Heading West #cxnats2014

Great mooglie booglies another year has passed. Sitting at my computer two days before Christmas madly packing an RV and a trailer for CX Nats 2014 in Boulder, CO and wondering how we got to this point. This will be our fifth straight trip to USA Cycling's cyclocross nationals and our fifth straight year providing stories, pics, and other CX goodness from the event for The Best Bike Blog Ever.

When we look back at 2009 in Bend, OR I remember very little, literally. But, what I do remember is a rag tag group of a few kids from Lionhearts heading out to Bend. We bummed space on the Red Zone trailer for our bikes, we flew out and stayed in a Best Western. None of them had B bikes, tubular wheels, appropriate clothing for the cold, or really any idea what they were about to witness. I also know that I for one had no idea how much that trip would change me personally.

Even an RV has to stop at Chipotle

As we saddle up for a trip to Boulder we are laser focused on gear - B bikes, extra sets of tubular wheels, summer, winter, spring and fall riding gear, rain suits, winter suits, wet suits, snow boots, rain boots, tents, sides, heaters, battery operated-triggered air pumps, trailers for bikes, tow vehicles, RVs, travel companions, time for altitude adjustment, hotel rooms with kitchens paid for by Marriott points, coaches, extra mechanics, tool bags, pit bags, and I could keep going, but I am out of breath.

What hasn't changed is the passion for the sport - the passion for cycling. The four Lionhearts that will be making their fifth straight start at CX Nats love this sport. They dream about it at night. They ride 6 out of every 7 days. They read magazines and books about cycling. They talk with other kids their age that also ride all across the country. They text about their bike rides, how hard they were, and how they have to do a four hour trainer ride the next day (no, I didn't make that up).

Snug in their bed

Most importantly is the fact that no one makes them do it. Everything you see, hear, or read about them doing is voluntary. Sure there are days where they drag themselves out of bed early to get those openers in before traveling or before school, but they do it all on their own.

Whenever I feel at odds with what I am doing or feel like everything we embark to do is some crazy hair brained idea I take a look at M1 in the picture at the top racing at Bend in 2009 in sub-freezing temps in a freshly fallen snow. A smile comes to my face while a tear hits the corner of my eye. It isn't about me any more, she has made it her own.

These are the best days of our lives.

Meanwhile, look for me on a curb near you. Someone's got to keep the RV rolling while the kids get their sleep and keep their legs in compression tights in a vertical position.

Mental vs. Physical

Coaching kids has amazing challenges, but never the ones you think about. This is odd, because thinking is the problem. There are many things I must learn, including not to take anything for granted, period. Just when you think a kid has figured things out and has it all figured out, something comes out and slaps you in the face, something that is hard to manage or deal with during the frenetic race day prep cycle.

Today was one of those experience where despite all the preparation for race day things didn't turn out how we visualize them. As fathers/coaches as we miss the point of view we should be looking from.

The kids have a perspective that you can't predict and despite many of the kids have a good year of racing behind them today was a challenge. If you haven't done Fisherman's Park (FishStix) you aren't expecting what you get when you roll up to the course. There simply is not another course or park like it on the OVCX tour. While it is not outrageously technical, there are features that most can not replicate in their practices at their local parks. For kids this "fresh" perspective is hard to piece together in a one or two lap pre-ride of the course before the race.

To be disappointed in results in this case would be irresponsible and not reflective of the effort put forth by the kids. They rode hard and persevered, a couple kids even finished the race after being informed their dad broke his ankle, and learned a lot. In the end that is what we are looking for this early in the season. Fitness and speed doesn't come right away, it has to be earned and takes time to develop. The kids are certainly reaching that point quickly and will soon learn that the efforts they put in today will reap more benefits later. 

The benefits are the ability to react instead of think. While some have been riding long enough to not remember this, each new element takes a bit to "comprehend". Not comprehend in the send of looking at the elements and saying "Oh, I see that". Comprehension for these elements is the ability to react quickly and navigate an element without brain lock. Brain lock makes a rider slow, and if you brain lock 3 or 4 times on a lap, well it 'looks' like you aren't going fast.

The brain needs as much training as the quads, and in the case of Fishstix it might need more training. The body can only do what the brain tells it to do as fast as the brain can provide instructions.

Special Socks

To the naked eye most socks look a lot a like. Most are the same general shape with the difference being the height of the cuff and the colors chosen to decorate the sock. There are a lot of different styles, but in the end the shape is exactly the same and designed to provide cushion and protection for your feet in your shoes.

To a Cat 3 racer no socks are alike. They all still perform the same function, but there are some that just feel better. The feeling has nothing to do with foot comfort, whether the sock has cushions or are made of special merino wool, but the feeling is all mental. That feeling is knowing the time, effort, and dedication that made those socks yours.

Every racer I know jokes about "racing for socks" and that taking risks aren't worth the socks you will be rewarded with at the end of the race. In the end you aren't racing for those socks, you are racing for something very different and something that you can't assign to a possession. You are racing for achievement and the self-assurance that the time and effort spent over how ever many months it took you to get those socks was worth every minute.

