Towards the end of the season I got hooked up with Team Bums, racing the Tuesday Night Time Trials and doing some fun rides with these guys. After one of the TNTTs I started talking to Brett (one of the strongest riders) about the EFTA series. He mentioned that he was interested in organizing a race for the series somewhere in central Mass. I told him that after racing for the past 3 years, I would like to get involved with some of the behind the sceens efforts.
Brett lives about 10 minutes from Treasure Valley boy scout camp and he already had approached the camp about possibly building new trails and organizing a race on their property. They great thing about working with a boy scout camp is that they have all the tools and manpower need to build and maintain trails, and they will help us out where needed.
So Brett, myself and a few others meet up at Treasure Valley a week ago on a chilly 28 degree morning to explore some of the trails and come up with a sketch of the course. We discovered with a good loop that covers some good double track, about 3 miles of technical single track and a steep climb with a great descent on the way out. The total length of the proposed course is 9 miles. After riding this course I think it will be one of the most challenging courses in the series.
With the proposed course drawn up it was time to meet with EFTA organizers. I didn't make it to this meeting, but Brett sent me the update via email:
A lot has happened in the last couple weeks regarding the race I discussed below. Here's a rundown.
For the past 3 weekends I've been riding and at times bushwhacking all over Treasure Valley discovering what's there and envisioning a race loop. I've been assisted by the racing and riding minds of Paul Simoes, Chris Beriau, Mike Tonry, and Adam Bradley. Together we've pieced together a proposed race loop. I rode and GPS'd it last Sat and got a 9mi lap with ~717 ft of climbing/lap. There are still a few unknowns with the course, some things I might change to avoid certain things, but the basics are there. It was also on Sat, on the race loop, that I endo'd several times and must have pulled some muscles in my back. Fear not, as long as your bike doesn't skip the chain like mine does, you shouldn't be doing any such crashes.
That Sat. evening I went up to Manchester, NH to meet with the EFTA board and all the 2007-2008 race organizers. I was the only new organizer there so I got some good face time with all of the board members individually. I told them my plans (to also have classes for the younger boys in cub and boy scouts), showed the topo/gps loop map, talked about the strengths of the venue and date restrictions. All in all it was very productive and the dinner was excellent and free! At first I was thinking mid May for this event, the Treasure Valley Rally. But when we did the planning against all the other races in Root66 and with EFTA's Doug Peckham getting first choice in May, I looked into June. June had Fathers Day available, which might have been OK, but it also meant 5-6 EFTA races in a row...not so good. Now I'm still waiting to hear back on a final date, but Aug 24 came up as did September.
But the biggest news of all is that they contacted me tonight and are going to grant New England Championship Series (NECS) status to this race AND are considering it for the SEASON FINALE! The finale part is still being decided, but it is probably the highest attended NECS race in the series with riders cramming points in the series. To have it in central MA would be excellent. Either way, NECS status is huge, usually adds ~100 people to the attendance. There are some conditions I have to meet--I have to work one of Doug P's races to get experience, among other things.
I also have to secure permission from the state because parts of the Midstate Trail that we've planned to run the race on goes onto state forest land. If anyone knows someone at the state level for this, I'd appreciate a contact! I have to do that part ASAP to get an official letter of permission from all land owners. The scout reservation won't be an issue. The state, I don't know. It's certainly possible to avoid those sections but it'd be nice to run the whole stretch of single track.
But the great thing is the EFTA board and Doug Peckham have promised all the help I need. Additionally, Bums have already been helping out and probably will continue to help as this goes on. I know it's not a financial windfall for us, but it will help our image as a MTB club, help the scout reservation's image and awareness, help scouting and mountain biking in general, and hopefully get some new people interested in racing and/or mountain biking. Additionally, the new riding at Treasure Valley is quite good and can only get better.
So it seems we are well on our way to having a central Mass race next season and a NECS sanctioned event too! I will continue to post updates as we move along. It seems at this point our biggest obstacle will be getting the clearance from the state to use the Mid-State trail.
Get ready to Rally the Valley.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Gonzo
This past weekend Kevin and I rode Gonzo Pass. Kevin mapped out a ride to mimic one stage of the cancelled Montreal to Boston pro tour. Our ride was mapped out at 87 miles starting in Ashland and riding north to Woodstock up and over Gonzo Pass and back down Rt. 25 and back into Ashland.
We hit the road at 9:30, it was a cold 39 degrees or so. I don't know why, but the night before when I was packing I convinced myself that all I would need was thick socks so I left my shoe covers at home. In retrospect this was probably not the best decision. Not only was it pretty cold but there were was also a near constant 15-20 mph headwind the whole ride north to Woodstock. This made it tough to warm up and neither one of us felt like we ever got a good pace going. When we hit Woodstock we took a quick brake before we started our climb. From Woodstock it is a 5 or 6 mile climb to the top of Rt. 118 with an average 8% grade.
