The Suitcase of Courage

Cycling Fun Friday: FMTD Pics

(Pic by Cannibal Team Trustee Mike Kozlik)

I've mentioned our little Friday morning ride before - otherwise known as the Friday Morning Throw Down (FMTD).  It's a loop of over 30 miles in the lower Connecticut River Valley and down along the coast of Long Island Sound.  It officially starts in Chester Center, but some folks (including me) get picked up along the way.  It's an early ride - departing at 5:30am - and there are plenty of bailout opportunities in case you have to get to work a bit early that day.

It's an absolutely beautiful ride through stunning scenery.  Only problem is, it's usually so fast that all you really see is the wheel of the guy in front of you.  And the fastest sections tend to be the flattest.  And the flattest tend to be the prettiest - down by the water.  See the pic at the top of the post for a typical view - moving flat out, single file, along the shore.  As you can imagine, if you're hardly able to take in the scenery while on the FMTD, you certainly won't be able to take any photos.  If you stop, you'll never catch back on.

So, in order to document and share some of the scenes along the way, I took advantage of a beautiful morning earlier this week, riding solo and leaving at the same time as the FMTD would, to show you what we see when we're not too cross-eyed.  Come along for a ride along the route at a leisurely pace so you can enjoy the view...

Those who follow me on Twitter will recognize this shot.  Before I got lazy and started waiting for the guys at the end of my driveway, I used to get out ahead of them by a few minutes to warm up which sometimes gave me just enough time to record this view over the tracks, looking toward the sunrise.

Once we turn right onto Great Hammock Road, the ride begins in earnest.  If you can pry your eyes from the back of the guy in front of you and turn your head to the right, this is what you'd see.

And if you turned your head to the left, perhaps looking over your shoulder to see if it was safe to peel off after your pull at the front, this is the view you'd see.  Hopefully, your eyes would readjust in time to allow you see the road again.

After going through the 4-way stop, we turn along the south shore.  Always the million-dollar view, along Knollwood Beach, this is the "leadout" portion of the causeway sprint.  No matter how fast you're going at this point, you can't help but see the stunning sunrise over our town's two lighthouses (which you can barely make out in the distance).

And this, my friends, is the Causeway - location of the Causeway Sprint (natch).  Like the tail of a comet, some of the guys start falling off the back at this point as the lead guys start drilling it even harder.  It's a LONG causeway (I should actually measure it sometime) and the "finish" is way out there on the horizon, when you get back to the mainland.  Wind is always a factor here, and when you get a tailwind, you can be cruising at 30-35mph and sprinting over 40.  Alas, this morning there was a head/crosswind that put most of us in the gutter and sapped the sprint (kudos to GS for drilling a hole through the wall for a decisive "win").

At the end of the sprint, we coast/cooldown past Saybrook Point Inn and turn left on College Street.  As we turn, we pass Fort Saybrook Park - also the site of the old Connecticut Valley Railroad yard and roundhouse.  That's the excavation of the turntable pit and engine bays.  Yet another reason I love it here, not only do we have great roads and scenery, but where else am I going to find a railroad archaeological dig by the water?  Unfortunately, even though we're cooling down from the sprint by this point, we seldom pay much attention to this site as we go by, so I'm especially glad I stopped this time to get the pic.

The little jog north up to North Cove (you can see the jog in the map above) is part of the extended cooldown/mellow part of the ride.  I guess you could stop along the way here to snap a few photos, but it was a lot nicer - being solo on this particular morning - to take my time.

Another shot of North Cove

And yet another - showing evidence of the ever-present wind.

Once we motor up Main Street and through town, we take a right back up and over the railroad tracks then another right to head east back toward the river.  This is the view just after that road turns left and heads north.  That's Old Lyme across the river, and the 1907 railroad bridge connecting the two towns.

After going "between the bridges" (the RR bridge to the south and the I-95 highway bridge to the north), we turn back west and head through Saybrook's Otter Cove section.  The pace is usually pretty brisk from the last time we cross the tracks up to the Otter Cove turnoff, but the area itself is usually pretty mellow, very woodsy and wind-y.  There is one clearing in the trees though, and we're treated to another view of the river - this time with a little fog burning off.

Once out of Otter Cove, we turn north again and head into Essex - literally right through the center of town.  It'd be fun to mount a helmet cam to an R/C helicopter and video us from above, going around the roundabout.  I'm not sure it would look as cool as those shots you see of 100+ racers doing it in the Tour, but I'd put this rotary in Essex Village up against anything in Europe for looks and charm (Paris & Rome notwithstanding).

The Loop continues north from here, along the river back to Chester Center but at this point, mostly because I'd taken a lot of extra time stopping to take pictures, and partly because I rode more of the route than I usually do before work (I usually peel off and head home right after Otter Cove), I was starting to run a bit late and needed to get to the office.  It was such a beautiful morning though, I couldn't help but turn right at the rotary and head down Essex's Main Street to the end.

While not actually on the FMTD route, it's not that far off and if you have time, it's more than worth it, especially at sunrise.  This is the dock next to the CT River Museum, right at the "Foot O' Main".  I could sit here for hours, watching the fog burn off and following the sun as it makes its trip up and over the water.  But I had to TT home to jump in the shower and get the workday started.  No matter what kind of day I'd have though, it had already been a great day.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip around (most of) the Friday Morning Throwdown Loop.  Maybe you can join us sometime, but if you do, don't bother bringing your camera.  No matter how beautiful it is that day, you probably won't get a chance to use it.

Ashlawn Farm, the Pity Prime, & the End of Spring Racing

The past couple of weeks have been quite a roller-coaster weather and riding/racing-wise.  The day after my last post - Tuesday April 9 (the day was that memorable) - it was so sunny and warm I rode outside in just shorts and a jersey for the first time since last September.  Then the weather was so lousy and windy by Friday morning that I skipped the FMTD.  More times than I can remember in April, I've been on the indoor trainer.  Usually that particular means of torture training is thoroughly banished way before now.

But Saturday the 13th ended up being a lucky day.  After my summer-like Tuesday night ride, I'd already put out a feeler/invite for folks to join me in my first Saturday Morning Clarke ride of the year.  While I'd really thought I'd made a mistake pulling that trigger so early in the week - especially given the weather as late as Friday - it ended up being a beautiful ride.  We stayed near the shore, mostly, riding out to Blackpoint in Niantic and then headed north by northwest to one of my favorite ride destinations - Ashlawn Farm.

You'll want to be sure to click here for a much more detailed post on the Blackpoint Loop, including some great photos and a route map.  I'm not bragging about the photos - the route goes through such beautiful scenery, you really can't help shooting some wonderful scenes.

It was great to get together again with some of my local riding buddies, some for the first time this season, and the ride was made all the more special by the guest appearance of a couple of teammates.

The leisurely "giro de caffe piano" was the perfect way not only to kick off the Saturday group rides (well, for me at least), but a great warmup for what would end up being my last race of the Spring Season the next day.

The Bethel Spring Series usually consists of six races, starting with the first Sunday in March, skipping Easter Sunday, and ending mid-April.  THIS year, however, there would be SEVEN races.  I'd fully planned to do all seven, but when scheduling conflicts started cropping up for the last race, I knew I'd have to stop at the usual six.  "No worries" I thought "There's a Ninigret on Saturday that I can do instead...."  So Sunday the 14th would be my last Bethel.

I had mixed feelings going into it, of course.  It was a little surreal knowing this was my last Bethel, but knowing everybody else would be doing one more.  Our team was out of the running for any podium spots, so we were all free to race however we wanted, with no real strategy going in. So I figured I'd make it the best of it.

SDC, JeffM, Joel and I lined up and took off at the whistle.  Joel got things started off by snatching the first prime in handy fashion with a decisive, take-no-prisoners launch that created an immediate gap and kept the hounds at bay.

