As I mentioned in the introduction for my post on the Boulder Roubaix, I pride myself on having never known a dirt road I didn’t like. I have riden my bike places that only few would ride road bikes. But of all the gnarly roads I’ve found myself on none and I mean none even come close to comparing to the Mead Roubaix course. It’s the worst roads I’ve ever ridden on. That being said, the venue is amazing. The town of mead is adorable and it was a super fun atmosphere for a bike race.

The race started right downtown and rolled neutral to the first turn, but after that it was game on. I was focusing on my positioning so I didn’t have a similar result to Boulder Roubaix, but with a smaller field it was easier to move around. There was nothing particularly noteable until we hit the first dirt section. We hit the dirt and I was about 5th wheel and I was thinking to myself “this was great!” Until we hit the first corner and the first deep section of gravel. Everyone got fishy! From there the pace was high and it was just a mater of being able to stay upright and not loose speed in the deep sections. Then just hope to hell no one in front of you lost control on the deep stuff either. We came off the first dirt section and the pace stayed high but nothing to crazy, so I worked my way back to the front. We came around the corner onto the next dirt section and I found myself off the front because I took the corner faster then the rest of the group. That was not where I wanted to be, so I sorta sat up and then there was a big surge in pace and just like that I was on the back again. We came around another 90 degree turn in really really loose dirt and I got gapped. The rest of the dirt was a gradual stair stepping climb and I was on the chase. It’s really hard to chase in this conditions because you can’t stand and you can’t really mash on the pedals, so I just tried to limit my losses and connected with a couple other riders who also got gapped. We hit the pavement and chased like hell and caught back on before the start/finish. I got my ass back to the front!

Dirt section 1 on lap two wasn’t to bad and I was able to hold my position. I maintained my position until almost the end of dirt section 2 on lap two we were just about done with the last little climb and then a rider washed out in front of me. I avoided him, but lost my line and momentum. By the time I got down shifted and back on track the group was gone. Just like that I was off the back again. I knew there was no reason to chase, but not being one to quit I put my head down and rode as hard as I could for the remainder of the laps. That sucked!

I left Mead Roubaix feeling pretty discouraged about how the race had gone, but the long slow ride home helped me to reflect and fully blow out my legs for the day. I don’t think I have ever hurt so bad all over my entire body after a bike ride as I did after Mead. There was not a single part of my body that wasn’t in pain! The race itself wasn’t harder then Boulder Roubaix, but the course was definitely harder. The groups pace wasn’t nearly as insane and the surges were easier to respond to. It wasn’t a good race for me by any stretch of the imagination, but looking back there are positives to take away from it. However, I was starting to ask myself the question if the “classics” style races were right for me.

After riding the Koppenberg in February and seeing the gnarly road/climb combined with my two previous Roubaix’s I was nervous about the race. I was able to pre-ride the Koppenberg a few days before the race though and to my relief the climb was in great shape. The laps were short at 5 miles each and with doing 6 I knew I could stay with the group for 6 climbs up the Koppenberg. However, I knew that position would again be the number one thing I needed to focus on.

I lined up at the start on the left side and second wheel. I knew it was going to be full on from the gun so I had been mentally preparing myself for this. It’s a good thing too! The group hit the gas from the moment go. I’ve never had to fight for position so hard in the 1st killometer of a circuit race! We hit the gravel and I was about 6th wheel and happy with my spot. I lost a little positioning before the first ascent of the Koppenberg as there was a big surge to be at the front at the bottom of the climb. But all was good! I stayed in contact on the climb and across the rest of the dirt road. There was a bit of a surge when we started on the pavement, but nothing crazy. We finished our first lap in 12.5 minutes.

There had been a lot of bumping going on on lap one so it didn’t surprise me that tempers started to flare up on the start of lap two when riders bumped. Riders screaming at each other definitely disrupts the peloton though, so I used it to my advantage to move up and was again about 6th wheel 1k from the Koppenberg. An attack went from my left and before I knew it someone had slammed into me. There was a moment where we were shoulder to shoulder keeping each other upright. Both my feet had come unclipped from the pedals, and my bike was fishtailing all over the place. I don’t know how I kept it upright or how someone behind me didn’t slam into me, but thankfully neither happened. Unfortunately though this spit me out the back of the peloton as I was clipping back in. I didn’t get gapped so that was good, but I might as well have been because being at the back I got caught behind all the mishaps on the climb. And to my frustration the rider in front of me couldn’t control his bike up the climb and he went down in front of me I had to stop and run the climb. And just like that I was off the back!

Once again I found myself in a Spring Classic Bike Race with nothing else to do but to put my head down and push on. Luckily the laps were short enough that they clicked off pretty rapidly. I picked up another rider and he sat on my wheel for the last couple laps. This kept my motivation high, but not necessarily the power in my legs. Looking at my time relative to the lead group I lost approximately 2 minutes a lap to the group. My splits for the Koppenberg climb were 32′, 47′, 37′, 38′, 38′ and 38′.