As we pulled out of Woodstock it started to rain. I was already underdressed for the cold temperatures as it was, and now that I was riding in a cold rain I was border line miserable. However at this point we were half-way out so to turn around didn’t make much sense. About half way up the pass two riders coming down, yelled back “it’s snowing up there”. Perfect, now I can be cold, wet, rained on and snowed on, but again; half-way up a climb we were not going to turn around.
I reached the top a few minutes ahead of Kevin and pulled over and waited, this also was not a good idea, it just gave me time to cool down, but I took that time to take my shoes off and try and squeeze some life back into my painfully numb toes. At that point I really wish I had my shoe covers. When Kevin reached the top we both agreed to take the quickest way back, but at that point we were still and hour or two from Kevin’s place so there really was no “quick” way back. As we headed down the other side of Gonzo Pass the rain was coming down as sleet. The next 3 miles we were doing 40+ mph while on the brakes, the road was slick from rain and the sleet stung your face like some kind of acupuncture. This was probably the scariest descent I have ever done on my road bike.
At the bottom I couldn’t stop shaking, my hands and toes stung from the cold and my face felt raw from the sleet. We rode on into the town of Warren and hit the first convenience store we could find. I bought a cup of coffee (of course it was luke-warm at best) and some toe warmers. From here on out life was good, I had warm toes, the sun came out, and we had a good section of flat road to get the heart rate up and get warmed up again.
So I learned my lesson, always pack for the worst case scenario and hope for the best. I think this would have been a great ride if I had some warmer gloves and toes, even in a little rain. The foliage was peak, so the ride had many classic New England views. This was a fun climb and will definitely be on the list of road rides for next year, probably sometime in the summer or early fall.
Time: 3:56.24
Distance: 70.23 miles
Ave: 17.8
Max: 43.2
We hit the road at 9:30, it was a cold 39 degrees or so. I don't know why, but the night before when I was packing I convinced myself that all I would need was thick socks so I left my shoe covers at home. In retrospect this was probably not the best decision. Not only was it pretty cold but there were was also a near constant 15-20 mph headwind the whole ride north to Woodstock. This made it tough to warm up and neither one of us felt like we ever got a good pace going. When we hit Woodstock we took a quick brake before we started our climb. From Woodstock it is a 5 or 6 mile climb to the top of Rt. 118 with an average 8% grade.
As we pulled out of Woodstock it started to rain. I was already underdressed for the cold temperatures as it was, and now that I was riding in a cold rain I was border line miserable. However at this point we were half-way out so to turn around didn’t make much sense. About half way up the pass two riders coming down, yelled back “it’s snowing up there”. Perfect, now I can be cold, wet, rained on and snowed on, but again; half-way up a climb we were not going to turn around.
I reached the top a few minutes ahead of Kevin and pulled over and waited, this also was not a good idea, it just gave me time to cool down, but I took that time to take my shoes off and try and squeeze some life back into my painfully numb toes. At that point I really wish I had my shoe covers. When Kevin reached the top we both agreed to take the quickest way back, but at that point we were still and hour or two from Kevin’s place so there really was no “quick” way back. As we headed down the other side of Gonzo Pass the rain was coming down as sleet. The next 3 miles we were doing 40+ mph while on the brakes, the road was slick from rain and the sleet stung your face like some kind of acupuncture. This was probably the scariest descent I have ever done on my road bike.
At the bottom I couldn’t stop shaking, my hands and toes stung from the cold and my face felt raw from the sleet. We rode on into the town of Warren and hit the first convenience store we could find. I bought a cup of coffee (of course it was luke-warm at best) and some toe warmers. From here on out life was good, I had warm toes, the sun came out, and we had a good section of flat road to get the heart rate up and get warmed up again.
So I learned my lesson, always pack for the worst case scenario and hope for the best. I think this would have been a great ride if I had some warmer gloves and toes, even in a little rain. The foliage was peak, so the ride had many classic New England views. This was a fun climb and will definitely be on the list of road rides for next year, probably sometime in the summer or early fall.
Time: 3:56.24
Distance: 70.23 miles
Ave: 17.8
Max: 43.2
Monday, October 8, 2007
The Pinnacle Challenge
Sunday Team Blue Zoo; Kevin, Christina, Natalie and myself did the Pinnacle Challenge. This was a Multi-Sport adventure race or "Double Duathlon". We joined the Co-Ed category with Christina doing the road run, myself doing the Mountain Bike, Kevin doing the Road Bike and Natalie finishing the race with the trail run.
Team Blue Zoo did pretty good for our first team event and it was also the first time Christina or Natalie ever raced period. We finished with the 17th fastest time of the day out of 71 mixed and individual teams and we took 2nd place in the Co-Ed division. See all the results here. We were beat out of 1st place in the Co-Ed division by just 30 seconds!
