Tech Cross - Day 1

I haven't been riding...well at all really for the last three weeks. So I knew the Saturdays race wasn't going to go well, for that I have only myself to blame; I decided to race anyways. I drove up to Blacksburg, VA Friday evening arriving late and getting to bed as soon as I got there. Saturday morning I awoke early for for my 11AM race. Breakfast included cereal and an apple before I began loading up my gear. I headed out to Kentland Farms, a historic site near Blacksburg that was hosting the races for the weekend.

I arrived around 10 with an hour before my first race, so I quickly registered and started getting ready so I could get in a decent warm-up. My parents made the trip down for the weekend which was awesome because even though I saw them in August at the beach it felt like June since I saw them.

After pinning my number on I went for a quick warm-up before heading to the line. The course was going to be hellacious, so I was glad that I had a couple hour break before the SS race. I got to the line and waited around a few minutes before the official, Ben Warren, a Tech student asked me if "I was racing Masters?" With a confused look I took a quick scope of the field and realized I had in face lined up with the masters, but how did I make this mistake?

The culprit...Mr. Andy Reagan! He decided to post the Tech cross race on the VT Cycling page, but didn't change the file when the race schedule was changed, so those of us NOT using BikeReg.com didn't know. Grrr to you Mr. Andy Reagan, GRRRR. It may be changed now, but somehow or other I got the times confused and it's just fun blaming him.

So with 3 hours to kill we went and grabbed a quick lunch at Quiznos before heading back out to Kentland Farms. Some more waiting and it was time to get ready...again! This time I had the right start and after another warm-up I headed to line...again! So the race got off at a little after 2PM and the collegiate C field right after, missing those days! I looked good for about the first half of a lap, then it was over. Not riding, racing for the previous 4 weekends had done its toll. About two laps in I considered stopping knowing I had 2 or possibly three more times up the massive hill. I finished. Miserably but not DFL.

My dad was kind enough to take some photos of my suckness...Thanks DAD!

Stressed and rushing getting ready for my first race...that well wasn't really "MY" race.

Line up at the line for the first time that day.

Okay...got it...this time I had it right.

Gorgeous place for a race.

Again...not a better setting for cross anywhere.

I decided not to include any of my suck face photos but then just couldn't resist, how can I look this bad when I'm only racing 4's?


So needless to say when I finished my race which was 45 minutes, my longest cross race to date. I decided not to race the SS race 15 minutes later. I got some grief for it from Justin, but I just didn't have it in me physically or mentally.

The one positive of the race however was that I used my TriCross for the whole race, which meant I had an entire race worth of data, I can't really determine much from it but...its dater (pun intended). Somehow it got split during the race though and I forgot to merge it as I brought it in, anyways:





Sunday...well I did get up early but there was no way I was racing, instead Michelle and I just hung out for most of the day after a phenomenal breakfast at Gillies with the Rents!

Read more...

Beckley, WV to Blacksburg, VA 2010 JOH Ride Along

Last Friday after working an extra hour for the first four days of the week I took at half day and started my long...very long drive north to Beckley, WV. Eight hours later (7+1 hour loss to EST) I arrived in Beckley at the United Methodist Temple where this years Trans-America Journey of Hope team was staying. When I arrived most of the team was out and about for the evening (Starbucks, movie theater, etc.) and the epicness that was the dirt track racing extravaganza! I hoped on my bike and met some of the guys down at Starbucks who were catching up on their blogs and emails.

When Danny and Matt arrived we hoped in the car headed out for our traditional pre-century ride ice-cream binge. After fulfilling that necessity we headed back to the church by which time most of the team had returned from their evening festivities. After a long and sleepless night the next morning began as an morning does on the Journey; we awoke to music blaring and the buzz of gymnasium fluorescent lights warming up. Most things seem so to be moving by you at 100MPH as you stand still but in 30 minutes I managed to pack up my sleeping bag and pad, get dressed, fill my bottles, freshen up in the men's room, and get my bike and bags out the front door. After a binge eating breakfast, a dedication for the day (Ride for 32), and prayer we hoped on the bikes and the 5 Virginia Tech guys headed South towards Blacksburg.

I miss riding as the sun is rising and in the crisp mountain air, having an opportunity to relive the experience of the Journey makes me wonder when or if I'll ever get to ride it again. The day went smoothly with a few rollers out of town and a few "Hey team discovery could you ease up on the hills?" later we were at lunch. We told Kenny he was pulling for the first 25 miles. We were kidding. He was not. He pulled for the first 30!

A typical crew stop on the Journey of Hope. Our paceline didn't see another all day except for lunch!


The day cleared up as we went but started our pretty chilly and hazy.