For a majority of racers the dream of being a Category 1 racer in any category isn't unrealistic. The required time, genetic attributes, or financial backing are missing for a lot of category 3 racers, but that doesn't stop them from trying. Ask any 40+ year old category 3 racer about the good season and bad seasons and 9 out of 10 will relay that year where they were on it. They were unstoppable and could ride with the big dogs for a while, even if they couldn't beat them. They could place consistently in their category 3 races and it felt good. The same 9 out of 10 will also relay those years where their job, family, health, or another of life's gotchas preceded their desire to ride their bikes. They lost that year and then it took another year to get back into shape to race at a competitive level in the category 3 races.

I too can relay the good years and bad years, some times one right after the other. There was one year where I won several pairs of socks and then the following year had an accident and took three years to get back to where I could even think about winning a pair of socks.

Sure, you can say that the socks are a display of the glory years, that is a fine analogy. Cycling is too hard to not have something to display for your efforts. Socks may be trivial in many ways, but I still remember winning a pair of Domo Farm-Frites socks in 2003 at a road race where I busted my butt. I can also remember a pair of Descente socks I got at a crit in 1991 in college. I don't still have the Descente socks, but I still have the Domo Farm-Frites socks.

Say what you want, but if the sock fits, wear it.

Kings CX Weekend Recap

When Kings CX Weekend was created I never anticipated what it has become. The simple idea was a warm up race followed by an OVCX race to get the season started off, give everyone a chance to get the kinks out and then do some real racing.

This year we followed the same plan and put together what we thought was a pretty sweet course. Without any rain Kingswood was as hard as tarmac and finding nifty challenges through the course to try to keep the Elite's lap time over 5 minutes was starting to be a challenge. We managed to do that and with it being so dry it actually helped slow them down a touch since every corner was pure dust. If you overcooked a corner the course made you pay for it - or it made you strategically run through some tape. The course held its own and made people ride hard, fast, and take the necessary risks that define cyclocross racing success. There wasn't any mud or crazy hard stuff, but with the speed a slip would take you back a few spots and make you work to earn them back.

Organization wise the volunteers were amazing. So many people helping in so many ways and with no real way to adequately say thank you to all of them. Every time I turned around there was someone else who wanted something to do. When we were done with the tear down after the event there were people still hanging out and not leaving. Either they were basking in what we had just done, or told their wives they would be home at seven and since it was still before six they were milking it that much longer.

The highlight of my weekend of racing were my daughters. I have chronicled a lot of the steps and process we have gone through getting them into racing and working with them over the last year. The transition for each of them has been amazing to watch - and they each had a different experience this weekend.

Maddie went into the weekend very nervous and having not done two races in the same weekend on back to back days. The experience was going to be important to her development to understand several aspects of racing. First she was nervous - who would be there? How fast would they be? Were there any other Red Zone riders coming? Was Frances coming? How was she going to keep up? Why were the boys always in her way?

The first day went great for Maddie. She was pretty calm and collected and ready to go. The previous week's experience at Apple Cross had helped her figure out the process and combined with all the Kings CX TT practice she was ready. She took off pretty well at the start and collected a first place on the day.

The second day was a bit tougher. She woke up sore from the riding of the day before and was sure she was probably not going to be able to move. But she quickly figured out that her body would warm up and get loose and ready to roll. She was clearly not as motivated or fast, but that didn't matter - her only goal was to ride well and finish. She picked up second behind Frances and life was good.

Then this morning she nearly cried trying to get out of bed. How will I make it!?! A warm shower and some coaxing from Mom and she was out the door to the bus and in a much better mood after school. Quite the learning for her to figure out and clearly a moment where she started to understand her capabilities.

Kenzie was a different story than Maddie. She has raced back to back days several times previous to this weekend and knew what the drill would be - and how it should be approached. The bigger issue would be remembering to do all those things we had learned last year - especially with me being completely out of pocket running the event.

Her race got started and you could see in her eyes that the focus and attention was not there. She was riding, but not racing, and after the race she knew. She has grown so much in the past year that no one needed to even approach her on what happened, she offered up all on her own. She knew that she hadn't warmed up properly, hadn't eaten properly, and that lead to mental difficulties focusing and physical difficulties performing. While we aren't worried about results, we want the girls to understand the value of preparation and being ready for events, whether they are athletic or otherwise.

Kenzie knew what she needed to do and talked to the right people about what to do the next day. Malissa was a huge help because as it turns out nutrition is a difficult thing for someone of Kenzie's metabolism and slight build. This is an issue I have never faced, but not of slight build and capable of going all day on peanut butter toast at 6:30am. Malissa and Kenzie set up a plan for the next day that included the proper nutrition and the proper warm up before her race.

Kenzie toed the line with four other Nationals level competitors in the girls 13-14 race and you could see the different level of focus in her eyes. The timid, nervous girl of Saturday had left and the determined girl of Sunday had shown up. Maybe she is just mean to race on Sundays, but about a lap into the race she unleashed the best riding I have seen her do in the 14 months she has been riding.

Kenzie was clearly behind two other girls that have been stronger than her through this early season after the first lap, but put in an effort to catch both of them individually and pass them and then turn on the power. She was riding with a look in her eyes that told me not only does racing mean something to her, but that she really wants it. No matter how hard you try as a coach or a dad you can't create or coach that look, that determination, the kids have to want it themselves and it has to be up to them. She wanted to win and at a minimum wanted to do well on this Sunday and was putting in the effort to make it happen.