On a individual level I took the fastest mountain bike time of the day with a time 34.21 for the almost 6 mile course that included a lot of climbing. Kevin had a strong 20th place finish on the road course, but he was racing against a lot of tri-athletes with some ridiculous bikes and tear drop helmets; for a 13 mile race some of the roadies really went all out. Christina and Natalie both finished strong in the middle of the pack.
The guys at the Pinnacle put on a really great event, pre-registration got us free syrup, and a wicking (not cotton) t-shirt that I will actually wear. Not to mention the excellent BBQ lunch after the race. Our 2nd place finished got us enough maple syrup to last the team until we can do it again next year.
Check out the photos, looks like the photographer missed Kevin:
Christina (bib # 217) on the right side of the photo
Me on one of the climbs
Me just a few hundred yards from the finish line/staging area
Natalie finishing strong
Me collecting my prize $ for having the fastest mountain bike time of the day
Team Blue Zoo collecting our awards:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1515504706/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1515508942/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1514655695/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1514659739/in/set-72157602320116851/
Team Blue Zoo did pretty good for our first team event and it was also the first time Christina or Natalie ever raced period. We finished with the 17th fastest time of the day out of 71 mixed and individual teams and we took 2nd place in the Co-Ed division. See all the results here. We were beat out of 1st place in the Co-Ed division by just 30 seconds!
On a individual level I took the fastest mountain bike time of the day with a time 34.21 for the almost 6 mile course that included a lot of climbing. Kevin had a strong 20th place finish on the road course, but he was racing against a lot of tri-athletes with some ridiculous bikes and tear drop helmets; for a 13 mile race some of the roadies really went all out. Christina and Natalie both finished strong in the middle of the pack.
The guys at the Pinnacle put on a really great event, pre-registration got us free syrup, and a wicking (not cotton) t-shirt that I will actually wear. Not to mention the excellent BBQ lunch after the race. Our 2nd place finished got us enough maple syrup to last the team until we can do it again next year.
Check out the photos, looks like the photographer missed Kevin:
Christina (bib # 217) on the right side of the photo
Me on one of the climbs
Me just a few hundred yards from the finish line/staging area
Natalie finishing strong
Me collecting my prize $ for having the fastest mountain bike time of the day
Team Blue Zoo collecting our awards:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1515504706/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1515508942/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1514655695/in/set-72157602320116851/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmo/1514659739/in/set-72157602320116851/
Bachelor St.
On Saturday my Dad and I went out to the Holyoke Mt. Range and rode the "Bachelor St." trails. This place is epic, and no doubt it is some of the best trails in Mass and maybe even New England. IMBA, has even built an awesome smooth, flowy trail that is as much fun up as it is down; the funny thing is the IMBA trail is probably the easiest trail in the whole place.
We put in 3+ hours of ride time and covered 15+ miles. That's not a lot of distance, but we basically climbed to the top of the range 4 times and each climb is insanely technical. The type of riding that wears out your whole body, not just your legs. My technical riding was pretty on, and I cleaned a few lines that I previously thought impossible. This may be a bit of a haul for most people but it is well worth the drive. Favorite trails of the day were Jacobs Ladder, Serpent God, Far East and Far Out, Missing Persons, Pete's Wicked Trail, Technical Trail and Twister. We definitely need to plan a group trip out here.
Check out the map here.
We put in 3+ hours of ride time and covered 15+ miles. That's not a lot of distance, but we basically climbed to the top of the range 4 times and each climb is insanely technical. The type of riding that wears out your whole body, not just your legs. My technical riding was pretty on, and I cleaned a few lines that I previously thought impossible. This may be a bit of a haul for most people but it is well worth the drive. Favorite trails of the day were Jacobs Ladder, Serpent God, Far East and Far Out, Missing Persons, Pete's Wicked Trail, Technical Trail and Twister. We definitely need to plan a group trip out here.
Check out the map here.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
TNTT
Tuesday Night Time Trial
I ran into the guys from Team Bums a year or two ago, but it wasn't until last night that I finally made it a point to show up and race. They laid out a great course on some trails that I ride pretty regularly at Mt. Pisgah in Northborough. In fact, it was my Dad that built most of the single track we rode last night, so to say that I know the trails pretty well may be a bit of an understatement.
The course starts with a long slightly downhill double track that flows into some fun single track. It then bottoms out and you turn around and start climbing; about halfway up Mt. Pisgah you begin traversing to give your legs a little rest. The last mile or so is double track / fire road; uphill at first but then it turns into some fast rocky downhill to the finish line.
They generally start racing around 5, but I didn't get out of work until 5:00 so when I showed up at 5:45 I was one of the last to go off. I rode in straight from the parking lot to the start line, no warm up at all. I had a rough idea of the trails we would be on and they did a good job raking them so it was easy to stay on course even with the light fading. I never raced this short of an event, so I pretty much just hammered off the line. With no warm up that strategy did catch up with me as soon as I started to climb; but I knew it was a short race so I ignored the burning in my legs and kept trying to gain speed.
