Yup
Nervous chatter. Sugar and caffeine fueled questions. Gear discussions. "What pressure should I run?" "Where are we going?"
WHIRRRRRRWHIRRRRRRWHIRRRRRWHIRRRRWHIRRR
"LEFT" - "BRANCH!"
"OK. We'll start here. Take this section like this. Hop off here. Barriers there. We'll start with 2 warmup laps then we'll go race pace for 40 minutes. Questions?
Riders ready....GO!"
The pain is almost instantaneous. Suddenly you're going faster than you ever thought possible over grass. The initial push starts to wear off as your heart starts to come up to speed. Pain as you blood vessels start dilating to cope with the back pressure. This is where normal - regular people stop. We just started.
"HAHA - Rob you suck!"
Can't breathe. The terrain is blurring. God I hope I remember my lines. Hmmm...never been through that turn like that before. Here come the barriers. This is going to hurt.
"HUPHUPHUPHUP"
I can get him. I swear I can get him. HAHA He stopped to remount there. Hup! Back on - get the pedals....NO....come on.....YES! GOGOGOGOGOGO.. Yes! Got him.
Lap 1 down....9 more to go.
Cyclocross season is here. I am a proud sponsor of the series this year as well. The opener is tomorrow. I have spent the last couple of weeks in the basement sniffing tubular glue. I am out of shape but not as bad as last year I don't think. Unlike last year though I have no secret goals to do well. I am going to be driven to compete. Sad shape and all. I want to attack every race I can and go as hard as I can. My goal - along the same lines as J from Tati and Ben Popper - I am on my single point quest this year. I will earn 1 point in 4A's.
It's sad and pathetic but I think this year it's going to be harder than it would have ever been before. I saw the fields increase get much more difficult last year and I think this year is on track to do the same.
I will ride the 30+ as well. Mainly as a chance to get some more time in early in the season. My goal there? Make it 1 lap before Wayne Simon passes me from the 50 plus group starting behind us. Again...this too will be a near impossible goal, but I will do it....maybe. :)
Those who have listened to my drivel about those who can succeed in this sport know that I believe there are two types of riders who excel: Type A and B. A= Aggressive, cocky, looking for a fight - turn the pedals in anger and B=Zen. I seem to do well when I can turn my pedals in anger.
Get your heckle on and come jeer me. Tell me I can't do it. Tell me I am fat and slow. Tell me that I am an embarrassment to my company, my team, and may family.
Just have a beer waiting for me when I get done.
Here's to suffering. It's on. See you tomorrow.
Hacking it up
JF (left) and Mrs. P (right) look on to watch the Chuck Norris of cycling (Wayne Simon) hand up $2 Fat Tire during the 4B race
Image By Chris
Chuck Norris doing $2 Fat Tire handups. This is cross.
HUGE thanks go out to SCW, Mr. Kelly, and the fine folks at Indian lakes Resort for the 24 hr party someone called a cyclocross race. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had. I have basically been dreading doign this write-up because there is just too much to cover and I know no one will read it all the way through. Actually after switching to the new site I can't even tell if anyone is still reading this....if you are - leave a comment! 
This course had everything I like in a cyclocross race. If I had been even remotely on form I would have excelled. Alas as my faithful readers know - I had lost my cross mojo earlier this year. Circus atmosphere for the sake of circus-ness, courses that were little more than a test of your brakes and headsets, epic loses to Bob "the Sponge" Murray (aka "Beverly Bob"), and a split up of one of the coolest crews in cross - those of us who suffered like dogs for top 20 placings in 4b's all last year, all led to me no longer feeling the cross love.
As I had predicted earlier in the year though as the year has rolled on the "not so faithful" have begun to drop off. A lot of people that dipped their toes into the baptismal waters of cyclocross have decided that burning they felt meant they were too good to indulge in the mayhem. Sinewy faces I recognized from the road have slowly disappeared - replaced by the slightly more rounded faces of the winter peloton. Guys who wouldn't touch a salad with "full ranch" on it 2 months ago are enjoying an all you can eat cheesecake buffet and handing up bacon, cupcakes, beer and twinkies.