In the most exciting sprint of a Girls 13-14 cyclocross race I have ever seen, and probably the most exciting sprint of the weekend for all races, she and Katherine sprinted it out for first place. Kenzie was pipped at the line and took second place home, but took home a lot more than a second place prize for her efforts. The desire has to come from within, but confidence also has to be earned to stoke that desire. Kenzie helped stoke that desire this weekend and got the feedback she needed to know that the efforts are not going without results.

The competition in the girls 13-14 juniors this year is going to be fantastic and teach the girls a lot about competition and racing.

The $22 Group Ride - Things to do...

Racing can be funny at times. You always arrive expecting a really hard effort and almost always get that hard effort. Racing in the Cat 3s is typically also that middle ground category where you will also get some team tactics in play, and sometimes it is executed well. In the spring you also expect to battle wind, rain, snow, gravel, and whatever else is left over from the winter.

But today was one of those days where very few of these items applied. I did put in a hard effort and spent some time in one break where my brain was engaged but my legs weren't as engaged, but for the most part today was a group ride. Appeared to be about 60 of us rolling around the Warren County roads do our best impression of a 5 year old soccer team swarming the ball at all times.

The first thing you know in a race like this is that the finish is going to be stressful. All 40+ remaining souls will be riding 30+ mph, grabbing whatever sliver of pavement they can get their tire into, trying to find a way to finish as close to the front as possible. So, to pass the time and get to the end there are a few activities you can do within  the peloton to prevent your brain from thinking about the inevitable mass sprint finish that will complete the day.

Calculate Total Bike Cost

One thing we all know about the Cat 3 group is that there is some cash rolling around. This is not a slam on any of the Cat 3 riders, but with a large number being in their 30's and 40's and having real jobs there is some bling rolling around the course. From the nearly all-white Ridley Noah to the brand new Floyd Landis intended Kuota and everywhere in between. To do this you have to think in retail and MSRP only. you could try to figure out who got a deal and who paid retail, but that is distracting you from the real task - adding up the bling. Today it appeared that there was close to $250,000 worth of bikes in the Cat 3s alone, though wheels are harder to quickly estimate than frames and components. Zipps and Mavics are easy, but the rest becomes more difficult. The best part of this game is that it forces you to move through the pack and learn how to navigate through, building your skills for crit and cyclocross season.

Estimate the Finish

About the fourth lap of the race it was pretty well reasoned that this race would be a sprint finish. There was very little wind, no hills of a substantial nature, and no dominant attacking team tearing things apart. At this point you start to think about who is good in a sprint, who has a team to get them to the sprint, and who you remember getting beaten by in a sprint. The goal is to translate this into identifying the top 3 for the race on the day. Given that I personally am not a sprinter, this is a game I can play without impacting my results. Today I didn't get to play this game, I was busy adding up bike costs. But I fancy this game at the Georgetown race as that seems like an ideal candidate for another $22 Group Ride.

There are more peloton games that can be played in a race such as this or just a group ride. We will discuss those a bit later. I enjoyed today's ride, but these aren't really the races I prefer. I realize, of course, that I only have myself to blame for not being in the condition I need to be to have Cat 3 breakaway speed. As a result a $22 Group Ride is pretty good training for me right now.

Mountain Joy

Hesitation was the word preceeding the first attempt at mountain biking with three of the junior LionHearts. I have been working with them through the winter and talking about doing some mountain biking with them to give them some other experience and some better handling skills.

After a long winter of lots of snow and cold weather we finally got a streak of warm weather and decided to hit the trails. The four of us, myself and three of the LionHearts, hit up East Fork on a beautiful Friday morning.


 The initial trepidation soon turned into a calm interest, then to a bit of excitement, then into all out mountain joy. They had never been on a real mountain bike trail with logs and rock and long stretches of curves, downhills, uphills and fun jumps. After about 20 minutes they were all hooked, but each in their own way.

Zane was initially hesitant to mountain bike. When I talked to him mom about mountain biking she told me that he had said that mountain biking was no fun and there wasn't any reason to ride a mountain bike. Whether it was just because his mom was saying it or some pre-disposition against mountain biking, his tune had started to change. We got his mom's mountain bike set up to fit him and refreshed some of the components to make it more rideable and he gave it a shot.

Within minutes he was almost shrieking with excitement. The kind of excitement that almost makes a young boy drool, but definitely turns them into a non-stop commentary on how something is so cool and that he had no idea why he hadn't done this before and that he had never been on real mountain bike trails before now and it was AWESOME!

Spencer was excited, but in a much different way. He was talkative, which is more of a trait than an occassion, and was sure to let everyone know it was cool. However, his excitement was more of a realization that his years spent on a motocross bike were not left to waste. He had now combined his two favorite sports from the past few years, cyclocross biking and motocross, into a single sport. He got to be the motor in addition to dodging obstacles and ramping himself wildly over log ramps that I know Butch had fun putting together.

Mackenzie was a different sort of excited, an excited that a girl shows and boys (and dad's) have a hard time understanding. She found it a lot more interesting than road riding, but mentally was struggling with obstacle clearance. She hadn't seen these things on a bike before. How was she supposed to riding over roots, stones, and rough terrain, especially downhill, when no one gave her the book to read before hand and understand everything about it. The excitement was certainly there, but more muted as she was waiting for a completed operator's manual before letting it all loose.

We had about a 2 hour ride on the trails at East Fork and every one got muddy. The trails were really in great condition except for a few minor spots where water had pooled up and a few small "puddles" throughout the trail system.

