From Start to Finish...to Start

It seems like a lifetime ago. Hammering to the front of the peloton on the downhill, only to see the entire pack pass me on the uphill. And ride away from me. Smaller and smaller. And smaller. Twenty-two point three kilometers into my season and I was cooked. Not the start to the road season I had envisioned. What had all those hours spent on the trainer with JvD putting me through hell been for?

 In a season chock-full of criteriums interspersed with a couple of road races and time trials, I had a few other bad days on the bike. Except bad is a bad description. Unless we’re talking about Michael Jackson bad. Because racing my bicycle against other people’s bicycles makes me happy. And ain’t nothin’ bad about that. (Unless, of course, we’re talking about the aforementioned context of bad meaning good). But for the most part, the season was a dope (dope, of course, meaning good). I was more aggressive while also racing smarter than years past.  Part of it was questioning what the heck I was really getting out of sitting midpack in a peloton just so I could be outsprinted and finish 9^th instead of shaking things up and, if all else failed, finishing 23^rd. And part of it was for the photo opps. Maggie loves the camera. (And I must say, the camera loves Maggie. Yeah she’s had some work done, but she’s looking good for 10 years old. That’s like 70 in bike years). Speaking of old, I learned that going off the front of the pack at the age of 41 can take a lot out of a person. But here’s where all that winter training with JvD came into play. Ahh, the sweet scent of mid-race recovery.

So if being aggressive was so much fun during the road season, why not carry that into cyclocross. I kicked the season off last Saturday with a very challenging MEC CX race. I took advantage of a call-up to take the hole shot (for those not familiar with the lingo, hole shot is taken from the auto racing world, meaning you have the fastest start to take the lead. Or something like that. People yelled “Yeah Stringer, hole shot” as I passed the Bici tent into the first corner. So I’ll assume that’s an appropriate definition. At any rate, it’s a good thing. Not just because it’s fun to be fastest at something, but because in cyclocross, being at the front allows you to pick your line and helps you avoid being stuck behind the congestion until the pack thins out. So work on your starts. Unless you’re racing against me. Then forget what I just said). But I digress. So first up the first hill, led going into the second hill, hit a small bump and off popped my chain. It took me about 5 seconds to get it back on. Enough time for 15 or 16 guys to go past me. Déjà vu from the road season – leading on the downhill and ran into trouble on the uphill to start the season. Ugh. But the legs felt fresh this time. Roksi managed to keep her chain on the rest of the way. I crossed the line 12 out of 30. Not a bad start to the season.

And that, my friends, is how you fit a summer of racing into 3 paragraphs.

 

Contented Discontentment (alternative title: Cyclocross is Fun)

I asked a buddy yesterday if he misses racing bikes. He told me no, essentially because he’s either all in or all out; he wouldn’t be content just racing for fun. (And life wouldn’t allow him to be all in).

In the men’s Koksijde CX world cup race yesterday, the current world champion had all types of mechanical issues, causing him to fall back from the leader and slip off the podium. He battled back to take third place. He didn’t have much fun (his words, not mine), but given the challenges, he must have been content with his finish (my words, not his).

Saturday morning I did a slow course pre-ride with Brent. Chatting about features of the Redcross course; what climbs to run vs. ride; recommended lines. Roksi felt ready to rock. But after a proper warm up, turns out Roksi is a liar. A few last minute tweaks to my shifting, I hoped for the best and headed to the start for my call up. Best start I’ve ever had in a race, I hit the barriers in stride in third place. I slipped back a few spots but was still very well positioned for a top-10. And then I wasn’t. On what seemed like every climb, my rear cassette and chain were playing out a lover’s quarrel Chain: sorry inner cog, let’s cuddle and make up. 28-tooth cog: GET OFF OF ME, I NEED SPACE! 25-tooth cog: HEY, DON’T COME CRYING TO ME. GET OUTTA HERE.  And so it went. I had to ease off the power and climb in a harder gear, overcooking the legs while getting passed. A whole lot. Final result: 17^th place. Rather than trust my own mechanical (ahem) skills, I stopped at the bike shop for a quick look-over by a professional on our way home. Thanks to the Giant mechanic who got Roksi dialed in at no cost. Also, I almost walked out the shop with a brand new cyclocross bike. Almost.