As I mentioned the course was perfect. A ton of wide open hammering. I used every gear I had, and some of them twice. I found a wide sweeper on the backside that let me hammer in the big ring the whole way around and still held perfect traction. It was a big guys paradise....but the skinny guys still won - imagine that. My race was Sooooo uneventful. I hadn't been ont he bike in literally 2 weeks - outside of a powertest at MJH2's the previous Saturday. Mrs. P and I had a date night the night before. Needless to sayI was hung over severely in the morning. I was in a hurry so I got nothing to eat or drink before the race. Ugh. I poured in a poor performance but really got geared up by cross again.
After my race I got a chance to watch Debbie Dust (recent PSIMET wheels "rider") hang a "W" in the women's race - the first cross victory for PSIMET wheels! Congrats Debbie!
- Win for Debbie Dust!
Photo: John Wrycza
After attacking the buffet we settled in to watch the 1/2/3 action. Holy crap - great race. SRAM Scott has been tearing up everything - this day was no different. What was exciting was to see Ben Popper and Brian Conant give pursuit. As a Brian Conant "superfan" (I will for now on consider Conant the Bruce Lee to Simon's Chuck Norris) I felt it my duty to scream "I LOVE YOU BRIAN CONANT!" every time he went past. I got a few half grins . What made it better was the fact that this was Brian's 3rd race of the day (that I saw) and he had won the previous 2. I believe this was Scott and Ben's only race of the day. Best moment of the day was when Ben and brian came charging into the first sand pit side-by-side both catching some high air as they bunny hopped into it. Classic.
From there it was time to make the funny. It was a blast. I take the whole "don't modify the course" thing to heart so we didn't.....we just kind of leaned on the tape. Result - bacon alley. It was right at the perfect spot where just about everyone was running. The beer, cupcakes, bacon, twinkies, etc....were all flowing. It was so loud I had a headache before I had even left the event. My voice has only now begun to recover.
Me screaming at Lenski to get his butt moving....pretty much sums up the day - Photo: Liz Farina Markel
So.....next week. Cross is coming to a close so I just want to have some fun. I have already been running and doing a tiny bit of core work. Maybe I won't totally suck this week. One of these days someone will convince me to race the 4b's......hmmm......
…and a partridge in a pear tree…
Busy doesn't even begin to describe how everything is.
I skipped the cross race in Northbrook. A lot of things went into that decision. It looked like Northbrook didn't want to have the race, the course wasn't going to incorporate some of the cool features it had last year, there were tons of "rules" about where we could park and how we had to act....that's not cross. I understand promoting is a PITA and a thankless job, but that doesn't mean that we always have to pat everyone who puts on any event on the back for everything. It smacks of giving every kid on the team a trophy because they tried. I am glad there was a race, but I also think the schedule could have gone with a break.
That said, I didn't go. I needed a break. St Chucks devastated me in a couple of ways. Primarily my rig.
I had forgotten that towards the end of the race I was feeling some grinding and could swear that the crank was coming loose. As you saw in the photos I let the bike sit with the grime on it for a few days. I knew the chain would be toast but I had planned on replacing that anyway. So I went to swap the chain and found a derailler pulley seized. Hmmmmm......the other was toast as well.
2 new pulleys....
I go to pull the crank to re lube and re-torque the arm. Hmmm....BB is fried. Wow. So much for sealed bearings.
1 new BB...
The brake pads were toast. The pedals were crunching. The wheels were sloppy.....ugh!
2 Derailler Pulleys, 1 new BB, 1 new chain, 2 sets of brake pads, and a partridge in a pear tree.
I will be at the Indian Lake race this weekend. Mrs. P and I are going to a show on Friday but plan on trying to make the party at the resort as well. Haven't registered yet - debating which group to race in. 30+ and 4b's, or just one race. Do I want to heckle or be heckled. Some guys I know are doing the 4b's and it could be fun to go back and do it.
