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Our cross race is this weekend. Campton Cross. We did a sor tof bandit cross last night. I had fun. Cross Mojo is coming back. I decided to do the 30+ this weekend and then the 4b race....yup. 4b. I want to have fun again. 4b can be the place for it I am hoping.
This will be my total, "I don't give a" race. Beware all ye who enter...
Bartlett Cross Race 2009
It was like mortar. Not the tube like things you fire exploding shells from but the stuff you use to hold blocks together with in order to create a building. The grass and mud lattice that we mixed together was working perfectly at filling every single open space and hardening in place. Unfortunately...we didn't want it to.
In an attempt to re-find my cyclocross mojo (and to rent some wheels) I got to the Bartlett race early and set up camp. The early morning rain had souped the oversaturated ground. It made even my recreationally paced pedal strokes painful and slippery even as I was just hauling materials from my car to the course.
It wasn't even time to race and all I wanted to do was crawl back into my bed to warm up and dry out. Ahh....cross weather.
After setting up I jumped on to take a few practice laps. Beveryly Bob and MJH2 were there as well. The first lap was filled with a lot of comments along the lines of, "this corner will suck" and "OOOooo can you imagine what this will be like by this afternoon?" I only felt like lowering the pressure in my tires further and when I got back I saw that I was already well below where I would rationally consider running.
I was racing 30+ and 4A's this time. My first cross double and the first time I was venturing out of the 4's for a race. I'll admit it was weird lining up with some of the elite guys I have ridden with on group rides but never against in a race. When faced with utter anniliation...make jokes.
It was a good crew. Felt good. Shea Butter, Wrong Way Nick, Alien, Beverly Bob, MJH2, JAnd, etc. were all there. Time for a good old race OTB. I figured all was well as long as I beat Bob.
It was a year ago at this very race where I first learned of Bob's existance. He and I battled each other down to the final sprint - where I believe I beat him. From that point on in just about every race it has become my mantra - "must beat Bob."
Bob has beat me a lot. I think I have beat him a lot too, but while we don't keep score we know what the goal for the day is for sure. Even better - I got some of my cross demo wheels under Bob.
So, I got a good start. I was right behind Matt. I was racing in that sweet spot right behind a teammate for most of the first lap. Shea Butter slipped in between us and finished out the lap riding alongside Matt.
The hill was a mess. We all knew we were running it. We had only seen 1 person ride it well all morning and that was Wayne "Cycling's Chuck Norris" Simon. When I brought that up to Matt he replied, "so....no mortals have ridden it yet."
Running up the hill I was damn glad I had toe spikes on....until I started to realize that all I was doing with them was picking up toe mortar and packing my pedals with it.
Somewhere along the line I was doing kind of OK and then I looked down. I must have done so because I was starting to fade. The clock said 27 minutes. Perfect for a 1/2 hr race...not the case in 30+. We were on for 45 minutes. That's when I did some Rob math and realized I was basically a little over 1/2 way done. Suck.
From there I slowly fell apart. I tried to give everyone a line to get by me. Super Wayne passed me with 1 lap left so I wasn't doing too aweful bad. I thankfully got lapped by our leader near the end of my 4th lap I believe. Right around the same time Bob....passed me.
If I had realized it was our last lap I would have sprinted or something, but no doubt Bob would have reacted and matched my move. He wanted to beat me as much as I wanted to beat him. He deserved the victory and I sure didn't. Next time Bob....next time...
After that it dawned on me that I had to wait around for hours until the 4A's. Nothing much happened. Hung out. JAnd picked up a sammich for me while I was out there (thanks!). Supergirl got on my wheels for the 4A's. Ed White got a picture of him on them. Good stuff.
I put in a great start on the 4A's. Made it about 1/4 of a lap and started to really feel the effort from the morning. I started to fade fast. I was giving up spots like you wouldn't believe and I felt like crap.
The problem with a good start is that you get to watch a lot of people pass you when you crack.
I pulled to the side and let most everyone by me. I was done. I was going to cut the course but I saw the hill. The course had dried up so much from the morning that everything was sticking beautifully and I knew I could ride the hill. So I went and rode it.....and then pulled off at the start-finish.
OK...so it had to happen. I have not been training. I didn't ride or exercise at all since the race the previous Sunday. I haven't had my mojo. I figured I needed to hit bottom and at the same time re-kindle some love for the sport. I kind of hit bottom, and I have some love back but I am still missing a lot of it. Most of you know why.
So I will attempt to train a little this week. I fear that if I actually train again and stop doing things like eating a half dozen donuts on the way to a meeting and eating McDonald's and pizza and drinking beer at every opportunity....I could in fact be dangerous....
....or I could be a slightly fitter piece of pack fodder. Yay, pack fodder.
Quote of the day goes to Marc Moeller who upon hearing Matt say something like, "I'm not really going to be racing I figure I will give it about 10 minutes of effort-" he replied, "F*&# THAT S*&#!"
I think I'm just doing the 30+ for now on. I have no points in the 4As so what's the point? I have more fun the the 30+....and I don't almost die in the melee the 4A's has become.
Also - the courses are too long. Period. It might help the scoring but it makes it more like an agressive group ride you've done once before. You have an idea what is coming up, but you still haven't figured out all the lines or places you can move up, etc. If this keeps up we're going to have to start putting up "you are here" signs on the course so you can figure out where the hell you are. We're also going to have to start providing SAG support and put in a rest stop.
