Attempts to dig my way to work failed

Equipped with nothing more than a laptop, boxlite, and shovel.

Makeshift office (JeffCo Airport)

Early in the AM.

Holden and Sidney trekking through the snow to get to the swing set.

Professionals are Born Here

First, I want to send a shout out to the 5430 Series race organizers Barry and Jodee Siff. Barry and Jodee have done a phenomenal job in putting on these races. If you competed in any of the 5430 series, I encourage you to send them an email to let them know how great the races were. While my days as an athlete in this sport are numbered, I plan to volunteer at as many of these races as possible next year. I really do love the sport and the people involved. Class acts from top to bottom.

We are really fortunate to live in a city that promotes health the way Boulder does, and get behind events like these. Also, the shear number of professional athletes here is amazing. Tuesday, Carey found herself running and talking with Amanda Lovato then Sunday while I am out suffering like a dog, she’s chatting it up with the wife of another athlete. After some initial chit chat about the kids, the conversation goes like this…

Woman – “When do you expect your husband to finish?”

Carey – “Hopefully before the sun goes down. How about your husband?”

Woman – “He won it.”

Carey – “Oh, you’re Craig Alexander’s wife?”

Thanks honey. You know you could have mentioned something about my double hip replacement surgery or my broken left tibia or my frost bitten toes from climbing Mt. Everest the week before? Instead all I get is a “hopefully he finishes before the course closes.” I somehow doubt that Craig would be impressed with that finish.

Anyhow without further adieu, the part of the post that everyone has been waiting for. The 5430 Kid’s Triathlon. It was a treat to watch close to 300 kids in this magical event. This was by far one of the best times I had at a triathlon.

Holden getting in his pre-race meal.

Getting body marked.

Keeping it relaxed.

Get ready to swim.

Time to hammer on the bike, like daddy.

Time to crush the run, NOT like daddy.

Wow, he just ran right out of his shoes. Criss-cross, bunny ears, and tie.

"I did it! Check out my medal!"

Ride safe,
J-Rod

I don't want to brag or anything but...

We have the greatest kids!

Thumbs up, dude.

Too cute.

Last minute advice from running coach and mother.

Swift kick to the head

Note to self: Don't let the kids kick box. Results are what you would expect.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/2006/06/onekick.wmv

State Criterium Champion

My epic weekend has finally come to a close. Four races in three days. It started off with an 8th place finish in the time trial, followed by a grueling 11th place finish in yesterday's crit, then capped off with a double header today with the Bolder Boulder at 7 am and another crit at 1:30 pm. My legs can finally relax and look forward to a recovery week.

Before getting into the details, here is the summary of the weekend.

TT - 8th
Crit - 11th
10K - 40:08 (PR)
Crit (CO State Criterium Championship) - 1st
Omnium GC- 2nd

Sunday's Crit

Yesterday's criterium was nothing short of absolute hell. During my warm-up I knew it would be tough, I just didn't realize how tough. About 20 minutes into the race, I was clinging on to the lead group of about 15. For two laps I would get dropped on the climb, then descend like a maniac to catch back on. Finally the elastic broke and I could no longer hang on. I knew then there was a real chance I could get lapped. The crit was 55 minutes total and only after 25 minutes, I seriously thought about pulling over and calling it a day. Thankfully I snapped out of it and continued on. I knew as long as I placed top 20 I could get some GC points. The last lap finally came and I was sitting alone at 12th. Two riders were in front of me by about seven seconds as we came over the top of the climb. I knew I could bridge on the descent and I did just that. Going into the final 200m it was going to be a three man sprint for 10th. I was edged out at the line and finished 11th. My legs were utterly shredded after that race and I considered not returning the next day.

I did what I could to recover (cold bath, Recoverite, self massage, stretching) that night. I still had a 10K in the morning and I was still on the fence for the last crit.

Bolder Boulder 10K

I woke up this morning feeling a little better about my body, so I knew I would be doing the double. First, the Bolder Boulder. After the warm-up, I felt descent. Not great, but not terrible. The gun sounded and we were off. I thought I was holding back on the first mile, but when I looked at my watch and saw 6:08, I though "Oh, shit, this is going to hurt." I slowed it down for the next mile all the way back to 6:44. Again I thought, "Oh, shit." This time it was because I was going to slow. Mile three I tried to pick it up but could only muster a one second gain from the previous mile. I was able to pull back some more time on the next couple of miles (6:18, 6:23), but the damage was done. I pushed it up the final hill into Folsom Stadium for the finish and the tank read "E." Now I only had a few short hours before I had to get to Golden for the final criterium in the omnium.