Tonight we headed out again, this time to Landen-Deerfield. The trail system was more torn up and you could tell that riders hadn't respected the trail through the winter and wet months. We rode out to a section that was solid along the creek and found a section we could do over and over, including the creek crossings that were still very much in tact.

Now there was some fun to be had. At East Fork we hadn't gotten into any real good creek crossing, but Deerfield showed us something with both creek section we did showing some good water volume. The kids all shrieked.

Kids: "Do we ride over that?"
Me: "Well, yeah, of course, why not?"
Kids: "Huh? Really?"

So we traversed the creeks, some of us falling in the water and soaking ourselves thoroughly. Much laughter and fun was had by everyone. Towards the end of the ride we were trying to get in a few more laps of our safe course we had found including both creek crossings and within about a 10 minute span we had 3 flats on three different bikes. They were all from hitting the trails with speed and trying new things, to which Zane exclaimed:

"You can tell we had a really good ride because we got flat tires! That is the sign of a great ride!"

New Level of Pain

For the last six weeks we have been working with ten kids and their cycling skills. You may be asking exactly how that can be done given that Cincinnati has had way too much snow and weather cold enough that even the heartiest of riders were deciding it was better to ride indoors.

When we first met six weeks ago we introduced the kids to indoor trainers, the evil side of road cycling in the winter. By February every Cat 3 racer I know loathes the trainer and many just go outside and ride in 22 degree weather because they can't take it any more. The pain of potential frostbite becomes far more entertaining than the pain of sitting on the trainer for another two hours in the basement.

To counteract this we also introduced them to their goal - the Team Dayton Indoor Time Trial. This time trial is a standard length of 6.2 miles and is known round the world for indoor competition. The kids experienced the Computrainer time trial in the comfort of a small group over six weeks ago and then we starting a very basic training program.

Just give me three days a week. We asked them to do a very simple task - workout three days a week. Doesn't have to be cycling, just be active. Run. Jump. Do situps. Ride. Swim. Whatever. The parents were given the guidelines of "what counts" and away we went. The kids took to it. Some of the kids even got frustrated when they were too busy with school to get their workouts in - just like I am when I am too busy with work or home to get my work out in.

We met once a week in a structured workout to make it four total times a week of 30 minutes or more. We would meet for about an hour and a half and ride our bikes indoor for 45 minutes to an hour and then do some core routines for another 20 minutes or so. Sometimes we would throw in games with the Wii or other activities to keep things different, but the kids had a great time.

Today was the day we learned who had improved the most. In the spirit of local bicycle racing, we had two pairs of socks riding on the outcome. Of the ten kids, seven had done a pre-test on the Computrainer to set their baseline. Three girls were competing for a pair of knee high socks that are all the rage in cyclocross, and the boys were competing for a pair of wool Sasquatch socks. The boy and girl showing the most improvement percentage wise would win the prize.

These kids can compete. From the gun the kids were off. You could see it on their faces that they meant business and this was way more than just a six mile ride on their bikes. Whether it was the socks or just for pride they all worked their tail off. Two of them worked to the point of losing their lunch, to which we are grateful for the clean up crew.

More than anything they were each finding a new level of pain they could endure. The average improvement for the kids was 12% - that is substantial. While I would love to take credit for designing a program that promises 12% percent improvement, I know competition had more to do with it. Most times these kids never see the other racers. They are often alone working by themselves. With the time trial they all knew where everyone was - and they knew exactly what to do to catch them - go faster.

They went faster. Most went faster than I or their parents had ever seen. My own daughter told me she went faster than she had ever gone before. While she may not realize it, she also found a new level of pain she could endure. Bicycle racing is a lot about enduring pain. Not letting the pain stop you from pressing forward harder and harder. We all know that the pain we feel isn't our muscles ripping from the bone. We can all press forward if we have the mental capacity to push through it.

The kids found a new hurt locker today.

The boy that showed the most improvement lowered his time by over 20% today. He earned every bit of it. His parents were proud, but were trying to get him to zip up his jersey as he stood outside on a 35 degree day trying to cool off after his effort. This guy loves his bike. At the age of 10 he was out riding his bike this week in 25-35 degree weather. Working hard, trying to get faster on his bike to race.

The girl that showed the most improvement lower her time almost 10%. This included fighting a high ankle sprain for the last two weeks as well as trying to work through knee soreness experienced after growing like a weed over the last 6-8 months. She wasn't sitting out.

Another boy took his time to 21:51 over 6.2 miles. That is over 17mph on a rolling course for an eleven year old. A 12 year old girl averaged close to 16 mph and showed 8% improvement. The list goes on....

But none of this touched my heart as much as my own 9 year old. She woke up Sunday morning and was worried. Not worried about the time trial, but worried that we wouldn't let her do the time trial. She was running a very low fever and didn't really feel well, but there would be no talking her out of going. She showed marginal improvement, but the attitude was way more important. Some days you look at your kids and think maybe they finally understand what you have been saying to them.

It is only February and I am already anxious to get to Cyclocross season where these kids excel.

Walmart of Bikes

The scene is Christmas morning at the Green household and my three girls are tearing wildly into their stocking while I watch and hold my own stocking in my hands. As they finish I am given the cue to reach into mine and I find one of the best gifts I will get this year - a brand new bottom bracket tool from Park Tool. How could this simple present from my lovely wife spark a Christmas morning rant? I will explain.