Primes (sounds like "preems" but, gawd please, do NOT spell it that way) are to crits what stage wins are to Grand Tour races.  When your team is out of contention during a race series, or it's outgunned, or if you're racing alone, going for - and winning - primes are a nice consolation.  Usually the GC guys and stronger teams are focusing more on the final/overall result.  That leaves the primes prime for the picking.  All you have to do is listen for the bell announcing the prime and then be the first across the line on that lap of the race.

Even when the stronger teams aren't contesting the prime, winning one still ain't anywhere near easy.  But it's great fun to try.  Besides the finish, you have as many additional chances to sprint as there are primes in the race and - unlike just attacking during the race - you actually have a chance to win something for your trouble.

I didn't want Joel to have ALL of the fun so, when I was in a decent position the next time the bell rang, I started making my way up to the front.  As we rounded Turn Two, I started making my way up the left side and right about where the flagpole is (about 50 miles away from the start/finish actually, I don't know how far away from the S/F it is, but it's pretty far out) I starting sprinting like it was the end of the race.  For all I knew, it WOULD be the end of the race for me if I couldn't recover in time and got dropped.  But a "last" race when there's nothing at stake can be the ideal opportunity for taking a chance.  So I gave it all I had.

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back to see how close the pack was.  It was WAAAAY back - I couldn't believe how much of a gap I had!  I was so far off the front, I literally coasted across the start/finish and it took another 1/2 lap of soft pedaling before I got swallowed back up.  I even got an early reward for my effort when a couple guys in the pack said things like "great sprint" & "way to win it" - I'm just glad I could hear them through the throbbing of my heart in my ears.

Since I'd been able to coast a bit, by the time I'd drifted to the back of the pack, I was in good enough shape to hang on with no problem.  I saw SDC back there, tailgunning, but neither of us were prepared for any deep philosophical conversations.  Unlike SDC - who, no matter WHERE he is during the race, always seems to find a way to be at the front at the end - I have a morbid fear of being at the back, especially whenever there's a hill.  I like to drift back on hills to save energy, but they have a name for when you drift back when you're already at the back.  It's called being dropped.  So I started making my way back up through the pack.

After a bunch more laps, I checked and - yup - I discovered I had a few more matches left to burn so, having let a bunch of primes go by (read: I was nowhere near being able to contest them) and knowing there wouldn't be too many - if any - left, I started listening for the bell and getting closer to the front.

When the bell rang, there were a few guys up the road already - but not too far.  As usually happens during a prime lap, the pack will ramp up its speed and that often (though certainly not always) has the effect of gobbling up any escapees that might be dangling out there.  That happened in this case, thankfully.  Unfortunately though, about 50 meters before they all got caught, one them attacked and shot further out - at just about the same time as I launched my effort.  I chased/sprinted as best I could, but by the time I was part way up the hill, I knew there was no way I'd be able to catch him, so I sat up.

I still came in 2nd, but it was only a one-place prime.  Oh well.

What there was left of the race went pretty much as expected.  The teams in contention fought each other for position - with a fair amount of blocking - and it got a little sketchy during the final lap.  But everybody remained upright.  I chose the wrong line and got a little boxed in at the bottom of the hill, but I was still able to eek out 15th.  With the prime win, I was pretty happy.

And here's where it got interesting....

I did my cooldown lap and made my way to the official's tent to get my winnings.  Here's how that conversation went (roughly):

Characters: Me & Mike the Official (also one of the race sponsors and all-around good guy)

Setting: Near the start/finish

Weather: Sunny & dry

Me: So what do I get for my prime?

Mike: You didn't win any primes.

Me: Whattaya mean?!  I totally won a prime - and pretty decisively!  I was ahead by a MILE!  You couldn't have missed it!

Mike: Oh that?  Yeah, we were wondering why you were still sprinting and then sat up.

Me: I sat up because there was no need to sprint anymore.  I was ahead by a MILE!

Mike: Maybe if you'd kept sprinting you would have seen the guy up the road.

Me: AH!  Yeah, I DID notice him - but that was on the SECOND prime I went for.  When I saw I wasn't going to catch that guy, I sat up.  But for the FIRST prime I KNOW I was way ahead of everybody else.

Mike: Yeah, except the guy up the road that actually won the prime.

At this point, I felt like I was stuck in an old Abbott & Costello routine.  We went back & forth like this a bit - I was actually convinced for a while that Mike was pulling my leg - but the upshot was, yes, there actually had been a guy up the road on the prime I thought I'd won (as well as the one I knew I hadn't won).  None of us in the pack had noticed him.

Mike (seeing how disappointed I was, and clearly taking pity on me): Do you want a gift bag?

Me: I would LOVE a gift bag!

Racers are profoundly easy to please.  Well, at least this racer is.  I got a great hat and a waterbottle from Outdoor Sports Center.  Not prime winnings, technically, but a "parting gift" that nicely capped off my final Bethel race of 2013.

Ok - call it a Pity Prime.

Here's the REAL pity though.... After planning on going to race my Favorite Track Ever this past Saturday, and thereby put a punctuating period at the end of my spring racing sentence, I woke up Saturday morning and it was raining.  During a fun and spirited FMTD the previous day, friend (and fellow red/silver C'Dale R900 rider) ChrisW and I discussed Ninigret and he revealed that it'd be his First Crit - provided the weather was ok.  We promised we'd text each other in the morning, but when the forecast Friday night still made Saturday a washout, I emailed him to let him know I'd be sleeping in and would ride in the afternoon instead.

So the rain the next morning was a nice confirmation of my decision.  Until it stopped about the time I would have left the house for the race.  And then it started clearing.  And then it got sunny.  Worse of all - for me at least and the growing pity party I was having - I got an email from ChrisW.  He'd gone to the race and it was "awesome."

Rats!

I did get a couple of nice consolations though.  I sent out a pitiful plea invite for anyone that could join me for a pick-up ride Saturday afternoon (which was turning into a Top 5 day allofasudden) and CharlieV, Jen & Peter obliged.  It's so nice to have riding buddies to count on.  Though as it happens, I wasn't the only one to have bagged the morning - they were thinking the same thing and we all needed only a catalyst to get going.  And we saw a lot of other folks out riding too - including Cannibals El Presidente (ShawnM) and MikeK, both celebrating their birthdays, and Tim.  Tim joined us (perhaps figuring the ratio of guys to gal in our group wasn't quite what it should be, considering the one gal was "Mrs. Tim") and we headed past Rogers Lake up Grassy Hill and through a 1980s-era development of 17th & 18th century houses (I'll try to explain in some future post).

The other consolation was a beautiful Sunday morning ride the next day.  I got on the road in time to catch the sunrise over our town lighthouse(s!) and planned the route so I could at least meet the Cannibals for the start of their ride out of Chester - and congratulate ChrisW on racing his first crit.

So with a wimper rather than a bang, the last weekend of my Spring racing block came to an end.  I didn't get to ride again until this morning - luckily just missing the rain both before and after my ride -  but am looking forward to some great weather - and great riding - over the next few days.  FMTD tomorrow, Clarke ride Saturday, and another Cannibal-intercepting pre-church ride on Sunday.  My next race isn't until May 25th, but there's lots of riding to do in the meantime!

Plainville Win & Ninigret Victories Snatched

So it looks like I'm posting every other week or so - guess that's better than nothing.  And to the extent this is a web log ("blog" - get it?) of what all I've been up to and for my own documentation purposes, I suppose that's enough.  I understand the lack of race pics and video makes these posts a little less sexy, but I'll try to make it interesting.  If even only to me.  Actually, there have been a few fun things going on in SOC land since last I posted.  So, without further ado, here we go...

First FMTD

We had our first Friday Morning Throw Down of 2013 on March 29.  As the pic above indicates, this was the start of the year's Mailbox Tales.  This time I put the flag up just as the guys were coming down the road.  It was a small but select group and the sprint over the causeway - while spirited - wasn't contested.  Not too seriously anyway.  Which is to say, I lost it - to another Chris on another red Cannondale CAAD8 R900, strangely enough.  Ah well.  It's early in the season and he was headed off to Battenkill.  It being Good Friday, I was able to console myself with a BEC at The Villager before heading back south and toward home.