Monday's Criterium

The finale of this long weekend was the Colorado State Criterium Championship. Surprisingly, my legs didn't feel completely shelled after the 10K just hours earlier and the previous two days of racing. When I lined up at the start line, I had a less than desirable position. I was sitting three rows back. Since this was the State Championships, I expected the race to be fast from the start. I wasn't disappointed. After the first lap I was sitting near the rear of this long train. A few laps later and my position didn't really improve much. I knew there was still plenty of racing and my only goal at this point was to get a few places each lap. Don't try and get it all back at once.

The course was pretty technical with eight turns and two long straight-a-ways. With two thirds of the race behind us, I was able to crack the top twenty. That's when I took stock. My legs had somehow been re-energized and I felt pretty comfortable with my position. I knew which turns I could move up on and which ones to lay off and cruise. At that point, I decided I had the legs and I was going to win.

The next few laps, I moved up another 8-10 spots. For the first time in the race, I saw the riders leading this train. One of the riders in the front happened to be the guy that out-sprinted me for 10th. After that race, he told me today's race suited him a lot more with all the turns. He was definitely one to watch as we approached the countdown.

Five laps to go and I was still sitting in a pretty good position. Stay alert, and be ready to go if someone else goes. I thought about attacking in the last lap if the group showed any hesitation through one of the final turns. There was a good headwind on the final straight-a-way, so I knew that would only be a last resort.

Three laps to go. I told myself once again, I was going to win. I was not going to get pipped at the line. Of course as soon as I said that, I lost several positions. No big deal. I can get them back. I just need to be in the top 5-6 in that final turn.

Two laps to go. Someone came to the front and started to string the field out. This was perfect. I knew some more would get dropped by the acceleration which meant less sprinting for the win.

Final lap. I remained in the top ten, but needed to move up a few positions before heading into the sprint. I was able to do that pretty easily. We came around the final turn for the long straight-a-way and I was right where I wanted to be, fifth wheel. As we started to accelerate for the finish, I easily moved into third. This is where it takes patience. A slight uphill with a head wind would crash your hopes of victory if you moved to early. First wheel did just that. As his legs gave out, the rider running second started his sprint. Holy shit, this is the same guy that beat me to the line for 10th yesterday. I let him start his sprint and just tucked in. When the moment came, I swung around. Did I wait too long? I put my head down and pushed as hard as I could. As we were approaching the line I kicked it into a higher gear. Almost there. I tried using my peripheral vision to see if anyone was near but I couldn't see through my sweat. Race over.

There you have it. I am now the State Criterium Champion! How the hell did that happen? Only one word to describe it...Nutty! My only goal was today was to survive and see if I could remain in the top 10 for the overall GC. With that victory, it propelled me to 2nd overall, only one point down from Omnium champ. Remember that sprint for 10th yesterday? How about 8th in the TT only half a second down from the 7th place finisher? It stings a little, but looking back at my expectations, I am quite satisfied. Regardless, that second place finish in GC earned me over $200. That should help cover the cost for a month or two of race registration fees.

Today's victory for Feedback had even more significance. It was one year ago today that Scott Kornfield's life was ended prematurely when a teenager fell asleep at the wheel. Nate and several others of my teammates rode the route that Scott and Nate intended to that day to remember him.

I will now kick back a little and enjoy my recovery week. I will spend more time in the pool and less time on the legs this week. Then the racing picks up again, with another State Championship, but this time in the time trial.

Coal Miner’s Classic – Heavy hearts and lessons learned

I am trying to think if there was ever a time I didn’t complete a race I started. Granted, I have only been competing now for four years (marathons, triathlons, bike races), but the short answer is no. That would change at today’s race.

Today’s race would start with heavy hearts. It had been renamed to The Scott Kornfield Memorial Race. Scott was killed tragically last year while on a training ride with Nate. Scott helped put Feedback Sports Race Team together. I never knew Scott, so I don’t have the same emotional connection that everyone else on the team has. I can only imagine how they felt, given how I was feeling that morning. Regardless, I knew the significance of this race and what it meant to my teammates.

