It's a BEAST of a Climb!

My chest was pounding, my legs were screaming, and my face was pasted with a dumb smirk as a pedaled furiously up Bearwallow Mountain. Weinacker was back in her element, swaying and dancing up the switchbacks, focused on getting to the peak of mountain as fast as humanly possible. This was the Bearwallow Beast Hill Climb, part of the Lung Buster time trial series, and was a 4 mile climb that I was told, was like climbing the Saluda Grade. Whoever told me that, should be shot, because they lie. This climb had very steep pitches up to 20% grades about half way in.

I a did a little recon of the course (in my car) prior to the start. My poor, old Xterra shuttered under the steepness of the climb. I had a great warm-up, solid and confident. I knew going in that I was not in 'race shape' or at 'race weight', but that this would serve as an awesome way to mentally get back out there after transitioning out of endurance triathlon. The anticipation of what was about to come was more daunting then the actual event. The pain that was surely to occur, and by my choosing. Why do we hit ourselves in the head with a jack hammer? It is simply because it feels so good when we stop.

The start was uneventful as the guy held my bike and I was counted down....5, 4, 3, 2, 1 gooooo! I sprinted out of the gates on the gently sloping beginning of the course. Then.... "it" hit me.... Oh crap, I've started out too fast.. RELAX, breathe! Plug and chug, keep your cadence going... "it" never gets any easier, you only go faster... I repeated my mantra that the great Greg Lemond spoke... It never gets any easier, you only go faster..... As I rounded the last switchback, my chest was literally pounding..... my face grimaced in a fake smile of complete enjoyment and exhilaration. The climb and the view from the top of the mountain were both breathtaking and spectacular. I enjoyed every sheer second of misery on that mountain. It was good to me, taking away my breath, but giving me so much more in return. Thank you God.

Another Spring Classic

Fresh off of Battenkill... if you could call it that... Jim Hoffmeister baits me with "hey we are riding Boone Roubaix this weekend.... should be epic..."  Epic? isn't that what DS said........ another Belgian slug fest with dirt roads, freezing temps, big steep climbs, and guaranteed wet as we have been having our spring monsoon up here.... As to spring.... well maybe in points south, but it is still winter up here........

So I think what the heck.... I have the bike all set up... nothing else planned.. its driving distance..... so I sign up thinking that this may not be such a good idea as Tour de Moore is the following weekend....

It's a 3hr drive to Boone from home... so I head out before the crack of dawn ... it stopped raining during the night but it is only 34 degrees..... that little snow flakey thing on the dashboard is all lit up to tell me I should probably rethink this.....

9am at the start.... the parking field is like a mud marsh... J&B are here, Wes and Art from Sycamore Cycles... 250 person mass start.... all classes start together..... 36 degrees at best..... freezing waiting for the gun...... Bam! off ... across the wet grass and muddy drive....left onto a a 3 mile section of dirt road...... it is all strung out.......

My rear tire feels soft.... I look back and see it has definitely lost some air but not flat..so I just push on....can't hang with my group up the first big climb... Tom Ratajczak (abrc 60+) catches me with 4 others at about mile 20 and we ride together until the next big climb when again I can't hold pace.... aid station at mile 26.... I stop and use their pump and take that rear tire up to 100psi.... seems good.... and go.... up the Koppenburg... this hurts..... catching riders no one really to ride with... mile 35 I see Tom and another rider I chase them down and get on..... we ride the river section doing a 3 man paceline... sweet..... at the turn off we hit a 3 tier climb... I can't hold pace.... they pull away.. Tom drops the other rider.... I catch him but Tom is putting distance on me...... Top out... go go..... Tom is out of sight... not to be.... I enter the marsh field 300 meters to go.... a car coming at me... change ruts.......BAM.. I am down... hard..... back up... on the bike and I ride across the finish looking like a mud drenched Belgian....