...maybe public transportation for the spectators to take them around the course....
Sunday will Suck
Me: "what time do you work tomorrow?"
Mrs P:"Why?"
Me: "I haven't ridden since the race last Sunday. I am going to get my ass handed to me. "
Mrs. P:"That happens every week anyway."
She's right.
*sigh* errrr.....*psi*
Carpentersville Report
Something is rotten in Denmark.
I am not feeling at one with the cross zen this season. I have found I am not alone either. It just isn't as much fun this year.
Polling friends I have broken it down into the following possible causes:
1. The courses have gotten kind of silly. They are just too long to be anything more than an amusement ride. 1/2 hour of racing is short enough and when you are only getting 3 laps it's barely enough time to figure out a line through corner #97.
2. The 4's races have changed tone. It seems to be more about how early you can get there to line up (1/2 hour before our race this week) and whether or not you can make it down the front stretch without ending up in the inevitable pileup.
It's like cat 5 road racing. Everyone is an internet kid who has read up all summer about how they are supposed to go like mad at the start of a cross race....kind of like how they read they are supposed to sit in and never do any work in a crit but to always be int he top 10-12 spots. Makes for real negative racing.
3. Everyone has moved. I am hardly racing with the guys I raced with last year. Some are waffling between 4A and 4B. Others have ditched the 4's due to the comedy factor and ended up racing 30+ or 3's. It seems like the categories settle down a bit after Carpenstersville if last year was any indication but I am not holding my breath. Guess I will race the 30+ this week just to be with the guys I like racing with. Our apologis in advance to the guys who are actually racing it seriously. Just be sure to yell as you lap us and we'll get the hell out of the way.
4. It went from being a lot of good-natured fun-loving partiers to a carnival college keg party for the sake of having a carnival. Like all good things when given to us in our youth we have a tendancy to relive the stories during the offseason and are left with no alternative in the fall other than to "out-do" the party this year.
As with most things this effort is usually met with too much effort and not enough content. Too many people trying to be the cool group - result...no one is the cool group.
- getting back in conjunction with point number 1 - as a result I don't see any hand-up opportunities until either the last lap or until the next race. You only pass each cool group 3 times so you better have your eyes open on the crowd instead of racing.
So what does all of this mean? Have I forsaken cross? Hells no. I am just more pissed at myself for not feeling the love. I want it back. This week I will race the 30+ in conjunction with my already paid entry for 4A's. I will have a wheel table set up but I will be concentrating on hangin out with good people.
I will cheer more. Heckle even more. I already say hey to every racer I know as I pass them or as they pass me. I suggest everyone else should as well. Get to know the guy's name.
I want my Beverly Bob back. I need my Beverly Bob back. I need to be gunning on the last lap hoping like mad he doesn't get past me. That's cross. Not some stream of nameless 20-somethings streaming past. That's crits.
During the Dan Ryan Woods race I was having a blast for a huge section of it because I was racing Supergirl. That takes me back and is fun.
I have an idea of how hard it is to put these on. I would like to thank everyone for the job they have done. I think everything has been great and we couldn't ask for more at all. I've been trying to join in as a sponsor for the series but you'd be amazed at how hard it is to give people money it seems. I will keep at it.
There's still some love out there - Nick doing the double and passing me on the last lap.
If you're a normal adult - possibly with a family even - then come out this week. Cheer people on. Scream for the guys way OTB of the 4B race. Say hey to people you don't know. Say hey to me. Ignore the tents. Ignore the big traveling circus. bring the cross zen back.
Thank God it’s Friday
Not only can't he sprint but apparantly he is also a poor writer of fiction too. Mark "sour grapes" Something-Druber posted his self titled "work of fiction" regarding the final sprint at the old guys race at Fall Fling. The Article is at Truesport.com a site I was not even aware of until someone sent me the link.
I didn't go into the big to-do here on my blog at the time frankly because it wasn't worth it. I don't even know the guy, or really care to, but I have been amazed at the sheer volume of people who have come up to me at events since and thanked me. They all seem to share a strong opinion on him.
Recruitment is going well. I am looking at some sponsorship deals for PSIMET wheels.
I have secured riders for the PSIMET demo wheels in the 4A's (including beverly Bob and Supergirl) and 1 rider in the 4B's this Sunday. I will be there all day hanging out and distributing information about the wheels if I can get it put together in time. Hope to see you out there.
Stop by and say hey if you are out there.
Some Wheel Bling
Finally getting around to throwing down some wheel bling.
Jason Senffner rode some PSIMET 50mm carbon clinchers to victory in the State Road Race.
Before the start - the compeittion checking out the wheels.
Jason Senffner - Illinois State Road Race Champion and Illinois Cup Winner - Masters 35+ 4/5
Congrats Jason. I'm thinking it was the wheels....
Also - I have been planning on renting 50mm tubulars for cross races. Here's what they look like:
The idea is one to get my wheels out there and to give racers an opportunity to ride some carbon, some tubulars, and some nice tubulars....while putting money towards one of my wheelsets.
So...I don't have the specifics dialed in yet but if you're interested in racing on a set of these during a cross race this weekend let me know. I am guessing that the "fee" will be close to what the entry fee is for the race and that will go towards your purchase if you end up deciding to get one.
email me... psimet at psimet dot com if you are interested.