Left to right - Me, Andrew, Nate, Brad, Diran, Titus, Andy

The night before the race, I had trouble sleeping playing out the different scenarios that could unfold on race day. You know, “what would you do if this happens?” type stuff. The underlying theme of it all was patience. I kept telling myself, "no matter what, be patient."

The race started and once again I had trouble clipping into my pedals. It wasn’t as bad this time, but still frustrating nonetheless. Having Andy right behind me helped keep me cool while I got clipped in. Once clipped in, I found myself in the middle of the pack. I was happy with that for the time being.

During the second lap a break started to form. Nate, the team opportunist, was once again in the break. Seeing that the break didn’t really push a big advantage initially, I decided to remain in the peloton and ride comfortably behind Andy. This strategy seemed to work as I was able to ride within myself never pushing the upper limits.

With about five laps to go the break still had maintained its advantage, even increased it some. I knew then it probably wasn’t coming back. Andy had apparently read my mind because then he put in a Herculean effort to bridge to the break. I sat on his wheel as long as I could, then swung around to make the final push. We passed the start/finish which was on a slight uphill so I knew that would be my best chance to bridge, and sure enough I tagged onto the back at the top.

Once I bridged, I was just going to sit in and recover a bit. I still felt pretty good even after bridging the gap. I just needed about 20-25 seconds of sitting in to recover. I would get that and then some. We made a right turn to go down the back stretch and as we made that turn, I felt me rear wheel fish tail a little. Hmmmm. Ok, keep going. On the downhill straight-a-way, it started to do it again. This isn’t good. Yep, it’s flat. Maybe if I could get around to the wheel pit, I can get a wheel change. Wait a minute. I didn’t bring any wheels. SHIT!!!!!!

I was probably in the break for less than 30 seconds, before I flatted. I couldn’t believe it, my first DNF. After all the work Andy did, this is how I repay him?

The break stayed away the whole way and Nate finished 5th on the day. A good result, but dammit I should have been in the mix! What's the lesson in all of this? Always bring extra wheels for the wheel pit. The pit is there for a reason.

More Racing

After my race, Holden decided to he wanted to race in the kids race. Only problem, he had a flat tire too. This must run in the family. We raced home, changed is tire, then raced back to the race.

Apparently, dragging around a teammate that would ultimately DNF wasn’t enough for Andy. Holden and I arrived just in time to see the last four laps of the Men 35+ race. Andy was at the front looking strong. This man doesn’t stop.

Andy putting the hurt on the 35+ field (in the new clothing) .

Once that race concluded, it was time for Holden to see what his legs could do. I was just hoping we wouldn’t have a repeat of Redlands. We walked down to the start and the kids got all lined
up.

Holden getting ready...A couple of riders don't look 4 to me.

“Ready, GO!” Wait a minute, did anyone tell them where to stop? Holden, took off. From the start it was really just between him and these two other boys. One had gotten away, but Holden dropped the hammer. His legs were pumping so fast it looked like he was out of control. I couldn’t tell from the back but it look like he got to line first. If not first, he was a close second. Regardless, the race had just started for me. Watching the earlier races, Holden saw the riders go all the way around the 1+ mile circuit, so he thought he had to do the same. A quarter of a mile later I finally caught him. I love kids.

Holden starting to crank it up.

And more racing

After taking Holden back to his third birthday party in two days, we headed back to the race site to catch the last race of the day, CAT 3 Men. Diran would once again be the sole Feedback racer. Before the race, Nate spoke to the riders about Scott and everyone observed a moment of silence.

Nate speaking to the 3s.

Once the race got off, it looked fast and furious. Diran looked good and was in the main bunch the whole race. There were a lot of racers that didn’t look so great.

Diran in the mix.

Congrats to the entire team today. We fielded six in the CAT 4 and overall, I think we performed pretty well with two riders (Nate & Andrew) in the top 10. Next up, Rocky Mounts Omnium (and Bolder Boulder).

Last word on Deer Trail

You can read Diran's report here, so I won't go into any details. The conditions were tough, really tough. Even with those conditions Nate attacked with 20 miles left of racing into a solid headwind. he deserved to win it, but was caught in the final mile and ended up with 7th, which is still a good result.

As for me, well let's just say this is a race I would like to forget about and move on. Luckily there is a race next weekend (actually two races) so I don't have time to dwell on the past. I was able to learn a few things in my first race in Colorado. One, the level of competition out here is 20x better than what I faced in California a few weeks ago. That means I will have to work 20x harder to get on top. Only time will tell if I am up for the challenge.

