing that “there but for the grace of god go I.” The incident set the day’s schedule back by about half an hour, so after a vote at the line the officials decided to cut our race to 30 minutes. Unbeknownst to us at the time, they would end up cutting even more. But I get ahead of myself…

About 35 riders rolled to the line after the ambulance left the course and the, ahem, “moisture” had been washed off of the pavement (in the words of the ABR official). I lined up in the front row. Looking around, I saw handfuls of Team Mack, Psimet, ABD, and Spidermonkey riders.

Forget the preliminaries, let’s go! The pack gunned it right from the whistle, and we instantly strung out. I sat in 5^th wheel position for a lap or so, and then let myself drift back to 7^th wheel. I was feeling good and trying to stay as relaxed as possible. Spending 30+ minutes in the drops is always a bit of a shock to the system so early in the season, and I was focusing on keeping my upper body relaxed.

After a few laps of riding single-file, the pace dropped, but only ever so slightly. We bunched together as a peloton and followed every attack, of which there were plenty. However, most of them were solo and none of them really had any hope of staying away. A Mack rider launched a particularly wicked attack about halfway through, but the field reacted in kind and reeled him in.

Surprisingly, the race was pretty clean for it being so early in the season. Only once did I have to loudly announce “hey” to an Expo rider who started drifting into my path as we zipped along the start/finish stretch. Here and there I would announce “on the right…on your left,” but never in response to any close calls and never in anger. Not once did a single profanity cross my lips, and that is saying a lot. And there wasn’t any of the infuriating “slowing…braking!” that can often permeate a Cat 4 field.

Over halfway into the race and I was still feeling good. I never got boxed in, and any time that I found myself too close to the back I would use the ample road space to move back up near the front. My lungs were clear, and my legs were steady. I never felt gassed, and actually found myself enjoying the hard efforts…especially when we turned into the start/finish stretch and powered over the mild incline.

With only a few minutes left to go I once again found myself near the back. However, I was right behind a couple of Spidermonkey guys…knowing that their team has pulled down some good results in the past I figured that I should keep an eye on them and follow their moves.

With 3 laps to go I was still near the back, so after turn one I jumped up the left side and get back near the front. My plan was to hold position, grab a drink, and relax the legs as much as possible. I never imagined that during the course of that lap we would go through some sort of bizarre time warp, because as we came around again the lap cards were now showing 1 to go. Really? Those two minutes were really going to make-or-break the racing schedule for the rest of the day? But c’est la vie…

The field went berserk, and what ensued was pretty close to an all-out sprint. I obviously need to work on my power, because I lost too much ground. Still, I continued to fight like hell, and after we negotiated the final turn I hit the gas as much as possible. I finished 17^th out of 21 finishers…which was a pretty mediocre finish, but I like to think that I could have done better if I’d had another lap in which to get set in position.

My availability for the next few races is in considerable doubt, with my wife being due on March 21. I would love to Joliet and Burnham, but we’ll have to see. At the very least, I should be back in action for the Sherman Park crit and the agony-inducing Leland Kermesse. Stay tuned…

It's go time.

Faithful readers (all 2 or 3 of you...you know who you are) might have noticed a subtle change in the name of this blog. "Pinchy's Wheelfast Adventures" has become "Pinchy's Heavenly Adventures." No, I did not shuffle off this mortal coil and am not typing this from beyond the grave. Rather, in the off-season I made the difficult decision to leave my Wheelfast komrades and join the ranks of Bicycle Heaven. Tomorrow's season-opening criterium in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin will be my first race under the blue, black, and teal of the BH crew.

Is it race time already, you ask? Oh heavens, yes. Time to see what kind of shape I'm in after all of those hours in the basement riding to suffer-inducing training videos. Pinchy has received a thorough cleaning, and is sporting a new cassette and a chain that isn't as stretched out as Gumby. He could still use to be recabled, but we're getting there. It is time to put the rubber to the road and turn those pedals in anger.

That being said, the early part of this racing season is going to up in the air for me. This is because it is also "go" time in another important way...my wife is due with our first child on March 21. This is smack dab in the middle of all of the Pleasant Prairie crits, the Joliet Autobahn race, and the South Beloit Blackhawk Farms Speedway race. Not knowing whether the baby is going to be punctual like his father, or whether it will opt for an early or late checkout, means that I'll have to be making a lot of game-day decisions. I won't want to be hours away at a race when she needs to be heading in to the hospital! Also, being a first-time father I have no idea what the time impact and fatigue levels are going to be. Fortunately, my wife is very supportive and is encouraging me to keep riding and racing as much as possible. She still doesn't like it when I shave my legs, though.

Hopefully the baby comes more or less on time, so that things have started to settle down a bit by the time that the Sherman Park Crit and the Leland Kermesse roll around in April. Maybe it won't be pouring down rain during Sherman Park. Maybe we won't have 30 mph gusts during the Kermesse. A man can dream, right?

The legs are starting to feel somewhat strong. Pinchy is clean and tuned up. And the house is now cluttered with crib, stroller, basinette, etc. So, be it on the road or in a delivery room, it is definitely go time.