After the kids were done and the presents were all opened, my wife explained to me that she now understood why I never spoke to a person at some bike shops. Being a loving wife she wished to purchase this Park Tool for me based on the list of things I "needed" that I had scribed for her early in the month. As is my usual routine I listed brand, part number, places to buy and what I thought the cost should be. Since no one really understands my obsession this poses the best opportunity for me to get a bike related gift, and I am sure most bike nerds reading this can relate.

As it turns out my wife was at the mall in Kenwood - we do have three girls, so mall trips are a very important piece of her life. She knew that Performance Bike was right down the street and maybe, just maybe, she could get another errand scratched off her list. She fought the traffic on Montgomery Road during the Christmas season and headed into their retail outlet, list in hand with brands and part numbers.

She had no idea what "Park Tool BBT-9 Bottom Bracket Tool" meant on the list that I supplied, so she asked a helper on the floor if they could show her where she might find this item. The salesman showed her to the tool section and explained that they didn't carry that model, but that another one would work.

Not being a bike nerd my wife thanked the salesman and explained that she wasn't going off the list that was provided, she knew I was somewhat particular and while the other item suggested may do the trick, she had no way of confirming that with me without consultation. The salesman kicked it into gear.

"I am sure this one will do the trick and your husband probably doesn't understand what he wants." That may not be an exact quote, it was a few weeks ago, but it is the general idea. The salesman was throwing away any opportunity to attract repeat business or build any sort of relationship over a simple tool - a tool that at high MSRP is $24.99, and in the Performance online catalog is $19.99.

My wife was mad. Not only did she feel insulted, but felt the salesman was insulting to me as well. I may not know everything about cycling and bike repair, but I have been riding and working on bikes since I was 5 years old. For those unaware, that gives me 35 years of experience. She told me very bluntly that she really didn't plan to return to that store and couldn't understand their attitude.

She is a non-cyclist and has these feelings.

This is where bike retail has migrated. The smaller, knowledgeable shops struggle, the behemoth's prosper with their own brands that they make an extra $0.67 on versus a name brand. A few miles from Performance was Jim's Bike Shop, a fully knowledgeable shop that would have provided a better experience.

On this day Performance earned their reputation as the Walmart of bikes - or at least the high pressure used car salesmen of bikes.

Nationals Racing - Masters 40-44 - Holy Mackerel

Freakin Fast - Sasquatch Messes Back

Having started cyclocross racing just two season previous I already knew I wasn't the fastest guy in the staging area, but I didn't know the half of it.

To set the stage my racing experience before last year was mostly road related racing. Lots of road races, time trials, some criteriums, essentially anything with skinny tires and lots of power. The word 'finesse' didn't exist in my cycling vocabulary. I owned a mountain bike, but it was from the late 80's and weighed more than my current collection of road bikes combined.

Anyone I have raced against knows I am more of grass crit races. My best races this year were COlumbus - fast, hard, dry - and Brookside - hard, dry, fast - and Louisville finale - cold, dry, fast, hard. All three of these had long straights with power sections. It didn't take a PHD in course conditions to draw a conclusion on my technical skills.

Fast forward to Oregon. I took a video of the pre-race and then again during the race and you can probably see that the availability of nice, long, grass highways was nearly non-existent. They were replaced with icy corners, wet, rocky s-turns, bumpy ground, and a descent that was making some guys wet their pants during pre-ride. I was not in my element. I probably would have been more comfortable doing a race on the moon, at least there my fat arse wouldn't take me down.

I got ready for the race, lowered my tire pressure to as low as I thought I could handle and set my goals for the race. My goals were very modest:
1) Don't break anything on my body
2) Ride the hill at least once
3) Ride as far as I could without getting lapped
4) Have fun

Goal #1 nearly got destroyed within 10 seconds of turning a crank. I was going to try Joe's theory, but didn't have the eye of the tiger today - which may have actually saved a bone in my body. 192 riders starting at the same time is quite an event. I had just gotten started when I smelled burning brake pads on carbon rims - a scent that doesn't bring happy thoughts. I saw the wreck and slammed my brakes on just in time. Word is paramedics were called and at least one rider never made it to the official start line.

Once that cleared I got down to business. The first lap was an expedition. I rode the course previously, but at 7:30am, with a fresh layer of snow on the ground. Now, in race conditions, the course was way different. The snow had melted in most places and everywhere was wet. You couldn't tell what was icy and what was water. Every corner was an experiment, especially for a guy without good technical skills.

I finished the first lap and tried to make the 2nd one better, which was successful. I didn't have to run/walk as much and rode the freakin runup - felt like a stud, stuck out my tonque and then rode down the descent like I was on a big wheel. So much for being a stud. Overall the second lap was pretty clean. I was slow in the corners, but had some power. I hadn't gotten lapped yet and based on the announcer I was still in pretty good shape to keep going.

I put in the 3rd lap, but got a bit slower than the 2nd lap. I was starting to catch and pass some folks, but when you slow down to grab a dollar from Sasquatch you have to readdress your priorities. I tried to grab a dollar the previous lap, but it was a trick and Sasquatch was messin' back as he had a death on the buck. This time through I grabbed the dollar and shoved it in my back pocket. Need to frame that sucker.