Next week we have Lookout Mountain Hill Climb (4.5 mile climb) on Saturday and Rabbit Mountain Time Trial (11k TT that finishes on a 13% grade) on Sunday. I really need a good result at these races to get my confidence back heading into the heart of the racing season.

Back in Boulder

I am finally back in Boulder! I got to sleep in my own bed after 22 long days in southern California. I am looking forward to staying anchored here and catching up with my wife and kids. Thankfully, they were out in So Cal with me for the first week and a half. I got in some good training (solely on the bike) and had some good race results to go along with the training.

In the three weeks I was out there, I logged roughly 630 miles, almost held off a chase group in the Redlands Classic, and won a stage at the Vuelta a Valencia as well as the overall GC. I was able to climb Oak Glen a couple of times, hit one of the Tuesday night rides, and generally just had some fun on the bike.

Now that I am back in Boulder, I am looking forward to team rides, races, and the beginning of my Ironman prep for Florida. I have a lot of work to get caught up in my other disciplines, but I look forward to the challenge. My focus will remain with cycling throughout the cycling season then in July start focusing on Florida.

Vuelta A Valencia Recap

This is going to be a lengthy post to detail how my race over the last two days went. You may just want to just read a stage a day.

When I found out I was going to be in Redlands another weekend, I immediately started looking for a race. Lucky me, I found a stage race in the Santa Clarita area. There were three races in two days. I had no expectations for this race…okay, I lied. I had some expectations. I had a good two weeks of training while out in So Cal, so I felt like I could make something happen. Note to self: Be sure to read the race flyer in its entirety. The stage race would not be won based on time, but rather a point system. The higher you place on each stage the more points you earn.

For those that are not interested in the story here is the summary.

Overall GC - 1st Place

Prologue - 4th Place
Stage 1 - 1st Place
Stage 2 - 4th Place

Saturday – (Prologue and Stage 1)

Prologue (7 mile TT)

The TT was an out and back course. Riders were sent out in 30 second intervals. I was third from the last to head out. The day before I picked up some clip-on aero bars from Mark F. As the riders were being sent, I actually felt pretty calm. I knew this would probably be my best chance at winning a race this weekend.

I stood in the start tent waiting for the countdown. 5-4-3-2-1 Go! I wasted no time getting my speed up. The rider that went before me had a 30 second head start, so that was my goal. Catch him! In a race this short, there really is no pacing involved. It’s almost an all out sprint for seven miles. My cadence was high as was my speed. With a slight descent going to the turn around I was pushing anywhere from 26-30 mph. One by one, I started to reel in the riders in front of me, although it wasn’t until late I caught the rider that started just in front of me. When I did pass him, I think he was a little shocked. From that point on he just sat on my wheel. I looked back to let him know I saw what he was doing, but I had no time to play referee. Just keep ticking out the miles. With about 200 meters to go, sure enough, the guy darts out from around me to get to the line first. Way to go asshole! I still put you in the hole 30 seconds.

After the race I spun my legs out then headed back to the car. I then started taking in the calories (Power bar, banana, recovery drink, etc.). I had close to five hours before the next race. I headed to Starbucks for a Latte then proceeded to the nearest Laundromat to get my stuff clean for the next race.

Stage 1 (45 Criterium)

I got down to where the crit was to be held and watched the pros for a bit. My main objective was to find out the results of the TT then get back to the car and stay off my feet (advice from Diran). I saw the results sheet and started at the top. Not 1st, not 2nd, not 3rd. Damn! I ended up 4th. I thought that would be my best chance to win a race this weekend. There was still a road race ahead which could be my next best chance. I took another look at the results and noticed there were points awarded. You mean it’s not based on time? Again, read the race flyer before you race. The points for the TT were awarded for the first ten places (10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1). I ended up with seven points. I noted the three riders that were in front of me and a few behind me and committed their numbers to memory. Thankfully for me, the numbers were generally in increments of ten. 180, 170, 176, and 160. I would need to find these guys at the start of the crit and watch what they do.

Now to the race. I took my place on the first row, to get a good position. We had to wait a little because the race before had a crash on one of the backside turns that apparently took out most of the leaders at that point. Hmm, would that be a factor in my race?

