I'm a little fuzzy on the details. I'll try:
Pre-race:
Ella skips the clinic, we do half a lap, her mission is accomplished. It would have been nice to clock some more, maybe jump in the juniors race, but it's in the 30s, and she's done. She spends the day hanging out with Molly on the bus, and Uncle Stan teaches her all sorts of colorful new words. On the plus side, after a day with the guys on the bus, she no longer considers me stinky, even after 4 races.
Race 1, 4/5 Killer Bs
Andrew makes it into a break of 4, I block. The break can't get it together to share the load, he has back to back pulls, somebody kicks it up, and as a result, he gets dropped. I chase them hard, everyone lets me, but they stay away. Bunch sprint for 9th.
Race 2, Masters' 30+ 4/5
Mike and I line up. I can't remember much about this one. I win a prime, the one I wanted, for a chain. Try to stay out with a xxx'er, but it doesn't happen. They have 20 teammates in the field, but they want their own glory apparently? You never know with xxx. I think I soaked up a bunch for 17th, I can't remember how Mike does, but it's well ahead of me.
Race 3, Elite 4/5
A couple minutes of rest, gu, fluid, and back at it. I'm dying for 3-4 laps but somehow get stronger. I start patrolling the front and let Max slip off with another rider. The other guy fades but a new guy gets in, then another. 3 could stay out, but they fight for a prime (which wasn't even awarded, since it was only for the field!) and they fade. A xxx'er goes for a late prime solo, gets it, I chase him down since there's one lap to go, but when we catch him 2 xxx'ers counter and stay out for the win. oh, NOW they work as a team.
Race 4, Elite 3/4
Fast and pressing, the sleet starts coming. 55 minutes. I'm totally NAF for this one. Not A Factor. I barely hang on at a couple points. I'm just going for a start and a pack finish to count towards a Cat 3 upgrade, and I miraculously make it.
I have nothing left, but then why is my body kicking me out of bed at 5 am? Stupid, stupid body.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
rinse, lather, repeat
Half Acre - Kevin's Crits 4/5
Thursday.
Check the team site for today's update. We've got some sexy results.
chicagocuttincrew.com
On a personal note, eh: I attacked at the gun and went a lap or two. Nobody chased. I guess I'm not much of a threat! I was bored, itching to go, and I just wanted to kick start it, and maybe get the pack going and burn off the weaker part of the field. I did this a lot. Most people didn't care, some other people tried the same thing. After a while I just played, attack, fade, recoup a few spots. Perhaps it was the lack of mighty headwinds, but the pack didn't panic over any attacks, and they all came back.
Eventually I rested, tried to link up with teammates for some kind of train, but at one to go, the whole bunch was pretty much intact, and I was waiting to get swarmed again, after burning so many matches playing games. I certainly didn't get swarmed, but I didn't exactly make it close enough to contest the sprint either, an improvement, though I only pulled 17th. Still, my late game is getting better.
If only I could race three nights a week all the time, I might get somewhere. Possibly keeled over.
Thursday.
Check the team site for today's update. We've got some sexy results.
chicagocuttincrew.com
On a personal note, eh: I attacked at the gun and went a lap or two. Nobody chased. I guess I'm not much of a threat! I was bored, itching to go, and I just wanted to kick start it, and maybe get the pack going and burn off the weaker part of the field. I did this a lot. Most people didn't care, some other people tried the same thing. After a while I just played, attack, fade, recoup a few spots. Perhaps it was the lack of mighty headwinds, but the pack didn't panic over any attacks, and they all came back.
Eventually I rested, tried to link up with teammates for some kind of train, but at one to go, the whole bunch was pretty much intact, and I was waiting to get swarmed again, after burning so many matches playing games. I certainly didn't get swarmed, but I didn't exactly make it close enough to contest the sprint either, an improvement, though I only pulled 17th. Still, my late game is getting better.
If only I could race three nights a week all the time, I might get somewhere. Possibly keeled over.
getting the kinks out
Half Acre Crit Series
Wednesday
I skipped this one, so technically it shouldn't even be here, but since I've accidentally become the source of news for my team this week, here goes nothing:
Mike suits up for the third consecutive day. He cannot be stopped. Unfortunately, his bike can, and is, by a flat just a couple laps before the finish.
Brean has a "new" bad ankle to keep his mind off his "old" bad ankle, and hasn't been training much, but he decides to give it a go nonetheless. An early race mechanical suddenly leaves him with the nose of his saddle pointed south, and he spends the rest of the race mostly on the bars.
A few breaks try, nothing sticks, and with 3 to go, a couple guys get away for good, with Dave ? from xXx taking the win. Brean hangs in the sprint for 13th.
Mike was last seen coming up with a plan to convert the bus into a street sweeper before Thursday's race.
