Enumclaw

I can’t believe that was only my second stage race of the year,
Pretty big field this year, + most of the local pros, Health net, Priority Health, Jittery Joe’s . BMC, Rubicon, Kelley’s, Symetrics and full teams from Bob’s and HB… so this was going to be a hard race. The opening TT was windy and nobody expected fast times, but with the talent in attendance that didn’t hold true.
It was actually only my second TT of the year, and although my time wasn’t great, I was pretty happy with my performance, I paced my self reasonable well, not starting too hard, and finishing with nothing much left, the way it was supposed to be done. I didn’t let the wind get to me at all, and I felt reasonably in control the entire 6.3 miles. Ok, so I had to be a staggering 50sec faster to be in the omnium points, not this time. The big surprise, although Svein Tuft won, there were no other Symetrics riders in the top ten.

The weather was looking ok for the crit, the sun was out for most of the afternoon. During the Cat 3 race however we had out first showers. For the women’s race next, the roads were wet and slick. Kele managed to go down on the first corner of the first lap…but got up, and was ok, although slightly embarrassed. During that race the rain came was off and on, making a lot of the 1-2 to question the point of participating in an omnium crit, why risk it, with only a small chance of scoring points.
I lowered my tire pressure, drank my coffee and weighted the decision to wear legwarmers or not, sure it was cold enough, but even a small spill would probably tear the rather expensive clothing. In a wet crit like this, and with a strong field you know it will start fast, and stay that way until the end. I managed to line up on the very important front row. Well that’s were I lined up…after a number of “pro” line ups, were you simply ride from the front, turn around and back into the first row I somehow ended up in-between the 1-2-3 row…what the! Ok I’m fine with Svein doing this move, he was leading the GC, but the entire Symetrics team…yeah I don’t think so… who do you really think you are?... it got a little old when the 15th guy tried this move. The race started fast, but I managed to get up front early. Two laps in the rain started coming down hard, it was even hard to see, corner one was flooding and gaps were opening up all over the place. I was either taking the corners too easy, or not accelerating enough out of them, but I found my self struggling for any kind of draft. My legs felt unbelievably heavy and every acceleration was painful. Pretty soon I was struggling to hang on. A few laps later I was the last guy in the front group…and then I was off…I drifted back to the second, but I could tell even this would be hard. Two laps later I pulled out, 10guys in the front split that wasn’t coming back, another 10-15 in the second… which was going to be hard to hang in with legs like this… I didn’t see the point to keep going, and crashing for no reason.
I had a good start, never felt my tires slip, but clearly didn’t have it in my legs that evening, especially when I wasn’t riding aggressively enough in the corners… at least I was alive and I didn’t actually loose any time since it was an omnium.

The road race seamed interesting with new course planed, a new loop with long unprotected straights and a section of 11% grade…should be fun… well would have been fun. As we arrive Sunday morning the decision was made to revert back to the old course, but with the finish in a new location down town…not sure how I felt about that… 5 times up the climb sure is harder then 2, especially if you are trying to hold at a pace that is above your level. At least it was dry for the start of the race, and it mostly rained at the top and during the descent, for the later laps it moved down to the lower sections also.
The first climb is usually one of the hardest, at least for me, I’m not quite good enough to climb with the fast climbers, or powerful enough hang with the power riders going full boar on the initial slopes…
I started the climb pretty much up in the first 1/3, drifted back on the first two steep sections as the pace went sky high, moved up again on the “rolling” section in the middle, as much as I could without spending too much effort, that I would need for the last part of the climb. The front of the pack was still right there!, as we started the last part… before you know it though the pack is basically single file thru the feed zone and past the old finish line… I can see the lead car lights and a slight gap between the leaders and the front of my long long group. I didn’t panic, maybe I should have… by now the rain is coming down hard, and during the descent on 410 we are going over 45mph, and with the rain, spray form the tires ahead of me, I’m busy just staying alive, not realizing that a rather large group has gone of the front, with just about all the strong riders. When we turn of 410 we all realize that the race might be over, as we learn that the lead group contains 17 riders. Morgan Schmidt missed the split and spends the next two laps chasing hard… but to no avail. I wish I could have helped but I had enough problems getting over the climb without pulling the pack around. The second and third time over were the hardest, I few times I was going so hard my arms were going numb. Each lap we would loose a few riders. The last two laps were getting cold, but at least we climbed a lot more steady and at a doable pace. The points for the omnium went 15 deep for the road race. There were originally 17 in lead pack, but you know some must have flatted, dropped out or quit, so there was a pretty big chance there were some points on the line for us. The pack now contained about 17 riders, and maybe one or two had points from the previous stage, so you knew they would be going for it.
I wanted to have a go at it, as I usually sprint pretty well after a long road race, relatively anyway. Well I didn’t have a chance. As I move though the pack, getting ready for the right turn at the bottom of 410, I hear a load bang. I look around wondering if I or somebody else hit something lying on the road. A second later I realize I spoke on my back wheel and snapped, again. That is the third race in a row, with the same wheel. It’s time to get it totally rebuilt; I can’t have this happening anymore. The wheel is way out of true, but it still turns. Since there is only about a mile to go, I decide to ride it in and limp in and finish right behind the pack, no sprint for me.