When the whistle blew the group blew out from the starting line. I had trouble clipping in so that good position I had hoped for was down the tubes. Not that big of a deal since there are 45 minutes of racing. The loop had five turns with the backside of the course in a strong headwind and with a little upward slope. Once we hit that back side, no one wanted to be out in front. It was like the entire group came to a stop. Because of this, I was able to get my position back. I was now sitting third or fourth wheel. Right where I wanted to be. That is until the goobers in front of me pulled out. Now I am driving this train. I pulled for a little then backed off like the man before me. This kept repeating where I would constantly find myself pulling the group. I told myself, “I couldn’t keep doing this, and expect to have anything in the end.” I dropped way back to somewhere around 10-12. From this spot, I could see all my rivals as well. Not a bad position after all, although I kept thinking if someone goes down in front of me I might not make it back to the front. I just had to be prepared for anything at anytime. The man I was most concerned with was the TT winner, number 180. He was tall and lean. He was easy to spot and he also looked dangerous, as in if he tries to break, I need to go with him.

Round and round we went. Halfway through the race, the announcer made the call for the bonus sprint points, “One lap for the bonus points!” At this point, the point system (no pun intended) crystallized in my mind. I could take back those points I gave up in the TT. So for first half of the lap, I maneuvered my way back to the front of the group sitting number three or four. We made the turn to go slightly uphill and someone took off. I jumped on his wheel and was sitting number two now. Now was the last turn for the sprint line, I held out as long as I could, then swung around and accelerated. It was going to be close. Did I wait to too long? Push it Jonathan! Harder! Faster! (I am still talking about the bike race). Yes! Right at the line, I pulled it out. That would be six points in the bank. I wasn’t sure where the other contenders finished, but I did know that the guy I out sprinted wasn’t one of them. Since the sprint points were awarded to the top five (6-4-3-2-1), at a minimum I took back three points, maybe more making me the virtual leader in the GC race.

I pondered that for a couple of laps, then got back to work. Dropped back to around tenth position. The race pace picked up at this point, but I was still comfortably tucked away somewhere in the group. We went around for another 20 minutes before the announcer called out the laps. No more of the clock. We had five laps left. I was going to stay put until about three laps left then I would once again move to the front. It played out just like I wanted it to. With two laps remaining, I again moved to the front about four or five back from the lead and stayed put. One lap left. I didn’t want to move any further up with a strong headwind on the back side. We still had a few more turns before we could see the banner. We made the turn to put the wind on our side. I was watching everyone closely to see who would be the first to move. The riders in front of me slowed down to play a game of cat and mouse. When they did that, I just went! I was out of the saddle mashing on the pedals. As I was making my move I heard a few of the riders behind me yelling “Go, go, go!” I guess they recognized me from the bonus sprint, and knew this could be a dangerous move if they didn't cover. I also knew this is where a large group went down in the race before.

Because everyone waas slowing at that point and I was accelerating, I was able to open up a gap pretty easily. The question was, could I hold it. I thought back to the Redlands Classic when I attacked with three laps to go. I got caught in the last half lap. While that race was still fresh in my mind, I knew this was different. As I was pulling away, I sat back down and just kept pushing. That’s when I heard it. That unmistakable sound. You racers out there know that sound. The sound when a rider hits the deck. I didn’t look back. I just kept going as hard as I could. My legs were on fire and screaming at me by now. Fuck, don’t give in. Now is the time to pay the price! I made the last turn for home and got out of the saddle for one final sprint. Again my legs were begging for me to stop. I sat back down to drive it all the way through the line, not knowing who was behind me if anyone. I crossed the finished line and threw my fist into the air. I fuckin’ got it! There was no doubt now I would be at the top of the leader board in the overall GC.

I made my cool down lap as riders past me up and congratulated me. During that lap, I talked with the guy who finished behind me on the stage. The crash I heard was when a rider tried to follow my acceleration and his wheel just came out from under him. Luckily, no one else went down. Unfortunately, I found out later that the guy that went down was number 180, the winner of the TT. He would not race the next day.

