Wed Jun 10, 2009
SHERMAN PARK THIS SATURDAY
God I hope if you race locally you've heard this about 50 times by now but our annual race, the Sherman Park Criterium, takes place this Saturday!
Pre-registration is rolling and ends today.
I've heard from Brian our race director that the list of primes grows daily. Right now with primes and payouts we have:
$2000
a wheelset
iPods
a NICE selection of wine
various clothing items
All from your humble little park district, southside, neighborhood style, fun kids races, beautiful day at the park crit at Sherman Park.
GO REGISTER. NOW!
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Tue Jun 09, 2009
Hey race organizers in the midwest...
There's this little town in the midwest with a population approaching 3 million (more like 9 million if you include the "land") just at the SW corner of Lake Michigan. As with any sprauling metrolpolis, this town has: a) athletes, b) people with disposable income.
To me that looks like a great pool of people to draw from when you're organizing a bike race. If I could even get one hundredth of one percent of the population to attend my race, I'd be in great shape. Heck, if I could get 1/3 of the city's largest team to pay my entry fee, I'd be pretty happy.
But apparently race organizers elsewhere in the midwest either feel like we're not who they want at their races OR that we'll drive across the neighboring states under any given cirumstances. This inevitably leads to lower turnout at races. In the case of this past weekend, it means reduced turnout to two road races.
My weekend could have included racing in two state championship road races. Great competition, more points on the line given USCF new guidelines and frankly a break from the heavy crit calendar that dominates the midwestern racing scene. Here were my choices:
1. IN State RR Championship. Fishers, IN about a 3 hour drive from Chicago. Start time ~8am. We lose an hour going to IN, so really 7am. That means an overnight stay AND an early departure from the city on a Friday night to get to a ~40 mile RR.
2. Spring Prairie, WI State RR Championship. A perennial favorite for guys on my team and others in Chicago that recognize the challenge of this race. This year a field that IS DEDICATED TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T RESIDENTS OF WI started at 5pm. My teammate, who has a wife and kids, made the trek up there and got home at 11pm!
I know seriously who has a family or something else competing for the money that would pay for the Super 8 or the weekend time? We should just HTFU and realize that if you're not ready to commit every available minute to the sport then we should just do the 3 crits that we can ride to from downtown.
Promote your races to Chicagoans and make it possible for them to participate and we'll have a thriving and diverse racing scene in the area that includes a lot of road racing. Ignore the little town on the edge of the lake and we'll all be racing around business parks every weekend of the summer.
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Thu May 07, 2009
Vernon Hills GP
Oh yeah Vernon Hills GP race report:
It's tough to reeeally be in the sprint if your rear tire has about 30psi in it.
See #14 below.
Thanks to RDS for another year of this great race that gives us a very fun and lively, windy crit within a short drive from the city.
[1] comments (76 views) |
Wed May 06, 2009
The 4.1 day work week
Okay I'm not blogging so much these days. I've decide to "re-brand" this blog into a cycling think tank, with probing and intelligent "thought pieces." Here goes #1: the 4.1 day work week.
Cyclists may have friends who are in the non-profit world and then have seen the advance of a phenomenon known as "summer hours." Disturbing situation which acknowledges that Friday afternoons are utterly useless for those with a soft focus in their work life. I mean Friday afternoon, it's ALMOST the weekend and it's BEAUTIFUL outside. Who could be expected to work. By the domino effect, this essentially renders ALL of Friday a waste since those who are taking most of Friday afternoon off starting thinking about at, well 9:05am.
Cyclists have the inverse phenomenon. Mondays are a total waste at work. There's lots to be done after a big weekend of racing. Having observed the behavior of my fellow cyclist swimming in the low-endorphin end of the post-weekend-crit-pool, I've found at least 25 ways the 5 day work week turns into 4.1 days. Sorry if you recognize any/most/all of these behaviors. This isn't directed at you, really. Okay maybe you.
Monday to-do list:
1. IM racing buddy to make him aware of how "cooked" you are from all the work you did at the front of the damn criterium in Cheddartown, since those guys up there refuse to do ANY work at all during the race. I mean seriously they will not pull through for crying out loud.