While I had more positives to take away from The Koppenberg Circuit Race then the Boulder and Mead Roubaix’s, that fact remains that I finished all three of the Spring Classics off the back of the peloton. And in all honesty finishing all three races off the back was a heart breaking way to start my Colorado racing and to finish the Classics. Luckily there is still lots of racing to be done this season and any day spent racing my bike (even off the back) is still better then a day without racing my bike!

A recap of the first three races I’ve done in Colorado. I’ve never lived somewhere that featured any real “classics” type race. The closest that I had done before was the Eugene Rubaix, but being dubbed a “Roubaix” might be a bit generous for a road race that features only two miles of gravel per lap. So, when I learned that within riding distance to the start from my house in Boulder that there was not one, not two, but three classics races I was gitty with anticipation. I have always loved the “hard-man” style rides and have never meet a dirt road that I didn’t like, so to get to do multiple early season races that featured a lot of dirt is super cool! Also, would be an interesting to say the least introduction to the Colorado cat 3 peloton.

At the Boulder Roubaix’s cluster of a start line I was shocked by the turn out. We had a solid 50+ guys, which is a good turnout for any cat 3 race let alone a Roubaix. The race started off hot and heavy and the pace was high from the gun. I think starting on the dirt had everyone excited. Less then 5 minutes into the race I was sitting mid pack on the outer right side of the peloton and felt good about my position when someone on my left decided that my line was better and moved over on top of me. I reacted quickly, but my only option was to move right and by move right I mean into the super soft dirt ditch. I kept the bike uprgight and crossed through the ditch into the grass on the other side and then quickly corrected and rode back through the ditch and onto the road. The group was about 200 meters ahead of me at this point so I did a quick hard dig to get back into the main field. And, with a “nice work” from a fellow rider I was on the back and looking to move up just before the first dirt section end.

The first paved section the peloton made a big acceleration but things stayed fairly mellow. We turned onto the second dirt section and the front of the group drilled it down the hill. The entire group was strung out and all over the road. I was on the left side of the road, and at the bottom of the hill there was a big rut in the road. You could tell a lot of riders had hit it hard because there were watter bottles scattered everywhere. I opted to bunny hop the rut instead of slam into it at 50+kpm. I thought at the time this was a good decision, but on the other side of the rut was a long section of loose gravel. I washed out a couple times, but again somehow managed to keep it up right.

We were still only about 10 minutes into the race and I had already had two really close calls and was pretty happy to still be upright. The next paved section I was able to move up to the top 10 spots and turned onto the 3rd dirt section about 6th wheel. On the first rise we came to I got bumped again as a rider next to me swerved to miss one of the cones that was on the road and lost my good position. After that we turned onto the longest continual paved section of the race and in the cross wind there was another big surge and the field was lined out and everyone was looking for reprieve from the wind, but we were pretty much all in the gutter.

By the time we came through the finish line on lap 1 I looked around and even though I had not lost any position relative the the front I was now at the back because so many riders had been dropped. We were down to about 25 guys to start the second lap. The dirt sections were a lot safer with less guys! We hit the furtherest point of the route from the start finish and turned into a headwind. The front drilled it. I got gapped! I dug really deep and chased back on. I was pretty upset that I let my guard down enough to get dropped, but was happy I was able to fight back on before the next dirt section. However, when I did catch back on I was fighting for dear life to stay with the group. The cross wind section killed me again, and then when the group was going 50kpm uphill I just couldn’t hang and watched them ride away from me. I tried to chase, but just didn’t have the punch I needed.

I came through the start/finish with three other guys who had also been shelled at the same spot. We rode together for awhile, but then two of the guys kept a bit higher pace then I could handle and they left myself and Rocky Mounts rider Scott Upton to finish the last 3/4′s of a lap. Scott and I worked well together and helped each other survive the last lap. However, with a little over a mile to go Scott was feeling a bit better then me on one of the small climbs and dropped me. I kept my pace high and him in sight, and coming over the feed zone climb I could see he was fading. Coming down the home stretch I gave it everything I could, and caught him with about 500 meters to go. He hoped right on my wheel. He attacked at 200m to go! Blew past me! I responded and jumped on the gas, and repassed him with 100m to go and was able to hold him off. Afterwards we gave each other a big high five and congradulated each other on finishing. Silly to sprint for 25th? Maybe. But, it was fun and heck it is a bike race after all.

Boulder Roubaix is at this point is the hardest road race I have ever done. Nothing about the dirt/gravel, climbs, peloton on their own are that challenging, but something about the mix of it all made it into a raging ball of furry. Comparing the average speed from it to other road races just solidified for me the quality of the field. It was great first ego check in Colorado, and looking back I’m very happy with my result dispite being dropped like a leed brick.

Travis, Gavin, Walter, Eli, and I made up the CAT3 team this year.  The squad was diligently lead by Travis, who had us out practicing three weeks prior to the event, which made a world of difference given only a few of us had TTT experience.  (Thank you, Travis!)

