The Suitcase of Courage

Why Cycle Wednesday:Keeping Up With the Big Boys

Why Cycle Wednesday is usually about taking the time to just enjoy the simplicity of riding a bike and appreciating the ever-changing landscape we get to see from the saddle.  It's everything that racing and training is not.

Sometimes though, the reason we get up for an early morning ride isn't to watch the sun rise over the water, but to get stronger and faster.  Whether your goal is to keep up with the bunch on your weekly group ride, or win the local crit, you have to put in the time and miles, making regular deposits into your training account.

Last night, at my 2nd Tuesday Night Crit of the season, I got to cash out some of the savings I'd been squirreling away.  And I had a blast!  What better answer to the question "Why Cycle?"

As I've mentioned elsewhere, our team, CVC/Subaru of New England, sponsors the Tuesday Night Training Series at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.  These races are perfect for trying new strategies/tactics and taking risks you wouldn't normally take.  There's a "B" race (for Cat4/5) and an "A" race (Cat1/2/3/4) and last night was only the second time I've raced the "A"s since upgrading to Cat3.

After helping out some beginning racers in the "B" race, I lined up for the "A"s.  I did fine in last week's race, winning the first prime(!) and finishing with the pack.  But after my conservative racing last Sunday, I was ready to get out of my comfort zone and see what I could do, without having to worry about the result.

The speed was very high right from the start, a change of pace from last week, and we were all strung out from the gun whistle.  A guy in a black kit had launched, gapping the field almost immediately.  The pack eventually chased him down, but it was strung out for a bit.  When we caught him, DaveH, apparently wanting  to stretch his legs in prep for the Fitchburg stage race this weekend, started to detonate the pack.  That's him at the front (above).

Things calmed down a bit after a couple of laps (Dave not wanting to use up TOO much reserves before his season's major goal), but then the attacks started.  Fortunately, CVC had a lot of guys in the race so we were able to cover most of them.

But not all.  About 10 minutes into the race, "black kit" launched again - a perfectly timed attack on the headwindy back stretch, taking 3 other guys with him, but no CVC.  I was near the front (already doing better than on Sunday), so I was able to see what happened.  They got about 70 meters up the road and just before corner 3 (which turned into a tailwind) I jumped, trying to bridge.

When I took off, it was like I was sprinting for the finish.  But it was effective - I gapped the pack immediately with nobody on my wheel.  It took me about 1/2 a lap, but I caught them at the Start/Finish.  The 3rd guy in the paceline saw me hook on and pulled over, motioning me to pull through.  I thought "Crap! I just bridged!" - actually I may have said it out loud, because as I came through the guy told me he was cooked, and fell off the back.

So now I'm in a 3 man break - the first time ever in a race at this level.  Race Mission Accomplished: I am definitely outside of my comfort zone now.

I don't normally "do" breaks, usually contenting myself with staying sheltered and waiting/hoping for a field sprint.  I've been in a few, but I'm still very new to it.  I know to trade pulls, try to keep things smooth, try to conserve as much as possible - without letting on.  I think there's a fine line between racing smart in a break and being an outright slacker.  Being with the Big Boys now, I wanted to be proud of my effort.

We worked well together, and smoothly.  And got over 1/2 lap lead on the rest of the field.

I was doing my share, but I had to make sure I didn't work so hard I got shelled.  Now that I was in the break, my teammates could relax a little and maintain pace at the front of the pack.  But if I got popped after building such a long lead, it'd be tough for our team to get back in the game.

Fortunately, for some reason, "black kit" (BK) was always pulling into the headwind on the back stretch, with me on his wheel, and a young CCNS rider ("Chris" who I'd met earlier during the "B" race) on the rear.  As luck would have it, my pulls tended to be through the tailwind into the final stretch, then CCNS would take a turn.  My quick observation was that BK was by far the strongest of the three of us - he just kept plowing through that wind, and even took a full lap pull once(!) - and CCNS, while young, looked very smooth and fit - strong too.  They obviously knew what they were doing.  I just tried to hang on, keep things smooth and do my share.

A couple of primes came up and it looked like we ignored the first one.  CCNS was usually at the front through the S/F and he was there at the prime as well.  We just did our normal rotation.  I wasn't going to contest it.

When we came to the line for the second prime though, BK, who was 2nd wheel to CCNS, came around and took it - and continued to pull all the way around to the 3rd corner.  After CCNS took over and then pulled off, I asked him whether we should go back to our original order - "that seemed to be working well for us" (well, for me anyway).  But no luck.  With the re-sorting, I found myself pulling more into the wind.

Fortunately, it looked like there were only 15 min left before the 5 lap countdown and I surprised myself that I was still able to hang in there - but it was getting a lot more difficult.  I was the one pulling through the headwind on the backstretch now and every time I pulled off at corner 3, I had to stand and make a hard effort to catch back on.  And that was with the tailwind helping me.

5 laps to go - thank God - and we're still working together.

4 laps. 3 to go.  Wondering how long we'd stay together like this . . .

At the final corner, coming into 2 laps to go, I got my answer.

BK launched a HUGE attack in the final corner, flying to the far edge of the road.  My first thought was "it's way too early - he'll never make it - let him kill himself".  Then I reconsidered: he'd gapped us decisively with a huge effort, after all that hard pulling for so many laps.  He was still very strong.

So I dug deep into my Suitcase of Courage (sorry, couldn't resist) and chased, with CCNS on my wheel.  It took all I had, but I caught him just after corner 1 and he sat up.

We fell back into an illusion of working together through the backstretch and around the final two corners.  By the time we went through the S/F, we'd almost stopped, watching each other, with the bell announcing the final lap.

All I could think of right then was Paul and Phil saying "Ah, the cat and mouse games have stahted" (because, during ALL of our greatest moments riding, we ALWAYS hear Paul and Phil in our head, don't we?).

"ON YOUR RIGHT!!!" broke my reverie and I saw CCNS launching up the right side up the road as I'd been watching BK on my left.  "Click" "Click" no mo' buwwets.  But a "GO CHRIS!" from Mrs. SOC and Mrs. SDC at the line went straight to my legs and I chased, with BK on my wheel.

Big mistake.

I was hurting, but surprised that I was in this dream-like state.  All that existed for me in the world at that moment was CCNS' wheel. 

I ... Had ... To ... Get ... On ... That ... Wheel.

We hit the headwind back stretch and I was still digging my own grave, shoveling for all I was worth.

I caught him, finally, going through the 3rd corner.

Then POW! BK launches off my wheel, comes around us both and goes for the line.  Forget bullets, I ain't even got a gun now.  So it's CCNS' turn to chase, if he can.  I'm not letting go of his wheel for love or money.

As I see BK raising his hands at the finish, I notice CCNS look over his left shoulder.  I jump off his wheel on the right and start sprinting, shocked I have anything at all left.  I come in second.

Here.  See.  And watch to the end, noting the gap to the pack - at least as much a testament to my teammates' control as to the break's speed.

It wasn't until we were cooling down that I realized what illustrious company I'd been in.  CCNS/Chris is a Cat2 and - at only 23 yrs old - looks like he's got a lot of racing experience under his belt already.  When I introduced myself to "BK" and he said his name was Tim, I knew he had to be Tim Unkert and he confirmed that, yes, in fact he was.  I'd heard a little about Tim before since he frequents these Tuesday night races and when I was in the "B"s I'd watch as he often placed in the "A" race.

But it wasn't until the Mrs. and I joined Mr. and Mrs. SDC for dinner afterwards that I learned I just lost to a former bronze medalist at the Elite Road National Championships!  Tim's a Cat 1 racer and won the silver medal at last year's CT state crit championships.  Oh, and he podiumed at 6 other races last year.

Big Boys indeed.

You can probably tell I had a lot of fun.  Sunday's race was fun too, but not as much.  Conservative racing may be smart - and it will continue to be what I do best at.  But there's nothing like taking a risk and seeing what happens.  That's what made New London and Ninigret so much fun too.  The final results weren't what I'd hoped they'd be in those races - I'd burned too many matches taking racing aggressively - but I had a blast.

That's why I love these Tuesday night training races - results don't matter.  You can take all the risks and have all the fun without worrying about how you place.  Sure, they're not "BIG" races and a even a great result is mitigated by that fact, but only a little.

I have to realize that, at my amateur level, ALL races are "training races."  The results never matter - not really.  It's not like I do this for a living.  Thank God.

But I DO do this for the comraderie of being on a great team, for the competition, to test the limits of my capabilities, to help out my teammates when they need me.

And sometimes, like last night, it's just pure, unadulterated fun - especially if I can keep up with the big boys . . .

----------

If you want to know what was happening in the peleton, click here.

And thanks, as always, to Mrs. SOC for the pics and video.  ESPECIALLY last night!

Still Learning...Keith Berger Crit 6/28/09

One of the attractions of racing is its variety.  Every race offers a number of opportunities to push yourself, find your limits, try new tactics, learn.  Just when I think I have racing figured out (being able to act on what I think I know is another matter), I realize how much I have left to learn.

Case in point: yesterday's race.

But first, an introduction.