What a conclusion to the first day of racing. I wasn’t sure how the overall would shake out, but I knew I would be a marked man tomorrow. I also knew I had to mark those that were marking me. When I got back to the hotel, I found out what the margin was. 12 Points over second place, who consequently finished second in the crit. At first, I started to track down bib numbers of the second through fourth on the GC. After a while, I went over the points and noticed I really only had three numbers to follow. I made note of the names, and would get their numbers tomorrow.
Sunday - Stage 2 (48 mile Road Race)

I did not get a good night sleep the night before. I just kept playing through all the possible scenarios and how to respond to each situation. And I cannot do math that late at night. Although I only had a few riders to watch on Sunday, I also knew that a couple of them have other riders on their team. Again, I was just playing out all the scenarios in my head. This race was far from over. It was clear though. My attention had shifted from trying to win the race to protecting what I had. That’s not exactly how I like to race. I had to race smart, but I also like to race aggressively. I suppose it was both brawn and brains that helped me through the first day. In the end I needed to keep it simple. Mark my three men and watch for the right opportunity to make a move. At this point I was really wishing I had a couple of teammates of my own to look out for me.

I arrived at the start a couple of hours early to get in a solid warm-up and to capture numbers. I wrote the numbers of the three men on the sides of first three fingers on my left hand. I knew the ink would last the whole race, but I just needed it to last the first lap. If I haven’t marked the men by then, perhaps I should just call it quits.

During my warm-up, the wind was outrageous. I am talking Boulder windy. The flags were at attention and tumble weed was flying through the air. This could make things interesting. Surprisingly, I felt really good during the warm up. I suppose the recovery drink and the cold bath actually worked.

Today’s race was going to take the riders through a couple of canyons and up a few hills for two laps, each 24 miles. Bonus sprint points would be awarded at the end of the first lap. These were important points, so I needed to make sure I was in the mix.

We all rolled out. I did not want anything to do with the wind so I tucked myself somewhere in the middle of the group. I noticed the men I needed to watch for were all behind me, keeping a close eye on what tricks I had up my sleeve. The wind would play right into my hands. No one was going to attack with such a stiff head wind, especially on the first lap.

That first lap was so boring. No one was willing to ride at the front, including me. My take on races like this, is when there are teams there with three or more riders, it is their responsibility to take up the pace making. Flying solo here, I have no problems turning down a pull. So our accordion moved along at a mild pace most of the first lap. I was able to chat it up with the number two man on the GC.

The hills were towards the end of the laps. This is playing right into my strength, how perfect. As we started climbing those first hills, I was feeling very spry, like I hadn’t even raced the day before. I was shocked to see just about the entire group still intact. Obviously the pace was too slow on the first part of that lap. That would change the next time around.

We were approaching the bonus sprints, so again I started maneuvering towards the front. All three of the top GC guys were in the mix. I knew, I didn’t have to win the sprint, but I needed to get some of the points. The third place GC guy took off, I started to follow, but the second place GC man moved along side of me and said "let’s leave him out there." This puzzled me, since it was only two points that separated second and third place. But hey, that’s better for me, so I was happy to sit back. Then I saw others going, so I had to get some of those points. I gave the second place guy a nudge to get him to move. I knew he just had a brain fart, so I was willing to help him, if he could help me later. It was too late to catch the third place GC man, but we were able to catch the others that sprinted for the points. I ended up third for the sprints, but I was happy with that.

The third place guy was still out in front, so we left out there for a bit. It was clear he wasn’t going to work until the group picked him up. Me and the second place guy talked a little. He wanted to attack (clearly he had conceded first place to me) pretty soon and asked what I thought about it. I told him no way. It’s too early. But once we get around to the hills again, if we are to make a move, it has to be then. Things started to shake up some though, so we would have to revisit. There were about nine of us stretched out but with a sizable gap on the rest of the peloton. All of the GC leaders were in this group. We knew we had strong riders, a large enough group to slice through the wind. That’s when one guy started to round everyone up. We got organized and punched it.

Everyone I had to worry about was in this group. I felt like things were playing out in my favor. The nine of us got our pace line going. No one missed a pull. I was cautious not to do too much, but at the same time, I saw everyone pulling hard, so I had to do the same. At one point we even slowed it down a bit to allow a rider a pee break. Once he was back on, we picked up right where we left off. We all knew that there was no way we were going to get caught. The question now was who was going to have anything in the tank as the hills approached. Through the first couple of hills, we still had a pace line going believe it or not. That didn’t last long though. Nine of us turned into seven. Still in the seven were the top three in the overall GC. There was still about seven miles left,maybe five...I think. Since my computer stopped working for parts of the race, I am not sure exactly sure. Anyhow, as the race turned upwards, we basically said "Well done, now let’s race."

I had taken my gels and was properly hydrated, but my legs were now beginning to wear down. I could even feel a little cramp coming on. Not really a cramp, more of a reminder that I did use these same legs in two races the day before.