I almost rode up the hill the 3rd lap, but was in a poor gear. Got bogged down right at the top. I again rode the hill like a toddler on a big wheel and kept going. I could sense the leaders breathing down my neck. I made one last effort to stay in front of them and made it through the finish line without being lapped, maybe I can get a 4th lap in.

I got about 1/3 of the way through the course and this guy starts yelling "coming through". At first I thought to hell with him, but then I realized it was a leader of the race. Can't hold him back, that wouldn't be fair. The last thing I needed was for someone to be injured by a lard butt from Ohio and take them out of the race. I got over, let them through. Unfortunately there were several officials throughout the course and they started pulling anyone that was lapped.

So I got about 3.5 laps before being lapped and pulled. At first I thought I would be mad if I got pulled, but then I started to realize the quality of rider passing me. I was in a race with guys that weren't just national champions, but world champions. John Tomac was in my age group and in this race - and he lapped me. I was in way over my head.

So, I took my time and let a lot of folks pass getting off the course. They froze results in the order in which you were on the lap you got lapped, so it didn't matter if I kept riding. I stopped to take it all in - this was awesome. The crowd, the scene, the course, the level of competition, everything about it was amazing.

I have a new goal for next year - 4 laps.

Awesome Kids

The kids were awesome today. Their race was at 8am and it was cold. We started our warm up at 7am after getting there at 6:30 to set things up. All of them finished, all of them were awesome.

The girls 13-14 race was like looking at women vs. children. 6 or so of the girls were noticeably larger - one in particular was probably nearly a foot taller than Kenzie. They were immediately intimidated, and got off to slow starts.

The course was extremely slippery. The girls were falling all over the place, but they perservered and hung in there with girls much past them in physical maturity. I was extremely proud of Kenzie and once again emotional.

In the end Kenzie was happy with 10th, though she thought she could have done better. The best part was the comment she made after finishing her race. She was crying at the end, couldn't feel her hands, had blood coming from her knee, and was attempting to tear off her shoes to try to get them warm again. "Dad, we are coming back."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Nationals Day 1 Report

Today was supposed to be my first race. I wanted to race the B race, get an understanding of how the course rode and pass that along to Mackenzie, who would ride the next morning. This never came to be. The Red Zone van pulled into town with our shoes, helmets, wheels, and Mackenzie's bike around 6:30pm this evening, well after racing was finished.

Every thing turned out OK though. We got to spend a lot more time watching the riders on the course today than we would have otherwise. We watched every angle a lot of places and watched where they had success and where they failed. We watched some riders go up the big hill riding, we watched others run, and we watch do both in an unplanned way. We walked on the course and found big rocks and edges of ice and little off-cambers - most of which you wouldn't have really noticed riding the course.

I think this was valuable to the kids. We could discuss it in place and not while trying to ride around the course. Instruction came as we went and not quickly as we tried to ride. We still wish they had their bikes to try to ride a bit, but it wasn't awful to walk around.

One of the more interesting things we learned today was the snow was a 'dry' snow. I don't know how this happens, but the snow was dusty enough due to the cold temps and the dry air that instead of just melting it seemed to disappear. There were several sections of the course that we snow covered when we got there in the morning, but at 4pm were clear. No mud, no wet, no ick, just clear.

For being snow covered the course was very fast. It was a grippy snow and very unlike what we have in the Midwest. This again points to the dryness. In the Midwest the air is so damp that any melting becomes wet ick. The kids are going to race and the ground should be solid and mostly grippy.

I think the kids are prepared. Doug and I were up late (and it is 2am EST right now) working on bikes and getting them ready. He will be in the pits tomorrow while I am out on the course watching the kids. We will be conferenced in with each other most of the race communicating and making sure everyone is doing well.

The best part is that I am excited. More excited than when I race myself. Excited for my daughter and her progression this year and her ability to get done what 4 months ago was impossible. Excited that she has been able to see what hard work can do for her, not just in sports, but in her life. Excited that she will be competing and I get to support her.

Simply excited that I am here with her.

Best Laid Plans

On Sunday I had this great idea. The Red Zone folks could get most of the bikes out to Oregon in there trailer - and had room for a lot of wheels and duffle bags, but not my 'bike'. So, I sent my wheels on Kenzie's bike, but my helmet and shoes in a duffle, and then I would only have to ship my frame. I could then use the extra room in the bike case for all my other cycling clothes and related items.

I got my bike all packed up and ready and shipped it on Monday. Immediately it had an 'exception' - turns out the storm that just hit the Midwest put down the same blizzard out west and the exception was a potential weather delay. Immediately my brain raced through all the potential options - from borrowing someone's bike to buying one and reselling immediately on ebay.

Fast forward to today and as I was sitting in the Seattle airport I got an email saying my 'frame' was delivered. The relief spread through my entire body.

After a 35 minute flight over the mountains to Portland we met up with Doug Dobrozsi. All our flights went to schedule and everyone met up to caravan to Bend. Then Doug gave the Red Zone report.

At last contact the Red Zone van and trailer was sitting on the highway somewhere in Wyoming. The recent blizzard had closed the highway with three foot drifts. They were still 800 miles away with 36 hours left to the Juniors race time - less than 24 to my first race.

Now I have an opposite issue. May have to find shoes, wheels and a helmet to race tomorrow - oh, and some tools to put my bike back together.

The big concern is the Juniors. The Red Zone van went 200 miles in the previous 6 hours. At that pace they need another 24 hours to get here.