Course Description

In addition to our weekly training races, my team puts on a larger, annual race in East Hartford - The Keith Berger Memorial Criterium in East Hartford, CT. 

 

The track itself is a pretty straightforward one mile circuit, with few unique characteristics.  Despite its proximity to the river, there's no view - just a very large levee.  The roads are wide, in decent shape, and (technically) closed to traffic.  One distinguishing characteristic is the short leg between corners 3 and 4.  It's very short, so you have to be in good position going into corner 3 and there's still a long way to the finish line (located where the "54" is at the corner of Hartland St. and Founders Plaza - click for a larger view) but at least it's straight and wide.

One other thing: it's pancake flat and very fast.  The only thing that'll break things up are your competitor's legs, or the wind - if there is any.

Despite the plainness of the track, this is one of the best crits I've raced.  Sure, I'm biased, but the team knows what it's doing and is very organized.  Since I'm new, I think I can still say that with some level of objectivity.  Registration was well-manned ("womanned" actually) and smooth, "facilities" were close at hand, and there was even neutral support provided by SRAM.  I wouldn't have minded getting to use one of their backup bikes, but I didn't want to crash to be able to.  There was a finishline camera, plenty of officials and the results were posted quickly.

Best of all - the main point of the race was to raise funds for junior racers and cancer research.  Keith Berger was a CVC team member who died of cancer and one of his passions was supporting and encouraging younger racers.  I never had the privilege of knowing him, but his family continues to support the race and were there yesterday thanking people.  First class folks for sure.

This was the first time I'd ever raced here and the first time I've been able to volunteer with some of the logistics.  Mrs. SOC and I volunteered to help marshal the course and, in addition, I was able to get a good deal on PowerAde.

 

A REALLY good deal - 10 cases worth.  Consequently, we had to use the truck - too much to pack.  How much?

 

Well, in addtion to the 15o bottles (32oz each!), there was: 1 bike, 4 wheels, race bag, trainer, pump, cooler, 2 beach chairs, 2 umbrellas, "sundry" bag and other miscellaneous items.  Thankfully, my truck has an "extra cab."

The Race

Back to the "learning" though.  Being "our" race, we on the Cat3 team hoped to do well.  And we were packing some extra firepower in the form of a couple of strong new teammembers.  So we had a total of 5 in the race.  Since it was the first time we were racing together like this, our plan was to each race our own race and see where we were at the end.  It was pretty windy, with headwinds on 2 sides of the track, so we figured no breaks would stick.  "No problem" I thought - I figured we'd just stay sheltered and see how we'd fare in the sprint.

 

Me and Hobgoblin at the line - the last time I'd see the front of the race.

 

Just under 50 of us lined up and were off.  This is a shot of the first corner.  S/F is behind to the left.

 

It was a very good race.  Here's 4/5ths of the CVC team together.  The pace was never really unmanageable, though it did vary a lot depending on whether we were heading into the wind.  We used our brakes more than we really should have.  But, despite some minor bumping here and there and a couple of clipped pedals in the turns, there were no crashes.

 

Any safe race is a good race and this was definitely a good race for me.  Flat, fast races suit me and though my HR data shows me in Zone 5 for most of the race, it didn't feel that hard.

I raced very conservatively - trying to practice moving up within the pack when I could, but mostly staying to one side or the other about 1/2 way back.  Conserving my energy but, paradoxically, using more than I should have when it didn't matter.

Consequently, I wasn't near the front where I could attack or chase down any breaks.  Since that really wasn't in our plan, I didn't think too much about it at the time, but I think I would have had a lot more fun if I'd been more near the front and latching onto attacks when they came.

Turns out, I raced too conservatively.  The front got away from me during the final few laps and I couldn't move up quick enough, despite a great effort by SDC to thread me through the pack and up to the front.  I was glad I could follow his wheel as he threaded needles (learning only later that there were a lot of gaps he decided not to go through) .

I *did* move up though, and though I lost the wheel through the 3rd corner, I passed a lot of guys in the final stretch, guaranteeing a top 20 finish (barely).

But on the video I think I look a little ridiculous sprinting past guys that had basically sat up.  I think from now on, if I'm not in contention for the top 10 I'll sit up too, even if I lose a bunch of spots.

So, what did I learn?

• Practice staying in the middle of the pack, making my zone of comfort smaller and smaller;
• Practice holding position, especially if you're on a good wheel;
• When you have teammates in the race, have a clear plan, deciding who is going to be set up for the win and have the others race/sacrifice accordingly;
• Related to the above, race less conservatively - especially if you're not the one responsible for saving all your matches for a sprint that will win

And, finally, I have to consider that in the Cat3s, if you end up lower than 10th, it should be because you blow yourself up working for your teammates, and not because you race so conservatively that you aren't near the front when you need to be - either racing for the day's designated leader, or maintaining a winning position in the final laps.

As I've said before, one of the nice things about racing is that there's usually another race and another chance to learn and perfect your skills and tactics.

My next race is tomorrow night and class is in session.

Mystic Velo Crit(a.k.a. Ninigret)

I raced at Charlestown, RI this past Saturday in a crit sponsored by Mystic Velo.  Despite its official name, however, this race will always be "the race at Ninigret" - sounds cooler, like "the races at Narragansett" - but instead of horses, the ponies here are made of carbon fiber and aluminium.

 

It's one of the few tracks in the region dedicated to bike racing (the other one I know of is Walnut Hill Park, in New Britain, CT) and it's nice to race on a totally closed course.  As you can see from the pic above, like The Cyclone in New London, it's a technical crit: 5-7 corners, depending how you count'em, including a very sharp (almost 180) corner and a broad S curve.  The pavement is a little rough - literally.  No potholes, but the tarmac is like a cheese-grater.  You certainly don't want to crash here.  Thankfully, there are no curbs and - despite a litte grass surfing - there were no crashes in our race.

The track's surface may be an artifact of the track's (storied) history.  You may notice (especially if you click on the pic or zoom out on Google maps' satellite view of the area), this was a former airport.  In fact, it was an airbase during WWII - and where George HW Bush was stationed before going to fight in the Pacific.  Lots of history at this crit track (including drag racing during the '50s?!) - click here for more.

The white rectangle is near the start/finish and it's where you register.  You race counter-clockwise and, although the track is pancake flat, wind is always a factor here.  The first corner is a 45 degree shot to the right, then you hit the sharp corner going back left.  The rest of the track is pretty straightforward (despite all the corners).  But note: the final corner actually has two angles which can cause some sketchiness.  And it is FAR away from the finish.  You don't want to start your sprint out of this corner.

 

Like last week, the weather forecast wasn't good, so I didn't pre-reg, figuring I'd wait and see.  Well, as the fog in the distance attests, the weather wasn't perfect, but it was dry and not as windy here as usual.  37 of us lined up for the Cat3-only race.  While breezy, it wasn't too windy to prevent a break from going.  I didn't have any teammates, so I'd have to keep a very close watch on things.

 

I stayed near the front for most of the race and it was fast (26.5 mph avg).  But these flat, fast races suit me and I didn't think it was as hard The Cyclone.  I guess even the slightest undulations get to me (one of the few drawbacks of living/training near the shore...)

 

There were plenty of attacks as we tried to split the field and shake off the marginal guys - hard to do since there's no "selection hill."  All you've got to shake out the field is raw speed.  And the wind.

Most of the attacks would launch as we headed into the wind down the long straightaway coming back past the S/F.  A few guys would usually get a decent gap, but the pack would chase them down.  Cyclonauts had a lot of guys in the race (as they often do), so any break with a 'naut in it had to be watched closely - or joined if possible.

 

A couple times, I found myself at the front - not really where I wanted to be, especially since I had no illusions of breaking away myself.  But at least it resulted in a few decent pics!

 

Speaking of pics, our friends from RI - Sarah & Jeff - met us at the race and were there to cheer me on.  Thankfully, Sarah had brought her camera too - which proved VERY helpful when ours died toward the end of the race!  The pic above (and the rest of the pics in this post) courtesy of Sarah.

 

Here's a rare shot of Mrs. Suitcase herself, shooting the pack as it races by.

As I mentioned, there were a lot of attacks and if I were a little smarter, I would have just let the teams chase them down.  The risk of that strategy comes from "the teams" having teammates in the break.  If "the teams" are represented, who's gonna chase? Especially when the teams' teammates tag along for any free ride?

However, the reward comes if you can get in a break where the teams are represented.  You can rest assured that the pack will have a hard time chasing.  As an individual, you've gone from fighting the entire field to just having to worry about your break companions.

 

But you have to get in the break first.  And fortunately, Sarah caught one of my attempts on, er, "film."  While I don't remember when during the race I made this effort, but I do remember the result.  I made the same mistake last weekend: instead of launching & committing to the effort to bridge, I just ramped up the pace.

 

When I flicked my elbow to have Mr. Disc Wheel 1 come around, he gave me the bad news: he had a guy in the break.  No help coming from him.

But it was worth trying.  As you can see (esp. if you click for a larger view - which you should always do on all the pics :^), there was a 4 man break and not only was Mr. Disc Wheel 2 in it, but a Cyclonaut was as well.  It was a dangerous break.