I did pretty good, winning the day with a time of 22:11. That time seemed to impress most of the crew and I started to get a lot of questions about where I race and how I like my Racer-X ect. I even let one of the guys borrow my bike for a quick demo ride. He is in the market for a new bike and was currently demo’ing a Blur. He definitely liked the Racer-X saying it accelerated much better than the Blur.
Anyway, it was a fun event with some really cool people; I will definitely try to hook up with these guys for next year. It will be a good thing to work into my training.
Here are the results:
1. Adam 22:11 (this guys Dad built the trails and
he placed 4th in the EFTA Expert series this year, yeah……he flies)
2. Brett 24:42 (on a demo Santa Cruz Blur LT, he
flatted again on his hardtail)
3. John 25:04
4. Scott 25:14 (sorry about Colin getting stung,
he was a good sport about it)
5. Laura 26:54 (thanks for helping out with the
scoring)
6. Mary 27:32 (probably would have been faster if
she hadn’t raked 3.6 miles of trail before the TT)
7. Nate 27:41
8. Mike L 28:46
9. Mike T 29:32
10. Doug U 30:22 (finished with a flat rear tire)
11. Chris Jackson 32:42
12. Liana Jackson 35:20
13. Linda U 36:11
I ran into the guys from Team Bums a year or two ago, but it wasn't until last night that I finally made it a point to show up and race. They laid out a great course on some trails that I ride pretty regularly at Mt. Pisgah in Northborough. In fact, it was my Dad that built most of the single track we rode last night, so to say that I know the trails pretty well may be a bit of an understatement.
The course starts with a long slightly downhill double track that flows into some fun single track. It then bottoms out and you turn around and start climbing; about halfway up Mt. Pisgah you begin traversing to give your legs a little rest. The last mile or so is double track / fire road; uphill at first but then it turns into some fast rocky downhill to the finish line.
They generally start racing around 5, but I didn't get out of work until 5:00 so when I showed up at 5:45 I was one of the last to go off. I rode in straight from the parking lot to the start line, no warm up at all. I had a rough idea of the trails we would be on and they did a good job raking them so it was easy to stay on course even with the light fading. I never raced this short of an event, so I pretty much just hammered off the line. With no warm up that strategy did catch up with me as soon as I started to climb; but I knew it was a short race so I ignored the burning in my legs and kept trying to gain speed.
I did pretty good, winning the day with a time of 22:11. That time seemed to impress most of the crew and I started to get a lot of questions about where I race and how I like my Racer-X ect. I even let one of the guys borrow my bike for a quick demo ride. He is in the market for a new bike and was currently demo’ing a Blur. He definitely liked the Racer-X saying it accelerated much better than the Blur.
Anyway, it was a fun event with some really cool people; I will definitely try to hook up with these guys for next year. It will be a good thing to work into my training.
Here are the results:
1. Adam 22:11 (this guys Dad built the trails and
he placed 4th in the EFTA Expert series this year, yeah……he flies)
2. Brett 24:42 (on a demo Santa Cruz Blur LT, he
flatted again on his hardtail)
3. John 25:04
4. Scott 25:14 (sorry about Colin getting stung,
he was a good sport about it)
5. Laura 26:54 (thanks for helping out with the
scoring)
6. Mary 27:32 (probably would have been faster if
she hadn’t raked 3.6 miles of trail before the TT)
7. Nate 27:41
8. Mike L 28:46
9. Mike T 29:32
10. Doug U 30:22 (finished with a flat rear tire)
11. Chris Jackson 32:42
12. Liana Jackson 35:20
13. Linda U 36:11
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Rodman Ride for Kids
About two weeks ago I was approached at work by another bike commuter. Apparently a few Staples employees put together a team for the Rodman Ride for Kids; one of the original four riders couldn't make it now and they needed one more rider to complete the team. I was told we would be doing the century ride and that the money was already raised so all I had to do was say yes.
Then at the last minute we were told that Susan's (one of the original riders) weekend was freed up so she could join us for the ride. However this meant that we now needed to raise and additional $750 for the fifth member of our team. Susan came up with a great idea of "donuts for dollars" and with just a dozen donuts raised over $250. The rest of us reached out to co-workers and others and altogether we raised another $1,000; this put the team Staples total contribution at over $5,000!
The ride itself was much slower than my normal pace which was a little hard for me to deal with at first; but it was a nice day, I was on my bike, and we raised a lot of money for a good charity. How hard could it really be? The Rodman team knows how to support their riders; the century had 5 water stops at the 20, 40, 60, 80 and 90 mile marks; each with tons of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, Gatorade, water and more. The volunteers were all very enthusiastic and helpful and the route was well thought out with a lot of nice views.