Hoping for a just in time arrival.

Tension in the Body

As I sit on the plane en route to the largest bike race of the 100's I
have done over the years, the mind is racing.

I was awaken this morning at 4:20 by the strong wind and heavy rain
beating on my window. The mind immediately thought about my flight - I
had no reason to worry yet, but with my bike potentially having issues
getting out there, the blizzard like conditions last weekend out west,
and the normal sensitivity to schedule issues I couldn't get back to
sleep. I did the math in my head and realized that I was up at 1:20 am
PST and likely wouldn't get to the hotel, check in, get dinner and get
settled until close to 9:00 pm PST. This isn't ideal conditions for
rest the day before the biggest race I have ever raced.

Mackenzie seems much more rested and relaxed than me - either due to
relative ignorance of her surroundings, or she could just be enjoying
and soaking it all in like we talked.

Either way, the excitement is building and the days will fly. Pictures
and stories to follow soon.

Last Minute Wacko

It is the last minute. I haven't packed. I leave tomorrow morning. Mackenzie is packed, I haven't started. Foot of snow, cold temperatures, mountains, and I don't know where any of my warm socks are.

OVCX Last Race Recap

On the drive home I realized something somewhat profound about the experience of the last four months. The focus for the last four months was Mackenzie and getting her to realize how to compete, have fun, and work hard. Build skills in something she would enjoy athletically and take it one day at a time.

The learning was that while she may have come to understand these things, I probably learned more in the last four months than she did - and without really understanding it. All this time spent working with her had developed something in me that I didn't have a great grasp on previously - a better ability to be patient with the kids and a better ability to put their interests before my own.

Mackenzie was ecstatic today after her race, but in a different way than I expected. She couldn't believe she had won - kept asking if it was for real. She knew she had won when she came across the line, but was confused because she didn't expect it. The strongest girl in the field who had been winning all year (and Mackenzie's very good friend) had a bad day. She fell twice, dropped her chain twice and struggled. At some point Mackenzie will learn the opposite end of "racing", but today she learned the up side to racing. You never know...


And now we are off to Nationals. Ship my bike tomorrow via 2nd day air (that's gonna cost some $$$) and fly out on Wednesday. Bend is expecting 5 inches of snow and cold temps. Will definitely lead to a challenge. Mackenzie is overjoyed to be going and can't wait. She had no expectations of a placing, just wants to go, experience it, and ride.

I also can't wait, but not because of my racing. I am excited to spend five straight days (and 7 out of 9 including this weekend) with Mackenzie. It is a bonding that will be remembered for a life time. Mackenzie may not remember the lessons that I learned from her, but we will both remember the time spent.

Season's End

OVCX wraps up this weekend, and with Nationals next week, the end is in sight for 2009 cyclocross. I seem to be having the same withdrawal symptoms as last year, as well as the same bitter sweet feelings. While I do enjoy cyclocross and would love for more to the season, my body is telling me it is time to stop.

Before cyclocross for me there was dead air between about September and March, there are no real road races in that time frame. Cyclocross has filled a gap and keeps the brain moving forward through the end of the year, delivering me almost to January without the unpleasant lack of motivation that used to be experienced in that same time frame. By January one can see the horizon of road racing coming in March and realize that those races are won in January, before the holidays plant themselves firmly around one's mid-section.

This year the bitter extends itself further into my inner psyche. The last cross races means the end of the weekly planned time with Mackenzie and to a lesser degree Madeleine. In the beginning of the season it was weird to rotate my schedule to a different tune and get my own training in, but the last half of the season I really started to enjoy it. I already miss the days at Kingswood where it would be dark, but both the girls would come to me and say they wanted to keep riding despite not being able to see.

My hope for the winter/spring is no longer that I stay in shape enough to do spring races, but instead that my daughter(s) continues the interest in the sport. Sure, it it is very convenient that I like the same sport, but her ability is way better than mine. Her technical handling is already better than mine and with some power development she would be hard to handle.

Even if she shows no more interest in the sport after this season, I will always remember the fall of 2009. The trip to Louisville, the many, many nights spent at Kingswood, the driving to and fro the different venues, and after next week, Nationals and Bend, Oregon. The early forced conversations about technique and equipment that turned later to questions from her on how to get better.

Wishing next season started tomorrow.

Maddie Joins the Fray

(Yes, this is long - sort of turned into a journal entry and not a blog post)

Any dad with girls will tell you that the drama of raising girls can be overwhelming at times, and some of that drama was chronicled last week with Mackenzie and her progression throughout the season. This week I turned my attention to Maddie and prodding her to finish her first real Juniors race.

Maddie has a very verbal approach to things that approaches a stream of consciousness commentary of what is happening at the moment. From a father perspective you get a very clear picture of what is going through her mind almost the entire time she is doing something. However, from a coaching perspective it becomes hard to convince her to try new things – as the running commentary is typically “I can’t do this daddy”, followed by grunting and general noises of discontent.

Getting her into cyclocross started several months ago at the same time as Mackenzie with inclusion in Kids On Bikes. At the time the approach was “since Kenzie is going, why not try it…” She agreed, but was grumbly at many points along the way. Similar to Mackenzie she had different points of epiphany.

