Boulder Cross Series # 4

The finish of today’s Cross race would leave us with only one last event in the Boulder cross series. It has been a goal of mine to make the top ten over all. They award the top ten over all and you get some booty too. Starting out in Sept. I figured that this would not be nearly as difficult as it has been especially since I am only racing cat 3! Hello! Looser patrol! Not knocking any 3’s I have had my butt handed to me every race. and while I do race P-1-2 on the road this is a totally different sport. And I applaud anyone who saddles up for a race.

Know you know I am not one for excuse but for what ever reason my hamstrings were wound up like a rubber band ball for the last 2 days and I could not loosen them up.

My warm up was fair, could have been a bit longer but forgetting my money, getting a flat, and the Mexican food for dinner last night had me… busy pre race to say the least.

The legs didn’t feel great either. I got to the start early a few more hammy stretches and I did what I always do at the start of every race, feeling good or not. I looked around, convinced my self I was the best and I would ride like a god today.

Only a 20 minute ride away from my house the course featured lots of washboard grass sections, a few off camber high speed turns, an EK leg breaking wall of a run up, sand pit the works!

I was second row at the start. The starting section was probably the best section of the course for me, I had to really nail it. The gun went off and after a few hip checks I was around 15^th wheel. “Ok not bad.” Off the gravel path onto the uphill bike path around a corner into the sand pit and back out. I pasted maybe 5 people. I was riding well and closing gaps fast. I got into the front of the first chase group. The leaders were 3 or 4 and gaped everyone fast. Looking around I was in good company. Guys who have finished in the top ten lately. A glance behind humbled me as 10 more guy on my wheel were thinking the same thing. Letting strong man Matt Operman take the front I was content to follow and a lap later the ten followers were now the chasers. Sweet! “8^th place EK!” some fans yelled. “8^th! Nice this is good”. As we started the 3^rd lap Matt looked like he was feeling the pressure and seemed to slow. I punched it as we hit a paved section now riding in 6^th – 9^th place I figured, and I was pretty happy. In the mix! A few minutes later I hit the run up. Matt and company were right behind me. 16 minutes into the race and it was clear that my attack was a bit to much for me to handle. I could have gotten in a nice recovery in that section but I went for it. My 3 chasers turned into my fellow riders and then my leaders quickly. I tock a deep breath and tried to get a rhythm going. I did, but I could tell it wasn’t what I was capable of. I had made a huge tactical error in my amped up rage brought on by my good start and company after 2 laps.

I tried to not make any errors and keep a rhythm going. In the end finished 12^th. A good result for me yes. My best yet but the top ten again was in sight and there for the taking. No go in this sport. One mistake, one mishap, one little brush with bad luck and its over.

One more opportunity to make the top ten. Doubled points. Stay tuned.

Fall planing

Turkey day!!
Your thinking “its Thanksgiving! What could I possibly do for training??? Turkey Carving is some of the best deltoid training there is! This will make you more stable on the bike and resist fatigue longer! Don’t miss the opportunity. Actually I am kidding. Thanksgiving marks the beginning on the holidays and the beginning of the long difficult road to start training again. I have fallen victim to this before. First its time to rest, then turkey day. Then comes along then Christmas which slams full speed into new years. Throw some travel for work in there, a vacation and maybe a wedding (went to a new years wedding last year. Best time ever) and the next thing you know its February your turning 29. Again. And you are barely going to get in 6 weeks of base training before spring.

What to do?
Its time to plan. The answer here is this is not the time to stress about training but to plan ahead. And before we can plan one must look back at the past. Your past year or more of racing and training can be the best thing on can do in planning for the next season.
Here are some steeps to get you on the road to success.
1. Write down your general goals. Things that you want to focus on in general. Ie. Become a stronger runner, spend more time training on the bike.
2. Then write down specific goals: these can be precisely measured. Increase threshold wattage to 300. Run sub 30:30 minute 10k.
3. Then write down your goal races, there dates and rank them in priority.

Now you know where you want to go. From here you can look back and see where your coming from. Look at results, your notes from training and races. This is where you need to objectively look at your performance and figure were your weakness, limiters and strengths lye. This is something that should be done with your coach. Don’t have one? Get a consultation. If you have done your part, steeps 1 up to here, you can have a very useful 1 hour conversation with a certified coach. Money well spent. I just did this for my self!
You will now be armed with essential tools for planning and training for your season.
1. You have you goal races down in the calendar.
2. You should know what key skill and abilities you will need to meet your goals at these events.
3. You should know what weakness match those needed skills (your limiters).

After this planning you will know the most import things to know for a successful season. Like our old hero’s would say. “And knowing is have the battle” ~GI joe~

By Coach Eric Kenney
www.performancetrainingsystems.com/about/ek.html

USGP Cross, Boulder, CO

The plan this weekend was to not race. Get caught up with some coaching matters, relax, and hit the road bike a bit. But after watching the pro race on sat and finding out that there was $1000 dollars up from grabs in the cat 3 race for top ten… I had to give it a go.
The race was a bit earlier than normal. 10:30am. No worries however with the race a mere 2 minute bike ride from my house. Some food lots of fluids and I was off. Register, pin the number and some intervals to warm up. It was already 10 and no one was allowed to warm up on the course. Not ideal but we were all in the same boat. A friendly racer gave me the low down and I watched the end of the cat 4 race. After getting to the line 30’ early I was mid pack. In the field of around 100. I knew for me to get into the top ten I would need good legs, a technically perfect ride and some serious luck.
The gun went off and it was one debacle after another. A crash on the right squeezed me a bit. Then onto the grass bottlenecked out, once, twice, three times. My handle bars got caught in someone’s front wheel on the run up, sorry. Then I got bumped into and knocked over. Into the sand pit which looked like I could ride through? Nope! Dismount and flop. Face in the dirt one leg still clipped in. I finally started to get my rhythm when a bad turn caught the route marking tape in my handle bars. As I ripped out the stake, 2 other riders crashed into me. Down again. I remounted and looked at my clock. 9 minutes. Over 35 more to go, great… I tried to get going and did pass some people but it was to late. Not only was the top ten miles out of reach but so was the top 20!
I tried to remember that this was all training for me and focused on cornering well and keeping the pressure on. I have to say however the winner Brian Alders, a fast fit lad from CU, is some one I know. He is in great shape after MT. collegiate nationals. Last weekend he had some bad luck with his chain dropping in the first 500m of the race. This week it happened again in the starting crash. Last week his 5th place wasn’t enough and his determination showed. He moved from what must have been last place to the lead group and pulled away from them before the last lap. Defiantly the ride of the day! I finished mid pack and had a rude reminder of what bike racing is all about.