2. Review training plan for the week. Email coach re: "why am I still doing 15 min intervals? Is that a typo? Thx."
3. Engage in weekly deliberation with self re: whether 1 hr of "active recovery" actually means you have to be on the bike for an hour. Okay maybe I stretch for 20 minutes (okay 5), then take a vigorous walk with the dog and then spin easily for 15 minutes. Ah but then I have to put the bike on the trainer, get into my chamois, all for 15 minutes of easy spining on the bike? Crap.
4. Visit chicagobikeracing.com to look for: a) whether your name appears in bold in race recaps, b) good photos of your mates in the races, c) embarassing photos of others (WTF is up with THAT dude?), d) BS comments on other pieces from guys who have nothing to do all day but visit cycling websites and make stupid comments. Seriously, don't these guys have jobs?
5. Email editor of chicagobikeracing.com re: when is the weekend race recap going to be up already?
6. Race recaps finally posted, read. Become frustrated at the lack of coverage for your 3 man, off the back at the gun, squad from East Boonies.
7. Email editor of chicagobikeracing.com re: unfair coverage of your fine and deserving East Boonies Bombers squad.
8. Google "saddle sore". "Saddle sore treatment". Okay "+best +saddle +sore +treatment -horseback." Then "assos clearance", "FI Mille sale", then "+garment +repair +60607".
9. Log into your team's website, monitor important discussions. Contribute as necessary.
10. Still on your team's website: post youtube video of: GI Joe overdubs, trials guy doing "sick" stunts (in winter: roller tricks), anything car vs. bike.
11. Revisit important discussions. Wait 5 minutes, hit refresh. Wait 5 minutes, refresh....
12. Close eyes, mentally replay last 3 laps of weekend crit. Leave out the parts where you rode like a tosser. Forget how your legs couldn't match the last acceleration, revise to "friggin aggressive dudes weren't lettin anybody in and I ain't taking big risks to get on the podium of some stupid spring crit with no money on the line. I have a JOB to be at Monday a.m."
13. Commit to memory the following dudes from the weekend crit so that you may avoid them in next weekend's crit:
* That dude in the skinsuit who will frickin fight you for 13th wheel like it's the last lap of the ProAm at Downer's
* That dude who dives EVERY FREAKING corner
* You know that dude who dresses like Fred but is actually pretty strong? He needs to learn how to race
* Oh then there's that dude who's position is WAY too upright on the bike. He corners like my grandma. Someone needs to suggest he get a fit @ GAG
* That dude who refuses to shave his legs
* That dude who yells at someone, anyone every single lap
* That unattached dude at like 30th wheel who screams, "UP UP LEFT SIDE" anytime someone even looks like they're getting out of the saddle. Main tactic for achieving 25th place: DEFENSE!
* That cat 5 dude on the c50 with lightweight obermayer wheels. (Secretly dream of saving pennies til you're 55 and then be able to ride at a moderate pace on a premium bike, built for "discerning racers.")
* That dude who sits in all day long and then suddenly appears for the sprint without doing a lick of work.
* That other dude who brakes in every damn corner without fail
* Oh and then there's that dude who will shake like he has a gun pointed to his forehead if anyone even gently brushes against him
* Yeah don't forget that dude who tries to make a space for himself by poking you in the butt with his brake hoods
14. Post to bike discussion forums of your choice to proclaim Vittoria Pitstop tubular sealant to be "useless" and the claim of permanent repairs, "COMPLETE BS!"
15. Return to your team's site's discussion forums. Refresh. Refresh.
16. Facebook: send jerseys, drinks. Review and tag photo uploads.
17. velonews.com, cyclingnews.com, pezcyclingnews.com, BKW, BSNY, rapha.cc, competitivecyclist.com > specials.
18. Review friends' blogged race reports. Email for factual errors. Comment "Nice work!" or "Next week!" as appropriate.
19. Email team president re: where the hell are our damn uniforms it's May already!?
20. Email teammate re: I hope they change the chamois this year, that sh!t friggin kills me on any ride over 3.5 hrs.
21. Ebay: 1.+Campy +Bora +Ceramic, 2. +Parlee +z1 +56, 3. Pinarello, 4. HED 3, 5. Vittoria Tubes. Ask irrelevant questions on items you will only bid on with 6d left.