So our ride time for the day was 6:06, not too bad since we were riding with some novice riders on "comfort" bikes. However they did require a lot of time at each stop, so our total time for the event was over 8 hours.
The only complaint for the day was that by time we got in, the BBQ had packed up and left! I guess that's ok, I didn't really need the ribs anyway...
Then at the last minute we were told that Susan's (one of the original riders) weekend was freed up so she could join us for the ride. However this meant that we now needed to raise and additional $750 for the fifth member of our team. Susan came up with a great idea of "donuts for dollars" and with just a dozen donuts raised over $250. The rest of us reached out to co-workers and others and altogether we raised another $1,000; this put the team Staples total contribution at over $5,000!
The ride itself was much slower than my normal pace which was a little hard for me to deal with at first; but it was a nice day, I was on my bike, and we raised a lot of money for a good charity. How hard could it really be? The Rodman team knows how to support their riders; the century had 5 water stops at the 20, 40, 60, 80 and 90 mile marks; each with tons of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, Gatorade, water and more. The volunteers were all very enthusiastic and helpful and the route was well thought out with a lot of nice views.
So our ride time for the day was 6:06, not too bad since we were riding with some novice riders on "comfort" bikes. However they did require a lot of time at each stop, so our total time for the event was over 8 hours.
The only complaint for the day was that by time we got in, the BBQ had packed up and left! I guess that's ok, I didn't really need the ribs anyway...
Friday, September 21, 2007
Night Riding
Summer is now wrapping up and the light is fading faster each day. For me to get any kind of ride in after work now requires some "artificial" light. Last night was my first night ride of the season. For anyone who doesn't own a light as Ferris once said, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." I have a Niterider, it's an HID light so it casts an insanely bright bluish-white light that lights up the trail like your own little piece of the sun. If you’re looking into buying one, they can be pretty pricey, but I would say to extend your riding season it is well worth it.
Night riding is a totally different experience, the trail you ride everyday seems foreign. You see things that you never noticed before. Your sight is completely limited to the small area of light cast in front of you; this forces you to be incredibly focused. There are no other visual distractions since the rest of your world is black. It’s amazing what this focus can do for your riding, I will clean lines at night that I have a hard time with in daylight. This limited sight also heightens your other senses, I never hear the wind when I ride, but during night rides the sound can seem defining at times.
Night riding by yourself is a whole different experience, it's creepy, and I always freak myself out. Nails left in the trees from trail markings reflect back at you like a pair of eyes. The night creatures scurry around you and always sound as if they are chasing you. It's usually when I am riding solo at night that I see more animals then ever, mostly deer, funny thing is they often freeze (like a deer in headlights, duh). I have even come close to hitting one or two.
So that's it, night riding is fun. If you don't own a light, buy one.
Night riding is a totally different experience, the trail you ride everyday seems foreign. You see things that you never noticed before. Your sight is completely limited to the small area of light cast in front of you; this forces you to be incredibly focused. There are no other visual distractions since the rest of your world is black. It’s amazing what this focus can do for your riding, I will clean lines at night that I have a hard time with in daylight. This limited sight also heightens your other senses, I never hear the wind when I ride, but during night rides the sound can seem defining at times.
Night riding by yourself is a whole different experience, it's creepy, and I always freak myself out. Nails left in the trees from trail markings reflect back at you like a pair of eyes. The night creatures scurry around you and always sound as if they are chasing you. It's usually when I am riding solo at night that I see more animals then ever, mostly deer, funny thing is they often freeze (like a deer in headlights, duh). I have even come close to hitting one or two.
So that's it, night riding is fun. If you don't own a light, buy one.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wrap it up
So the EFTA series is now wrapped up. Unfortunately the mechanical issues that forced me to DNF in the last race also cost me the podium in the Expert Men’s Overall title. Bummer.
Expert Men’s Overall Standings
1. MILLETT, AARON 1,164
2. CURRIER, BRIAN 748
3. WHEELDEN, TODD 588
4. BRADLEY, ADAM 550
5. LITTLEFIELD, RYAN 528
Expert Senior I Men
1. BRADLEY, ADAM 958
2. SAMPSON, TOM 726
3. TAUTFEST, NOAH 368
So that's how it wrapped up, 4th place in the overall men’s standings and 1st in the Senior I category. Not too bad, although I really would have liked to podium in the overall standings. I guess that gives me a goal for next year.
Looking back at the season I did miss 4 of the 9 races; one for vacation, one for a funeral, and two DNF's. I guess to finish in the top five overall with only 5 finishes in a 9 race series is pretty good. Next year I hope to limit the DNF's with some better race preparation.
We have some pretty fast guys in the men's overall standings with myself being the youngest. My age is a good thing as most cyclists peak in their 30's, so the podium is still within reach for a few years. Things to watch out for next year, the top three obviously; but Ryan Littlefield has a way of really stepping it up in the back half of the season and in the Senior I category Tom Sampson at just 18 years old has been killing it lately, he will definitely be a threat for next year.