On game day, we met with plenty of time to finish our strategy talk and warm-up on the road.  We spent about 20 minutes riding around on the roads near the finish line and then to the start line.  We lined up 10 minutes before our start time. The day was perfect for a good effort and we were getting anxious to get the race started.

It was decided that I would lead out the group from the start with Gavin, Walter, Eli, and Travis lined up in that order.  The idea behind the line up was so that Gavin and Walter could take the lead going down the fast parts of Nelson Road.  Our pulls were around 30 seconds each leading up to the first turn to the east.  After the first turn the team was doing so well that everyone kept rotating through down the hill in varying lengths on the front.  The two teams ahead of us, BRC and Primal, were already in sight.

We flew down the hill and kept it rolling smooth up to the flatter sections of Nelson.  Everyone took some impressive pulls to keep the fast lane moving.  Gavin was expected to rip it up beyond anyone’s ability to keep up.  He was rolling nicely taking slightly longer pulls and definitely keeping the pace high.  It is important to note that he had already placed second in the individual time trial earlier that day, however that didn’t seem to slow him down.  In fact, nothing seemed to slow anyone down.  Everyone in the group showed up to ride hard.

75th headed south, we started to experience some attrition.  After passing the BRC team and after going up and over the small hill, Travis had put in his big efforts and had the bad luck of rotating through right before the pace increased substantially at an already extremely high pace.  Once we descended down the short, steep section of 75th the pace bump up a notch and we started to focus on the hardest part of the race.

Eli put in some enormous efforts and by the time we reached our turn on to Neva Road, his suitcase of pain was packed and ready for flight.  Gavin, Walter and I were left to duke it out to the finish line.  The wind was slightly to our back, which only helped slightly as three of us started to find our hard pace and rotation.  I was on the rivet doing the chicken dance on my pedals. Gavin started wincing a little understandably and probably from his huge effort early in the day.  Walter was just turning it on.  He either had on the most convincing poker face or he was just getting revved up.  Well, he was just getting revved up taking some monster pulls, and just in time for the most difficult part of the race.

With a mile to go, our rotations were really hard.  Unfortunately for Walter and Gavin, they had to drag my old butt to the finish line.  I finished my last pull less than a half mile from the finish and that was all she wrote.  I dropped right off the back while Gavin and Walter cranked it out.  We finished together, but the caboose was done.  There was almost no shred of doubt in our minds that the effort we left out on the road was the winning time.

We won.  Totally a team effort.  Nice job guys.  That was really fun!

(Thank you Eli & Rachael for the great photos!)

The weather always seems to suck for the Air Force criterium. Today was no different with 25mph wind gusting to 35+.  The course was a simple 4 corner layout with a good climb up to the finish line.  The race started fast with an attack coming in the second corner, nobody chased so I decided to go with it. I caught the guy and we stayed away for about 3 laps before getting caught. Then a few laps later another attack went off, I still felt good so I went with it right away. This one had promise and we stayed away for quite a few laps. We finally got caught by a small chase group to make our break 7 guys. The pace stayed high and it was obvious we were not going to be caught. Over the rest of the race we dropped 3 riders from our group leaving 4 of us going into the last three laps.

The last three laps were a mix of “cat and mouse” attacks followed by soft pedaling. Finally on the last lap a strong attack came in the second corner. We reacted and chased it down by corner three. As we came out of corner three another attack came. I was sitting third wheel and was able to follow it without burning too much energy. My plan was to attack just before corner four, but I couldn’t find an opening. We flew through corner four when I felt the leader ease his pace. Maybe he was expecting everyone to let up a bit, or didn’t want to lead the sprint. I knew it was my opportunity. I jumped to the inside from third wheel back and hammered. I had a small gap and just kept the pressure on. I felt one rider behind me as we opened up the sprint. I’m always amazed at how painful the final sprint of a crit is. I managed to hold the other rider off and cross the line in first. It was a fantastic day of bike racing, and a great feeling to see all the training and hard work pay off.

This is the time of the Cobbled Classics, so what better way to kick off the race season than with the Front Range’s own version, Boulder-Roubaix?  One 18.7-mile lap consisted of 60% dirt/40% paved roads; the 35+ Open race would complete 3 laps. The profile isn’t too challenging. What makes the race difficult is the aggressive riding, the steep nature of the punchy hills and the jarring of the less-than-smooth dirt. Picking the right line is critical to avoid energy-sapping jack hammering or sliding out on the loose dirt.

About fifty 35+ Open riders toed the line. Boulder Orthopedics and MixOne were out in force, while Peter Dunlap and I were representin’ for SBR p/b Lucky Pie. The whistle blew and we were off, the pace fairly hot from the get-go. Both Boulder Ortho and MixOne were intent on sending someone up the road, so the entire first lap was punctuated by one attack after another. We completed the first lap in 46min as grupo compacto, aside from a lone Ortho rider about a quarter-mile up the road.