The route differed tremendously from last years with most of the ride cutting through the valleys instead of going over the mountains. The reason for the different route was a sponsored lunch in Peterstown, the team indulged on homemade chili and sloppy Joes.

The team refueling over lunch.

Right after lunch we crossed into Virginia, the last state line crossing of the trip until the team heads into D.C. This marks the beginning of the end for the guys and some of my favorite days of the trip biking through my home state.

Schmidt, Danny, and myself at a different Welcome to Virginia sign than last year.

The rest of the abbreviated ride was on Rt. 460, an interstate with no shoulder and 55+MPH traffic on it. To say the least we were not happy about the route and wouldn't ride it again in hindsight.

What would a day on the Journey be without a Road Side. Danny armed with TP headed for cover!

Once we finally arrived at the town limits Kenny and Fred posed with the Tech flag, Finally home!

All in all the numbers for the day weren't too bad including just over 6600 ft. gained and 87 miles on the day. It doesn't really compare to last years but I'll let you look at the numbers yourself.

The longest ride I've ever done with the PowerTap

2009 Elevation map

2010 Elevation map

Finally at the end of the day I had earned the reason why I ride...a Burrito...

The soon to be Blacksburg Chipotle!

....Unfortunately Chipotle hasn't opened yet, so I had to resort to Moe's...Drats!

Moe's, my reason to ride!

Read more...

Finally a day off

I've been trying to resist the ride ride ride urge understanding that recovery is just as important as riding.

After an awesome get together with the Fort Payne cycling club Friday night, I decided I would drive to Chattanooga in the morning and make the Suck Creek cycle "Standing Ride." Standing ride means it always takes place and is a reliable, dependable, did I mention ALWAYS happens ride.

Chattanooga is on EST and Fort Payne is on CDT, an hour behind the East Coast. In order to make the 8:30AM departure, I'd have to leave by 6AM my time to make the hour commute and lose an hour to the time change. I made it out the door a few minutes after six and to Chattanooga by 8 AM (EST). After waiting around in the parking lot for 20 minutes, no one had showed I figured it was a lost cause, I hoped on my phone enjoying the 3G that I can get in Chattanooga that isn't present in Fort Payne and found a group ride about 15 minutes away. Made the short drive there and missed that ride as well.

It wasn't a total loss, I stopped by Rembrandts coffee shop and drowned my sorrow's over coffee and french toast.

Delicious baguette french toast and iced latte at Rembrandts!

I drove home to Fort Payne discouraged and debating whether I was going to ride, but found energy to get out for a ride and got 41 in before the afternoon storms rolled in.

At the top of Tutwhiler Gap, before a long narly descent

Although it was a hazy day, it was still a nice view from the top.

The power file from my Saturday ride.

On Sunday around 2PM a group of us left for Big River Grill in Chattanooga; a brewery at the end of 50 mile ride the served as motivation. It was without a doubt my hardest day ever on a bike. A record heat index made the ride nearly impossible for me, I cramped at 40 mile worse then I've ever cramped. After rolling around in someone front yard for nearly 10 minutes and two people stopping to ask if I was alright (thinking I had been hit by a car, and using lots of expletives) with both of my legs completely locked, I managed to get on the bike and coast down the hill into the city.

Power file from Sunday's incredibly hard ride.


The group that left, not even half braved the whole ride, only 6 made it to Chattanooga.

The hill that ruined Sunday's for me. Burkhalter used to be in the tour of Georgia.

The heat just proved to be too much for me, hopefully this isn't an indication as to how my ride this week from Beckley, WV to Blacksburg, VA. The suds at Big River Grill were totally worth it though!

Monday after my horrendous Sunday I went out for an easy recovery. I think it was the first time I've actually stayed at a recovery effort and stayed in my recovery heart rate zone.

An actual recovery ride for once.

Tuesdays ride didn't go much better than Sunday's. I've decided to never eat Mexican again the same day I intend to go for a ride. The amount of grease and heavy food in my ride almost made me vomit twice, I cut the evening short and relaxed at home.

Tuesdays group ride that I cut short.

In other news I joined a gym today in hopes to begin doing core exercises and minimal lifting to try to trim off some excess weight and record my weight. I'm toying with the idea of doing this Omnium in just over a month, may give me something to work towards.

Read more...

Boone Roubaix - Even the Police Car Got A Flat!

The title says it all.

Saturday's Hell of the High Country - "Boone Roubaix" was a complicated sh*tshow of a race that had officials and even the race director himself scratching their heads trying to figure out. The course, which length and complexity varied depending on category, was comprised of paved and rugged gravel sections that ate tires all day, even forcing one of the police vehicles to change a front right wheel after a flat halfway throughout the day.

Andrew Stackhouse, the "race director" from Pirate Race Productions began the morning with a poor attempt at speaking French stating " I've taken six years of French and don't have much to show for it", welcomed feedback and criticism from participants, well Andrew, it's on like Donkey Kong.