Decisions, decisions.
St. Chucks Pix
Little P and Big P - Photo:Alan from xXx
Looks like I have a little something....right.....there... Photo:Nikki Cyp
Sponge Bob....I will get you Spongey! Photo:Not sure...Nikki Cyp(?)
"Whatsamatta Joel!" - Heckle in full effect. Ash trying half-heartedly to give money away in the background. Photo:Nikki Cyp
I let it soak in and decided to take this shot before finally washing the bike last night.
Salad Anyone?
Dirty, dirty
As we set up the course on Saturday my main thought was, "man....I hope some of this at least drains out between today and tomorrow." It didn't. The fact that it rained like oh....97% of the days in October, enough to make the fragile cheese-heads cancel a couple of races - due to environmental concerns..., added up to make what I hope will be remembered as an epic cyclocross race.
Jim Nowak from ABD was running some of my demo wheels in the 40+ race so I was there early enough to get him set up for the race. I personally was racing the 30+ again. I had also planned on racing the 4B's later. More on that in a bit. So we're ready for the start of our race and last minute I see Beverly Bob roll up wearing a Sponge Bob costrume. I thought to myself, "oh that's it. I've got to beat his ass now."
I was not looking forward to the mud and water. It was cold. I was sporting a horrible case of "I don't want to race". Heart wasn't into it. Then we started. I let the throngs of "real" racers....err....let me rephrase that....racers who cared about this race, through. We hit the woods and I knew it was going to be a good (fun) day. I had that split second feeling that we were somewhere in Northern Europe in some ancient forest riding over crappy roads in some early spring race....until I had to get off the bike and hop a barrier.
After a lap or so I had good distance/gap on JAnd and Beverly Sponge Bob. I figured I was home free. Just keep grinding it out and all will be fine. Somewhere along the way JAnd and I start swapping spots. At times I was like - "that's it. I'm done. Just ride it out." and then I would look up a half lap later and I'd be passing him back. The The Sponge passed me. For the rest of the race I kept hearing, "You're losing to Sponge Bob". Made worse by the fact that I know that couldn't have been an easy costrume to race in.
In the end I lost to Bob. I came in front of JAnd. I had some fun. But I was done. The course was great but it was too much after 45 minutes to think I was going to race again that day. Warm clothes and the rim-gong had me wanting to go back to the car and swap into fan/heckle mode.
So I did. Pictures are on the camera at home so I will update that later but in general we had a blast. Heckling, hand-ups, making noise, cheering on the people I know - it was awesome. I got some of my cross mojo back. I have figure out what's draining it too.
FWIW - prices dropped on the tubular wheels. I don't know what I was thinking when I first did pricing but it was too high. It is down $100 on almost all options. Yes you can use them on the road too.
Bear with me while I get used to this new blogging format. My main desire is to keep the posts going. I'll figure out the look and feel later.
Switch-up
New web site is up and running. Check it out - www.psimet.com
Big thanks go out to Tim Speciale for all the work and Runner Susan for the masthead/banner.
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....
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.
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.
Quick Wrap-up
Too much to cover and a lot of work to do today.
We finally got our chance for cake during the last crit of Fall Fling. In the end, when you're a cat 4, cake is all that matters.
We went into the last crit with a formidable team. The fact that it was the last crit of the season and that we had a rider going for overall (Tim) meant we could have some fun.
MJH2, RR, Myself, and Eric were to have all the fun we could. MJH and myself were to attack early and hard just for poops and giggles. If anyone burned some calories following us then so be it. If there were any primes it was MJH that was going to be the man.
Then RR, MJH and Myself were to block, cover moves, etc. as necessary in support.
Raviv and Justin were to protect Tim. Raviv marked Whiple...and marked him hard. Justin rode for TQ - always within arms length.
Simply the races had been too slow in this series so far. Leading to too many people in the final sprint who didn't belong (myself included). We wanted to ratchet it up and shed some of the less fit in hopes of delivering TQ to the final sprint with hopefully a smaller crowd.