Getting antsy, I sparked an attack that sparked a few more and we snapped up the lone break. But there were still too many of us. I don’t fancy my chances in a sprint finale (hint, foreshadowing), so halfway through Lap 2, I went to the front and pressed the pace for the next 10min. My goal wasn’t to break away but rather soften up the group and start some serious selection. A couple of attacks followed mine and by the end of the second lap, we were down to a group of about 15.

To start Lap 3, a beast of a rider from Ortho went to the front and hammered the pace. I jumped on his wheel and felt like I was floating over the dirt. Super feeling!  With just over 14 miles to go, we hit a couple of short dirt rollers before a right turn onto pavement and into a headwind. Crossing to the opposite side of the road, I sped away from the group, hit the 90-degree turn full gas and TT’d like my life depended on it, betting the headwind coupled with tired legs would deter an immediate reaction. Looking over my shoulder, one lone rider was bridging up.

When he caught me, we fell right into a truce and a great working relationship. Turns out it was Bob Dahl, a strong rider in his own right with a wicked sprint.  Our gap grew until we were out of sight, out of mind. My quads started cramping but the watts were still there; I was confident Bob wouldn’t be able to drop me.   We kept the truce until the very end. At 500m to go we pulled up alongside each other and shook hands. With 200m to go, we started sprinting. With 150m to go, Bob put on the turbo jets and left me like I was standing still. Yet, I was anything but disappointed. I used up a lot of energy setting the race up to avoid a bunch gallop and to negate the strength in numbers of Ortho and MixOne. I was pretty elated to come away with 2nd.   Not a bad way to kick off the season!

I’m the type of guy that likes crossing things off a to-do list. So achieving one of my main goals for the season and doing it at the first race of the season makes the pen going across the paper that much more enjoyable. The first race of the season for me was the Valley of the Sun (VOS) stage race in Phoenix, Arizona. The race consisted of a time trial, road race, and criterium. Because the road race and the criterium are typically not that hard, I figured I had a pretty good chance of doing well – time trialing is one of my strengths and this would likely decide the race. However, I’d only tested my fitness level once on a group ride a couple of weeks before the race, so I wasn’t really sure how my body and legs would respond. In addition, the first race of the season always feels bad. So once the race official said “go”, I spent the next 30 minutes riding and thinking that I wasn’t going hard enough, I wasn’t going fast enough, I wasn’t passing enough racers, and I’d be lucky if I finished in the top 10. All in all, I’d say the time trial was not nearly as much fun as I usually have later in the season. But, when the results were finally posted and I was able to peak over the horde of racers to see how I finished, my attitude changed completely.

The next two days/stages blended together somewhat. In both days I basically just sat in the peloton and tried to stay out of trouble. In what was a bit of a new experience for me, I had a strong team there to work for me. They chased or shut down breakaways and made sure I was at the front when it mattered. Life as the overall leader in a race has probably never been so easy and stress free. And while I’d love to say we won the other two races, this was not the case. Some sketchy and somewhat awkward finishes messed up our rhythm a bit. Or it was the fact that most of us (myself included) haven’t ridden in a group/race setting for a few months. With the racing all finished up though, it meant I had finally won the overall. All the hard training in the cold Colorado winter had paid off and done so very early, making the trip just that little bit sweeter. With amazing weather, amazing “host” housing, and the support from a great team, one couldn’t ask for much more. Except podium girls. Where were the podium girls?

Wait, where are the podium girls!?

Now it’s time to get back on the bike and train for the beginning of the Colorado racing season. And next on the to-do list is to celebrate with some beers at Lucky Pie. I’m thinking this may be the easiest thing yet to check off…

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you out on the road.
JIM

Sonic Boom Racing p/b Lucky Pie racer Colby Ricker prepares food for the 90 mile Road Race at Valley of the Sun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbwD5SMHtgg

The snacks must have worked, as Colby and the rest of the SBR boys protected Jim Peterman’s overall lead.

Stay tuned for more updates from Valley of the Sun.

Glenn Cratty

The release of the preliminary racing schedule for the upcoming road season is always one of the most exciting moments of offseason.
This will be my second off season spent training through the apparent six-month Colorado winter, so the population of the race calendar and its associated
boost in morale comes at the perfect moment: just as the winter doldrums are setting in and when I would otherwise need to be forced by sharpened pike point onto the trainer.

Unlike last year, when I was returning to racing after six years of enthusiastic pursuit of my two favorite deadly sins (sloth and gluttony), I have a season under my tightened belt and the new schedule
inspires excitement and anticipation rather than fear and dread. So as I pencil races into the periodization schedule, it’s a good time to think about my goals for 2012 and what it will take to achieve them.

Having already been a Cat 3 at one point in my life, I have to admit that regaining this status has been a strong undercurrent of motivation since returning to racing. Cat 4 has been the de facto entry-level
category here in CO (thankfully about to change due to reintegration with USAC) with its associated sketchiness and stigma and it is very natural for riders to want to upgrade to 3’s by any means necessary.