What am I doing chasing it down and bringing the field with me??  I hope the rest of the guys appreciated it.  I, for one, had burned a bunch of my precious matches...

SIDEBAR re disc wheels:  I've noticed these in a couple of races during my (relatively short) time racing and somebody asked whether they're legal for crits.  I'm not sure, but I don't think there's a rule against it.  I do know I wouldn't want to race with one in windy conditions.  I prefer sails on a boat - not a bike.  But one of these two disc wheel guys is local legend & long-time racer Paul Curley and I for one am not going to second-guess his choice of hardware (looks like he uses it in 'cross races too(?!)) END SIDEBAR

When we caught the break, I was pretty spent.  And then the inevitable counter-attack launched.  I almost got spit out the back, but was able to hang on enough to recover - and got some more experience moving up in a pack.  Not that easy - with only 37 racers, there wasn't much of a "pack," what there was was usually strung out, and the corners kept everybody shifting from side to side.  But I did my best to recover when I could, and stayed no further back than 1/2 way.

As I watched the lap cards count down (having learned THAT lesson well), we got to 3 to go and I noticed Head 'Naut motioning for his teammate DM to get on his wheel, which he did (impressive threading of the pack BTW).  I figured that was the leadout/sprinter combo to watch for and I did what I could to follow DM's wheel.  But this is my first season as a 3 and I still have a lot to learn about threading those needles.  I kept them in sight though.

I think it was about this time (or at least it's when I first noticed) a 'naut fired off the front and up the road, alone.  There was no way from my position that I was going to chase him down (not to mention the inevitable, um, passengers I would have collected along the way).  It was a nervy move and I figured if he could hold it to the end, good for him.  He'd deserve the win.

But as we came blazing around the final corner, we passed him like he was going backwards.  I figured he either blew up, or more sinisterly (if that's even a word), he was just there to keep the pace high for his teammates.  One thing I've always admired about the Cyclonauts is their sacrificial teamwork.

As we came out of the corner, everybody notched it a few gears higher and opened up the sprint - a little early, I thought, but I had a bunch of guys in front of me so if they wanted to fry themselves early, so be it (especially if it benefitted me).

But then a funny thing happened.  What little field remained in front of me split wide open - 1/2 going to the left side of the road, 1/2 to the right, with a few left across the front, about 3o meters up the road.  I hesitated for a split second - at least as much from indecision about which wheel to follow as consideration for others' safety (I didn't want to cut anyone off).  I had no choice but to sprint, unprotected, into the wide-open maw in front of me.

The result was predictable.  Yeah, I was able to pass a few guys (it helped that a couple of them sat up - ha!) but not enough.  I'd had vague dreams of being in the money (top 5) and high hopes of a Top Ten finish.  But the results - not to mention the photo finish camera - don't lie.  I came in 12th.

If I needed any further confirmation, Sarah supplied the finishline video - after gamely responding to screams polite, if not particularly demure, requests from Mrs. Suitcase - as the sprint was starting! - to shoot the finish since our camera had just died:

Note that I had at least identified the right wheel, even if I couldn't follow it.  Head 'naut - either leading out too strongly, or having DM sweep his wheel - won, with DM coming in 2nd.  Master Curley came in 3rd.  An impressive podium by any measure.

So, while a little disappointed, I'm pleased with my result against that field.  I'm doing better each race, and - most importantly - learning more.  That's what keeps racing fun.

Of course, friends - old and new - play a huge role too.  Before the race, Central Wheel teammember Anthony recognized me from this blog - and thanked me for chasing him down at New London (though he, graciously, declined to mention that, while I chased him down, I didn't actually catch him).  And I saw new CVC teammember Rish, having just gotten 5th in his race, and our newest member Paul, so new he doesn't even have our kit yet.

Most surprisingly was seeing a friend from way out on Cape Cod lining up for the race right after mine.  Dusty is no slouch having done very well last year at the Cyclocross Masters Nationals.  He came in 3rd at Ninigret.  It was great to see him.

And, in what has become an after-race ritual now (and a VERY welcome addition to the, ahem, race routine), we spent the afternoon with Jeff & Sarah eating, shopping and checking out the bookstores.  The weather held out until we were literally walking back to the car to head home; the rain adding its own unique ending to what turned out to be an otherwise wonderful day.

(for more pics from this race, AND more video, be sure to check out this link)

A Cyclone Hits New London

(This is a long post, but there's lots of good info here - not to mention TONS of photos and even a movie(!) If you've never raced here before, this post is for you especially. So getcher coffee, settle in, and enjoy the ride...)

A Cyclone came to New London, CT on Sunday, and I was in it.  The New London crit takes place at Fort Trumbull state park these days, but it sounds so much more impressive to say "I raced The Cyclone."

It's a relatively new race, in this venue.  I've heard about an old crit in these parts - near Connecticut College I think - but this one has been around for only a few years.  Even though it's practically in my backyard since we moved (26mi away, by bike), there's always been some scheduling conflict that's kept me away.

Until this year.

Actually, it almost didn't happen again.  The weather in Southern New England has been more like the Northwest lately.  Lots of rain.  Even many of our Tuesday Night Crits have been canceled.  So when Sunday's forecast called for rain, I didn't bother pre-registering opting to take my chances (and suck up the $10 late fee).  Strangely, this lack-of-pre-reg gave me an uncommon calm leading up to the race (prolly cuz I knew I could back out & not lose money).  But after Saturday's weather turned out so nice (despite the forecast), I figured The Cyclone would be a go.

When I woke up Sunday morning, it was POURING.  As in "we can't even DRIVE in this, much less race a bicycle" pouring.  It was 6am, so I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep.  Woke up 3 hours later to sunshine and birds singing.  It was REALLY weird.  Like a totally different day.

Suddenly, the race was back on.  And, despite my spotty apprehension lately, I was very glad.  It turned out to be a beautiful day and a great race.  Of course, having plans to meet up with Hob & Dorothy at a bookstore & for dinner afterward made it even better.

Sooo... with that prologue, what about the race?  Departing from my usual report (which often sounds to me like "we went 'round & 'round - it was fast - I felt lousy - finished in the bunch"), this will be more of a review of what - to me - was a Brand New Race.  Since it takes place the day after the Nutmeg State Games (a.k.a. New Britain crit), a lot of you may not have raced it before.

I hope that after this report/review you'll give it a try.  I think you'll be very glad you did.

And to give you the best sense of this race possible, I've included TONS of graphics (courtesy Mrs. Suitcase).  Some of them could have benefited from a telephoto lens, but if you "embiggen" (i.e. click for a larger view), you'll see more.  It's worth it.

The Skinny

The Whaling City Cyclone is a 6 corner, technical crit with an uphill finish.  You race counter-clockwise on one of the prettiest tracks around, being situated in a state park, near the shore, and has plenty of parking (and "facilities").  As a crit, yeah, there's some industry nearby (natch), but the track goes right past historic Fort Trumbull and you get water views on most of the course, with the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, boats, and even the Groton Battle Monument in the background.

The track is also the site of a property made famous by a recent US Supreme Court case (a fact I just discovered, actually - though the City of New London might just as soon forget).  The race is promoted by local legend Bill Humphreys and sponsored primarily by Henny Penny and Garelick Farms.  Bill's stated goal is to make New London County a "hotbed of cycling" and hopes that events like this will prime the pump.  Along with the Rose Pedal Crit and Three Village Tour that take place later in the season, that goal shouldn't be too far out of reach.

It's clear that Humphreys wants to make this a headline event - despite an uphill battle with the Nutmeg State Games being the same weekend.  He has a live band there, BMX trick riders, food vendors, the works.  The crowds probably weren't as large as they could have been, but IMO that's just a matter of time.

The Course

Did I mention the SIX corners?  It's a crit-racer's dream.  No crazy "selection hill" to kill you.  Just fast, freaky, fun.  Ya gotta like cornering though (which I do, despite it all).  And it isn't actually flat.  There's a rise going up to the Start/Finish that's not as steep as the one at Bethel, but steeper than Hartford.

The "top" of the course is at corner 1, so the first S-curve tends to be very fast.  "First" you say?  Yeah, depending on how you count, there's THREE of 'em.  Corners 2 & 3 are the most troublesome, since they're on the downhill.  But corner 4, after the "Horseshoe" is tough since it's not only fast (there's often a tailwind here off the water), but there are at least 3 manhole covers and a (slightly) raised brick crosswalk to negotiate.  Then it's a little uphill to (shallow) corner 5 and downhill - along a tall curb/median - to the sharp, final corner #6.

Then you pedal for all you're worth to the line.

What the course doesn't have in "hills" it makes up for in corners and WIND.  I've heard it's always windy here, and Sunday was no exception.  And even though it's relatively flat, you have just enough undulation to make it hurt.

See? Told ya it was a fun course!

The Race

For whatever reason - whether the fact that I got plenty of sleep or that I decided to embrace, rather than fight, my anxiety/adrenaline and listen to some VERY fast music on the way - I was really looking forward to this race.  It also helped that it was so nice out and SOOOOO close.  I couldn't NOT do it.