Got 2nd in the old guys..... under 3 hours not bad.... Oh and Beth... she won the women's 40+..  So a good day for Headstrong...   And Jim.... well he was ahead of Beth but rode off the course doing a "bethster" losing significant time and place.... but finished .... great course, great ride......lots of fun...

Tour of Battenkill....

April 14^th…

900 miles of driving to ride in one of the largest Pro/Am single day races in the USA… Truly a Belgian classic… weather… cold and wet, oh AND windy… dirt roads 10 sections ..25% of the 65 miles AND a dozen dirt steep climbs.... 

This is one of DS’s “A” races and has been on my "bucket list" for a long time, although I lack some serious training this season.....… a 60+ field … old guys.. but some really really good old guys.... 

9am up having breakfast… we have over analyzed the race at least a dozen times….. 10 selection climbs each about a mile long with pitches up to 13%.... .. 38 degrees.. should be about 42 at our start time of 11am….. (note the 11am)..  DS thinks we could do the course in 3:35 ... just the 2 of us.... I am a bit skeptical thinking about that 15% dirt pitch we rode up yesterday... 

I drop our wheels off at the wheel truck (the guys seems way too much in a hurry), dress … 

DS...“bird, what are you wearing?”…. 

Bird....“I am f^%^*& freezing”…..let’s go for a ride and decide”…. 

out spinning in the wind, in anticipation of race pace…… back at the car dressing again…..

Bird...“Randall, where is everyone?  I don’t see Bernie, or Tom?”… 10:50 ride up to start line……….

no cyclists….nada…. just 2 race officials……..

Bird..“you getting ready for the 60+?”.........

Officials.. "What?"..... “the 60’s went off at 10:10……”   

 “Merde!”

I am off like a scalded dog, as I hear DS yelling …”bird, bird…. slow down… bird….. wait … wait……. We don't have a plan!”

Plan? Plan?  40 minutes late... I mean if it was 5 or even 10 minutes I would be in full chase mode.... wait, I am in full chase mode....... I ease up for DS, and say… “I am racing this thing… 3:35… 3hours 35 minutes … let’s go”………

DS does that slow head shake he does and gets on my wheel……… 100K 2 man time trial….. 5,000ft of climbing with numerous steep pitches….. and 18 miles of dirt roads……

2 old Carolinian's going full out.... DS once made a comment that we have shared a fox hole before.... this was like being behind enemy lines.... trading pulls... no chit chat... no stops... no coasting.....  gotta make it..... 

And so it goes…. 3:43… ride …. we actually caught 2 riders….. not the 3:35 but a helluva a ride over a very difficult picturesque course.....

not our best day…….  but they scored us..... putting us down as 13th/14th.. with our actual time we would have been in the top 10... without the aid of pack....so who knows.... will ever know, as I am not going back.... 

For People at the Boston Marathon...

Thoughts and prayer go out to those affected and their loved ones.

Tour of Battenkill - final prep

Rain continued until this AM.   We rode our bikes to the 37 mile point on course to see the Cat 3's pass and then to Finish.   Really cold as it was about 40F, 10 mph winds and dark/overcast skies.   You might have thought you were in Belgium here today!

Our friend Rod Millot of NYC, got about 40th.   He said about 70 riders (original field was 150) hit the last climb at 56 miles and it broke into 3 groups.......said it was a very slow race.

Some crashes, as dirt was very wet, but not so many.   Course was very slow as riders said the dirt was like pedaling in molasses.

All in all the racers appeared warm as they were scantily dressed.   The town was loaded with people.  There was a field finishing about 10 minutes so it was pretty exciting.  We returned home and turned on the heater.

More to come!

Tour of Battenkill Prep

We got into Cambridge, NY, late last night.   We have a quaint house on little lake 5 miles month of the race start.   I stopped up the toilet and we could not find a plunger so you can imagine our first act this morning.

We provisioned the house, registered and had a sound lunch.   I got Stan's NoTubes in my Gatorskins we headed out to preview the course.