Sunrise Ride

I also attended my first of what I hope will be many Sunday morning Cannibal rides.  Well - if you count riding with them for only the first 20 minutes or so.  I split off after the swing bridge in East Haddam as they headed north into the mountains hills.  I told them I didn't have time to go with them since I had to get to Easter morning service at church.  Which was true.  But also provided a handy excuse for avoiding so much climbing.

 

It also allowed me to do a quick detour to one of my favorite places/views - Gillette Castle.

I caught my share of hills though, having to go over Joshuatown Road on my way home.

That first big climb was with the group, but the big climb in the middle was going past Goodspeed's up to the Castle and then the three peaks at 20-23 miles are the "Three Sisters" of J'Town.

But as nice as all that fun riding is, the racing is probably more interesting - especially because it includes a couple tales of winning...

Final Plainville - EXPO Wins All (well, in the Cat3/4 race, anyway)

I was going to race the first Ninigret of the season on March 30th, but since teammate Stan was leading the individual GC and EXPO was leading the team GC, my task was clear - skip Ninigret and head to Plainville to help insure victory.

 
(pic by SDC)

Given that we had Bethel off this weekend due to Easter, a large squad of EXPO was on hand to share the work of defending.  And defend we did.  We chased everything that tried to break free, but when a split happened that I, defending leader Stan, & Lance happened to be in, we drilled it.

It was a fairly large break of 8 guys, not all of which were sharing much of the work, but we opened quite a gap on the field.  Which made it even more surprising and impressive when teammate JeffM bridged up to join us.  I hadn't remembered him being with us when the split happened and - frankly - in my deprived state of oxygen I wasn't keeping all that close a track on attendance.  But at one point I'd drifted to the back of the break and there he was, apologizing for needing to recover.  I didn't realize til later what a herculean effort he'd put in.

(pic by SDC)

But that wasn't the end of the story for him or for the team.  We kept at our work and as the lap cards counted down it was clear that the now-9 of us would be scrambling for whatever points were left.  I'd missed out on one of the 2-place primes, but snatched 2nd to teammate Stan for one of them - stealing points away from one of Stan's rivals.

(pic by SDC)

But that was all the glory I'd get for myself this day.  The rest of the race belonged to the team and to JeffM.  As the laps of the race wound down and the speed of the race went up, I hoped to get in good position for Stan.  As we headed down the backstretch, I saw Jeff coming up my right and he was looking strong.  By the time we hit the final corner, he went past and opened up his sprint.  There was no holding him back and though we were all pretty close, there was only one clear winner:

(pic by SDC)

Yes, after making a huge effort to bridge, Jeff won the race collecting points that put Team EXPO way over the top in the team GC.  Stan maintained his position as leader of the individual GC and all the prize money went into a pot we plan to dip into for a future celebration.

This, of course, is one of the many things that makes bike racing So Much Fun.  Winning?  Sure.  But racing with so many teammates on such a gorgeous day was a huge win no matter the outcome.

But yeah, winning is pretty cool too.

Heading back to the truck with the pit wheels (pic by SDC)

Second Ninigret - But First for Me (this year)

The Mystic Velo Crit at Ninigret Park - Ah, Ninigret.  How I love thee.  I've gone on (and on) before about this great track located on an old airfield in Charlestown, RI.  I may not always do well here, but I always have a blast.  I've flatted and DNF'd here.  I've also done my longest solo breakaway here, staying away (actually in No Man's Land) for 8 laps and coming in 7th, just ahead of a charging pack chasing the 6 man break.  Last Saturday's race was a great example of that mixture of defeat and victory.

In a huge contrast to the previous weekend, there was only myself, Lance & TJ racing.  Lance's son Xander was doing his first crit - and another friend, CharlieV, did his first crit earlier in the day.  I don't know their respective ages, but suffice it to say they're on different ends of the age spectrum, and both racing for the first time.  What a sport!  And, interestingly, Lance was doing his first Cat3 only race.  He's been racing the 3/4s at Bethel for a while now and putting the hurt on, but he finally upgraded earlier in the week and was getting his first test of the 3s without the 4s.

 Me?  Like I said, I've been here a number of times, it's been a while now since I upgraded to Cat3 (despite the now-misleading tagline on this blog) and I have no interest in upgrading (i.e. doing the work required to become a Cat2).  But each race is its own thing - a clean slate and a new chance to do something different.

Well, I can't say I did all that much different - other than miss the break that finally stuck.  I have noticed that I'm racing more aggressively - or at least less conservatively - than I used to, finding myself at the front more often and even attacking just for the heck of it.  I've been pleasantly surprised that such antics sometimes - if not often - result in opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise get.  But this time I let a couple guys get away, figuring the pack would catch them considering the stiff wind.  Then another guy slipped away, then another.  Before ya know it, there's a break up the road and it's just a little bit too far away to try and bridge.

So for most of the race, I just hung out in the pack, hoping against hope that one of the bigger teams would chase and it'd all come back together.  But as the race went on, that looked less and less likely. So - figuring, like I did here a couple years ago, that I'd at least get a good workout - I went for a couple of primes.

I actually didn't mean to go for the first prime.  I actually had delusions of bridging up to the break - or die trying.  I actually thought I'd be able to reprise my 8 lap solo effort here from 2011 and get some glory.  Well, I attacked pretty hard on the finishing straight and as I crossed the line the bell rung for a field prime - the last crumbs of glory for a bunch of guys that let the race slip away from them.  By the time I hit corner 1, I had a pretty large gap and figured what the heck? might as well see if I can stay away for at least this lap (as you can tell, my 8 lap ambition evaporated pretty quickly).  If I'd had any delusions of grandeur, the building lactic acid burned them away - but I crossed the line before anybody else and won the prime - a sixpack of local beer.

And promptly let the pack catch me.

It was fun to stretch the legs (and lungs, and heart) a bit, so knowing that the break was well and good long gone - so much so that even the announcer said we weren't contesting the finish - I decided to go for the next, and last prime.  It was announced with only 3 laps to go (I think the announcer was desperate to animate the race at any cost) and I started moving toward the front.  As we hit the backstretch before corner 4 and into the headwind - the site of the start of my huge effort a couple years ago - I launched my attack and was able to hold it for the 1/2 lap it took me to get to the line.  I won another prime!  "Boy, that EXPO guy must be thirsty!" I heard the announcer say as I approached the line.  Yup - I'd won another 6 pack.

I was pretty fried at this point and knew I had to recover quickly in order to contest the field sprint.  It wasn't really "for" anything - all the money was already up the road - but I wanted to see if I could do a three-peat.

So I worked my way back to within 10 guys of the front and as we rounded the last corner, I went up the left side and launched my sprint for all I was worth.  I easily shot past the front of the pack and crossed the line decisively and alone.

But what was that ringing in my ears.  A BELL?!  A quick glance at the lap cards confirmed my fear and stupidity - there was still one lap to go.  In my oxygen-deprived state, I'd totally lost track.

And I'd lost what was left of my motivation.  As the pack swallowed me up around corner 1, I got briefly bumped - almost crashed out - by a guy shooting a narrow gap on my left side.  Good thing there are no curbs at Ninigret: I did some grass surfing and he bobbled quite a bit, but we all stayed upright.  That was it for me.  I drifted to the back of the pack and made a couple feeble efforts to hang on, but by the time the sprint opened up around the final corner, I sat up and soft pedaled in with a CLR rider.  One - or maybe both - of us were DFL.

But I didn't really care at that point.  Despite missing the break, I'd won two primes - and with pretty commanding gaps.  So, for me at least, I snatched a little bit of victory from what was otherwise a defeat.

Funny thing though - I don't drink beer.

 

But my teammates do and I was more than happy to let them share in the spoils.

Until next time!