That said, I decided that I would rather be process oriented and really earn the upgrade, with the objective to be “in at the kill” in a handful of races that suit me and inspire the imagination. Basically, train to be strong enough to find myself in the Top 10 near the end of any hard road race, with a crack at the places…or better, dare I dream. Let the points come as they may.

Some of the races I would love to do well in will be new to me, like Morgul and Salida. With others, I’m looking for a little payback from
last year. I was feeling good at Deer Trail but had to steer off into a grassy ditch at 40 mph to avoid a fearful crash a few riders in front of me. At
Koppenberg I was very comfortably at the head of affairs on the third lap—the lead group of 15 having shed more than 2/3d’s of the field inside two laps—when
I rolled over what appears to have been a the blade of a machete, or so the gash through my front tubular would have seemed to indicate. At Hugo I raced
strongly and sensibly for 76miles only completely lose my mind with a K to go when I jumped for it…and got swarmed 300 meters later.

Getting points in any of these races will be no small task, even with optimal preparation. Even in the 4’s, competition for Top 10’s is fierce for racers of a modest athletic pedigree. There are usually a handful of
very strong riders soaking up the places as they blow their way through the lower categories.

This is especially true during the first third of the season where a handful of guys come flying out of the offseason looking get to get those last few points toward the upgrade. It is also true at the higher profile races which often compel one or two of the Boulder area’s high population of elite endurance athletes to come out and have a go at an amateur road race, usually with devastating consequences to the rest of us punters.

So how to compete? Training is obviously a no-brainer, but I’ve seen guys train intelligently, consistently and tenaciously throughout the entire off season…only to race in exactly the opposite way once it actually counts. I was guilty of this to
extent myself in 2011.

It is realistic to assume that if I wish to place consistently and get enough points for the upgrade, at some point during the upcoming season I will have to put the training dogma aside, see the potential
in every race I enter, work with my teammates and with gritted teeth seize whatever opportunities come my way. Or create them. In short, I will have to race my bike, take some calculated risks and be willing to suffer.

Hopefully places, points, glory and an upgrade will be the
natural outcome. If not, so be it. I was never a big fan of being pack fodder
anyhow.
–Glenn Cratty

The end of the cycling season has come for many of us.  Some are transitioning and ramping up for cyclo-cross season, while others are already thinking about off season training, base work, etc.

I rode my last race of the season over two weeks ago, stuck my bike in the garage with the wheels off and it has sat there ever since.  I’ve always sort of been like that.  When I was much younger I would not touch the bike for three months then hit it at about the Christmas holidays.  Now, in my mid forties I really can’t afford to do that and let all of my fitness go away.  But I find other things to do that benefit me physically without being on the bike.  Hiking, yoga and actually retreating away from the cycling world are very healthy things for me.

Me and Izy at the Tennessee Mt. Hut above Eldora

This past weekend on a camping trip I went up a day early to set up camp before friends and my family would arrive.  As I waited for them I spent a lot of time walking with my dog, Izy.  As I allowed myself to slow down, I let Izy take the lead on our walk.  It involved a lot of stopping, sniffing, squatting and then moving on to do it all over again after about twenty yards.  How very different this is from the world of riding and racing a bike.  Even at the “weekend warrior” level if we get the chance to do a longer ride on a weekend we are rushing home afterwards due to family obligations.  For me, many of the races I participate in are dictated by my family’s schedule, not the other way around.  So it frequently involves rushing to a race in order to make it home for a commitment or speeding off to a race after a soccer game.

So away I go, chasing my tail and when the season is over I finally say, ENOUGH!

As the season is over and we reflect on the previous months it is easy to look at the original goals and determine whether it was successful or not.  However, there are areas that I like to look at to determine how my riding fits in with the rest of my life.

How does my life feel in general?   How do I feel about my job and work?  Am I excited for it, feeling creative as I work with people or am I just going through the motions?  How do I feel about my relationship with Pam, my wife?  Pam continues to come to bike races and cheer me on which baffles me.  Going to the US Pro Challenge is one thing, but she actually likes going to local ACA races.  However, quite often I don’t always put forth the same effort into the things that she is interested in due to riding and racing.  Hmm…that is something that I’ll need to reconcile in the coming weeks and months.  The same goes with my relationship with my son and friends.  Now is a great time to put some effort into these things that might have been put on the back burner because of so much focus on self/riding.  That is probably the one thing I struggle with when it comes to racing a bicycle.  It involves a little more selfishness than I am comfortable with, especially at my age.

Which brings me around to reflect on the reason that I do this; does pinning on a number, racing my bike and competing and winning bring a lot of fulfillment?  For me, it really doesn’t.  I love to compete and when I’m fortunate to have a good result the feeling of jubilation lasts for about ten or twenty minutes.  However, if I don’t race, I won’t ride on a regular basis and a history of clinical depression has shown me that if I’m not riding, then life gets pretty ugly for me and the people in my world.  So, for me, the riding is more medication than anything else.  I’m just a happier human being if I do it.  However, I’m not a whole lot different from many people in that I could be a couch potato as well.