22. Bonktown, Chainlove. Email teammate: "Dude I am TELLING you if they put up that Dogma frameset again for $2k, I'm buying it and I don't care what the missus says!"
23. Post craigslist FS ad: "Used but in good condition: Performance Forte Gel Max Lite Saddle. Wife says gear must go. $25 obo"
24. Recount points accrued in last year toward updgrade. Double check usacycling.com for points rules. Re-tally.
25. Review race schedule for the next 3 weeks. Decide you are overdue for a restweek, the season is too damn long if you start in March and "I'm never really any good until June anyhow." Edit schedule: there's always cross!
Repeat the following until 4pm latte break: 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24 and 25.
[2] comments (92 views) |
Sat Apr 11, 2009
Hello WI
6 hrs 5 min
3044 kJ
Wisconsin!
Gotta say wasn't nuts about that 300-400W section heading up to b'hai after about 93 miles, but hey you're gonna have some highlights and lowlights, yes?
[0] comments (70 views) |
Sun Apr 05, 2009
a great 10m
You ever have one of those days?
Drive to Litchfield. Get lots of sleep. Bike totally dialed in, ready to roll.
Warmup legs are feeling good, one pass up the feedzone and hill into town ignites a touch of "I think this is the day" in my gut.
Start line, cool and calm. Riders ready... and we're rolling. Turn 1. FLAT! Yeah that's right, maybe 10m in I'm flat.
So I fly to the car on the flat, swap rear wheels and chase for 44 miles. Picked up most everyone who was getting shelled but after a lap 1 I was just hitting the climb into town as the lead group was leaving town into turn one.
Upsides: 1) beautiful day for a ride in lovely hillsboro, 2) 44 mile time trial effort resulted in peak power records for: 5 min, 10 min, 30 min, 60 min and 120 min!
So now in the unlikely event I enter a 40-something mile TT, I know what my pacing is.
Grr.
[1] comments (76 views) |
Thu Mar 05, 2009
Yes!
Your Workouts for Saturday:
Workout #1: Bike, Planned duration: 4:00 , Planned distance: -
Camp
[0] comments (173 views) |
Mon Mar 02, 2009
Let's say...
that you want to put in a really good Saturday at the end of February. Like 5 hours, a few good efforts in the middle.
Let's also say that you've spent enough time on the rollers and trainer to put you on the cusp of losing a bit of your already limited supply of sanity.
Oh and the windchill at the start time for your team ride is in the single digits.
Quite the pickle huh?
I thought the solution was splitting the time. 2.5 indoors, wait for it to warm outside a bit then head to the lakefront and do 2.5 down south and back.
Significant downside: 20mph headwind coming home, straight off the lake directly to your forehead.
Just days 'til SLO!
[0] comments (119 views) |
Mon Feb 09, 2009
Mon Jan 26, 2009
This ammo case...
I'll take a page out of the BSNYC handbook and offer a mini-quiz today. Ready?
What is this?
1. I've declared war on my a$$ and these are the tools of battle.
2. I'm adopting a MSFS strategy for the upcoming season. Micro Saddle Fit System! For each unique type of race, I'll swap saddles. 20 min crit -- San Marco with the rivets! Hillsboro -- SLR Gel Flow! Sisters -- Fizik with built-in mid ride chamois dispenser!
3. In my entrepreneurial spirit, I've decided to start yet a new business: 'Taint Easy®. I will sell saddles to you at your home in a discreet setting. Book a saddle party with your friends. Oh the fun.
4. About to replace my ridden-in-to-the-ground Selle SMP saddle and with a $280 price tag associated with that make and model, want to check a few thing out first. Competitive Cyclist will ship you 11 saddles to demo for a week for $75. If you buy one from them you get 1/2 off the demo cost applied to the purchase. Pretty cool.
You guessed it: 'Taint Easy!
[2] comments (178 views) |
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