First 1/2 of Bethel Series & a Plainville

(typical scene during my rides from November to March)

Well now....

There have been a few happenings in SOC land this past month, mostly race-related (who wants to hear how busy it's been at work with all the gun control stuff?  Nah, me either...)

But speaking of work, just briefly - and as it relates to this here blog - Mrs. SOC is now working all full timey and whatnot up at the Asylum state legislature with me.  Well, we're at least in the same building - different chamber (Senate vs. House), different floor, etc.  But at least we get to commute together.  It's been about 10 years since she's worked full time outside the house (she'd been working at home/telecommuting) and that takes just a little adjusting to.  We discovered with her working just about the same crazy hours I do that we usually need both weekend days to get caught up on all the around-the-house stuff.  That's bad news and good news: Bad news is that she's not able to make it to races much & the lack of pics and videos diminishes the reasons y'all may want to check in - and my motivation for writing.  Good news though is that, despite the crazy schedule, she still wants me to race.  Which is very cool.

(Aki starts them early)

As has been the case the past few years, my racing season actually starts with a broom the day before the first race of the season.  SDC, who promotes the Bethel Spring Series of races, does an excellent job of making sure the track is ready for the season.  But he's the first to admit that many hands make light work.

Some years are harder than others - 2011 being the worst in recent memory - but even with the kind assistance of the Town of Bethel, there was still plenty for us all to do to get things all nice and safe for the racers on March 3rd.

In addition to brooms & shovels, we also bring our bikes.  So after the track is all chipped, shoveled, swept, and blown, we usually do a few practice laps - at varying levels of intensity.  Since this was the first day my road bike had been outside since Thanksgiving, I was anxious to make sure that everything still worked right - both body and machine.

The next day - First Race of the Season - was super cold and windy, with the extra shot of adrenaline that comes from seeing how the first few laps are gonna feel.  Fortunately, while it was fast and every time we turned onto the backstretch it felt like we hit a wall of wind, it was a good, safe race.  There were 93 starters in our Cat3/4 field and teammate BJ came in 6th, securing our first points of the series.  I did better than I expected, coming in 26th after my work for the team was done.

A stomach problem the following Saturday night into Sunday morning kept me from racing the 2nd week of the series and I thought missing a race would mean I'd be psyched and pumped for the next race.  But when the alarm went off that 3rd Sunday morning, I was anything but motivated to get up and race.  If anything, it was even colder and more windy than that first week.  Racing was the last thing I wanted to do.  Then I remembered that it was the anniversary of a bad crash that happened last year, one that took one of our fellow racers from us all too soon.  I thought SDC would appreciate some support and, besides, I really needed to be there if for no other reason than that I could be there.

(flowers left by the memorial at the start/finish line. A very nice touch.  Many thanks to whoever left them)

I don't remember much about the day other than the fact that I was noticeably subdued.  You know how long drives alone can sometimes be.  You start thinking way too much.  It's generally a good thing to pause, reflect and take some time to reevaluate.  But sometimes it just gives your mind too much freedom to do too much second-guessing.  And if you're on your way to a bike race, you start seriously questioning why you're putting yourself through such agony, on a cold, windy day, when most folks are enjoying Sunday brunch by a fire.  Case in point: by the time I got to the track I'd pretty much decided that this would be my last Bethel.  I even asked a teammate whether he was all set for wheels, being willing to pass on my "permanently loaned" tubulars to him if needed.

So I kitted up, not really expecting anything special.  The race played out as it usually does, but I didn't race as I usually do.  I'm typically pretty conservative, wanting to be sure to have enough matches left at the end to be helpful to teammates for a leadout or whatever.  But figuring this would be the last time I raced here, I got to the front and did a lot of chasing, bridging, etc.  Well, as much as I could without totally blowing myself up.  Things stayed together and teammate BJ came in 2nd - out of 120 starters (a record for this field) - and secured a bunch more points for the team.  And, incidentally, I had a pretty good finish too - coming in 21st despite the work I'd done.  Out of that large a field, I was pretty happy.  And "pretty happy" - especially on that day - was pretty great.  Certainly better than it'd started out.  Hanging out with my teammates, helping marshal after the race, reminded me of one of the main reasons I continue to do this craziness.

If I needed another reminder, I got it at Plainville the following weekend.  The Plainville Spring Series is 4 week Saturday series right in the middle of the Bethel series.  Some of my first races were here and it was my go-to series before I started going to Bethel.  It's a flat, fast track and doesn't have the "seperating" hill that Bethel has.  Consequently, folks can sometimes get in over their heads here - going faster than they're really comfortable and over-cooking corners.  A rash of crashes a few years back tipped the scales toward Bethel for me, despite the hill and its being farther away.

The first race of the series had been cancelled due to snow, but Team EXPO got right near the top of the individual and team classifications in the Cat3/4 race the 2nd week.  Teammate Stan won that race and teammate TJ got 5th.  So I decided to get in on the fun the 3rd week this past Saturday.  It wasn't as cold as it has been, the sun was out, but it was even WINDY-er (a big problem when the parking is so far from the start line, and you have wheel bags to carry while riding your bike.  Just sayin').  The field wasn't nearly as large as what I'd gotten used to at Bethel, but still respectable with a few good-sized teams, including friend Anthony's team CLR. 

As expected, it was fast from the start and - as much as expected - for the first few laps I thought "man! I'm gonna have to work hard to keep from getting dropped!"  Hadn't felt THAT in a while, but the smallish field meant little shelter, and I was suffering.  But, determined to do what I could for Stan & TJ, I worked my way to the front and tried to jump on anything that attacked.  After a bunch of laps and many attempts, a break finally stuck and - thankfully - two of our guys were in it: Stan and Lance.

While they worked the break, our team helped shut down the field.  We jumped on anything that tried to bridge.  As a result, the break almost lapped the field.  As it was, the pack was forced to end their race with 5(?) laps to go so the break could fight out the finish.

As you can see, we were pretty happy with how things were playing out.  We were even happier when we saw Lance take 2nd and Stan take 4th.  And that they'd taken all of the primes.

So - that reminder of why I continue to do this craziness? - it's the blast I have while racing with friends and teammates.  Sure, great results are, well, great.  But they're only the icing on a very filling cake.

The only downside of the day - and, unfortunately, a big downside at that - was discovering later that one of our teammates that I don't know - "Doc" - went down hard and broke some bones.  He'll be in the hospital for a few days, but will hopefully be back to racing before too long.  Get well soon Doc!

With tired legs, but also with a new shot of motivation, I went to Sunday's race at Bethel looking to help get BJ into the leader's jersey and have a blast doing it.

Well, 1 outta 2 ain't bad I guess.  I had a blast, feeling better during the race than expected despite having raced hard the previous day, but our team didn't do so well - all of us finishing far outside points for the day.  One personal consolation: I came in 11th out of 82 starters - my 2nd best finish here, ever.

For most everybody else in the world, Monday is the start of the work week and the door that slams shut on our weekend.  But for me - after a full weekend of racing - it's a rest day, a chance to recover and reflect on the fact that I'm blessed enough to be able to do this bike racing thing.  I'm blessed to be healthy, to have a very supportive spouse, and really cool teammates and friends.  Sure, I have to go back to the office and face all the things that have been waiting for me since Friday.  But with my new Carpe Diem Racing coffee mug, my memories of races past, and my hopes for upcoming races, it makes Manic Monday just a little easier to take.

And if that alone isn't enough of a reason for me to get me out of bed early on a weekend morning and ride my bicycle in circles really, really fast, I'm not sure what is.

 

2013 Opener

Happy 2013! Yeah, it's been a while, but Bethel is less than 2 weeks away, so Watch This Space. I'll be updating more regularly. First up - my first update of "Total Miles" since last Veterans' Day (yes, that was 11/11/12). See the left column. Yup - that's right. Only 383 miles since January 1. Think I'll be ready for Bethel?

