I'm excited to be announcing at the Webster Crit. I did the announcing at the ICCC Crit and it was a lot of fun. I'm collecting music and thinking about what to say all the time. I've raced in it twice, so that will be a nice perspective.
There is a lot more to be done to get ready.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
St. Charles Ride
Monday was my first trip out to the St. Charles ride this year. I was hoping for a large group and I'd say we had 40 or so riders.
It was very windy as we rolled out of the soccer park parking lot. I jumped in toward the front and we took it easy for the first couple of miles. The inevitable surges hit and soon we cranked it up. Todd cruised by on his time trial bike and he and Shawn O'Neil pushed up the pace while we had a horrible cross wind. There was very little draft to get.
The group strung out on the tailwind sections. I drifted back and popped off. I found some guys to work with and we finally got back on at a stop sign. A few surges later and it was over for me.
I really wanted to get a workout so I went as hard as I could solo. There was a good sized chase group behind me and I decided to see how long I could hold them off. It took a long time for them to catch me. After the catch there were lots of attacks out of the group, so I worked on chasing them down. Everyone was going hard, so it was fun.
Eventually we started passing lots of the riders who were off of the front group. Our grupetto was great to work with, everyone knew how to ride in an echelon so we kept up the speed. People were taking huge pulls at 27-30MPH. Toward the end a guy in a red jersey zoomed by and said something like "nice pull" and that he would give me the lead out for the finish. I tried to chase him down but he was too far ahead. When we got to the finish the group was gone. We must have gotten a little gap in the last mile or so.
I found Glen and Todd and they said we were just a few minute behind to first group.
The St. Charles ride is dead flat and lots of fun. Monday night at 6:00. From the Lou take 270 > 370 > right on Elm > right on Mueller. The start is about 1/4 mile down on the right in the soccer park parking lot.
It was very windy as we rolled out of the soccer park parking lot. I jumped in toward the front and we took it easy for the first couple of miles. The inevitable surges hit and soon we cranked it up. Todd cruised by on his time trial bike and he and Shawn O'Neil pushed up the pace while we had a horrible cross wind. There was very little draft to get.
The group strung out on the tailwind sections. I drifted back and popped off. I found some guys to work with and we finally got back on at a stop sign. A few surges later and it was over for me.
I really wanted to get a workout so I went as hard as I could solo. There was a good sized chase group behind me and I decided to see how long I could hold them off. It took a long time for them to catch me. After the catch there were lots of attacks out of the group, so I worked on chasing them down. Everyone was going hard, so it was fun.
Eventually we started passing lots of the riders who were off of the front group. Our grupetto was great to work with, everyone knew how to ride in an echelon so we kept up the speed. People were taking huge pulls at 27-30MPH. Toward the end a guy in a red jersey zoomed by and said something like "nice pull" and that he would give me the lead out for the finish. I tried to chase him down but he was too far ahead. When we got to the finish the group was gone. We must have gotten a little gap in the last mile or so.
I found Glen and Todd and they said we were just a few minute behind to first group.
The St. Charles ride is dead flat and lots of fun. Monday night at 6:00. From the Lou take 270 > 370 > right on Elm > right on Mueller. The start is about 1/4 mile down on the right in the soccer park parking lot.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Parrots
I had to rush to get there on time. I couldn't find the right shirt to wear at first, I finally found my old pepper shirt. A couple of ladies at the bar liked it, so I guess that turned out okay. On the way there I missed the exit.
So I quickly rushed in, past three very sweet choppers. The bar was about half full, which was a lot more crowded than last time. We got a hooked into the PA and found out that Brian's monitor didn't work. Oh well.
Brian went in to "Mean Old World" to get it started. His vocal and slide sounded good. We didn't use a set list this time. Over the course of the show we hit all of our styles and it was pretty fun. Toward the end I sang my original "Emily" for the waitress and her daughter. The little girl kept grabbing my hand and asking me to sing it again.
At the end of the night, which was only 8:30 I played "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" dedicated to Pat Collier. She was the lead singer of the next band. The funny thing is I wouldn't have known who she was if she walked up and said hello.
One table of people was supposed to leave and have a party, but I wasn't in the mood. Brian was distracted so I slipped out right after we got paid.
I drove straight to Fortel and ordered a pizza. I can't believe I ate the whole thing. It was another one for the record books.
So I quickly rushed in, past three very sweet choppers. The bar was about half full, which was a lot more crowded than last time. We got a hooked into the PA and found out that Brian's monitor didn't work. Oh well.
Brian went in to "Mean Old World" to get it started. His vocal and slide sounded good. We didn't use a set list this time. Over the course of the show we hit all of our styles and it was pretty fun. Toward the end I sang my original "Emily" for the waitress and her daughter. The little girl kept grabbing my hand and asking me to sing it again.
At the end of the night, which was only 8:30 I played "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" dedicated to Pat Collier. She was the lead singer of the next band. The funny thing is I wouldn't have known who she was if she walked up and said hello.
One table of people was supposed to leave and have a party, but I wasn't in the mood. Brian was distracted so I slipped out right after we got paid.
I drove straight to Fortel and ordered a pizza. I can't believe I ate the whole thing. It was another one for the record books.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Hellbender
I did about three weeks of training to get ready for the state championship. That should foreshadow what happened, but I'll give you the whole story anyway.