With the season now over I feel like I have some time to enjoy myself on the bike and not be worried about accomplishing my training goals. I already have a very busy "fun" ride schedule that I am looking forward to.
Last year in the "off season" I spent a lot of time in the gym trying to follow "The Cyclist's Training Bible" and I feel that really made a difference. This year I want to start the program a little earlier so I can be through the muscle building stage and begin building my endurance well before the season starts. Last year I started late so I had very little time on the bike when the first race kicked off, and it showed.
Overall I am happy with my results from this season and I am looking forward to some downtime and more fun rides before I start my winter training program.
My goals for next season:
1st place Senior I category in the EFTA series
Top 3 in the Men’s Overall in the EFTA series
Top 5 finish in the Expert Men’s 25-29 age group at the Mt. Snow NORBA Nationals
Top 5 finish in the NH 100
Top 10 finish in the VT50*
*The VT 50 sells out very quickly each year, just to get an entry spot for next year is a challenge.
Expert Men’s Overall Standings
1. MILLETT, AARON 1,164
2. CURRIER, BRIAN 748
3. WHEELDEN, TODD 588
4. BRADLEY, ADAM 550
5. LITTLEFIELD, RYAN 528
Expert Senior I Men
1. BRADLEY, ADAM 958
2. SAMPSON, TOM 726
3. TAUTFEST, NOAH 368
So that's how it wrapped up, 4th place in the overall men’s standings and 1st in the Senior I category. Not too bad, although I really would have liked to podium in the overall standings. I guess that gives me a goal for next year.
Looking back at the season I did miss 4 of the 9 races; one for vacation, one for a funeral, and two DNF's. I guess to finish in the top five overall with only 5 finishes in a 9 race series is pretty good. Next year I hope to limit the DNF's with some better race preparation.
We have some pretty fast guys in the men's overall standings with myself being the youngest. My age is a good thing as most cyclists peak in their 30's, so the podium is still within reach for a few years. Things to watch out for next year, the top three obviously; but Ryan Littlefield has a way of really stepping it up in the back half of the season and in the Senior I category Tom Sampson at just 18 years old has been killing it lately, he will definitely be a threat for next year.
With the season now over I feel like I have some time to enjoy myself on the bike and not be worried about accomplishing my training goals. I already have a very busy "fun" ride schedule that I am looking forward to.
Last year in the "off season" I spent a lot of time in the gym trying to follow "The Cyclist's Training Bible" and I feel that really made a difference. This year I want to start the program a little earlier so I can be through the muscle building stage and begin building my endurance well before the season starts. Last year I started late so I had very little time on the bike when the first race kicked off, and it showed.
Overall I am happy with my results from this season and I am looking forward to some downtime and more fun rides before I start my winter training program.
My goals for next season:
1st place Senior I category in the EFTA series
Top 3 in the Men’s Overall in the EFTA series
Top 5 finish in the Expert Men’s 25-29 age group at the Mt. Snow NORBA Nationals
Top 5 finish in the NH 100
Top 10 finish in the VT50*
*The VT 50 sells out very quickly each year, just to get an entry spot for next year is a challenge.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Wicked Season Ender
So Sunday was the Season Finale, the Grillz Memorial race in Georgetown Maine. I was looking forward to this race all week, and feeling strong on the few rides I did during the week. I did well here last year; in fact it was in here, the last race of last season that I secured the Senior I title. This year I already have the Senior I title locked up, but I went to race to try Secure my position as 3rd in the overall points series. I was hopping for a top 5 finish...
On my Thursday night ride I noticed some drivetrain issues, I though I had isolated it to the cassette so Saturday I replaced it and had everything working fine in the repair stand. So Sunday morning I wake up at 5am, drive 180 miles to Reid State Park in Georgetown Maine and feel ready to race. However as I head out to warm up quickly noticed that as soon as I put some power to the pedals in any kind of rough section the chain drops from the chain ring. Everything else is working fine in the drivetrain, clean, quick shifts but when the suspension is active and I am hammering it drops the chain. I am not expert mechanic and everything that I can fix with confidence seems to be working fine, so I choose to try and ride this one out.
This is a mass start, so the Elites went out and the whole expert class went out 1 minute back of them. The starting line goes straight down a double track into the parking lot then pulls a u-turn and heads right into the singletrack where it inevitably bottlenecks. Knowing this, I lined up early to get a good starting position and put it up in the big ring ready to hammer. As we headed into the singletrack I had a pretty good position about 10 back in a field of 40 or so. The first 100 yards of singletrack is pretty gnarly singletrack with a short steep climb that ends up being a hike a bike in race conditions. This worked out better for me anyway as my drivetrain would not have held the chain if I tried to power up this. As I got back on the bike I held my position but I had to "baby" my bike along the choppy, rooty, rocky typical Maine course for fear of dropping the chain. Sure enough about a 1/2 mile in, it happened. Being so close to the start the expert class was still bunched together so as I pulled over to put the chain back on over half the field passed me. Then about another quarter mile up, again the chain drops. Now at this point the whole expert field is gone.