I think that as athletes at a more “seasoned” age it is good to think about why we ride, train, race and compete.  There is a bigger picture here than just riding our bikes.  It is so much of who we are but if it were to go away would there be a huge void that could not be filled?  If so, I think that represents a potential problem.  For many of us, cycling takes way too much precedence in our lives.  We could all stand to be a lot less serious about the sport and just have a lot more fun.  There are many things to be ultra serious about; family, friends, poverty, famine and orphans are just a few.  I realized a long time ago that what I do on the bike does not determine my self-worth.  But I’d be lying if I said that this in and of itself is not a constant struggle.  My biggest challenge, like many of us, is in finding the balance where true joy and happiness exist.  And just when I think I’ve achieved that balance, all too often, I begin to fall over, have to reassess things and then find the balance all over again.  It’s pretty much like riding a bike.

This eight corner one mile criterium was my last race of the 2011 season.  This year has been much different and I’ve been racing primarily in the 45+ ranks and enjoying bringing along my wife Pam and son Ben to many of the races.  The week before at Saul Raisin I was fortunate enough to have my two older sisters in town and they were excited to go check out the race.  They must have been good luck because I managed to finally get a victory at that race.  I was down to my last two races to find the top rung on the podium.

The atmosphere at the Fort Collins race was fantastic.  There was the weekly farmers market taking place immediately east of the race course and the promoter had a festival atmosphere in place.  Huge trees shaded a good part of the course in old town Fort Collins and created a wonderful feeling in anticipation of this race on a cool Saturday morning.

Our race had 44 starters and was also the last race for the BAR/BAT competition.  Rod Yoder has gone wire to wire in the BAR standings and only needed to place top ten to lock that up.  After winning the week before I felt I had a good shot of winning today and the course looked like a good one for me if it came down to a field sprint.  However, my preference was to try and roll a break if possible to increase the chances at the end.

The course was wide open and fast which made it terribly difficult to keep a break going.  It was barely necessary to brake through any of the turns and easy to sit in the group rolling around the course.  At one point I had countered off of a move coming back to no avail.  A little later Dwight Hall had rolled off the front with Michael Williams, both Fort Collins strong men.  When Bob Dahl went after them I launched up to him and we went very hard for a lap and a half.  It was the kind of effort where I was just focused on the wheel in front and going as hard as I could.  Imagine my disappointment when after that kind of effort the big group was still only a second or two in back of us.  After getting caught and being one guy versus the bigger teams of Mix 1, Vic’s, Natural Grocers and Great Divide I decided that I would play for a field sprint.  Trying to gain a break would only result in many burnt matches which had been my undoing two weeks earlier at Bannock.

The last lap five laps all came together and with one to go Dwight Hall launched a big effort through the start/finish area.  Bob Dahl jumped on to his wheel and I immediately sat third wheel on Bob.  Halfway through the lap Hall pulled off and Bob took over.  I’ve been second and third to Bob this year in sprints and he is the one rider I’ve not been able to peg in a sprint.  Bob rode from the front out of the third to last turn and then it began to swarm just a little bit going into the second to last turn.  He got through first with Joe Paulson on his wheel.  Ideally I should have been second wheel coming out of the last turn but I was third which only put me in a good place to secure second on the day.  Bob won the race handily and I was bridesmaid for the fourth time this year.  Hats off to Bob for taking the race from the front.  In addition it was his second race of the day, having been 5th in the 35+ right before our race.  A silver medal was good consolation for the day and I was glad to be representing Lucky Pie for that.

It’s been a great year for the Lucky Pie team and for only the first year as our sponsor, Lucky Pie has gotten well known as the best place for pizza and beer in downtown Louisville.  When people see a Lucky Pie jersey they always say the same thing.  ”I LOVE THAT PLACE!”  All of us at Sonic Boom Racing love them too! Thanks for your awesome support.

Q&A with Eric Steele about Nationals 2011

What were your expectations of the racing at Nationals and did the reality line up with your expectations?

Nationals is a different kind of race all in its own. I’ve never been to an event on such a big level, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, all I knew was to expect strong riders and lots of them. When I arrived in Augusta I was greeted by cycling mania! The best cyclists from across the nation were gathered here, along with team cars loaded with bikes and equipment, tech vans etc. The racing was some of the fastest I’ve ever been in. I don’t know what’s up with juniors these days, but there were attacks all the time. Most of the time I just sat back and tried my best to sit near the front.

Photo by Todd Steele

What was the biggest surprise for you at Nationals?

The most surprising part about nationals was how professional of an event it was. The courses where fantastic,  all of them were completely closed off to traffic, a luxury we almost never have in Colorado, and the races were ran very well.

