Extreme Momentum

ABD Sunrise Park Cyclocross
October 28, 2007 – Bartlett, IL
Masters 30+ – 19th

Yeah!  Fall is finally here for CX.  ABD had picked a great place for a new course and couldn’t have had nicer fall weather.  Heading out to this race, I was actually happy to see temperatures keep falling into the 30s as I got farther from the lake.  The sun was out, so it felt much warmer.  After being sick for the past 2 weeks with a cold and sinus infection, it was a nice to feel like racing again.

The Sunrise Park course was about 15 minutes off I-90 out in Bartlett.  Parking was at a local school and it was a mile to the start and registration area.  The CX course was a 1.5 mile loop with lots of tight corners and a few run-ups with barriers.  The terrain was primarily an open, rolling field (used as a Frisbee golf course) and small wooded section.  The grassy surface was extremely slick at the start due to the frost and running my Grifos at 35 psi made me appreciate tubulars in the turns.

There were about 25 guys in the Masters 30+ race.  The pace at the start was pedestrian due to the tight turns and slick grass.  Things opened up after the first section of barriers, and got into the normal 30+ race rhythm.  I started just behind the Top 10, pushing it right out the gate.  I was trying to keep Brian Boyle just in front of me.  I could tell he was looking better than his first few races of the year, where he had struggled with choosing the right gearing for his single-speed.

After about 15 minutes, I paid for my lack of warming up.  I was feeling great, but my legs started to cramp from too much lactic acid build up.  The one advantage to having a HRM in races like CX is that it gives you a good way to compare your heart rate to how your legs feel.  My HR was still low, but my legs were going 100%.  Much different than my earlier races of the year.

I got lucky having about 4-5 guys right around me to leapfrog over, than get passed again.  Things started to fall apart for me with 2 laps to go.  My legs couldn’t take it and I just wanted to drop; however, I was feeling good overall and knew I could push my heart a lot more.  There were a good number of people cheering and Robert Antinelli was pushing us on before his 40+ race.  I dropped from 15th to 19th on the last lap and got passed by the leaders with about 400 m to go.

Coming around for my last lap, I was hoping the USA cycling official would call my race because I had been lapped.  Yes, I wanted the pain in my legs to end.  As I crossed the line, I looked at him and asked, “Done?”  He held up one finger and said, “One to go.”  What!?  Oh, the humanity.  That is the world of CX.  Pain controls your world.

Having to go another lap is actually great for training both mentally and physically.  I’ve had very few races where my legs gave out before me.  Even though this race was a hair under 60 minutes, my legs were feeling more like they had the last few miles of marathon.  Ah, what the heck, it’s only another 7 minutes!  One lap later, I finished in 19th.  Not bad for my legs and my first real race in a few weeks.

I really hope ABD gets to use this course again next year.  It was a lot of fun and was friendly for spectators and hard on the riders…just what CX is supposed to be.  Thanks again ABD for another great race.

ABD Sunrise Park Cyclocross Results

ABD Fall Fling Road Race – 38.5 miles
October 6, 2007 – Pecatonica, IL
Cat 4 – 38th
244 watts – 21.6 MPH

I admit it.  I’m a pansy.  OK, maybe that can be a good thing at times, but it can also come back to bite you.

Saturday, October 6 brought the last road race of the year—the ABD Fall Fling.  The “fall” weather was some of the hottest we’ve had for any race this year.  Temps were in the low 80s with dew points approaching 70.  A 10-15 MPH wind from the southwest helped cool things down a little.  It was definitely time to load up with extra fluids!  I had two full 16 oz water bottles racked up and many riders had a third in their jersey pocket.

The course for the Fall Fling has been described many places before.  It’s roughly an 8-mile rectangle with rolling hills, but no wind protection.  Road surfaces are in good shape, though there were a few potholes near the shoulder.  There are very few places for gaps to form in the pack unless there is a strong crosswind (or a few crashes).  This course usually just experiences the usual pre-turn slowing and post-turn accelerations.

After getting dropped due to my cold muscles last year, I made sure to get in a nice long warm-up.  Riders staged in the parking lot before the start for a brief reminder about race safety and the enforcement of the centerline rule.  Considering the tragic loss of Beth earlier this year, I’m glad race directors are cracking down on centerline violators.  With the rules done, we rolled out to Smith Road for the start.

The pace at first was nice and easy with no one really wanting to pick things up.  Compared to last year, I think people were more sensitive to the heat.  I was hanging towards the back third, and planning on moving up on the second lap.  This road race was a last minute change in plans for me, since an old teammate got smart and decided not to run the Chicago Marathon.  With my Saturday now free, I though the road race would be a good workout for cyclocross.  This “pansy” attitude might have killed my race for the day even before it began.  Here’s why…

On the backstretch, halfway through the first lap, a couple of riders touched wheels in front of me and went down taking others with them.  I went straight towards the ditch, but was able to stop on the shoulder.  I hesitated for about 10-15 seconds and asked if everyone was OK and the chase vehicle immediately stopped to help everyone.  A few riders behind me had also been held up, but the guys on the outside were able to circumvent and get back up to the pack right away.  My hesitation killed me.  I restarted expecting to find I had been dropped when the pack accelerated after the crash as they usually do.  This was not the case much too my surprise.  Unfortunately, my hesitation had left too much of a gap for me to hammer and catch the pack (a few other riders who hadn’t hesitated were able to catch up and rejoin the peloton).  Ironically, I was able to keep them at a good distance for about another lap before I realized my chasing had become fruitless.  I had pretty much killed myself and just set into a good hard tempo/light threshold ride as a workout.

On another “pansy” note, I had been riding right near the shoulder.  I’m not sure if this was because I had Beth’s accident in the back of my mind, but I find it interesting since I usually ride towards the centerline with the specific reason of moving up and being able to easily go around crashes in the pack.  Had I been in my normal spot, I probably would have avoided the crash and stuck with the pack.

I ended riding the rest of the race by myself and picking off a few riders.  I didn’t notice the heat that much with the wind, but I kept drinking fluids just out of habit.  On the last lap, I noted signs that I was becoming dehydrated and backed off the pace.  Yep, it’s a pansy thing to do, but when you’ve blacked out from heatstroke before, you learn to be careful.

When I finished, I found out that there had been a couple of crashes right before the finish.  Both Tim and Kirby went down.  Tim had some pretty nasty abrasions and his bike was pretty much done for the year.  Since I wasn’t around to witness the crashes, I don’t know the circumstances, but I wouldn’t be surprised if heat and dehydration had something to do with them.

I really appreciated the support from ABD for the race.  There were course marshals at each corner and I saw them holding up several cars for me at turns.  I hope the local residents didn’t mind the delay, because it’s a decent race venue.  Whether you’re a pansy or not, the road race is a nice way to end the road season.

ABD Fall Fling Road Race Results