Wednesday
I skipped this one, so technically it shouldn't even be here, but since I've accidentally become the source of news for my team this week, here goes nothing:
Mike suits up for the third consecutive day. He cannot be stopped. Unfortunately, his bike can, and is, by a flat just a couple laps before the finish.
Brean has a "new" bad ankle to keep his mind off his "old" bad ankle, and hasn't been training much, but he decides to give it a go nonetheless. An early race mechanical suddenly leaves him with the nose of his saddle pointed south, and he spends the rest of the race mostly on the bars.
A few breaks try, nothing sticks, and with 3 to go, a couple guys get away for good, with Dave ? from xXx taking the win. Brean hangs in the sprint for 13th.
Mike was last seen coming up with a plan to convert the bus into a street sweeper before Thursday's race.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
dodging the storm
Half Acre Crit Series
Tuesday
Fast as hell, cuttin' crew missed the break, chased for 5-6 laps to get back in, I burn out, Jeff and Mike made it in. The sweetest words I've ever heard: "they made the break" and I sit up and coast in the field. Ernie sees the 'lap of death' look on Jeff's face and drops him. Jeff gets collected with the remains of the field, including me. Mike gets a flat, Stan flies like the wind to get another off the bus, Mike rejoins the lead group...and flats. He's out. Jeff and I in a loose pack of eight. I try to protect/pull Jeff the last half lap, off to the side a bit in a crosswind, but it doesn't work out, turns out he doesn't need me anyway. He cleans the bunch sprint, I finish four spots back.
Tuesday
Fast as hell, cuttin' crew missed the break, chased for 5-6 laps to get back in, I burn out, Jeff and Mike made it in. The sweetest words I've ever heard: "they made the break" and I sit up and coast in the field. Ernie sees the 'lap of death' look on Jeff's face and drops him. Jeff gets collected with the remains of the field, including me. Mike gets a flat, Stan flies like the wind to get another off the bus, Mike rejoins the lead group...and flats. He's out. Jeff and I in a loose pack of eight. I try to protect/pull Jeff the last half lap, off to the side a bit in a crosswind, but it doesn't work out, turns out he doesn't need me anyway. He cleans the bunch sprint, I finish four spots back.
icebreaker 2009
Half Acre Crit Series, Cat 4/5
No prizes, no primes, no lights (!), just a bunch of guys shaking off the winter.
Monday
First the ladies: Jamie had a solid outing, but it had to be tough in a field of six. 20 mph crosswinds made it possible to ride in the gutter, leaving nothing to draft. They split into 3 and 3, and I missed the details, but she came in at 5th.
In the men's race, Mike and I were up front and staying out of trouble, pushing the pace, covering stuff, letting little gaps open that others had to close down, finding the gutters out of the wind. Nothing too fancy, but throwing the gauntlet down here and there, softening the pack without killing ourselves.
Unfortunately, the 3-5 minute tempo before the sprint put the hurt on me. It would have been nice to have a tempo/leadout/sprint train, but frankly, I wasn't quite up to the call.
But not a bad plan, considering we had no plan: Jeff was rested and ready for the sprint, and he lit it up. Ernie (Van Wagner/Yojimbo's) was the only one able to contest it, and he came around Jeff to take it by maybe half a wheel. Considering he's a tree-legged cat 2 trackie, not too surprising. Mike held on for 9th and I was 3 spots or so behind him, but they didn't map the placings that deep so I'll never know. We got a spot on the podium, a top ten...and a domestique in the bunch. I'm ok with that.
No prizes, no primes, no lights (!), just a bunch of guys shaking off the winter.
Monday
First the ladies: Jamie had a solid outing, but it had to be tough in a field of six. 20 mph crosswinds made it possible to ride in the gutter, leaving nothing to draft. They split into 3 and 3, and I missed the details, but she came in at 5th.
In the men's race, Mike and I were up front and staying out of trouble, pushing the pace, covering stuff, letting little gaps open that others had to close down, finding the gutters out of the wind. Nothing too fancy, but throwing the gauntlet down here and there, softening the pack without killing ourselves.
Unfortunately, the 3-5 minute tempo before the sprint put the hurt on me. It would have been nice to have a tempo/leadout/sprint train, but frankly, I wasn't quite up to the call.
But not a bad plan, considering we had no plan: Jeff was rested and ready for the sprint, and he lit it up. Ernie (Van Wagner/Yojimbo's) was the only one able to contest it, and he came around Jeff to take it by maybe half a wheel. Considering he's a tree-legged cat 2 trackie, not too surprising. Mike held on for 9th and I was 3 spots or so behind him, but they didn't map the placings that deep so I'll never know. We got a spot on the podium, a top ten...and a domestique in the bunch. I'm ok with that.
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