The only reason I was at this race was to try and get some overall expert points, but with the entire field well ahead of me, I could forget about that. However I figured that if I woke up this early and drove this far, I was gonna ride my bike. I finished the lap and headed out for another. As I made my way around the second lap I dropped the chain again a few more times. Each time the chain dropped it would make this horrific metal snapping sound. I soon realized that I should wrap it up rather than do more damage to my bike. So at the end of the second lap I pulled myself out of the race.
DNF the last race of the season, what a bummer. I was really looking forward to this race and with a week of preparing to have to end it so early kind of felt like getting blue balled. At least I got to see some hot bike on bike action...
On my Thursday night ride I noticed some drivetrain issues, I though I had isolated it to the cassette so Saturday I replaced it and had everything working fine in the repair stand. So Sunday morning I wake up at 5am, drive 180 miles to Reid State Park in Georgetown Maine and feel ready to race. However as I head out to warm up quickly noticed that as soon as I put some power to the pedals in any kind of rough section the chain drops from the chain ring. Everything else is working fine in the drivetrain, clean, quick shifts but when the suspension is active and I am hammering it drops the chain. I am not expert mechanic and everything that I can fix with confidence seems to be working fine, so I choose to try and ride this one out.
This is a mass start, so the Elites went out and the whole expert class went out 1 minute back of them. The starting line goes straight down a double track into the parking lot then pulls a u-turn and heads right into the singletrack where it inevitably bottlenecks. Knowing this, I lined up early to get a good starting position and put it up in the big ring ready to hammer. As we headed into the singletrack I had a pretty good position about 10 back in a field of 40 or so. The first 100 yards of singletrack is pretty gnarly singletrack with a short steep climb that ends up being a hike a bike in race conditions. This worked out better for me anyway as my drivetrain would not have held the chain if I tried to power up this. As I got back on the bike I held my position but I had to "baby" my bike along the choppy, rooty, rocky typical Maine course for fear of dropping the chain. Sure enough about a 1/2 mile in, it happened. Being so close to the start the expert class was still bunched together so as I pulled over to put the chain back on over half the field passed me. Then about another quarter mile up, again the chain drops. Now at this point the whole expert field is gone.
The only reason I was at this race was to try and get some overall expert points, but with the entire field well ahead of me, I could forget about that. However I figured that if I woke up this early and drove this far, I was gonna ride my bike. I finished the lap and headed out for another. As I made my way around the second lap I dropped the chain again a few more times. Each time the chain dropped it would make this horrific metal snapping sound. I soon realized that I should wrap it up rather than do more damage to my bike. So at the end of the second lap I pulled myself out of the race.
DNF the last race of the season, what a bummer. I was really looking forward to this race and with a week of preparing to have to end it so early kind of felt like getting blue balled. At least I got to see some hot bike on bike action...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Flatest Century in the East
This past weekend was The Flattest Century in the East (TFCE). This wasn't a ride I was really looking forward to, as I like to climb, but I had a few family members doing the race so I joined them.
Before we started the ride I set the goal of breaking the 5 hour mark, but I wasn't too committed to it because I figured I would be doing a lot of the pulling and with last mountain bike race of the season next weekend I didn't want to burn myself out. So I started out with my Dad and we keep the pace comfortable at just above 20 miles and hour. About 15 miles in we got picked up by some local shop guys from Village Bicycle. When I looked back the group was about 14 deep, it wasn't too long before the pace was kicked up considerably. Over the next few miles guys started pealing off the back as we held a steady mid-20's pace reaching close to 30 at times. I jumped into the group a few guys back so I got a chance to watch they dynamic of the group before it was my turn to pull. When I stepped up I keep the pace around 23 miles an hour and did my pull for a solid mile or two. As I came off the front I got a lot "nice pull" from a few out of breath guys in the back. This was my first ride with an aggressive pace line, it was really fun.
As we approached the 30 mile check in the group faded to just 6 or so riders and I was surprised to see my dad still hanging in there. After a quick top off of the Water bottles we headed out again but with a few extra riders. There was only 17 miles to the next checkpoint so the pace was pretty fast; I put in some solid pulls and again got a few complements from it. By time we reached the 47-mile check in the group was down to just 3 shop riders, my dad and I. It was here Dave commented that the pace was "comfortable" at that point I realized comfortable is a relative term.