And - an extra benefit - a LOT of my team were there.  The women and masters had a strong contingent and the lower categories were well-represented too.  Alas, it was only me and Dave in the Cat 3 race, but as soon as I saw he'd made it, I knew we were in for a fun time. 

 

The fields weren't the largest I've been seen at races this year - likely given the previous day's race wasting so many legs.  But about 30 or so of us line up at the start.

 

After the usual pre-race instructions, Bill Humphreys welcomed us & shared his vision for the race.  Not too long - but just enough to show how committed he is to the sport.

 

At the whistle - we're off!  I was glad Dave had made a spot for me at the start line.

While not the fastest race I've been in (just over 25 avg), all the corners mean there was a lot of accelerating.  And something I didn't expect - you couldn't get a drink.  No time between corners.  I only grabbed my bottle three times - once through the "Horseshoe", once on the second-to-last straight, and once going up the hill to the S/F.

And - unlike any other race I've ever been in - I was in the drops The Entire Race.

I'll let the pics help tell the rest of the story . . .

 

This is the final straight leading into the S/F.  Obviously.  You can see the little kicker.  I think the wide-angle lens flattens it a bit.

 

This is the pack going downhill from corner 1 and leaning into corner 2.  Gold Star bridge and the Thames River are in the background.

 

And going around corner 3 - second S curve negotiated safely.

This time anyway.

(you really should click for a larger view - there really are bike racers there)

 

This is corner 4 just after the Horseshoe.  De rigueur (for most crits anyway) industry adds flavor.

 

Here's a better view of corner 2.  Mrs. Suitcase got me in the middle of the frame, but I'm still obscured staying sheltered.

 

And here we are rounding the very-fast corner 3.

 

Another view of the 3rd corner from the inside - with Fort Trumbull in the background.

 

One of the things that makes this course so nice - boats, water - a very shoreline feel.

 

The tricky corner 4 - the only one Dave made certain to point out before the race.  This is the corner that you see on the race flyers.  Note manhole covers and walkway.  But the view is worth the trouble (not that we were seeing any more than the wheels in front of us).  I'm still - ahem - doing my best to stay sheltered.

Now the race got more interesting, for me anyway.  Dave and I had a typical race strategy: Stay near the front, try to get in a break and, if successful, the other sits on wheels/blocks.  Dave had already raced 3 1/2 races in the previous 24hrs so, admittedly, didn't know how much juice he still had left.  And I forgot to remind him that I'm, um, well I'm not really one for getting into breaks.  I've got one box of matches and they burn quickly.  I prefer to save them for the end.

But, apparently, I follow direction well.  At some point about 1/2 way through the race (while I kept an eye on the lap cards, I forget what lap we were on), a GHCC guy gets off the front - probably about 75 meters up the road by the second S curve.  I hear Dave behind me say (yell) - "You can catch him Chris - get up there - take a chance!"  That really hurt spoke to my inner apprehensive self.

I launched and immediately gapped the field (yes, that's a prompt to enlarge this photo - Groton Battle Monument in the background too).  Unfortunately, either Tim Ratta is really fast or he was ready for me (actually, the first - definitely - and prolly the second too), he chased me down.  But he wasn't going to be able to cover for his teammate without working for it.  In this pic, I'm in front, then Tim, then the pack - barely - at the right edge.

Screaming fast around the Horseshoe, I didn't realize yet that I'd been caught.  I hit corner 4 so fast and hard it was almost a drifting turn - my bike skipped a little sideways as I hit the brick crosswalk.

"EASY THERE!" - Tim's voice behind me confirmed I'd been caught (btw, BIG thanks to Mrs. Suitcase for catching my "chasing attempt" - she was in the right place at the right time).

Not knowing how close the pack was, I continued to chase through corners 5 & 6, but by the hill to the S/F, I was cooked and drifted back.  

 

Here's corner 5 - at the top of another little upgrade.

No pic of corner 6 - which is sharp.  More than 90 degrees and with a brick crosswalk and manhole covers to boot.  But for some reason, it was usually pretty slow through there.  Probably because the front of the field would always accelerate up the hill toward the S/F and force guys off the back.

That's pretty much what's happening to me here.  Ouch.

It took me a bunch of laps to recover from my earlier effort.  Dave recovers much more quickly and was able to stay near the front for most of the race.  I was doing what I could to get up to the front to be able to block if he got up the road.  Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for me) nothing else went.  The pace just did its inevitable ramping up in preparation for a field sprint.

It had been a safe race so far, despite the speed and the corners.  I didn't see any real sketchy riding - everybody seemed to be handling pretty well.  I think the corners - especially the S curves - got to a bunch of them though.  A lot of them forgot what it meant to hold a line through BOTH corners/directions, not just the first one.  So I allowed a little more real estate than I normally do, just in case something went amiss.

Which - perhaps inevitably - it did.

With about 5(?) laps to go - it must have been right after a prime (guys tired from the effort) - we rounded corner 1 a little sloppily, a little yelling, then hit corner 2 pretty fast and corner 3 even faster - guys who didn't contest the prime taking advantage of their (relatively) fresh legs.

Being at the bottom of the largest "hill," corner 3 was fast all day, but REALLY fun to rail (esp. since there were two marshals sitting on the outside curb right at the corner. Not too smart, but it was fun making their eyes bulge).  It was usually strung out through here, but not this time.  The guy two guys ahead of me and to my left (inside) must've hit the corner too hot - or touched a wheel, whatever - and went down.  As he's sliding, the guy behind him - just off my left - tries to get around him, forcing me to the curb (and the marshals!), doesn't make it, BAM! hits the downed racer and goes end-over-end over his handlebars.  Fortunately, I was paying close attention to the road and trying to avoid the curb so I only saw it out of my peripheral vision.  But it was very dramatic anyway.

Thankfully, I didn't see any ambulances - and saw one of the guys that'd gotten mixed up in the crash afterwards - so I think everyone was relatively ok.  But a crash is never a good thing to see, much less be in.

And the front of the pack, having already started sprinting out of that corner, had a big gap on the rest of us and it took me and the others a while to get back on.  More matches burned, but at least I was upright.

 

Bell lap (again, thanks to Mrs. SOC for capturing the moment - she's getting really good at this).  A Cyclonaught and one other attacks and strings us out.  I'm hanging on and hanging in there, ignoring all the parts of my body and mind that are screaming at me to quit asking me politely to pull out and give them a break.  But I can hold on a little longer.

Going into the final corner, I knew I wouldn't be in contention - I was too far back still.  And I saw Dave up at the front duking it out.  But instead of sitting up, I decided I owed it to myself to sprint, even if it was for 20th place.

Suprisingly, I still had a teeny bit left in the tank.  Ok, just barely enough to get my butt off the saddle, but enough to pass guys who were blowing up more than I was (though I didn't think it possible).

And while I didn't have enough energy to throw my bike at the line, that was actually a good thing.  I would have looked a little silly.  I'd passed a few in the sprint, but ended up 14th.  Considering my "goal" for the day was to get another race into my legs (haven't had much of that, or even riding, lately) and be safe, I'll take the result.

My teammate Dave?  He took second place.  One of the best things about being on a team is that results become *team* results, sure, but he certainly was one of the strongest individuals in the race.

Despite the crash, I think this race may have just put me back on track a little.  I certainly learned a little more about my capabilities and limits.  I don't mind saying I'm a good bike handler and race smoothly, but I need to work on my solo efforts a bit.  And I need to get my "snap" back so I break the elastic when I go - I can't expect to ride guys off my wheels as I sometimes could in the lower categories.

But most of all, it was just a really fun race and made me look forward to the next race in Ninigret this Saturday.

What more could you ask for?  Next time The Cyclone comes to New London - bring your bike and jump in.  You're guaranteed a wild ride.

Connecticut Coast Criterium 6/7/09

I raced the 3rd Annual Connecticut Coast Criterium this past Sunday.  See this post to read about my "prep" for this race.

I didn't feel at all ready, but as usually happens, once I started warming up, my pre-race anxiety went down and the pre-race adrenaline went up.  When the whistle blows, I'm ready to go and my world for the next hour narrows down to essentials: Hold that wheel, close that gap, remember to drink, pedal pedal pedal...

As I mentioned, I wasn't expecting much of this race given the previous few weeks at the office.  But I didn't expect to suffer quite as much as I did.  I found it to be a pretty tough race, probably since it had one of the worst accordion effects of any race I've done.

It was 30 laps - 27 miles.  It was breezy, but not especially windy, so there were a bunch of attempts at a break, but nothing stuck.  In what became a pretty common pattern during the entire race, if more than a few guys got up the road, the pace would ramp up until we caught them - usually ending up at some crazy speed - and then, once the catch was made, we'd slow right down.

And there usually wouldn't be a counter-attack.  Weird.

So sometimes we were going around 30 mph, sometimes we were going less than 20.  Downhill.  VERY weird.

Given the many slow sections, I was surprised that I felt like I was working so hard.  Granted, I was out in the wind more often than I should have been, but I did try to stay sheltered in the pack.