Finally getting used to these call-ups, I had another fast start at Sunday’s School of Cross race. Tackling virtually the same course, I felt confident of a top-10 result. And it started off that way. Sitting top-10 through 2.5 laps, I lead a group of four up a run up. Remounted and took one pedal stroke.  Didn’t move forward.  Dismount. Put my chain back on. Remount. Give chase to the six guys who just passed me. I caught a couple. Closed the gap to others. Saw the gap re-open. Held the gap steady to my chasers. Discontentment overpowered contentment. One final effort to the line. Another missed opportunity. Another fun opportunity. 12^th place.

Had you told me in early September I’d realistically be battling for a top-10 place almost every race, I would most likely have been content with that prospect. But as the season winds down, I’d say it’s closer to contented discontentment. I don’t know what that means, but I think it means I'll keep striving to get faster. But I'll have fun along the way. 

Cross is Here - The Sequel

I hear a lot of people talking about their favourite season being something other than Summer.  That's like saying cats are your favourite pet. Sure they can look pretty and some are even fun to play with, but at the end of day, dogs have so much more to offer.  So as Summer evenings start to cool, I get a little pang of sadness. But then I remember #crossiscoming.  

My cx season started a bit differently this year with the brand-new XCX marathon at Canmore Nordic Centre.  I opted for the shorter 35km (2-lap) course. Lap 1 was my typical pass people on the ups, get passed on the downs.  But after one lap I had no major mechanicals and the cantilever brakes weren't the issue I thought they may be. And then lap 2 hit me like a young pitbull with zoomies. Three flat tires and a dropped chain. Turns out I signed up for a duathlon. But the course was awesome and I'll definitely be back next year...with 40mm tires. 

Up next was an unseasonably early Beans 'N Barley.  It took me a while to find my legs, by which point the lead group was well gone.  By lap 3 a group of seven had formed, with me pulling the group around for the next lap and a half. The pace was fast enough that a draft was beneficial, but also technical enough that I was happy to be out front with a chance to pick my own line.  But halfway through lap 4, the six guys behind me went by and my overcooked legs couldn't respond.  I battled for a few minor placings and ended up 23rd of 46.  Something to work with for the season.  

Day 2 of the weekend brought Pumphouse Cross.  A course better suited to my skill set (if you can call anything I do in cx skillful).  Today's lesson: I really need to work on my starts. The heat itself rarely bothers me, but the dry, slick grass due to the heat was a different story. Especially on the off cambers. But a flowing PHCX course landed me another middle of the pack finish (19/41). It wasn't that long ago I was battling not to be DFL (dead fu...uh, flipping last) in Novice.  So at least these 40 year old legs are taking me in the right direction.  

Next up was the joint RMCC-Bicisport weekend in Canmore.  I only raced Saturday and volunteered Sunday.  On Saturday I had my first ever call-up into the final slot (at the start of the race, up to 8 racers can be called to the starting grid based on ABA or UCI points...I'm not sure how I ended up there).  But confirming starting position matters, I had my best result of the young season.  I made a couple of technical mistakes and the uphill right after the barriers seemed to get steeper and longer each  lap. But Dezz kept me updated on my positioning and sitting 13th on the last lap gave me an extra kick. I just couldn't close in on the top 10.  Final result: 12/36. (Side note: great to have my friend Carol come out to watch and excited to try cyclocross herself despite watching us all suffer.  Yes!) 

Didn't I commit to doing more regular blog entries last time so as not to keep you so long? My apologies.  Good news is, this is the last race you have to read about before you can go back to petting all the puppies (or cats, if you're so inclined). Organizers had to move the Jim Horner CX last minute due to the wet weather and City of Edmonton regulations.  Turns out it wasn't such a bad move. Having no idea what to expect, I pre-rode the course and then promptly headed back to the car to put my mud tires on. Mud. Energy zapping uphills.  Soft gravel.  Two sets of barriers.  Temperatures going from cool to oh-my-god-why-did-I-choose-to-wear-knee-warmers-and-a-base-layer. And about 10 minutes longer of red-lining it than we're used to. Sounds fun, eh? I started this race literally at the back of the 35-man field. (Rick and Twyla surprised us by showing up at the race, so I was chatting with them pre-race.  So it's all Rick's fault.  I won't blame Twyla cuz she's badass and I'm scared of her. But really guys (like really real), awesome to see you out there). I made my way up to midpack after one lap and then fought back and forth with 3 or 4 of my biggest temporary enemies for the rest of the race.  I don't remember a cross race ever hurting as much as this one.  No cool down at the end, I just fell off my saddle into the grass after crossing the line. 16/35. And the post-race beer tasted especially good. 