PIR

With my transfer down to Renton for work, into the 787 certification and flight test group, I was already halfway to PIR…so why not. It would also allow me to miss the traffic jam on 405 going home.
After the last few races I had never quite recovered from my cold and tired legs, so I skipped last weekends activities over in Wenatchee…and instead took 3 days completely of the bike, followed by two easy recovery ride days. I finally did some hard efforts Saturday, and actually didn’t feel half bad. Monday night I did some climbing but Tuesday would be the first real hard efforts. The weather was perfect, actually record high temperatures in Seattle, but by 7pm it was nice.
The race it self went ok, Nathan got of early, and after trying to latch on or chase down any bridge attempts (which I could only cover half)…before you know it though a few more bridged up, and a 3-4 man chase group was half way across. Half way though the race I bridged up to O’Donnell and we then spent the next 30min in the middle somewhere, trying to catch up and hold of the pack at the same time. It was a good hard workout; with some sustained efforts…
At the best news was that I didn’t break any spokes in my rear wheel… so hopefully it will hold up during Enumclaw.

I didn't see much on the Prudog vs. PStache battle.... but I think I saw Prudog at the back...............

Longbranch

Another hard race… at least the winner would be worth the title…
It was a big field for a narrow course like this. The hills are step but short, with splits basically only happening right at the top as it flattens out. Once again I didn’t feel very good, but usually I get better, relatively, at the closing laps anyway. Not sure if that happened or not, maybe it was the rear ending I experienced on 405 Friday that left me with a sore neck and back, but most likely just the fact that I’m still fighting the remnants of the cold I got after Walla Walla.
The first beak went up the road early, as usual on this course, HB put their team on the front to chase it down. A few laps later a eight man break went up the road, with Kevin in it this time. Brian Hall, and Doug Davis got dropped, Brad flatted out and Gardner and Kevin got gapped, and before you know it they are down to 3 with two laps to go. Previous time up the hill I was too far back and new it, the split happened at the top and group got of the front and the only place splits ever happened. As the group I was in was chasing back on, riders touched and two went down hard, a WOW rider went down right in-front of me, and I ended up riding down into the ditch. I jump of, climb back up and takeoff, I glance back and notice a black jersey on the road…is that Neil?... it was, and he ended up being taken to Tacoma general hospital for the night, with a compound wrist break, but after x-rays his collar bone is ok but with lots of lacerations that required stitches. At this point I’m of the back, I’m trying to chase back on, but the downhill sections is just so much faster in a group. As I cross the bridge I shift down and my legs are done..I can’t see how I can climb this, after that effort. As I come around the corner I see the pack right there, they must have slowed for the climb…maybe, I have to get back on now! I shift down and put in another effort… and finally a few hundred feet after the left turn I make contact with the back, as we crest as start descending again, just in time. Two laps to go, the hill creates a split again, I dig deep and make the 8 or so man split, I pull though a few times but too many people are sitting on, and right before the feed hill the pack catches up. Another split happens here, at this point there are so many tired legs that splits happen all over the place. It all comes together a mile or so before the start/finish line. At this point we should have been neutralized; because we pass the women as they are sprinting for the line…not too good… it wouldn’t have changed our race at all. One lap to go., still with a three man break up the road. Campbell sensing that the hill would probably do him in this time, attacks a few times, finally gets of and hits the hill with a slight gap, but it’s not enough as we catch him half way up,, he looks done. Once again a split is happening up front, I dig even deeper this time, but I’m to far back and can’t get across. Six guys get off, 3 off us in the middle and then the pack behind. Lange does a lot of work, but we can’t close it, and right as we start the feed hill the pack catches up, as the front group splits, with Ian Tubbs, Kenny, Richter and Jake taking off I think. Jake takes fourth and Tubbs takes the sprint for fifth. There is a slight lull in the pace of the pack, and with a mile to go I attack, Mick comes with me…and for some reason he don’t want to pull me to the line…damm.. After a few hard pulls, the pack is upon us and we get swallowed within the last 200m. Chris Teufel takes the sprint for 8th I guess….well, at least we got one rider in the top 10.

After the race we find out the seriousness of Neil’s crash, not good. Luckily it wasn’t quite as bad as we first heard, but he still has a pretty bad arm break, and is getting a steel plate put in today.
Hopefully everything will turn out ok, but it’s amazing really, that it doesn’t happen more often..

On my ride today, I stopped by the Windermere cup Rowing race going on at UW. I rode down past the finish line; right by the water were all the crews were hanging out before returning back down the course.


As I was standing there I could hear the water splash against the boats, and all the so familiar sounds, the memories and urge to row came back stronger then it has since I left rowing years ago.
I rowed all four years at college, traveling all over, Philadelphia, Tennessee, San Diego, Boston and all over the mid west.

All that pain you go though in less then 6 minuets is amazing, nothing in cycling compares to the full body pain experience those last few strokes before the line.

This Sunday we have the State road race championships, with that gold medal being the ultimate goal. When I think back to how many State and regional gold medals I have from rowing, and how long ago that seems now, it's amazing... I will do my best to get that gold medal on Sunday, I will probably go though pain and self doubt...but I will push on.
In a few years it would probably collect dust in some box somewhere with the others. What will remain is the memories of teamwork, suffering and perseverance that got me there, the price is more then a medal, it's the road that got me there that really counts and what will last.