It wasn't until I checked my Garmin afterwards that I realized this race wasn't as slow as I thought - it averaged almost 26 mph.  Not slow.

The highlight of the race for me was feeling like I'm finally getting a handle on how to read a race better.  At one point, about 2/3 of the way through, I was near the front (a rare occurrence that day) and the entire front of the race surged forward.  Hard.  So I jumped on a wheel figuring that this would finally be the decisive split in the race.  I burned a lot of matches hanging on and we did split the field.

But not for long.  Everything came back together.  My instinct was only 50% correct.  And despite this, I must've been happy with the effort - that's me waving at the front:

The rest of the race was a lesson in staying safe in the pack and dosing my effort on the climb each lap.  But as we got down to the last 5 laps, my (lack of) preparation was catching up with me.  By the time the bell rang for the final lap, I was near the back.

Then the lowlight of the race for me: As we rounded corner 1, I was OFF the back.  OTB with only 1 lap to go.  Ugh.  I seriously considered just sitting up and soft pedaling the rest of the lap since the catching back on would require more effort than I was willing - or able - to give.

But like most racers in this situation, I made a deal with myself: Give it everything for just 1/2 a lap and see what happens.  So I did.

And then, going into the 3rd (soft) corner, inexplicably, the pack sat up(!).  My momentum brought me almost to the front of the race.  Man - going from OTB to almost OTF in 1/2 a lap is a real indication of how pronounced that accordion had become.

It was all fantasy though since my newly discovered legs were short-lived.  When the pack surged again for the hill and the final sprint, I blew.  Fortunately, teammate Rishabh, who had gotten on my wheel, was able to come around me and zipped up the hill at a brisk pace - impressive since he'd come in 2nd in the earlier Cat4 race - but we were both too far back and finished with the pack.

Friends SDC and Hob did much better though, coming in 3rd and 6th respectively (particularly impressive since Hob had a concussion just a few days earlier).  Here's a video of the finish:

As always, it was fun racing with them - even if I couldn't be in on the fun at the end.

But that really isn't the point of racing - not this race anyway, not for me.  Sure, it was another opportunity to gain some experience racing in my new/higher category.  And it certainly gave me a chance to see how my body would do under, shall we say, less than ideal conditions.

But the main reason for racing at this level is to be able to spend time with others that have the same sickness passion that you do.  Sure it sounds corny, but the cameraderie of such great folks makes the suffering worth it.

AND!  It gave me the inspiration for my first Haiku ever (don't laugh; hopefully they'll improve with practice...)

Another bike race

Tired and unmotivated

Friends make it worthwhile

(btw, as you can tell from the pics - esp. if you enbiggen them - our camera is washing out.  We need a new one.  Let us know what we should get!)

Memorial Day Crits:The Best of Times,The Worst of Times

I came back from Louisville pumped for riding and racing, actually looking forward to making up the training days I'd lost.  I figured I'd rest Monday, do the Sleeping Giant ride/race Tuesday, ride into work Wednesday, rest Thursday and then do an easy spin Friday in prep for the Memorial Day Weekend races in Stafford Springs and Hartford.  A strange omen of how the weekend would end, I missed the Sleeping Giant Ride and got two flat tires in two other rides on consecutive days.  Friday night's spin was the first time I'd ridden that week when I didn't get a flat.

But Saturday dawned beautifully - a great way to kick off the first "official" weekend of summer.  My first and second races ever were Hartford and Stafford Springs, so it was neat to have a chance to race them back-to-back.  Bike and gear packed, we headed for Stafford Springs Motor Speedway - a great track in northeastern Connecticut.  It's just what you think it is - we race on the racetrack, with only a chicane after the start/finish to break up the loop.

 

It was great to see some friends, new and old, during the warmup - Esteban & Gil, and even Victor who I'd met at this same race 2 yrs ago.  And as you can see, I even got to toe the line at the start.  That's JoeP from our team behind me and to my right.

The best though was seeing friends Mickey and Dave again.  They're both getting back into racing after a LONG hiatus and had raced that morning.  I hadn't raced with them since Plainville so it was great to be on a track with them again.  That's Mickey at the start of our race.

And Dave's third from the right, during the race.

The Cyclonaut's Stafford Springs Crit is one of the safer races around - no curbs, lots of places to bail out and mostly just beautiful paved oval.  The race was as about as typical a crit as you could describe.  It was here I got my first ever placing 2 yrs ago - coming in 3rd winning the pack sprint.

I had good luck here again Saturday - "luck" in the form of new-friend Guido who kindly offered to lead me out.  It had been a fairly uneventful race, but I was still a bit tired not being at quite the form I'd hoped.  And I heard later there was a crash in our race, but I didn't notice it from where I was.  By the time we got to the bell lap and Guido yelled at me to take his wheel, I didn't know if I could hold it.  He's a very strong rider - even after having raced another race earlier in the day - but I was able to keep up (barely).  What was a little tougher - and a new experience for me - was actually holding the wheel.  Seemed like everybody we passed wanted to be where I was and I actually had to lean back into some guys and hold my elbows out to hold my position.

We got to the front of the field and with about 100 meters left I tried to come around, but didn't have much snap left.  I guess a few other guys had either been on my wheel - or had a little leadout train of their own - because at the line there were 5 of us pretty close together. Three guys hit the line ahead of me, but I got 4th - and, with 65 starters, some much-needed upgrade points.  Thanks Guido!

Here's a video of the finish - courtesy Mrs. Suitcase:

After the race, I went home to recover and prepare for the Hartford Crit the next day.  That is if you think "recovery" includes loading up two truckloads of stuff for the dump, chainsawing a juniper down, and chopping up the stump with an axe.  Unfortunately, I don't have any domestiques domestics to help with such things.  Fortunately, Mrs. Suitcase stopped me shortly after I'd started with the ax reminding me that I needed to "save something for tomorrow."

Who was I to argue? :^)

The next day was even more beautiful than Saturday - and better still that the race wasn't until the afternoon.  So we spent a leisurely morning around the house and moseyed on up to Hartford, really looking forward to the race being over so we could get to visiting and dinner with SDC and his lovely wife.

Here's me and SDC.  I should have paid attention to the sign . . .

One of my favorite things about the races are the guys you meet.  I finally got to meet Hobgoblin in person and it was nice to see ShawnW again, upgraded to Cat4 in this year's edition of Hartford.  JoeK, ChrisB and Dillon from our team were there along with JoeP and me.  Esteban had also made a weekend of it, racing with the 5s right before us.

My race was the last one of the day.  Hartford is always a great race - very competitive and many racers target it.  It's a short race, but its technical and often has some of the largest fields of the season.  As I mentioned before here, it was also my first race ever and the track goes right past my office window.  So it has some sentimental value too.

The race started fast - or so my body, tired from the previous day's events, thought - and then settled in.  I actually felt better than I thought I would and, while I didn't have any expectation of winning the race or even getting on the podium, I thought I might have a chance to get some more upgrade points.

Things were a little sketchy, especially in the downhill second corner.  Too much hitting of the brakes.  Then I noticed even corner 1 was getting a little nutty - more brakes, even though it was uphill.  But that's all not too uncommon in crit racing.  Unfortunately, the Cat4 races here in 2006 and 2007 had the dubious distinction of having the only crashes of the entire day.

This year's edition continued the record.  And worst of all, this time I was in it.

We went through the start/finish with 6 laps to go and I was feeling better than I thought I would at that point.  When we got to the corner at the top of the hill (more of a "rise") I was in the middle of the pack, about 3-4 guys from the inside.  I don't know if someone hit the curb, got nervous and overcorrected or what, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw guys moving left pretty hard (through a right turn).  Then the guy to the right and in front of my went HARD left, taking out my front wheel.  I had nowhere to go and no time to correct.  I went down hard on my left shoulder.  Then my head.  Then my left hip.  Then everything else.

About 5 of us went down.  When I got up, I saw some guy tangled up in my bike about 7 meters down the road and I immediately felt a sharp pain in my shoulder.  I cradled my left arm, thinking I might have dislocated it.  I somehow carried my bike over to one of the barricades and we all got out of the way before the pack made it back through.  We were all relatively ok - we could all get up.  3 of the guys limped off, but me and one other Cyclonauts guy got under a shade tree waiting to be checked out.

When the ambulance got there, the EMTs didn't think anything major was wrong - nothing seemed dislocated or broken, but thought it best to be checked out.  So I got a ride in the ambulance to Hartford Hospital.  Major thanks to all who hung out with me while I waited - especially to Mr. & Mrs. SDC who traded an early dinner for emergency-room conversation and a later dinner.  It was priceless to have a fellow racer pack my bike and gear just so in our not-so-big trunk and keep us company at the hospital.

The hospital was a story in itself - and I won't bore you with all the gory details.  But suffice it to say that we were all expecting I would get my road rash treated and be sent on my way.  Despite the fact that the doctor on duty didn't see any outward evidence of any fracture or dislocation, he wanted me x-rayed to be certain.  I figured at worse, I'd have a fairly painful GYGIG ride next week - but at least a good story to share.