It is a beast!  I has 65 miles, 5000 ft of climbing, 8-9 major 'selection' climbs(.3 - 2.0 miles long), 16 miles of dirt, holes, one covered wooden bridge with serious cracks between the wood, about 40 turns, gravel and did I mention, holes? ......get the picture?  It is EPIC when you include a Master's Nationals class field (37 each 60+ men).

I think there are about 3000 people racing here in next two days?  We go off at 11:00 AM on Sunday.  Right now, that looks like the very best start time we could draw in terms of the weather forecast and road conditions.

We expect a low of 33F and high of 48F with partly cloudy skies.   Not bad since it has been raining/sleeting for about 3 days.

We will be riding our tuned up, cleaned bikes into town in the AM, now that we have installed all the gear we have.   We have about 8-9 pals to cheer on at the finish.   Several are Pro/1's and a couple are 3's.

We just discussed strategy and clothing.   Dinner time, now.

More to come.

Crash N Burn Rock Hill Style

April 7, Rock Hill Road Race

We trained....we went...we crashed

Although this was a beautiful course for a CAT 4 like Moi.........Each  race  hands up a set of circumstances beyond one's control.

We were 5 miles into the race....good pace..good strategy..Teenie, April and in the front of the pack
We shifted appropriately for the wind...slowed down the pace at one point by all 3 of us blocking/pulling the pack. 

Then KABOOM.....one gal had moved over ever so slightly to surge with the front pack and a brand new CAT 4 gal freaks out and turns her wheel quickly to the left and BAAAAAM........5 down...one broken wrist...one deep slash to the forward, a concussion, lots of blood!  April bruised/ helmet smashed! I can't even tell you what happened....the bike went completely over my head..landed hard on my shoulder.  All I knew was in those few seconds before impact my brain said PROTECT your collarbone so I tucked and rolled ....to the right! How does the brain react so quickly?    Once we got ourselves up and our fearless leader Teenie got it all under control with kind words/cold water and hugs...We all looked around and asked HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?   It would have been a good race for all..Teenie, April and I.

Dan had the worst of it ..as he and the Masters Group had to ride by viewing his wife on the side of the road.........Teenie & I were  able to smile and wave him on........He said he raced really well as he wanted to get back to the start line to see his girl!

Take Away for Rock HILL .....Big Note to Self...  CAT UP ASAP!

Mid Season Check

Taking into account that the season starts on Oct 1, we are about half way thru the 2013 and so far, we are having a fine year with dynamic accomplishments:

*  23 people at the Hincapie Gran Fondo
*  20 people at a super camp in Tucson
*  Many winter team training rides
*  Two well attended parties
*  Early season race participation and some results
*  Fully subscribed Pyrenees trip

It is a good time to ask yourself where you are personally.   Here is what each of us committed to:

Each Member will participate in the following to best of his/her ability:

• Support team goals and objectives
• Race minimum of 6 races.
• Train - ride in 12 TEAM headstrong rides and lead/organize 1 training ride
• Attend and participate in the annual meeting and the party (2 events)
• Write minimum of 1 blog post

If there is anyway I can support you in being successful, let me know!

And if you have never participated in TEAM out of town race like this weekend, you are missing what the TEAM is really about.  Come out and give it a try..........real teams race together!   Racing together is one of TEAM goals and objectives!

Some say cycling is dangerous, but not as dangerous as walking!

Yes it's true! Yesterday John and I were walking around the lake at Furman. He looked back over his shoulder at something and when  he turned around he met a sign with his face. He hit so hard it that it dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Unfortunately when he fell backwards he hit a concrete curb with the back of his head and knocked himself out! When he came to he was able to walk somewhat woozily back to the car but sustained pretty good whiplash, gashes in his head front and back and a substantial headache for the next 24 hours. So, next time you see him walking he may be wearing a helmet! Wonder if Nike has a replacement policy for hats damaged in a crash?