Nah, me either. But at least I renewed my license. Last week. Latest I've ever waited. And I'm 10 lbs over where I was last year. So it should be interesting . . .

To me anyway.

I'll be watching this space myself too to see if anybody's still around after all this time. I hope you are, and if so, please leave a comment or something. It'd be nice to not talk to an empty room.

So - what races are YOU doing? Are you getting ready?

October Riding

 (from Liberty Magazine, October 1946)

October has something for every one of your senses: The sight of leaves blazing with color, the sound of those same leaves as they crackle under your feet, the taste of pumpkin pie and apple crisp, the feel of the axe handle as you chop wood for the up-coming winter, the smell of woodsmoke as fireplaces and stoves are rekindled.

When you ride your bike in October, the hum of your tires is accompanied by the rustle of squirrels gathering acorns.  The sun - which has its own golden tinge this time of year - sits lower in the sky, giving even familiar routes a different look.  If you're out in the early morning, the air will chill your fingers and toes, and you'll swear you can taste the frost.

I am embarrassed to admit I haven't ridden my bike much so far this October, but seeing scenes like this and remembering what it's like should fire my motivation.  If it doesn't, you'd better get somebody to check my pulse.

71 Years Ago:A Sunday Group Ride

(There are a few posts that are "mile markers" for me throughout the year and I tend to repost them.  So as the cycling season puts on its jacket & armwarmers, take a trip back in time with me to a Sunday Group Ride that took place on the eve of World War II, 70 years ago . . .) 

Click Here to Start Your Journey

September 21, 1941 was a Sunday, an early autumn day in Southern New England, clear and mild.

World War II had been raging in Europe for exactly two years.  The German army had advanced into the Soviet Union over the summer and was riding high on the success of having already conquered most of Western Europe.  France had just been split into German-occupied and Vichy zones the previous month.

It wasn't learned until much later that at some point in the days leading up to September 21, 1941, there was an important meeting concerning Nazi Germany's capacity to develop nuclear weapons.  We thought the atomic age didn't start until four years later.

We didn't yet have to "Remember Pearl Harbor."

On this particular Sunday, the Japanese were celebrating the 10 year anniversary of occupying China's northeast territory of Manchuria.  At some point during that same day, perhaps as some sign of heaven's outrage at such an audacious celebration, the sun was blacked out during a total eclipse visible in most of China - from just northeast of the Black Sea to the Pacific ocean.

Just three weeks earlier, the Japanese government assured President Roosevelt that it had "no imperialist designs on any foreign nation."

Britain had survived the Blitz, which ended that May - the same month Glenn Miller first recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" which was featured in a hit movie starring Sonja Henie.  "Blue Champagne" by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra was the #1 song on September 21, but the Henie movie, "Sun Valley Serenade," was released to theaters exactly a month earlier.  By then "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was already a top ten on the Hit Parade, well on its way to becoming the first gold record ever the following February.  It was the nation's #1 hit by that December.

Bobby soxers fed the voracious appetite of juke boxes across the country one nickle at a time and made Frank Sinatra the top male vocalist that year.

Families had probably gone to church that Sunday morning in Connecticut, though some navy yard workers may have slept in having worked so hard to launch the Gato Class submarine USS Greenling (SS-213) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton the previous day.  Many were marking the 3 year anniversary of the Great New England Hurricane that devastated the Connecticut coast and rendered Hollywood screen siren Katherine Hepburn temporarily homeless, having to rebuild her family's home in Old Saybrook.

But there was no sign of bad weather this September 21 and at least a few folks took advantage of the beautiful Sunday afternoon to do what many of the readers of this blog do on Sundays.

They went on a group ride.

There aren't many left that remember the "Hobby Trains" run by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (the "New Haven") during the late 1930s and early 1940s.  In an effort to boost ridership, the New Haven took advantage of the fact that their railroad connected the Great Metropolis of New York with New England.  There were camp trains in the summer and ski trains in the winter.  Photography specials in the spring and all year 'round.  But what better time for a Bike Train than Autumn and what better place than the Berkshire Hills?

Thanks to a recent discovery of raw film footage by the NHRHTA, we can go back to that Sunday seven decades ago and enjoy the sights of a pre-war group ride.  You'll have to pedal your single-speed cruiser over a bunch of rollers before you get to the picnic.  Don't worry if you have to walk up some of the hills - and ladies, be sure to mind your skirts that they don't get caught in the spokes.  There are no "rest stops" as we think of today - bits of orange and Powerbars - but an entire spread complete with potato salad, Boston baked beans, chicken and watermelon awaits us.

So give your Schwinn, Columbia or Raleigh to the porter to put in the baggage car, give the conductor your ticket, and enjoy the trip.  The train is about to arrive at the station . . .

 

My First "Kermis"

It's been quite a week of racing!  The 2012 summer racing season is certainly ending with a bang.  I packed the bike into the car last Sunday morning and it hasn't been out of the trunk since then - except to race, of course.  Raced Sunday afternoon at Ninigret, Tuesday evening at Rentschler Field, and Friday night at - um - Rentschler Field again, but with a twist.

Or I should say - with a hairpin.

Here's our usual track at the Rent':

 

And here's our usual track, as modified:

In a much-welcome bucking-of-the-trend lately, CCNS actually decided to create a new race - the First Annual AETNA/CCNS Kermis.  What's a "Kermis" you ask?  Technically speaking, a Kermis (aka Kermesse, both spellings are acceptable) is a Dutch festival.  But it also refers to a type of racing that's most associated with the quintessential racing country of Belgium.  It's basically the Belgian version of our criterium - a circuit race of laps - but the circuit is much longer, tends to be more technical (esp. compared to the garden-variety 4 corner industrial park crit), and goes over varied road surfaces. 

But this Kermis was just as much a festival as a race.  Despite being at the end of the summer racing season, it had all the feel of a mid-season race: bike vendors & displays, food vendors, team tents and even a waffle truck! 

It was weird driving over to the Rent' on a Friday rather than a Tuesday, and the races were at different times than we're used to.  The Cat4/5 race started at 4, the Masters race at 5, Cat3s at 6 and P123 at 7 (under the lights!).  When we stopped for our usual "pre-race snack" at Dunkin Donuts (BION, it's for the Missus, not me), I checked my phone & FB for any updates and saw that SDC had just posted "4 laps to go in the Cat 4/5 race" - racing was ON! but with only 4 laps to go, we figured we'd miss the finish.

As we pulled in, we couldn't believe how crowded it was for a late, weekday afternoon.  Certainly nice that it was a summer Friday in August - clearly a lot of guys had scooted out of the office early.

In fact, it was so crowded with vendors and racers that we couldn't even park in our regular spot.  On Tuesdays, we get there pretty early - but the racing was already going full force.  In a HUGE consolation though, as we turned into the "lot" (aka grassy field), we saw a bunch of racers coming around the final bend in what looked like a sprint finish - it was!!!  We'd gotten there just in time to see the 4/5s finish and - BONUS! - we saw teammate Heavy D out in front, holding it to the line for a big win.  Congrats D!

Clearly laps at this Kermis were taking quite a bit longer than the minute or so that they do on Tuesdays...

Yes, despite the venue, this wasn't going to be anything like the usual Tuesday night crit.  It was great seeing officials Mike & Meg in warm weather gear (I usually only see them in the late-winter chill of the Bethel Spring Series) and between having them there, all the tents, vendors, and racers, the First Annual Kermis was shaping up to be quite the Festival Race indeed!

Despite this - and my mounting nervousness - I tried to convince myself that it was "just another Rent' race" and started to get ready.

But another indication of its being a "real" race was that I'd actually have to put wheels in a pit.  We don't have a "pit" on Tuesday nights.  You just go to your car, change your wheel, and jump back in.  Consequently, I'd forgotten to put my name on my wheels as I usually do for an actual, non-training, race.  But the Missus had a brilliant idea - why not stick a couple of my business cards in the spokes?  I was "on my way home" from the office, so I had them on hand.  These flashes of brilliance are one of the many reasons the Missus is as great as she is (well, that, and the fact that she supports me in all my races, takes all the pictures and video, even pins on my number, etc etc etc....)