When the xray came back, the doctor said - "Well you fooled me."  I'd actually joined The Club that so many racers have joined before me.

I'd broken my collarbone.

What this is going to mean for my racing season - much less my ambition (as stated at the top of my blog) to advance from "wheelsucker to Cat3 racer" - remains to be seen.  Obviously I'm MAJORLY bummed - I'd gotten a total of 7 upgrade points in my last two races - and need "only" 20 to upgrade.

But even worse is what this already means for my MAJOR fundraiser and one of the primary reasons I started this blog in the first place.  As any long-time reader knows, I have a passion for raising awareness - as well as funds - for Crohns disease research and a cure.  Having Crohns myself - and loving my bike - the Get Your Guts in Gear charity ride has become an annual highlight.  And it takes place at the end of next week.  Thanks to many of you, I've already raised much-needed funds and was looking forward to sharing my ride with you all again this year.  But with the doctor's advice to not ride for 6 weeks (I'm getting a second opinion from an orthopedist this Thursday morning :^) I won't be able to ride.

I can't not participate though.  So I hope I can be part of the crew that supports the riders.  Not only will it give me a chance to still be part of a cause I feel strongly about, but it'll give me a chance to see the ride - and the riders - from the "other side of the table."  Strangely, and thankfully, I'm already looking forward to next weekend at least as much as I was before this setback.

And if Mrs. Suitcase's review of my race schedule is correct, I'll only end up missing my two June races. So, as Le Tour starts in July, I may be back on the starting line myself...

Plainville Finale 4/19/2008:Sun, not worms

(There's lots to report, so beware, this is a LONG post.  If you're only interested in the Cat 3/4 race and/or pictures and video, scroll down.  There's nothing but text of the Cat 4/5 race...)

The final week of the Plainville Spring Series couldn't have been better, in more ways than one.  This was my second season racing at Plainville, and the first year I actually finished the series (having come to grief part way through last year).  Running from March 8 to April 19, conditions vary from snow and cold to warm and balmy, all over the course of a few weeks.  And it's a great way to kick off the season, getting the rust out of the joints and the adrenaline pumping again.

While I didn't race all 7 races of the series (the first day was actually canceled due to weather, and I skipped the 5th weekend due to illness), I made up for what I missed by racing back-to-back races a couple of times, and Bethel once.  So I still got 7 races in.

Going into the final week, our team had been bumped out of the bridesmaid position on team points in the Cat4/5 9am race and our newest teammate, JoeP, had lost the leader's jersey.  Things looked grim.  I had only scored one point in the series - during my first race of the season - also in the Cat4/5.  Under Series rules, only the top three points scorers can earn points toward team placing.  I was one of those three, along with Dillon and JoeP, so I decided to skip the Cat3/4 race this week and focus on the 4/5.

The day was absolutely stunning.  Forecast for sun and highs near 70.  A big contrast to last week where the 9am race was a haze of rooster tails and worms.  37 of us Cat4s/5s started off at a pretty decent pace and for the first bunch of laps, it was actually a little docile.  That is until the race promoter - who was also in the peleton - started chiding the guys in front and they, almost too predictably, responded by picking up the pace.

It actually turned out to be a fast race - especially after the first prime.  While our team had no formal plan or strategy (other than for the three points scorers to vacuum up as many points as possible in a Hail Mary bid for the team win), I had planned to contest both primes and the win.  I'm usually one to not bother too much with intermediate sprints and just sit in for the final sprint.  But I'd tested my legs - and my ability to work at the front and set pace - a few times in the Cat3/4 races, and since I wasn't doing the 3/4 race this day, I figured I'd leave everything I had on the track.  And see if the points would follow.

I had been staying as sheltered as possible, appreciating very much my other teammates chasing down breaks and setting pace at the front when needed, when we heard the bell for the first sprint.  Dillon was already near the front and I did my best during the lap to move up.  Of course, everybody else had the same idea so it was more difficult than I'd remembered.  Coming into the final corner, I was still about 8 guys back when I started my sprint.  I'd picked a wheel to follow, but he faded too fast for my liking so I came around and gassed it best I could into the wind (there always seems to be a headwind through the Start/Finish at Plainville).  I reached Dillon's wheel at the line, but lost out on the prime, coming in 3rd or 4th (prime points only go 2 deep).

But Dillon - sporting his new feather-light ride with the SRAMpy gruppo - won the sprint.  Score 2 more team points.

After that first prime, the pace seemed to pick up significantly.  There were the usual attacks and attempts to get a break going, but nothing came of them.  After last week, none of us were too interested in letting anyone slip away and we all worked to keep things together.  At one point, there was a crash in corner 1, just behind me and to the left.  One of my teammates (Gregg) actually rode over the guy's wheels after he was down - the pack was too tight to allow him to go around.

When the 2nd bell sounded, I was - unfortunately - in about the same lousy position I'd been in before: about 1/3 back and having to cover a lot of real estate before I could get to the front.  Fortunately, this time I had a true lead-out in Gregg.  He picked me up on his way up the left side of the pack and buried himself to get me as close to the front as quickly as possible.  His effort was heroic, but started to fade approching the final corner.  I came around and grabbed another wheel.  This sprint went better technically, but I still started too late.  I passed a lot of guys and was still accelerating at the line, but it wasn't enough.  I came in third.

Fortunately, the Prime win went to another teammate.  Dillon, for two more team points.

As happy as I was that our team was working so well together and getting much-needed points for the overall, I was getting a little frustrated that my sprint timing was off.  Since I'd ramped up slowly in this Series and had raced a few Cat3/4 races as well, I haven't been contesting any sprints - or getting much sprint practice.  Now that I discovered I actually DID retain a pretty good sprint from years past, I seemed to be waiting too long to launch.  I resolved to do better for the final sprint.

One thing I was VERY happy about, was that I was still upright.  There was another crash in turn 3 - fortunately behind me.  I've gone over a year now without crashing and am glad to keep that record going for as long as possible.

As is usually the case with crits, at least at my level, the pace did its predictable wind-up as we neared the end.  The race leader (also racing for the team leading in points) was near the front and while there were even more attacks, they fizzled quickly at the speed we were going.  MAJOR props go out to Gregg, Bruce, Dave and Gary (in his first race of the season - congratulations!) for making sure everything stayed together.

Counting down 5 laps to go, I started working my way back up through the field and with 1/2 a lap to go (and courtesy an unwitting pull up the outside by two unattached riders I know - thanks Esteban and Giberto!), I got inside the front 8-10 guys going into the final corner.  We were going insanely fast.

Though the Garmin - when I get around to uploading it - may tell me different, we HAD to be going crazy fast because when we all hit that corner the front guy - the series leader in individual and team points - went down.  I dunno what happened - whether his pedal or wheel got hit, but the Yellow Jersey was down and into the curb, taking a couple other guys down as well.

It was all I could do to carve an even tighter corner to avoid him - and hopefully not cut across anybody else's line.  The adrenaline rush of the speed and the crash helped me time my sprint much better and I passed three or four guys as I raced for the line.  With about 10 meters left, I caught the second-to-last guy and threw my bike at the line -  just edging him out for a second place finish - and JoeP came in 5th (points go 6 deep) for a total between the two of us of another 7 team points.

My runner-up finish qualified me for my first-ever podium ceremony.  I'd placed a couple times in other races, but never got on an actual podium before.  Ok, so there were no flowers, or champagne, or podium girls, but there were a nice couple of ladies doing interviews for ESPN Public Access Cable (or YouTube) and taking pictures.  But I got to share it with the winner of the race - Jess Kane - a great all-around guy and great racer.

The final result?  Team Cheshire Cycle Racing got 11 points to take the Team Overall prize by 2 points.  JoeP tied for second in the Individual Overall.

VERY cool!

But the revelry was tempered by the fact that we knew that there was an amount of luck involved too.  In this case - bad luck.  The points leader in individual AND team points crashed in the final corner and scored no points in the final race.  While there were other CCNS riders the 4/5 races, Jason C alone earned points for his team.  Even though he crashed and got no points on the final day, he STILL won the individual overall.  The fact that he could have won the individual AND team prizes (almost) single-handedly is a testament to how good and strong a rider he is.    Get well soon JC.

But crashing is part of racing and it could very well have been any of us.  So we'll take pride in having won the Team Overall in the Plainville Cat 4/5 race TWO years in a row!

Whew!  Sorry for the long race report - and I appreciate your indulgence while I savored Saturday's race.  It's already been a much better season than last year.

I'm just sorry Mrs. Suitcase couldn't be there to share in the victory.  She's been to almost every race, gamely shooting the pics and video that makes these posts more interesting, and I was disappointed that the time I do my best, she's not there to see it.

I played Mrs. Suitcase myself for the Cat 3/4 race.  Since I'd spent myself in the 9a race, I decided to shoot pics and videos of my teammates in the 10a race.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words (and I've spent my character limit on the the 4/5 race), we'll let them tell the story of the Cat 3/4 race.  For a detailed report, from another racer's perspective, click here.