How did you cope with the humidity that is so much different from what we have here in Colorado?

The humidity was a challenge, the best way I found to get used to it was by riding in it. I had three days to train before the races started and that helped me adjust to the new climate very well. Drinking a lot water was also helpful.  I was drinking around a gallon of water a day, which kept me going when it got hot.

Photo by Todd Steele

What did you learn from your experience?  Would or will you do it again?  And with what goals for next time?

I learn something new in every race and this trip to Augusta taught me a lot; how to better ride in massive fields, the mechanics of big races, breaking bones hurt, the list goes on. Nationals and I have unfinished business and after having such bad luck in both the crit and road race I want to go back and show it what I’ve truly got.

I also want to send big thank you to the team for supporting me and my trip to nationals in many different ways. Even though It didn’t work out the way I would like it was still a great experience, so thanks!

Nothing could be more fantastic and exciting than race primed and ready to go for every race all year long, right?  It may even seam like some superb athletes are not confined to the rules of peak fitness but in reality they are probably just talented enough to win even without totally dialed fitness.  If you are anything like me, this is not the case.

I got myself in tip-top shape for the The Black Dog Stage race.  I finished 2nd at the Black dog and was able to hold onto my fitness bliss for one more week and win the Mike Horgan Hill Climb. So with three weeks between Mike Horgan and Mount Evans, my last race of the road season, I carried on, kept climbing hills, put in the miles and even hit a few PR’s up some of the Boulder signature climbs.  I never let go of the hope that I could be even stronger than I was three weeks earlier.

I started up Mt. Evans and felt just fine up to Echo Lake.  I had enough fitness to stay with some of the strong moves from the real contenders.  We had slimmed down from 40 riders to around 8.  However, just past the ranger station the pace picked up again and I didn’t.  I quickly dropped into a 4th position with another racer.  At the time I didn’t understand why I couldn’t carry on with the riders up the road whom I was as strong or stronger than three weeks earlier.  Eventually even my climbing mate dropped me and I settled for a 5th place finish.

Just a few minutes after the race was over and I started to analyze my lackluster performance.   The answer was simple: I was ‘Beyond the Peak.’  I was fit but I had no snap.  In order to reach my top fitness again, I needed rest, a healthy dose of volume and a smart little training progression.  There just wasn’t enough time between my June peak and Mt. Evans.  Upon making my little revelation, I picked up my moral and my bike and headed down the mountain with my good friend Andy Johnson who just had a ‘before the peak’ experience.  I then hopped in my car and headed east without stopping until I hit Lake Superior for some much needed rest and relaxation with family and friends.  With only a few rides and a bit of water skiing in 20 days, I am rested, revived and ready to roll my cross bike really fast!  …now I just need to get back in shape!

Thanks for reading,

Jared

Time Trial:

I didn’t a good warm up because my brother and I were driving around lost trying to find the start. I was first to start after the Cat 3’s because of reverse alphabetical order, and I really had no idea what the course was besides 8 miles out and back that it went up a bit. Right after the start there was a short bending downhill. After that, it was all a long false flat to the high point of the course, it reminded me of Niwot/Neva road in the Boulder area.  I just put my head down and went to work for the next 4-ish miles at 95% MHR, and I was catching up to the last Cat 3. At the turn around I was about 15 seconds behind. Now it was for the fun part, going down the false flat in the most aero position I could get. I did almost lose it on a bump, but by the bottom of the climb to the finish, I had brought the gap down to 5 seconds to my guy. At the top of the climb I was 5 meters behind him.

I tried to save myself from blowing up on the climb so I could keep going to the finish. Unfortunately, a truck was let on the course and went slowly through the finish forcing the Cat 3 to brake at the line and me to coast in right next to him. As a result, I finished without really pushing myself at the end. My effort was good enough for 2^nd, 30 seconds behind first and 29 seconds in front of 3^rd.

Stats:  17:41@26.6mph  -  Average HR: 196, Max: 206

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103488623

Crit

The course was a 1 mile figure 8 in Downtown Salida. I did a fast practice lap and got the layout, and with time to spare before the start I did another lap. But good ol’ Cat 4’s like to line up early, so by the end of my practice laps I was sitting in the 3^rd row. The race started and I got clipped in fast, but I was still stuck behind 20 or so people. Like I did at the Sonic Boom Race, I used some energy to make a big move up to the front on the first lap. I was covering small attacks, but no one – including me – was even trying to raise the pace when no one was off the front. The TT winner did an attack, with no serious response, but we didn’t let him get out of sight, and brought him back after a few laps.

I kept a good position the entire race, and going into the final lap we were gruppo compatto, with no final lap attacks – but a high pace. On the back straight my quads were cramping when put under load. I was first into the last corner for a downhill sprint. I started the sprint, holding 3^rd, but I faded with cramping and got passed resulting in 5^th.