So, wheels in the pit, number pinned on, and Garmin working, I warmed up, watched the end of the Masters race, and headed to the line.

Once we got our pre-race instructions and the whistle blew, it felt again like a Tuesday night crit.  I had SDC, Joel & Mike with me in the race, but there were a lot of new faces I'd never seen before.  For some reason, I couldn't seem to clip in, being the last off the line - and the final reminder that this wasn't a Tuesday crit: instead of diving left into corner 1, we went straight.

While it uses part of our  Tuesday night track and does go 'round and 'round, this was a totally different race.  The laps are 3 times longer (1.5 miles vs. .5 miles), there's a LONG straightaway into a 180 degree hairpin, and you're on sidewalk for part of the way.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Here's the course description from the beginning (following along on the map above may help):

Straight past corner one, longish straightaway to a more-than-90 degree left turn, slight right to another straight, then 45 degree left, straight, 45 degree right, LOOONG fast straight to the end of the road, 180 degree hairpin onto the sidewalk, LONG straight back north on the sidewalk, along the road, right, straight, hard left, straight, 45 degree right onto the Tuesday track (corner 3 to be precise) and you're back in familiar territory.  From here it's the last leg of the regular Rent' track, broad, sweeping, fast left turn & start/finish line.

Whew!

 

Joel & SDC

It took me a while to get used to the much-longer lap and get settled in.  With so many unfamiliar faces, I wasn't too keen on staying in the middle of the pack either, so I saw more wind than I wanted.  There were lots of attacks - many launched by teammate Mike (dunno where he got so much energy.  Must be the pent-up power he can't use while at school...), but they were all either covered or chased down.

Teammate Jeff, who'd done the Masters race right before ours, strongly suggested I be as close to the front as possible going into the 180 corner.  I did my best - problem was, everybody else had the same idea.  No surprise there.  What was surprising is that we all treated that corner with respect and there were - shockingly - no crashes there.

Overall, it was a fun race - not as fast as we've been going at the Rent' (of course, coming almost to a stop each lap at the 180 didn't help our average speed) and hard mostly because I wasn't smart in seeking shelter or maintaining good position.

As the laps wound down, the pace got quicker.  We were all still together, though attacks were still plentiful.  When a group of 3 got off the front right after the bell, the pace went WAY up and as we headed screaming down the straightaway to the 180 corner, we went even faster.

I was absolutely convinced there was going to be a crash.  So I chickened out and eased back a little.  Fortunately, despite some squealing brakes and skidding tires, we all kept upright through the corner, but I came out of it just a few guys short of the back of the pack.

Every time we came out of that corner, folks would start sprinting out of it and this time was no exception.  But fortunately, they would also - inexplicably - ease up shortly afterwards.  I didn't expect them to ease during this final lap, so I kept sprinting out of the corner.  But they did ease up, and I let my momentum carry me up the left side of the sidewalk to the front third of the field.

Just before the next corner, friend Anthony mentioned how deep into my Suitcase I would have to dig, and he was right.  Things started stringing out again and went fast through the quick right/left corners before getting back on to the regular Rent' track.

I was still near the front after that hard left and, with no other tough corners remaining, folks started their leadouts, sprinting for the line with about 300 meters left.  I tried to surf wheels as well as I could and fortunately the last "corner" is actually a broad, sweeping left-hander.  It's also the last part of our regular Tuesday night races so was totally familiar to me.

As the guys in front of me got out of the saddle and started the final sprint, I jumped - coming around a few in the process.  Unfortunately, in what has been a recurring pattern this season, I sprinted strong, but from too far back.  It was a little sketchy in the final 75 meters - guys going left & right all over the place - but nobody crashed.

 

And I came in 6th.  Not bad considering I was near the back at the 180 - but that only made me regret my decision to ease off and wonder what might have been.

Despite that, I was happy.  I admit I'd been a little wigged out by the crazy corner, but it was a safe, fun race and I hope they do it again next year.  It was an fantastic way to end the summer racing season.

After a quick change, I decided to treat myself to a consolation waffle (regrettably, I forgot to get the obligatory waffle pic - I just ate it too fast) and enjoy watching the Big Boys race the Pro123.

And it was a fun race to watch - huge field, almost always strung out, attacks flying.  I'd considered hiking out to The Corner to see how they handled it, but decided I was just too lazy to walk that far.

Besides, it was getting dark.  I wish they'd had more lights on and I couldn't imagine racing like that - it's hard enough in full daylight.  But they kept it relatively safe, only having one crash in the final lap.

Not the best way to end, but that's a risk in every bike race and all in all everybody had an awesome time.  It was cool to be out "under the lights" for a local bike race and CCNS is to be congratulated on putting together such a great even so quickly.

So that's it for me until the Jamestown Road Race on Columbus Day.  Between now and then I plan to Ride Lots, maybe hit a charity ride or two, and generally enjoy my favorite riding season.  On the way into work today, I saw one of the local farms already have their pumpkin display out and are advertising the up-coming corn mazes and hayrides.  I'm not quite ready for summer to be over, but knowing that such great riding is on the horizon makes it just a little easier.

Hope to see you out on the road!

Masters Championships & Last Rent' Race of 2012

This week is bittersweet.  It's my last week of racing for the season, but I've got THREE races this week(!)

But first, I had to change my rear tire.  That little mishap in corner 2 at the Rent' last week took more of a toll than I expected.  I knew I'd locked up the rear wheel, so after the race I checked the tire "just to be safe."  Good thing I did - there was a large spot almost worn down to the threads, and at 130 psi, I didn't want to take any chances of a blowout.  Sure, the tires are tubular and more supple and all that.  But wow - I didn't think they were THAT delicate.

One of these days I'm going to learn to glue tubular tires myself - really!  I even had a new tire on-hand.  But having only a few races left and not wanting to rely on the job I'd do, I asked SDC if he'd be willing to do mine when he did his (he'd flatted at New London).  Thankfully, he saved my bacon and the tire was ready in time for Ninigret the following Sunday.  Thanks SDC!

Now, on to the first race of this busy week . . .

Masters Championships 40+, Ninigret - August 19

As a Masters race, and especially a Masters Championship, I didn't have high expectations for this race.  I figured I'd do what I haven't been doing too much lately - race conservatively, try to sit in, hope for a field sprint.

When I lined up with SDC at the start and he pointed out the local strong men, even my conservative expectations seemed shooting a little high.  But I figured it'd be a good workout, and I always love racing Ninigret, so as long as there were no crashes, it'd be a great race.

My plan worked well.  I did end up bridging to one break, but when it got caught, I quickly melted back into the pack and resolved not to burn any more matches.  So for most of the race, it was actually easier than I expected.  I was staying sheltered, conserving energy, and not in too much difficulty.

When a break went up the road with about 6 guys in it, I didn't worry too much.  With only SDC as a teammate, we didn't have any obligation to bring it back - there were plenty of other, larger teams I expected could do that.  But the break wasn't coming back and as the lap cards wound down and the gap grew, I figured that was that.  I concentrated on my pack riding skills & staying sheltered.  If a miracle happened and there was a field sprint, I'd certainly have plenty of matches to burn then.

So I was feeling pretty good and even a little itchy when SDC rolled by and motioned me to get on his wheel.  We were heading into the final corner with about 8 or so laps to go.  Once he saw I was on his wheel, he launched.

And MAN what an attack!  I felt like I was in a dragster that just got a green light - it was all I could do to hold on.  We passed the front third of the field and just past the corner we went wide right and passed the front guys at a speed that they didn't even bother to challenge.

At that point, we had the road to ourselves and the break was within sight up ahead.  WAY up ahead, unfortunately, but SDC was going to try and get me as close as he could so I could bridge.  The train was about out of the station and he was going to try and toss me onto the back car before it was totally gone.