Of course, if you want to weigh in with your own perspective on this race (or the 9a race too for that matter), leave a comment.

JoeK chasing down an attack.

JoeP attacking, with a CycloNaught in tow (and looking for more teammates?)

ChrisB and JoeK setting pace in the front, with CycloNaught on Joe's wheel (which became a very familiar sight).

Ditto - different lap.

Ditto - sans ChrisB, added another CycloNaught.

JoeK still pulling/towing - CycloNaughts still sitting in.

Ditto - JoeK is clearly the strongest of the bunch.  He was out front most of the race.

The all-too-familiar scene.  CycloNaught enjoying the ride behind JoeK's locomotive.

And it all came down to this:

Despite being WAY outgunned, JoeK - with support by ChrisB, JoeP, Dillon, and occasionally other team members - managed to get CCR third place in the Team Overall in the Cat 3/4 race.  Nothing to sneeze at since JoeK's the only Cat3 on our team - and clearly one of the strongest guys in the series.

Finally, the 11a Cat 4/5 race.  I'll leave the reporting to others that participated in and/or followed this race more closely.  My main interest was that my friend Mickey was using this race to return to racing.  He hadn't been satisfied with his efforts earlier in the series, but everything came together in this last race.  He stayed right in there with the pack up until the final few laps when a crash on the back stretch took him out.  Fortunately, he was ok - escaping with only some relatively minor scrapes and bumps, and his bike's ok.  "Relatively" minor only compared to one of the other guys in the pile-up.  He broke his collarbone and required the only ambulance of the series - evidence at how well-run and safe these races are.  Thoughts and prayers go out to him - fortunately, another racer who recently broke his collarbone was on-hand to offer consolation and encouragement.

What a day!  Hopefully you found the these reports interesting and informative.  Just the usual caveat - this is one man's perspective on how it all went down.  If you wanna weigh in with more detail - or a diverging point of view - post a comment.

So Plainville 2008 is over.  It almost feels like the end of the season, but the season is actually only just beginning.  There's lots of racing to do - I hope you'll continue to join me as I learn some new things, pass along some tips I've discovered and generally bumble my way to an eventual (if not at all inevitable) upgrade to Cat3.

Race Report:Plainville 4/12/2008

It should be race reportS, since I did back-to-back races again on Saturday.  But I didn't do Bethel Sunday as I'd planned.  You'll discover why if you read on . . .

Actually, I didn't know if I'd be racing at all this weekend.  The forecast all week was for rain.  Then, miraculously, Friday morning's forecast called for overnight showers & clearing up on Saturday - Sunday to be even nicer.  That's exactly what ended up happening last Saturday - I skipped Plainville since I woke up and it was wet out.  By 11a the sun was out and it was a top 5 day.  I determined to not let that happen again this weekend.  Racing was on!!

The weather gods had something up their sleeve though.  I planned on racing both the Cat 4/5 and Cat 3/4 races, so I had to wake up EARLY Saturday morning.  I checked weather.com and there was a Weather Advisory that said "Conditions as off 6:55 am: A severe thunderstorm with wind gusts of over 40 mph is centered over Plainville, CT"  I kid you not - it actually called out Plainville!

But I would not be deterred.  I loaded up the car.

While the roads were very wet, it wasn't raining and when we arrived at the track, it looked like things might actually clear up as forecast.  So I registered (tip: print out the release forms the night before and fill them out to save time at registration), Mrs. Suitcase pinned on my numbers (tip for back to back races: 2nd race number on first, 1st race number on second, have scissors to cut 1st number off between races), I got dressed and on the trainer.

I should have figured the worms that I saw all over the pavement as I was warming up wouldn't be confined to the parking lot . . .

We had a good team turnout for the first race.  Our newest member, (another) Joe (JoeP), was wearing the yellow jersey of the Series Leader and Dave, Bruce and Dillon were on-hand to help him keep it.

As you can see, it was pretty wet and foggy.  You can also see that we were on the front a lot.  Too much as it turned out.  We chased everything and the resulting pace was the fastest for a 4/5 race so far at Plainville - about 25mph average.

Fortunately, despite the pace and the fact that we were all burning too many matches, Dillon was able to collect a couple of points for the team by winning one of the primes.

The only thing I was able to collect was worms.  Lots of worms.  I was prepared for rain and racing in wet conditions.  Even though my rear wheel threatened to break free just about every time I hit corner #1, I was prepared.  A guy crashed in that corner early in the race - tire blew out and the slick pavement kept him from keeping it together.  Still, I was unfazed.

Until I swore somebody blew their nose and it hit my hand.  It took me a couple of laps to get up enough nerve to assess the damage.  You guessed it.  Not a boogie - a worm.  At least it was easy to shake off.

Part of the reason the pace was so fast was that a guy took off up the road fairly early on.  I later learned that a German time trial specialist had run away with our race an unattached guy with a cool accent had snuck away and we just couldn't seem to chase him down.  But we tried.  By the time we got to the finish though, our team was pretty well toast.  I think we caught the break near the end, so it was a field sprint.  Joe wasn't feeling well so I came around him, appreciative for the lead out, but it wasn't enough.  I came in 7th - just outside of points.  Good thing Dillon had legs early on.  Dave and Bruce, their admirable and hard work done, came in with the rest of the pack.

At least it had really cleared up - and the sun was out.  No time to appreciate the weather though.  I was burning up, having overdressed.  Time to take off the base later shirt, get one of my numbers cut off, and line up for the next race.

All the CCR guys from the first race lined up to help out JoeK in the Cat 3/4 race.  ChrisB (yes, another Chris) was there too bringing our team numbers up to 7 - close to record participation.

It wouldn't last for long.

Not surprisingly, the Cat3/4 race was even more difficult and faster than the 4/5 race.  As has been the case with just about all the Plainville 3/4 races this season, there was an early break.  And also true to form, Joe was in it.

But that's where the plot twisted.

The pack caught the break and at some point (I wasn't sure, since it was all I could do to just hold wheels at that point), another break got up the road.  Joe didn't make that one, and all the CCR guys tried to chase it down to give Joe a chance.

But apparently, most of the rest of the pack either had a guy in the break, or didn't care to bring it back.  Clearly, the series leader in this race wasn't interested in working.  He's third wheel in the pic above.  I'm in front (sans base layer - note bare arms) trying to give Joe a much-needed break.  If another CCR guy wasn't leading, Joe was.  The whole time.

Unfortunately, CCR guys were getting shelled.  Having raced the first race and worked so hard, the numbers eventually dwindled down to Joe, ChrisB and me.  While Joe did the lion's share of the pulling, some others did share the work. Special mention goes to Sebastian from the CVC team for helping too when he could.

For some insane reason, I've been in the front a lot lately.  I'm usually more than happy to stay sheltered, but as you can see, with it all strung out there's not much shelter anyway.

I could only give Joe temporary relief though.  I was fading pretty fast, only able to pull for about a half lap at a time.  I'd been able to catch the back of the line each time, but after an especially long pull (for me), my legs just didn't have anything left.

I watched as the line pulled away.  I'd been dropped.

This, I am happy to say, was a first for me in a race.  Because I've gotten so adept at holding wheels, I can usually finish with the pack.  Not always a great result, but a finish.  This time I was committed to burying myself for a teammate - something you don't get to do when you're unattached.  It was a good feeling, if not such a great result.

But I should have noted the lap cards.  If I had known there were only a few laps left, I might have tried a little harder to catch back on.  But I didn't see the cards.  Consequently, as the break lapped me, I dutifully made note of the timegap and - I thought helpfully - yelled it to Joe as he (still leading the pack) passed me.

What I didn't know is that they were heading into the finish.  You can't make up 16 seconds in 250 meters.  I thought they were going faster than before.

But I didn't realize that until I got to the finish line.  Actually, I was going to drop my bike on the sidelines and watch (what I thought was) the finish when I heard Dillon and Mrs. Suitcase yelling that I should at least cross the line.  What I thought was the finishing lap, was actually the cool down.  I could still cross the line and at least finish.  The stupid comical result is in the video below.

The break never got caught and, surprise!, was a break of only 5 guys.  So there was one point up for grabs in the field sprint (the "field" consisting of only about 7-8 guys by then - everybody else had cracked).  As usually happens, the guy that did the least work conserved the most energy won the field sprint.  And, in this case, the last point.

So, no points in the second race either.  But I did get SOMEthing out of the race.  A nasty sunburn on my arms.  I never imagined when I put on my tights and baselayer LS shirt that morning that NOT ONLY would the sun come out, but that it would be so strong.

But even if I had known, there was no way I would have had time to put on sunscreen between back-to-back races.  Yet another learning experience.  Just what these "training" races are for (admitting they're only "training races" when you don't do well in them LOL).

Despite the results, I was happy to be able to race so much - and stay upright.  Celebrating a year crash-free, especially racing on wet pavement for the first time, was a personal accomplishment.  The fact that I got to do it with a lot of my teammates just made it that much better.