Stats: 22 laps @24.7mph – Average HR: 194, Max: 211

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103488613

Road Race – Colorado Senior Road Championships

I was well fed, and very well hydrated before the start, but I knew there would be people who hadn’t been racing all weekend, coming in fresh for the road race. At the start the official reduced the laps from 6 to 5 because they were running behind, which the pack liked. The race started with a high pace, but nothing to die over. I was stuck in the middle of the pack all the way up the climb – moving up whenever I could. I was feeling fresh and found myself in a good position single file on the way down to the finish.

On the second lap before the climb on a false flat, the group separated into a front group of 6 and everyone else in back. I was stuck in back, but bridged the gap before it got bigger. At the same time, the TT winner and another dude went off the front. Our remaining group of 5 consisted of two Juniors about 15 years old and 3 Seniors – me, a guy in red, and a guy in blue. We started to work together at the start of lap 3, 40 seconds behind the break. Every time up the climb was pushing me right on the red line, and then recovering on the descent. Mostly everyone worked equally, and at the start of the last lap we had cut it to 20 seconds.

The guy in red had been working to bring back the break, and on the climb the guy in blue went very hard to bring it back – dropping one Junior. On the descent it was me in front working, with the junior behind me and the other two behind me. I tried an attack on the descent, knowing the junior had limited gears and couldn’t keep up. But I didn’t get up to a high enough speed to spin him out. I stayed at the front into the last corner and immediately attacked again 300m from the finish. No one could stay with me and I crossed the line in 3^rd, much to my satisfaction.

Stats: 1:15 @21.9mph – 2192” elevation gain

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103488601

Who says people from Connecticut can’t ride bikes up hills? Tom Danielson can; he holds the record for the Bob Cook Memorial/Mount Evans Hillclimb. Chris Case can; four years ago, as a Cat. 3, he won the hillclimb, and this year, as a Cat. 2, he almost did it again…

Shockingly low attendance (roughly 30 guys took the start in the Cat. 1/2 race) for the most awesome race of the entire year meant a slow start for the hillclimb. We reached Echo Lake in under an hour, but the pace never really kicked up. At mile 16 or so, however, a group of three decided to brave the headwind and shot off the front. I soon joined them, being a rather impatient type when it comes to climbs. As I joined them, they all looked around as no one wanted to work. So I attacked and only the brave Fortunato Ferrara joined me.

For the next seven miles or so we traded pulls and built a lead that hovered around 30 seconds at most. But, a group of five crept towards us, and by mile 24 we were a group of seven–with three Juwi Solar teammates patrolling the front. And so, it remained tactical, with no one throwing in any substantial efforts. But I knew it eventually had to blow. With less than a mile to go, LeRoy Popowski attacked, shattering the group and towing one Italian rider with him. I settled into third, and thought, “Wow, am I going to grab third place at Mount Evans?!” Then I realized there was still some racing to do, as I slowly pulled back the two riders.

One kilometer to go and I was gaining and gaining. Then, I was on them, with one switchback to go. I tried to surprise them both, and shot wide into the last corner and onto the finishing stretch. It would be a sprint at 14,000 feet! LeRoy saw me coming and just pulled ahead as we crossed the line–on the same time. The agony of defeat. So, now I had just placed second and had this bitter taste in my mouth. Bitter. Sweet. Then I realized it was mostly sweeeeeeet. I just came in second on the Mount Evans Hillclimb.

We are still looking for pictures of Chris and especially the sprint at 14k!  If you have any please let us know.  Here is a good recap of the race with some pics at Mountain Flyer.

Sonic Boom Racing p/b Lucky Pie elite team leader, Zack Allison, showed off his consistent strong form that he has had all year with a solid 9 days of racing at Superweek 2011.  Zack, along with Martins Putelis, Tim Srenaski, Colby Ricker and Matt Duncan travelled out for the second half of Superweek in Milwaukee and Chicago.  The pro-1-2 fields at each race were big and contained top international talent with current and future olympians, national teams, and riders from the top US domestic teams.

Zack finished top 20 in all but for one race (where he finished 21) with the highlight being his 4th place (just a few feet off the podium) in the Brewer’s Hill Challenge.  He finished 30th in the overall series without even doing the 8 other races that many of the top guys did!  Here are his results.

More results from the team, as well as race reports and pictures will be coming soon.

Zack Alison leading the elite field at the 2011 Evanston Grand Prix

These awesome pictures used with permission from Ali Engin

A few of the Sonic Boom Racing p/b Lucky Pie Pizza and Tap House boys temporarily took a break from their Primal Wear kits you usually see them wearing to dress up for team member Martins Putelis’ wedding in early July.

Back Row l-r Matt Duncan, Tim Srenaski, Matt GIbble, Jared Berd; Front Row l-r Nate Llerandi, Glenn Craty, Martins Putelis, Colby Ricker

Martins married Sara in a beautiful cermony with family and friends just outside Boulder Colorado.  Colby stepped up for the team during a round of toats and shared some cycling related words of wisdom for the new couple.

It was a great day.