We went through the start/finish at what seemed like Mach 1 - me still on the wheel and SDC laying it down like I haven't seen in a long time, burying himself with the effort.  When we hit corner one, I came around him and launched my own effort to get to the break - a break that was unfortunately still quite a ways away.

I dug as deep as I could for over two laps, at one point getting within about 50 meters, but the break didn't let up and I exploded before I could get to them.  I felt like I'd let SDC down, but I'd done everything I could to get there and it just wasn't enough.  I had a little time to lick my wounds before the pack caught me, and then I had a new priority - don't get dropped.

I'd burned up all my matches and it was all I could do to hang off the back of the pack and try to recover as quickly as possible.  There were less than 5 laps left at this point, the break was gone and I at least wanted to try and get in a decent position for the field sprint.

I started to move up with 3 laps to go and, fortunately, with nothing but pride to sprint for, the pack had eased.  At the bell I was back in the front 1/3 and was able to sprint for a little glory at the end.

  

After the race, I didn't bother checking where I'd ended up, figuring it was somewhere in the top 20 overall (and with 6 guys up the road, it'd be "top 14" in the field).  The next day, I discovered they broke the results down by age in 5yr increments.  I'd come in 5th in my 40-45 age group!

But I couldn't get that big a head about it - if I'm reading the results right, there were only like 10 guys in that bracket.

That wasn't the real surprise though - that happened as SDC and I were chatting with our Missus' (Missuses?) after the race.  We were just saying how we'd at least gotten our names announced (due to the big attack) when my name came over the PA.  What?!  I went over to the booth and found out I'd won a prime!

Apparently, we launched at the same time the announcer announced a field prime.  Because I hadn't caught the break and was still ahead of the field when I came through the start/finish, I'd won it.  I told the guy how surprised I was - "Not as surprised as the guy in the field that thought HE'D won."

Heh.

It was only $10 bucks, but certainly more than expected.  What was priceless was SDC and I imagining what must've been going through the minds of the pack as we attacked and committed to an all-out effort: "Man!  They must really need that prime for gas money or something!"

Last Race at the Rent' - August 21

 It wouldn't take much effort to wax poetic about the last Tuesday Night World Championship of 2012 - about how low the sun is in the sky, how much cooler the temperature is, etc. etc.  But I'm afraid such a description would be laden with too many cliches about the end of summer.  Suffice it to say that the Missus and I love these races and really appreciate the Capitol Velo Club for putting them on.  Special thanks to the Mullaly family and the other volunteers who were there every week, making sure registration and everything else went smoothly - and always with a smile.  Everything from the promoters to the volunteers to the racers make these races the great series it is.  We're always sad to see them end each year, but always look forward to them and the promise of another summer.

For the first time I remember, the last race this year was made a little extra special by an idea that (seemed anyway) to be tossed out offhand the previous week - why not have everybody race in retro/vintage jerseys instead of their regular team kit?  Over the course of the next bunch of days leading up to the last race, emails flew back & forth among racers trying to decide what to wear and - in some cases of new racers - whether they could borrow something.  It started to sound like we were a bunch of anxious teenagers before The Big Dance.  But it certainly added to the fun of the last race.

I haven't been racing that long myself (oops! just calculated - this is my 7th season already?!), but I have one old team jersey in my collection....

(Quick funny story: My first race was the Hartford crit and like any newbie I obsessed over training, equipment and everything in between.  It never occurred to me to worry about what to wear - I figured I'd just wear what I always did to ride: black shorts and a red Team SAECO jersey.  I did well in that race by staying near the front, sucking wheel for all I was worth, and not taking a pull - avoiding wind like the plague.  Fast forward a couple years.... I'm in Central Wheel bike shop - the old sponsor of the Hartford Crit - and I notice their screensaver has photos from the crit - THAT crit, my first race!  I mentioned the fact to the guy behind the counter who then asked me to point myself out.  When I did, he exclaimed: "So YOU'RE the guy in the SAECO jersey - you wouldn't take a freakin' pull all race!  I always wondered why they let you race in that jersey."  I was too embarrassed to visit that shop for a while, but (re)learned a valuable lesson: if you're going to look ridiculous, at least don't act ridiculous!)

Sadly, I'd gotten rid of all but one of my old jerseys in a closet purge (including the infamous one), but still have this SAECO jersey left.  It was cool seeing all the different jerseys, but unfortunately some folks missed the memo & wore their usual kit.  It was a bit harder to tell teammates apart too, but it was a lot of fun seeing what folks picked to wear.

The casual clothing didn't affect the race at all, which was all business.  It started fast and just kept getting faster.  Everybody must've wanted to have one last chance at glory before the series ended since every attack was covered and even tiny breaks got a very short leash.

Here's a rare during-race video of one such effort:

 

The race was shortened due to the shortage of daylight and they started counting down laps with just 3 to go.  I did my best to get to the front, but it was already strung out and blazing.  I got close enough to do a credible sprint, but I wasn't in contention at all.

 

All in all, a great - safe - fast way to end the series.  It wasn't until afterwards when I checked my Garmin and found out that it was my fastest race ever - 27.4 mph average - and, inexplicably, I'd won the Strava KOM on the Lap @ TheRent segment.  At least until the Cat 1s & 2s upload their data....

So there's just one more race left this week - tonight's "Kermis" sponsored by AETNA/CCNS.  The forecast is awesome and the course is totally different from anything I've race on before (including a sharp 180 U-turn corner onto a sidewalk(?!) so it'll be a fun race to report on.

Stay tuned!

Summertime... And the livin' is, um, just a little bit crazy

Ok, really?  I haven't posted since July 11th?  That's just crazy, especially at the height of the summer racing season.  Especially for a blog that's supposed to be about racing.  Well, at least mostly.

Fact is, while I've been doing the weekly races at the Rent', I haven't been doing much other racing.  The Attleboro crit was cancelled, much to my disappointment.  After doing it again last year (having missed it for the previous 4 years), I vowed to make it a regular part of my season.  Not this year I guess.  I also missed another staple of my summer racing season - the Naugatuck crit - since I was on vacation with the Missus (a good excuse, I'd say).  I skipped the Lime Rock crit (July 29) and there was no Rent' on the 31st.  My main August race - the Fall River crit - was also cancelled.  Major bummer since I've always done well there (including two podiums/podia?).

Other than race cancellations, there's been a lot of non-race life going on the past couple of months as well.  Mrs. SOC's dad went into the hospital for a stem cell transplant in early July.  He's had non-Hodgkins lymphoma for many years, but it evolved into full blown Hodgkins earlier this year.  The transplant was successful and his hospital stay about as good as one could expect, but he had some complications in early August that put him back in the hospital for another bunch of days.  Thankfully, his prognosis is good and he's doing much better now.

Also in mid-July, we made a trip up to Vermont to say goodbye to a dear older friend who passed away the previous month, and in early August we got some bad news about another friend who has cancer and spent some time with her.  Too much sickness out there.  It really makes you appreciate what you have.  But it also creates a strange mixture of emotions: on the one hand, you want to affirm your life in every way possible, but at the same time it's hard to get excited and motivated about doing very much.

So it's been an unusual mid-summer for us in SOC land to say the least.  But with the racing season winding down (at least for me; I don't race 'cross), it's a good time to bring you up to speed.  Or at least for me to record some of the fun things we've done since I last posted.  So, in chronological order...