On the next episode of Flying Scotsman & Friend, Friend does Deadgoat Supercross.  Stay tuned.  

Kicking Horse Cup

Following the Tour de Bowness in early August, I usually wind down the road season and start drinking more beer in preparation for #crossiscoming.  But this year Dezz and I decided that since we still wanted to make our annual pilgrimmage West, I may as well do the Kicking Horse Cup in Golden. Turns out that was a good decision.

We arrived at the townhouse up at Kicking Horse resort about 10pm Friday, had a beer and chocolate cake for Ari's birthday, and got a few hours sleep before lining up for the first of three stages, a 5.9km time trial.  With just enough elevation gain to make it hurt, my legs and lungs were both screaming at the 5.5km mark. 8 minutes and 22 seconds after I started, I was slowly making my way back to the parking lot at Reflection Lake, reflecting on the first of 3 stages.  I knew I hadn't left much on the course and was happy enough to learn I had taken second place in my category.

A recovery meal and some rest later, Ari and I were spinning down the mountain, only to turn around and ride back up.  As fast as we can. My plan going into the 13km hill climb was simple...ride my own pace at a high cadence without worrying about the competition. I'm ok at climbing.  The longer the climb, the better I get generally. So this longer, mass start climb was better suited to me than something like the Silvertip Hill Climb in Canmore.  The group started off together with a 2km flat section to warm up, across a wooden bridge, annnnnnd...GO.  A group of 6 jumped off the front. I sat in the second group and watched a couple more guys jump.  6km into the stage, I was sitting in about 12th place.  But as planned, I kept that cadence high and started reeling guys back in.   And on each section that the road started to flatten, or even (aww yeah!) tilt downwards, I quickly shifted into the large chainring and attacked.  With 3km to go, I had moved into 5th place in Sportive men, not sure who was in my under 45 group and who was 45+. But I just focused on keeping those lead weights attached to my hips going in circles as smoothly as possible.  With a kilometre to go, my heart sank when I realized there was one more gut punch at the end.  But then Dezz and Domino yelled encouragement to finish strong.  (Well Dezz did.  Domino just looked disappointed and a wee bit confused since I didn't stop to say hello.)  Once again I rolled across the finish line, this time in 3rd place.

After being awarded a couple of Whitetooth Brewing beers for my two podium spots, we headed down to meet the Bici crew for some well earned dinner. A burger and two beers later, we headed back up the hill for a hot tub and another night of not enough sleep.

Starting the 62km road race on a chilly morning, I held an 11 second lead on general classification (in stage races, cumulative time from all events is added together to give a total time. The fastest overall time wins GC). This was something brand new to me.  We started with the 45+ field as both groups were quite small.  (And within the 45+ group, a similar sub-race was occurring. With Ari down 7 seconds on GC.).  I knew who was 11 seconds behind, and my game plan was to minimize the work I did while marking any significant attacks. But just keeping second  place within 10 seconds wouldn't be enough as the top three get bonus seconds (i.e. First place would have 10 seconds subtracted from their race time).  Most of the course was either up or downhill, with very few flat sections.  Asides from an early mock attack to test the group, I sat about 7th wheel and watched and waited. And finally I had to put in some work at the 52km mark...when I got spit out the back on the longest hill.  Although I could see my GC aspirations riding away up the road, I just kept a high cadence on an easier gear and stayed relaxed.  And then another rider jumped off my rear wheel and  started to lead me back to the first group. Phew.  And no later had I caught back on than there was another attack. Another gap opened.  But 398 watts and 8 seconds later, I was back with the pack.  But obviously the back of the group was about as safe as (insert dangerous situation here).  So I jumped to the front with 2km to go.  And with about 200 metres to go, I watched the sprint develop in front of me.  Thinking my legs may not  have the power left for the sprint, I complacently allowed myself to get boxed in. But then a huge gap opened (and by "huge", I mean big enough for me and my bike to hammer through) with 50m to go.  And with 20m to go I had the road race and GC wrapped up.

Shout out to Nate & Jana for a great event in their first year as race directors.  Come do it next year!!! And of course, thanks to Dezz and our pup for being the best race support crew.   Congrats to my Bicisport teammates for another solid weekend full of podiums.