I was a little late getting to the tiny starting town. I had a slow leak on my front tire so I hurried over to registration and headed back to van to change the tire. I borrowed a tire tool from another Masters racer and we struck up a little conversation. I topped everything off and got over to the starting area.
I lined up with the 40 plus Masters. At the line it was pretty relaxed. I knew a few of the guys in the race. I was talking to a guy from southern Jefferson County. He has some good stories and it sounded like he trained a lot. I'm not really like most of the Master racers. Some of the guys are truly veteran of the sports. I'm more of a new guy. I like to race Masters, the rides are much smoother than cat 4. Today was going to be 70 miles, so my goal was to stay with the front group to the end.
We rolled out right into a hill. The pace wasn't too fast. I did labor just a bit, climbing is a weakness. The first 10 miles or so were kind of boring. We were only riding about 16 or 17 MPH. I drifted up to the front and pulled for a while. I did a few pushes up in to the low 20s. We hit a hill after the main turn off of highway T and I drifted back into the pack. I thought so far, so good.
A few miles later and we were flying down a very steep descent and doing high 40s. It was fun and I knew there was a big climb coming up. Instead of pushing up toward the front trying to drift back during the climb I stupidly decided to hit it at the back of the group.
At the hill and I immediately lost contact with the group. I had them in sight, but there was a huge gap opening up. My friend from the starting line was falling back, so I started working to bridge up to him. I took a long time of chasing at 25 or so. We caught another guy but we were completely dropped and it seemed uplikely to me the we would ever catch them. About a mile or two from the end of the first 35 mile lap the front of the cat 4 race caught up to us.
We got to the feed zone around that time. A lot was going on and I couldn't see the person who had my water bottles. I ended up getting handed someone else's water bottles. It was Dave Thackery's stuff. I looked up and he was coming back for it. I offered the bottles to Dave, but he was calling it a day.
During this mess I lost contact with my fellow riders. I started up the opening climb with bad legs. I started seeing lots of guys coming down the hill who had been dropped. I decided to keep going.
The stretch of road that was so easy the first time around was now hard labor. I sat in with some GORC racers that do the Dogfish ride for a long time. Finally, they called it a day and it was me and a young guy who eventually dropped me.
I rode the last 25 miles trying not to bonk. I was seriously thinking the big climb might do me in. I soft pedaled it and rode it in from there. I tried to go fast when the terrain would allow.
Afterword I found out I was only one of two finishers from the Hub. Not that finishing a race deserves any praise, but I felt okay about it.
The next stop was for a chocolate malt in Rolla and the drive back to Kirkwood. My wife and I went to a party that night and had a good time.
I was a little late getting to the tiny starting town. I had a slow leak on my front tire so I hurried over to registration and headed back to van to change the tire. I borrowed a tire tool from another Masters racer and we struck up a little conversation. I topped everything off and got over to the starting area.
I lined up with the 40 plus Masters. At the line it was pretty relaxed. I knew a few of the guys in the race. I was talking to a guy from southern Jefferson County. He has some good stories and it sounded like he trained a lot. I'm not really like most of the Master racers. Some of the guys are truly veteran of the sports. I'm more of a new guy. I like to race Masters, the rides are much smoother than cat 4. Today was going to be 70 miles, so my goal was to stay with the front group to the end.
We rolled out right into a hill. The pace wasn't too fast. I did labor just a bit, climbing is a weakness. The first 10 miles or so were kind of boring. We were only riding about 16 or 17 MPH. I drifted up to the front and pulled for a while. I did a few pushes up in to the low 20s. We hit a hill after the main turn off of highway T and I drifted back into the pack. I thought so far, so good.
A few miles later and we were flying down a very steep descent and doing high 40s. It was fun and I knew there was a big climb coming up. Instead of pushing up toward the front trying to drift back during the climb I stupidly decided to hit it at the back of the group.
At the hill and I immediately lost contact with the group. I had them in sight, but there was a huge gap opening up. My friend from the starting line was falling back, so I started working to bridge up to him. I took a long time of chasing at 25 or so. We caught another guy but we were completely dropped and it seemed uplikely to me the we would ever catch them. About a mile or two from the end of the first 35 mile lap the front of the cat 4 race caught up to us.
We got to the feed zone around that time. A lot was going on and I couldn't see the person who had my water bottles. I ended up getting handed someone else's water bottles. It was Dave Thackery's stuff. I looked up and he was coming back for it. I offered the bottles to Dave, but he was calling it a day.
During this mess I lost contact with my fellow riders. I started up the opening climb with bad legs. I started seeing lots of guys coming down the hill who had been dropped. I decided to keep going.
The stretch of road that was so easy the first time around was now hard labor. I sat in with some GORC racers that do the Dogfish ride for a long time. Finally, they called it a day and it was me and a young guy who eventually dropped me.
I rode the last 25 miles trying not to bonk. I was seriously thinking the big climb might do me in. I soft pedaled it and rode it in from there. I tried to go fast when the terrain would allow.
Afterword I found out I was only one of two finishers from the Hub. Not that finishing a race deserves any praise, but I felt okay about it.
The next stop was for a chocolate malt in Rolla and the drive back to Kirkwood. My wife and I went to a party that night and had a good time.
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