-----------------

I was stoked to do Bethel the next day.  One of the best things about doing a race the following day is that you can leave your bike/wheels in your car and not have to repack the following morning.  But after a very restless and uncomfortable night, I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty lousy.  My arms were on fire and the thought of having ANYthing on them, baselayer or otherwise, was anathema.

So I decided two races in a weekend was enough.  Bethel will now, unfortunately, have to wait until next year.

Now I gotta figure out how best to get hundreds of caked-on worms off my bike . . .

-------------------

As threatened promised, here are the finish-line videos of the two races:

Video of the finish of the Cat 4/5 race:

Video of the finish of the Cat 3/4 race:

In Recognition of Roubaix . . .

Whether you're planning on doing the Battenkill-Roubaix next weekend, or just watching the Paris-Roubaix this weekend, you'll enjoy this video.

Props to Liz Hatch over at Vanderkitten for linking to it.

In other news... two races back to back today - wicked fast both of them and legs are fried (not to mention, my skin - but more on that later)  Dunno if they'll be up for another race tomorrow, or if the body's going to make me get some sleep - or make me sick out of spite.

Will check in with it in the morning...

Weekend Racing:Plainville & Criterium de Bethel

First off, I'm happy to say that this week I broke the 1000 mile threshold for the year (see 2008 Totals).  My first coach/encourager Mickey always said that once you have 1000 miles in your legs you'll start to notice improvements in your training and racing.  Last year, I didn't break 1000 until mid-April.  And that's when I was doing regular group rides on Sat/Sun all winter.  This year's effort is all the more impressive (to me anyway) when you realize that all of these miles - except for races and a few group rides - are on the indoor trainer or rollers.

Ok, on to racing news.  I must admit I wimped out and didn't race Plainville on Saturday.  The forecast as of Friday night was lousy and (seemed to be) confirmed when I woke up the next morning.  Everything was wet and threatening more rain.  You guessed it (or, if you're local, you actually experienced it).  We got no more rain and AAMOF the sun was out by 11a and Saturday turned into one of the top 5 days of the year so far.

Oh well.

Despite my absence (I'd like not to think because of it), Cheshire Cycle Racing posted some good results.  No race reports (if you have any, please let me know), but the numbers tell at least part of the story.  JoeK did his now-usual great performance in the Cat 3/4 race, coming in 2nd in the first prime and taking 4th place overall out of 26 racers, and ChrisB - in perhaps his first appearance this season - posted a top 10 finish in the 3/4s as well.

But the main story was the Cat 4/5 race.  New team member JoeP (we seem to have a lot of Joes and Chrises on the team) WON the Cat 4/5 race, and was ably assisted in points collection by Dillon, who won the first prime of the race (his  first prime of the season?).  The resulting points catapulted CCR  to second place in the overall team standings in the Cat 4/5 race, the only other point being the one I scored back on Mar. 22.

Only two Plainville races left . . .

After missing out on the fun & games on Saturday, I figured some self-flagellation was in order.  And I didn't want to let the weekend go by with no racing.  I decided an appropriate "punishment" would be to finally try racing Bethel. 

This is apparently what I look like when anticipating a good beating.

You may find it hard to believe, but I'd never raced the Bethel Spring Series before.  It's always been too tough schedule-wise to try to get to it.  And besides, I'd pretty much psyched myself out about it's being too tough a race for me.  I'd heard it had large, fast fields of racers - and a hill right before the start finish.  I hate hills any time, but in a race - in a crit?!  Ugh.  But I needed a beating - and I needed a race.  And - by changing in the car on the way (Mrs. Suitcase driving of course) and doing the Cat 3/4 race later in the day (even though the Cat 4 race at 930a would have been more appropriate) - I was able to finally do it.  I figured if I could just sit in and finish with the pack that'd be a major accomplishment.

I'm afraid if you want a detailed account of this race, you won't find it here.  My view of the race - literally and figuratively - was pretty much limited to whatever wheel I was on at the time.  Fortunately, SDC paid closer attention - and has the experience to write about it and capture the nuances.

For me, it was all about staying sheltered when I could, conserving as much energy up the hill as possible, and doing my best to keep large gaps from forming in front of me.  At 27 miles, this would be my longest crit and, with the hill, one of the toughest.  So I did what I could to make sure I'd at least finish.

I was mostly successful.

My first mistake was in getting a little too anxious up the climb one lap near the end.  All-of-a-sudden, I'm out in front.  Ok - after the "summit" there's a right corner and then a descent.  I can pedal down hill fine - and in a large gear even.  Problem was, as I rounded turn 2 I was still in front.  I swear I heard snickers behind me as the rest of the pack just let me dangle out there to see what I'd do.  They needn't have worried - no way was I going to try to stay out there, especially with the headwind on the back stretch.

I sat up.

Second mistake was taking the outside line in the final sprint.  I'd heard about how everybody moves left going up the hill and creates a pinch point there.  I've been crash free for a year now and didn't want to risk getting caught there in a sprint for the finish.  So I sprinted up the right side.  Longest line.  Without a leadout guy.  No wheel.  Into the wind.

Won't do THAT again if I can help it.

The pictures will tell the rest of the story.  I chose these 1) because you may find yourself in them, and 2) because I'm in every one of them.  Like Waldo, you'll have to look though (click on pics for a larger view).

Coming up the hill.  I think that's the start/finish line in the foreground.  New-friend and chief Bethel race encourager DaveB is to the left of the yellow jersey.  Sporting his stealth kit.

The "good" hill - descending after turn #1. 

Strung out coming into the back stretch.  I think this may be a shot of the pack exploding that SDC describes.  I'm making (what at least *I* think is) a valiant effort to keep things together.  I'm below the big evergreen tree.

Not sure who the rider is (comment below if you know), but he's created a significant gap.

Coming around (I think it's) turn 2?

Funny story about this pic.  I'd seen this guy take off and I happened to be near the front so I figured I'd try to catch him.  I thought I had a pretty good jump and gapped the field on my way to bridging up to this guy.  I thought I was all alone, so when I saw Mickey taking pics here I figured it'd make a great new blog banner ("Mr. Suitcase Breaks Away at Bethel Crit!")

Well, as you can see, I just succeeded in pulling the field up.  So much for the gap I thought was behind me.  But at least this is proof that, yes, I CAN pull at the front sometimes (even if unintentionally).  My favorite shot of the day (of course).

Here's a better shot of the pack coming up the hill.

And another one, just in case you didn't find yourself in the previous ones...

So as we came down to less than 5 laps to go (or thereabouts), I quit noticing reports of time gaps to the break.  I wasn't sure whether we'd caught them, but wasn't really in a position to care.  I'd hung in for over 20 miles - and up the hill over 20 times - and I was beginning to run out of gears.  (TIP: do not adjust your rear derailleur the night before a race, no matter how much better you'll think it'll be.  And esp. if it's Campy).  As the pace inevitably went up, I did my best to stay near the front and keep up with whatever group might take off.

As we hit the bell lap and over the top of the climb, I had enough momentum to gain a bunch of spots on the descent, and tucked back in to shelter for the windy back stretch.  I heard later that SDC was on my wheel and I didn't even notice as he slipped by me - tucking in within the top ten.

Miracle of miracles, I still had a bit left in the tank for the final climb up the hill.  I knew it'd be my final effort until the next weekend, so I gave it all I had.  Unfortunately, I chose one gear heavier than I should have, and - thankfully - the chain didn't drop down the cogs for once (refer to TIP above).  I stood on the pedals and my legs screamed in protest as I looked for the finish line.

I swear, the closer I got to it, the longer it took to come to me.

When it was all over, I'd passed enough guys in the sprint to secure a top 20 spot.  The officials weren't sure at first since I was on the opposite side of the road and mostly obscured, but thankfully the finish line camera confirmed it.  19th place.  As a Cat 4 in my first Bethel race, and among Cat 3s as well, I'll take it and be proud.

But the guy who took the win was SDC, in his first win of the season.  Much deserved.  And, fortunately, Mrs. Suitcase caught it on video, which I post below for your enjoyment.  Of all the finish line videos we've shot, this is probably the best.

And thanks to Mickey for the great pics.

If you're interested, the Garmin data for this race, including map & profile, can be located here.  My HR data -surprisingly - shows that I didn't work as hard as last week's Plainville race, but my legs tell a different story.  That hill makes a big difference, rewarding strength/power rather than speed.

Bethel Cat 3/4 Race 4/6/2008

19th place (?? entrants)

23.8 mph average

.3 min @ <126 bpm

.5 min @ 127-145 bpm

32.6 min @ 146-162 (Tempo)

26.7 min @ 163-180 (Threshold)

159 HR average (176 max)

Last week's Plainville Cat 3/4 race:

10th place (36 entrants)

22.8 mph average (slower due to wind and, maybe, blocking)

0 min @ <126 bpm

0 min @ 127-145 bpm

2.6 min @ 146-162 (Tempo)

49.8 min @ 163-180 (Threshold)

169 HR average (182 max)

Now that I've got one Bethel under my belt, (much of) the intimidating mystery is gone.  Have to see if I can make it again next weekend.  It's the last race of the series and I'm hoping I can put what I learned to good use - and maybe even place better.  Guess we'll see . . .