Tour de Bowness

This season I've taken the mindset that if I finish on the podium or I finish 18th in a race, it isn't really going to impact my life. So don't sweat it so much. That isn't to say I won't give 110% every race. It just means I fit bike racing into my summer, rather than trying to fit summer into bike racing. And with that, here's a look back at my long weekend and the Tour de Bowness.

I had a Lauryn Hill poster on my wall in 1997. I still have that poster. Needless to say, I wasn't going to miss a chance to see Miss Hill live at the One Love Festival on Friday night. So after standing for 5 hours and eating random unhealthy foods from food trucks, I headed home for 5 hours of sleep before the Tour de Bowness Road Race. Perfect race prep.

The 88km race in Cochrane started out the way I thought it would - the largely intact peloton rolling to the 22km turnaround as a single unit. A couple kilometers later we started "the climb", the one feature of the course that punts riders out the back, regardless of  race category. I was almost up and over with the pack but a few of us couldn't hold the wheel of the climbers. So it  a full gas effort to tag back onto the peloton with a little help. I had no problem holding on through the next 43km. And recognizing the best Bicisport chance at a good finish was sitting out in the wind near the front, I moved up the left side to give Simon a quick draft then continued to the front of the group for a solid pull. That may have cooked the legs a little bit for the next time we hit "the climb". Starting the climb in about 5th spot, I saw most of the group go past me about halfway up. And suddenly I felt like I was riding a 40lb Canadian Tire special.  Reaching the top as a group of three, we pacelined our way back to a group of four in front of us. And with the lead group not gaining much time and a determined group of seven, we were in with a shot of catching the lead group. And getting 3 Bici guys back up to help Simon could have been a great help. Unfortunately we couldn't get the group coordinated and the paceline kept falling apart. A kilometer or so from the finish we made the final turn down three guys. The lead pack was approaching the finish line now, so we created our own mini race for minor placings. I bounced around to control the pace and lead out Suchaet for the sprint win.You never know when that experience will come in handy. Final result, 2 minutes behind the lead group. And first cat 4 race in the books. I'll take it.

And now, time to recover. Jump in the car, drive up to Edmonton for a 40th birthday party (because I've been friends with Chad for almost twice as long as I've been crushing on Lauryn Hill), eat some more unhealthy food, drink some beer, get a few hours of sleep and drive back to Calgary.

Monday morning I rode over to Bowness as part of my warmup and got in a couple laps on the criterium course. This cat 4 crit felt faster than last year's cat 5 race from the jump, so my goal was to keep it rubber side down and finish on the same time "as the winner (in bike racing, there has to be a significant (i.e. 2 or 3 second) gap between racers to determine a different time. So a group can be strung out in a single line, but if there is no real split in that line everyone will finish on the "same time"). About 8 laps into our 30 lap race, I started to slip off the back, with the gap extending to about 10 meters. Enough to spell disaster for a solo rider. Engage time trial mode. Head down, pushing bigger power numbers than I should have been exerting at that point in the race, I managed to catch back on in 1.5 laps. Burnt a few matches, but that's the beauty of the peloton; active recovery while cruising along at 40km/h. And then came the first of two serious crashes. After the fast straight away, a rider went hard into the railings. People swerved, another rider went down in front of me, and my bike handling was put to the test as my brakes locked up and my back tire fish tailed while I avoided either of what looked like the only two options - bump into the barrier myself or run over a downed bike. Instead, I clipped back in and started the chase back up. The dangers of being at the back and caught behind a crash. Two of us were closing the peloton down a couple laps later when the race was neutralized until the crashed racer could be safely taken off the course (on a stretcher). With lactic acid building, we waited until our race restarted. Then go! The next 8 laps buzzed by, another racer unfortunately went down hard on the same corner, and before I knew it we were on 2 laps to go. I paid for my earlier efforts to catch back on and thus didn't have much to move up and contest the sprint. Final result was 14th. On the same time as the winner!

Post race recovery: margaritas, free mexican food, and watching the really fast guys and girls race. (And I have to shout out Dezz here for being the most supportive wife. She worked a night shift, got off at 7am, went to boxing class, came to watch my race, and hung out all day until 3pm before finally heading home to sleep). Probably my favourite day of racing on the race calendar. Come watch next year!