As we left the mid-way checkpoint we again had regrouped to a crew of 10+ riders with just 3 or 4 of us up front doing the work. It was on a long flat section here that my Dad decided to take a pull; unfortunately he picked a section of exposed road along a very open marshy river with a strong headwind. He ended up burning himself out and as he slid off the front he wasn't able to hang on. At this point the group really faded, it was just Dave, another shop rider and myself. From here to the last check in at mile 71 Dave and I took turns pulling. Despite the fact that it was just Dave and I doing the work we were able to keep an aggressive 22-24 mile an hour pace. This was a really fun section of road with some slightly rolling hills, with a bigger group to work with this section could have been really fast! I ran out of water, at about mile 67 or so and really needed the last check in. As we pulled into the stop we had worked our way up to the front of the ride, there was just a 50 or so riders at the check in at that point. I topped off the waters and grabbed a quick bit to eat; just in time to see my dad roll in. As my dad was topping off his water Dave and the other shop rider asked if I wanted to head out again, but I decided to hold back and finish with my dad.
So my dad and I headed out for the last 30 miles, at this point I kept an easy high teens pace. It wasn't too long before we had another pace line going. I needed some help and wheel-sucked for about 5 miles, that gave me the rest I needed. I then pulled the group along for a few miles but as soon as we hit a slight grade I started to drop guys. For the last 14 miles or so the group was reduced to just 3 riders. Despite the fact that this ride is called TFCE it does end on the biggest hill of the day. I like hills, so knowing how close I was to the finish with just a short hill in front of me I let loose and sprinted in to the finish.
This was my first solid group ride and it was really fun. Most of my road rides are solo, after this ride I know how much more efficient and fun riding in a team can be. For a ride that I wasn't really looking forward to, it turned out to be a lot of fun.
Distance 103.2
Overall time: 5:31.36
Ride time: 4:56.19 (under 5 hours!)
Max Speed: 35.5
Ave Speed: 20.9
Before we started the ride I set the goal of breaking the 5 hour mark, but I wasn't too committed to it because I figured I would be doing a lot of the pulling and with last mountain bike race of the season next weekend I didn't want to burn myself out. So I started out with my Dad and we keep the pace comfortable at just above 20 miles and hour. About 15 miles in we got picked up by some local shop guys from Village Bicycle. When I looked back the group was about 14 deep, it wasn't too long before the pace was kicked up considerably. Over the next few miles guys started pealing off the back as we held a steady mid-20's pace reaching close to 30 at times. I jumped into the group a few guys back so I got a chance to watch they dynamic of the group before it was my turn to pull. When I stepped up I keep the pace around 23 miles an hour and did my pull for a solid mile or two. As I came off the front I got a lot "nice pull" from a few out of breath guys in the back. This was my first ride with an aggressive pace line, it was really fun.
As we approached the 30 mile check in the group faded to just 6 or so riders and I was surprised to see my dad still hanging in there. After a quick top off of the Water bottles we headed out again but with a few extra riders. There was only 17 miles to the next checkpoint so the pace was pretty fast; I put in some solid pulls and again got a few complements from it. By time we reached the 47-mile check in the group was down to just 3 shop riders, my dad and I. It was here Dave commented that the pace was "comfortable" at that point I realized comfortable is a relative term.
As we left the mid-way checkpoint we again had regrouped to a crew of 10+ riders with just 3 or 4 of us up front doing the work. It was on a long flat section here that my Dad decided to take a pull; unfortunately he picked a section of exposed road along a very open marshy river with a strong headwind. He ended up burning himself out and as he slid off the front he wasn't able to hang on. At this point the group really faded, it was just Dave, another shop rider and myself. From here to the last check in at mile 71 Dave and I took turns pulling. Despite the fact that it was just Dave and I doing the work we were able to keep an aggressive 22-24 mile an hour pace. This was a really fun section of road with some slightly rolling hills, with a bigger group to work with this section could have been really fast! I ran out of water, at about mile 67 or so and really needed the last check in. As we pulled into the stop we had worked our way up to the front of the ride, there was just a 50 or so riders at the check in at that point. I topped off the waters and grabbed a quick bit to eat; just in time to see my dad roll in. As my dad was topping off his water Dave and the other shop rider asked if I wanted to head out again, but I decided to hold back and finish with my dad.
So my dad and I headed out for the last 30 miles, at this point I kept an easy high teens pace. It wasn't too long before we had another pace line going. I needed some help and wheel-sucked for about 5 miles, that gave me the rest I needed. I then pulled the group along for a few miles but as soon as we hit a slight grade I started to drop guys. For the last 14 miles or so the group was reduced to just 3 riders. Despite the fact that this ride is called TFCE it does end on the biggest hill of the day. I like hills, so knowing how close I was to the finish with just a short hill in front of me I let loose and sprinted in to the finish.
This was my first solid group ride and it was really fun. Most of my road rides are solo, after this ride I know how much more efficient and fun riding in a team can be. For a ride that I wasn't really looking forward to, it turned out to be a lot of fun.
Distance 103.2
Overall time: 5:31.36
Ride time: 4:56.19 (under 5 hours!)
Max Speed: 35.5
Ave Speed: 20.9
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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