The morning was supposed to begin at 9AM with the Pro, 1, 2, 3 field, instead the first field didn't leave until around 9:40AM due to the police arriving at the wrong location. Here's the first point of criticism, have a pen?

Dearest Andrew Stackhouse,

1. If you intend to be a professional race promoter, then your races should be run flawlessly, I'd suggest not going the cheap route by hiring the police for when the race starts. Instead pay the local law enforcement for an extra hour prior to the start to prevent an instance just like this one; also make sure you give them the right location, that way if they sit for a half hour at the wrong place you give yourself a buffer to still start the race on time.
   
2. Start the race on time. PERIOD.
   
3. Make a course that doesn't take a degree in Topography (too big a word, I linked it if you don't understand) to decipher.
4. Have adequate staff and volunteers to prevent half the field getting lost due to lack of directions. (Half of the Pro, 1, 2, 3 field went the wrong direction, missed turns, etc. because no one was at a turn or a detour sign).
   
5. THE COURSE, back to the course. Stack, keep in mind that the few volunteers that you did have working the race were in fact..... volunteers, (I defined that one too in case you didn't know what that one means either). They can't tell if someone is a Pro,1,2,3 rider, or a collegiate A or B rider, how in the world are they supposed to know whether to tell someone to take a right or left on railroad grade road? Make a course that allows volunteers to be positive which way they're sending riders.
6. DON'T CHANGE THE DISTANCE AND COURSE AT THE START LINE.
7. Make one flier and then don't change it, not ten different ones that change every day prior to the race!

I'll stop there, basically for someone who's attempting to make a living being a "professional race director" you forgot the first rule, Keep It Simple Stupid!

Sincerely,

Everyone who hated your race.

As for how the races played out? The Pro, 1, 2, 3 field was shattered, miss directed, confused, and left for the taking to those who didn't flat out; for the unfortunate many that did the 20 minute wait for the wheel truck took riders out of all contention. The race went to Mark Hekman of Team Mtn. Khaki's. Only 36 of the original 53 starters finished the race. The full Pro, 1, 2, 3 results can be found Here.

Men's Pro, 1, 2, 3, field patiently waiting for the police to arrive.

The Men's collegiate A and B fields departed 5 and 10 minutes after the Pro, 1, 2, 3 race respectively, for distances of 60 and 44 miles. Reid Beloni of Virginia Tech put a hurting on the Men's A field and finished alone for his first collegiate A victory of the season, Michael Niemi of Duke and Justin Beard of Phifer finished out the podium. For the full men's collegiate A results Click Here.

Men's Collegiate A: Justin, Justin, and Reid (left to right).

Tommy Brock. Nuff said.

Men's Collegiate A at the bottom of Carter Miller Rd., beginning of the first long climb.

The collegiate B race was blown apart, with 1 of 7 tech riders finish the race due to flats. The race went to Matthew Rinehart of Duke University, one of the 5 remaining B's in the field, 3 of which were Duke riders. Matt Dockins of Virginia Tech took 2nd and Davis Graham took 3rd. 13 of 23 starters finished, a measly 57% completion rate.

Men's Collegiate B. Matt Dockins nearest, 2nd for the day overall.

Men's Collegiate B on a narly switchback

The grueling climb continues...

The women's races consumed most of the mid-day with a notable finish from VT rider Lindsey McKeever for 6th place in the women's B field.

Following suit with the rest of the day, the Men's 4/5 race and men's collegiate C races were delayed at the line as the fields watched one of the police vehicles change a flat, enduring the same pain many riders experienced earlier in the day. The race finally got underway around 3:30PM, half an hour late, and before the field hit the start finish line had a crash from believe it or not the race winner, Appalachian State rider Andrew Murphy (correct me if I'm wrong here, but that's the word on the street). The field stayed together until the first gravel climb, Carter-Miller Rd. where the men were separated from the boys. Apparently I'm a boy, as I was 3rd wheel at the beginning of the climb and came out around the high teens. After the paved climb on 194 and a long sweeping decent down the back side, the field was shattered and riders found themselves out for a training ride or in small groups of 2's and 3's. I caught a Navy rider and we worked together reeling in stragglers from the 4/5 race and a few collegiate riders as well. After 34 miles a Duke rider, Chris from Navy, and myself were still together when we hit the last section of gravel on the course. Unfortunately the Navy rider got a flat and it was Duke and I, the Duke rider didn't even contest the sprint and I rolled across the line for 11th.

11th of 36 starters, 28 finished. Full results Here.

Overall I had a fairly mediocre day and performance but placed well simply by finishing and not flatting. I did keep the Garmin 310XT in my back pocket and recorded data for the race (cough..cough..training ride).