We kept marching forward, now with one less rider. As one of the climbs leveled out slightly we all just kind of sat up a little. Except one guy, who just kept pushing. Before you knew it, there was a big gap. This was great. If he takes the stage, I am almost guaranteed the overall winner. I still had to finish with the two riders that were right behind me in the GC. One of the remaining guys in our group was giving chase, but no one was helping. He put it a huge effort, I would have liked to seen him rewarded in some way, but at the same time I couldn’t figure out what his motive was. I guess the stage win. He paid the price for his effort and fell out the back. The group was getting smaller and smaller. Still the top three GC leaders were all together.

The race was starting to boil. This is how the race should have unfolded, with the top three GC leaders side by side charging up. The solo break looked like it was going to hold, but the other two guys were determined to try and catch him. What stood in the balance were extra bonus points that could determine the outcome of the race.

We could see the guy in the solo break away and we were closing but it was too late. I saw him cross the finish line with both hands in the air. With that I pumped my fist a little. The number three man attacked and opened a small gap. Then the number two man followed and shot around. I went along for the ride. I almost bridged up to the number two man but I couldn’t do it. The third place man in the GC went around me and that’s how the race ended.

I congratulated the stage winner for a great win. He had three of the top riders breathing down his neck and he still made it. Others then came around to congratulate me for a great weekend of racing. The guys I raced against were all talented and anyone of them would have been worthy winners.

In those two days, I learned a lot about bike racing. Sure the tactics are much different at my level than say the CAT 1 or 2, but there are some pretty basic things I was able to take away from this weekend.

One, it’s a lot harder to protect the lead than, than it is to take it. Going into the final day, I had stressed out about all the possible scenarios instead of concentrating on what had gotten me to that point to begin with. Yes I needed to ride smart, but I also need to ride strong. I rode conservatively and ended up giving away points. I could have and should have won by more points. Don’t get me wrong, I am still happy with how it all played out.

Two, it’s a lot harder when you have no teammates. I lucked out because the guys that had teams there didn’t have any plan going into the race or their plans just blew up in front of them.

Finally, know the race. It's some of the small things that make a difference. Before the crit, I checked who my rivals were and made sure I kept track of theem. Every point counts. Why some of the other GC contenders didn't go for the bonus points is beyond me. On Sunday, they knew who I was now and also knew that the bonus points meant something. Just a little too late.

Vuelta a Valencia - GC Winner

Since I am doing this from my Treo, I need to keep it short.

I ended up winning the stage race this weekend with a 4th place in the TT, 1st in the criterium, and 4th in the road race. The difference in the overall was the sprint bonus I took in the crit which none of the top guys seemed interested in.

It was a good weekend of racing and I will summarize it all when I get back to the hotel.

Wired to Win

As promised, my review of the IMAX presentation of Wired to Win. First it would have had to been a major flop for me not to like this. I love IMAX and of course I like bike racing. The film was about the human brain from the perspective of two bike racers in the Tour de France. The underlying message is that these athletes are relatively similar in body, however very different in the brain which is the real engine behind success, not the legs.

I was glad to see it was not about Lance and instead about two lesser known riders (Baden Cooke and Jimmy Casper) and there individual pursuits to succeed, each of which defined success differently in this tour. With that said, there was of course a lot material IMAX could have covered had they focused on Lance. Although the film centered on the two riders from Française des Jeux, their stories were somewhat diluted by IMAX jumping around the peloton throughout the movie highlighting different parts of the brain. This didn't really bother me however I could see where it might bother others. IMAX really missed an opportunity with one segment that focused on danger (recognizing and processing it through the brain). For whatever reason they chose a fictitious rock as the center piece of the danger segment and how to avoid when Lance dodging Beloki on Stage 9 to go off road would have been a perfect real example of how one can process that information and then make decisions to avoid potentially dangerous situation.

Now the actual race footage scene on an IMAX screen can't be beat. There are times when you feel as though you are in the peloton rubbing shoulders with the riders or screaming down the road at 30+ mph. All of this against the backdrop of some of the greatest scenery made the film worth it. I was not disappointed and would recommend any bike racing fan to go see it.

Don't let this happen to you

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/bikeloser.html

Why Bike Shorts Are Black

I was cleaning out my inbox when I came across an old email with these photos and the subject "Why bike shorts are black". It was too good not share with everyone.

Hey Freeman, what are your team's colors?