Eric was our hidden card. The guy has a engine. Typical "Try"-athlete in that he can sit alone off the front and just power all day long. It's hard as hell to hold his wheel. We talked before the race and deided to use him twice - First time about 15 minutes in. He would hit it hard and fast with the intent of coming back to the pack to recover then to launch again in another 10 mintues.
Well early on it was nice. I was 3rd or 4th wheel for the first lap or two. We had been going kind of hard and I could see people struggling. I was second wheel when the guy pulling pulled off shattered and everyone was hurting. I decided it was time for me to give it a go....so I did. I went coming out of the crosswind section when people were still getting a feel for the tailwind and the gearing to use. I nailed it and got a substantial gap. I looked down and was going something like 33-35 up into the traffic circle on the back side.
I just don't have the engine and everyone knows that but it was fun and it did keep the higher pace on in the pack. I didn't make it a lap.....meh
Next MJH nailed it when I got back. Great move and kept the pace up as people wanted to relax. Then there were a few other attacks. There had just been a big one that was coming back and everyone was hurting and still inthe headwind. I looked for Eric to go, but he held on. It was only 10 minutes in.
At the pre-decided time Eric went. Man he went. He ended up out there and looking good. Someon joined him then myself and RR and MJH took turns going to the front and either disrupting the pace or blocking. Nothing overt, hell I even told one guy flat out when he looked for me to pull through - "I gotta guy in the break. I'm not going to work."
He stayed away for a long time. A few riders bridged up to him, but as they kind of gave up the ghost in the break and started coming back Eric hit the gas again...attacking the break. Fabulous.
Keep your eye on Eric folks. He's a tremendous talent.
Well not too long after that they announced the cake prime. That had us written all over it. As we rolled around to the line I looked up to see Eric and those away coming back into the fold. We actually had a chance to sprint for the prime. As I was thinking that a guy behind me said, "someone has to sprint for this thing."
Like a douche I went. He jumped on my wheel and came around me easily. I didn't get the cake, and MJH says I ended up boxing him in - not my intent.
BTW - ABD - cake - great touch! I propose that there always be a cake prime in Cat 4 races. Let it be known that cat 4 is the cake cat.
Everything else worked out. Raviv had marked Whiple HARD. You'd have to ask him if it made a difference but I think it did. Raviv said Whiple ended up in the wind a ton because of it.
We served Tim up to the sprint and he took it over Whiple at the line winning the series and the final race. All were in agreement it was the most fun crit we have ever raced. It was definitely the best example we had of deploying team tactics.
i was off and in the car to dekalb. I changed and refueled along the way. When we pulled in I jumped out of the car and grabbed the bike offthe back. I rolled up and into the grid just in time for a good position. Perfect timing.
The start was great. I love physical racing. I got a decent one considering. Muscled a few guys out of the way and ran over at least one guy on the ground (his bike...not him). From there my legs just kind of looked at me with a big "FU" look. I was feeling the crit.
I slowly lost every position I gained on the start. Pretty soon I was racing alone. That course was long. Too long if you ask me. I did poorly but to be honest I just don't feel like 30 minutes is a long enough race anymore. My engine just doesn't get going until about 20 minutes in. If I had another 10 minutes I might have picked up 1 or 2 riders but I would probably also had been lapped....
Totally poor performance from me, but about what was to be expected with all the racing I had done in the previous 2 days.
So....now it's cross all the time. I saw Slim_77 and Beverly Bob in the 4b's. Bob is sandbagging it for sure. He should be in the a's - suffering at the back with me. Slim_77 - if he gets addicted, should also be in the a's just simply due to his stellar fitness.
Supergirl made and appearance as well. The wrist is still not 100% and 'she' claims she can't race yet.....but I believe there was a sighting on the course during the 4b's. I could be mistaken though 
. Too bad part of being a superhero includes a secret identity.
I high-tailed it out of there and got back...ate some pizza and had 2 beers and passed out. Waking up in time to go to work this morning.
Tonight - wheels, running, weights. Tomorrow...cross ride.