PowerData from ASU RR - Boone Roubaix

Last but not least, this pig decided to hang out with us all day...just a random ass pig walking around. Its name was Petunia and it ate an entire Clif bar from a Brian's backpack, wrapper included, and then spit back up the wrapper. Impressive and definitely deserving of the bar.

Petunia kick'n it.

More from Day 2 of ASU race weekend to come, not USCF Thank Goodness!

Read more...

ACCC Weekend Preview - Appalachian State - Boone, N.C.

ACC teams will head south this weekend to Boone, N.C. for a weekend of racing at Appalachian State. The weekend will begin with the Hell of the High Country, or Boone-Roubaix including course descriptions like Petit, Moderee, Plus Moderee, and Grand Parcours with various distances of 18, 35, 44, and 69 miles respectively. The courses will vary based on category including number of climbs and distances from 1km to 8km of grueling unpaved gravel. Sunday will feature the Boone Mall Criterium, a 1km parking lot course with sweeping chicanes. Full race weekend flyer Here.

Boone-Roubaix description.

I'll be heading down early with Reid to pre-ride sections of Saturdays course and make a very necessary stop at Stick Boy Bread Company for delicious cookies, continuing my habit of proper race fuel prior to race weekends.

With the likely return of the Navy armada from their absence at VCU/UVA criterium, the fields will be full for what is sure to be a challenging and painful course. Tech will be traveling 17 Hokies strong with promising finishes in Men's A with Reid and Justin Crawford, and Matt Dockins and Mike Breitenbach in Men's B. More exciting is that the team will be unveiling the full team kit this weekend as we received an early shipment from Funkier of bibs.

Sneak peak!

The race director put together a nice video to preview the weekend:

Boone Roubaix "Hell of the High Country" from Eric Crews on Vimeo.

In other news Wednesday Worlds, a local weekly race ride, happened again last night with more success than the previous week. I fared pretty well on the way out until double pulls in the pace line thanks to Mr. Reagan surging past the front of line did me in, I fell off the back but managed to bridge myself and another rider from Rogues Racing back before relaxing the last 3 miles until the turn around. On the return I did pretty well and finished up the hill around 8th or 9th, my best finish so far.

PowerData from Wednesday Worlds.

I'm stoked for the weekend an hopefully another good finish, more to come.

Read more...

Wednesday = Hump day

Halfway through the week...well almost. The week has gone less than smooth so far, but instead of ranting and raving about poor me and bad days, I'll simply post my ride data and look forward to an awesome weekend of ACC Cycling in Boone, NC at Appalachian State.

Monday I got a nice ride in except for the mother (or Queen I suppose) of all Bee's stinging me on the hip and it swelling to ridiculously large proportions, other than that minor detail and getting soaked in the rain it was pretty decent.

Blogger is being stupid, so here's the PowerData from Monday's river ride:

I decided I would head west toward Craig Springs, the site of the VT road race in a few weeks to do some reconissance. I pre-drove the route before the ride to make sure I knew where I was going and wasn't just aimlessly riding looking for a turn that would never come. It's incredible the difference in driving and pedaling my fat butt up a hill or small undulation. Anyways the course is significantly longer than the race flyer states, which rumors each lap to be 15.1 miles, both my Garmin and PowerTap recorded 19 miles (18.95 and 19.19 respectively).

PowerData from Tuesdays Maggie Valley ride:

It was a gorgeous day but pretty windy so I wound up only doing one lap of the course. The cell phone pictures below are pretty blurry because my phone was in my back pocket and sweaty.

Tonight I'll attempt Wednesday Worlds in an effort to not get dropped. Other than that a few small other notes from this week:

1. Training peaks - WKO Software doesn't run on a Mac, Cruddy.
2. My bike is pissssed at me...and needs some serious work.
3. School is ever consuming and I have unfortunately been slacking on both this blog as well as riding.
4. My hip looks like road rash from a bee sting, really?
5. I found some cool shots from GWCycling2006 on Webshots from the VCU/UVA weekend as well as NAVY, but Webshots doesn't have a Mac desktop application and therefore pictures can't be downloaded, so sorry for snagging your shots...but I tried I really did.

Pictures from Navy and VCU/UVA weekends:

Navy:

Nick manning it up infront of me.

Notice there's still snow on the ground!

UVA/VCU Day 2:

I found the outside line really worked for me.

I love this photo, the John Hopkins guys is looking over at me as I'm passing him in the sprint for the finish and GW is wondering if I'm coming for him too.

So I only wound up getting the John Hopkins guy.

Hopefully I'll manage to get a race preview of this weekend at Appalachian State unlike last weekends race preview + race report Smithfield Triathlon.

Read more...