Rent' Race - July 17

Another HOT race, in both temperatures and speed.  I went with some early moves, but nothing stuck and it ended up proving my undoing.  A combination of hot temperatures, local leg-breakers, and my uncharacteristic experimentation conspired against me.  I did my best to hang on, but in a disappointing repeat of the previous week, I eventually pulled the plug and allowed myself to get lapped.  The heart rate graph tells the tale:

Cape Cod Vacation - July 21-24

I didn't ride again until we got to Cape Cod later that week.  We stayed at the same B&B we did for last year's anniversary and even got the same room with a view.  Usually, you can't keep me off my bike when I'm on the Cape - the roads and scenery are just too awesome.  It's been a while since we'd been there during the height of the summer season, but for some reason the traffic this time around seemed especially crazy.  Between that and wanting to spend maximum time with the Missus (and not wanting to wake up extra early), I only rode one time the whole time we were there (Saturday through Tuesday).  But I made my one ride count, inadvertently reclaiming a Strava KOM I'd also inadvertently first won back in February(!).

Must be something about that particular stretch from Orleans to Chatham along the shore that gets the adrenaline pumping.

Well, that and the fact that Rt. 28 is crazy busy with traffic and there's little to no shoulder.

As cool as the KOM was, I didn't know about it at the time.  So the highlight of the ride was watching the Missus at her yoga class on the beach at Chatham.

New London Crit - July 28

CLR Racing deserves huge props for reversing the trend of cancellations and bringing the Whaling City Cyclone back to New London for 2012.  It's a great event and I wasn't going to miss it for anything - especially since it'd be on the same fun, technical track around the infamous Kelo property.  I hadn't raced here since 2009.  I chickened out of the 2010 edition after seeing the forecast - and it didn't end up raining.  It was cancelled last year, so this year - despite another forecast of rain, we packed up the car and went anyway.

We arrived in time to see our friends Heavy D and Dave Bailey get 2nd place in their races and with threatening skies, SDC and I lined up.  It was a fast race, despite the ups and downs and lefts and rights.  The worst of it was that there was really no place to recover or to even grab a drink.

Despite the undulations and corners, it was a fast race - almost 26 mph average - but it was also a race of attrition.  Riders were getting shelled and more than once I looked back, thinking I was still in the front half of the race, to see nobody behind me.  I'd started near the back and it took me about 1/3 of the race to even get near the front.  And once I did, I saw a split go and was determined to get in it.

Image courtesy CLR Racing

I eventually made it, but I'd burned a lot of matches to get there.  Unfortunately, the rest of the pack eventually made it too and the move was all for naught.

Again, the HR shows right where it happened:

Bill Yabroudy counterattacked and was away by himself for a lot of laps as the race wound down.  Once another couple of guys joined him, I figured that was it.  But even that move got caught with just a couple of laps left.   Unfortunately, I couldn't make it up to the front in time to contest the sprint for the top spots, but once I got going nobody passed me.  I was content with an official 12th place after such a tough race - but further consolation came from Strava, which "crowned" me as the KOM on the "Ft. Trumbull loop."

The rain started just as we finished packing up the car, and we had a nice lunch w/Mr. & Mrs. SDC across the Thames in Groton, watching the storm come in and the Long Island ferry go out.

 Rent' Race - August 7

The Rent' was canceled on July 31 so I didn't race again for another week and a half.  And after my lackluster July here, I was determined to at least not get lapped - again.  But this season it's been hard to just "sit in," no matter how much you plan to.  The races have been far too animated, with attacks flying, splits forming, and breaks going.  You never know which one is going to be THE one that sticks.  And even if you're not interested in being in the winning break, you have to cover moves to be sure you're not on the wrong side of a split - and then unceremoniously dropped.

So, despite my "plan" to "avoid attacking, covering attacks, and just sit in, not get lapped and finish" I found myself struggling to stay in the race.  It was like a "devil take the hindmost" race where the last riders are pulled until there's only one left.  You didn't want to be at the back.  Ergo, you needed to be near the front.  So much for my "plan."

When I saw a group of something like 6 guys split off the front - and assuming that the rest of the field would eventually either get lapped or dropped - I dug deep and bridged across.  But once I'd made it, I knew I didn't belong there.  They were motoring and pretty soon we had a 1/2 lap on the field.  I say "they" were motoring because I swear it felt like each time I took a turn at the front, the pace went down.  Then I started leaving gaps.  My pride didn't let me let somebody else close the gaps I made, so I closed them myself - eventually.  But the resulting elasticity was starting to grate on my break companions and finally one of them suggested I "go to the back and recover."

Well, I went to the back - and straight off.  There was no way I was getting back in that break.

"No matter" - I thought - "I'm still ahead of the field."  So I soft pedaled to recover and let the field catch me, confident that I was ahead of the game.

And I was, at that point at least.  A lot of strong guys had missed the break and there was no rest or recovery back in the pack.  To the field's credit, they were disciplined enough to keep at it and when the break ahead started playing games, the gap started closing.  When strongman Tim launched an attack to chase, I and another couple guys went with him, but I couldn't contribute much and felt that same imposter complex I did earlier in the race.  But nobody had to suggest this time that I make myself scarce.  My legs made that decision for me - and for the second time, I dropped back to (what was left of) the pack.

But at least I wasn't dropped and I wasn't lapped.  And - in the biggest surprise of all - I actually ended up winning the field sprint.  Of course there were only, like, 8 of us left in the field at that point.

Fastest race thus far - 26mph average.  And mission accomplished.

A Rail Trail Interlude - Kingston, August 8

With everything going on in "real life" (as opposed to bike racing), and welcoming a more-leisurely day on the bike, I thought the following day a perfect time to take the Missus out for a mid-week vacation day.  So we packed up the bikes and headed for the William O'Neill rail trail.

We started the day with a nice brunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Mystic and arrived in Kingston in plenty of time to get a ride in.  The trail goes along the old route of the Narragansett Pier Railroad from Kingston to Narragansett and, with no real hills to speak of and great scenery, it's the perfect route for a relaxing ride.

But the big payoff is at the end/turning point of the trail when you come out onto Narragansett Bay, with its cool breezes and crashing waves.  And at under 10 mph average, you have plenty of time to enjoy it all.

Rent' Race - August 14

FINALLY!  A field sprint!  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The temperature's getting noticeably cooler and the sun's getting to the horizon more quickly.  A lot of guys are either winding up their season, or taking a short breather before starting cyclocross season.  And, unfortunately, in at least one case the hiatus is unplanned and unwelcome.  Local legbreaker broke his pelvis on a training ride the previous Sunday, taking a lot of steam out of the race (get well soon Ben!).  There was still a lot of horsepower lining up last Tuesday, but some of the usual suspects that so often form the breaks weren't there.

And the race reflected their absence: no break stuck, and the average speed was the highest of the whole series so far - 26.9 mph(!)  How does that happen?  Easy - there's little elasticity, little easing up, and full gas the whole race.

Fortunately, it also is the type of race that tends to suit me.  I don't have to cover as many attacks since the high speed discourages attacks.  With few attacks, there's little chance for a break to form.  With no break, everyone's motivated thinking they have a chance, so any breaks are smothered before they have a chance to really get going.

So the race was mostly just going fast, trying to stay as sheltered as possible, and keeping out of trouble - especially in the corners.  Ironically, despite (or because of?) a warning before the race to keep speed up in the corners and not sit up, that's exactly what happened in corner two toward the end of the race.  We came into the corner fast, but inexplicably, everyone seemed to slow up.  That causes a chain reaction and by the time the last 1/2 of the field gets to that point, it's all hands on brakes.  I locked up my rear wheel and fishtailed a bit as the guy in front/to the side of me went into my front wheel, but we all stayed upright, fortunately.

This time, the speed graph tells the story - see where I about came to a stop:

 
You can also see that the speed went right back up and - because there were only a few laps left - right into the sprint.

I knew Kevin's wheel would be the one to get on, but unfortunately as he came by, I didn't have the snap I'd hoped.  I was right up there though and finally sprinted for real for one of the few times this season, coming in 6th.

This past Sunday marked the beginning of my last week of racing for 2012 - at least until the Jamestown Road Race Columbus Day.  But I always treat that as a pure fun, almost promenade, race.  Masters Championships at Ninigret, a Rent' race tonight, then the new Kermis this coming Friday and that's it for the crits for me this year.

Stay tuned for reports from all three races in my next post....