Maddie started on a 20” multi-geared bike. The bike was very functional, but also VERY heavy – notable heavy. The fork alone on the bike was over 6 lbs – I had lightened Mackenzie’s entire bike to 21 lbs from a start of 30 lbs earlier, and I am sure that Maddie’s bike was at least 35 lbs. When rolling on flat ground and doing general riding this doesn’t come into play too much, but throw a hill and a cyclocross barrier in the way and suddenly you have a 9 year old trying to hoist half her weight over a 40cm barrier – and for a 9 year old to hoist 35 lbs it quite a chore.

The first epiphany was when I inherited a 24” Specialized from a good friend. It had served his boys well – and it showed that service – and was perfect to test whether Maddie really wanted to keep going. She was overjoyed when she realized she got to ride a faster, lighter bike. Not only did she like riding at Kids On Bikes, but now she wanted to ride her bike at home and worked out a route that she could do on her own. She would come home from school and want to ride it right away, and the improvement in her riding was noticeable. She wanted to continue riding at Kingswood after practice was over – many times until it was almost impossible to see.

The second epiphany came with yet a different bike. Early in November I upgraded Mackenzie to a real cyclocross bike, a really cool Redline 44cm, and Madeleine got another hand me down as a result. Now she had 26” wheels and about 5 fewer lbs to lug around. More things that were previously “impossible” in her mind became more possible. As an example we discussed riding up hills and the need to down shift to an easier gear – staying on the bike is faster than getting off. My comments were met with immediate resistance “Dad, I don’t like the easy gears. They are boring and you don’t go fast!”

About three weeks ago I told her I thought she should do a real Juniors race. She had been doing the kids race – and taking home hardware from those races – but was old enough to do real Junior races by about 5 months. I told her I thought John Bryan would be a great time to start – typically flat course, typically no huge obstacles, and good chance of success. This was met with the typical “I can’t do it Daddy, it is too hard” resistance, but we had enough time to keep working on her.

Last weekend she did the kids race at Southeastway Park and showed some real spunk. She had a great start and from the outside line she cut off the kid on the inside line and took the hole shot. She was leading the race, but got hung up in the tape a couple of places and lost her mojo. She finished, and was the first girl, but was dejected because of the tape incident.

We continued to encourage during the week and made sure she knew that there were no expectations of her race finish, except for simply completing the race. All that mattered to us was a race finish, no matter what place she came in. It took some bartering and a Graeter’s reward was required to seal the deal.

Saturday night before the big day it all started to hit her – what had she signed herself up for? She was obviously nervous and was having trouble getting to sleep – still awake at 10:45 when I went up to make sure her covers were on. I feared the worst.

Sunday morning came and we were all up early. The approach I had taken with Mackenzie was to get to the course early to ride and instruct on lines, etc, so I felt it wise to do the same with Madeleine. We left the house before eight with Maddie obviously tired and dragging a bit. Upon arrival we all got on our bikes and rode the course together. Maddie was quick to pick up on the length of the John Bryan course, which was almost 2 miles in length, long for a cyclocross course, and about a quarter of the way through asked me if we were almost to the end.

When we had ridden the course I sent Maddie back to the car to rest and get ready. After a warm up lap and a guarantee that she would ride 2 laps in the race, it was going to be 3 laps (6 miles) of riding for her. This was definitely going to test her dedication.

Mackenzie got warmed up and I got dressed and started warming up while Maddie was curled up with a book in the car. Every fifteen minutes or so I would stop and check in on her and make sure she was doing fine – and have her do something else to get ready – pin on her number, eat a GU, have some trail mix. About 30 minutes before her race we started to get everything ready.

We met at the start line for the Lionhearts team photo, which included Maddie. Then the nerves set in and the stream of consciousness commentary started as well. “I don’t think I can finish Daddy” “What if I don’t get on the podium Daddy?” “How many girls are registered Daddy?”

All the kids lined up for the start, about 40 Juniors, and they were off. Maddie got an amazing start and was with the main group of her age class through the first 1/8th of a mile, something I wasn’t expecting. She came out of the first singletrack clean and kept riding – and at this point seemed determined. As she wound around the course the first time she was doing well, but about three quarters of the way through the first lap she started to tire. I grabbed my bike and start riding outside the course the best I could to encourage her. She dropped her chain at one point and burst into tears, she knew that finishing was what was important and a dropped chain jeopardized that. I ignored the outside assistance rule of cyclocross, jumped onto the course and fixed the chain and she was back on her way. (Note to self, install a chain keeper…)

This time I tried to stay with her the entire way through the second lap. She was going to start getting lapped by the 17-18 and 15-16 year olds and I didn’t want that to spook. I rode close behind keeping her focused and riding the best I could.

Then I got called to staging for my race – and I wouldn’t be able to be there for her. I left to go line up, hoping that nothing else happened that would prevent a finish for her. Betsy was at the finish line, but it was hard to see that from the course.

I suited up, raced my race pretty undramatically, and then went to find Betsy. Maddie did finish and claimed third in the state for her efforts. When we handed the medal to her she lit up light a Christmas tree, not wanting to believe what she had earned. She had finished something that just yesterday she didn’t even think could be done. All the drama, all the emotion, all the worry had left her now and she knew she was capable.

After all this effort to get it completed, it makes you wonder if she will want to do it again? It was difficult to get to here from a parenting perspective. A lot of coaching, a lot of crying, a lot of things that dad’s just aren’t naturally good at. On the way home we were all talking and she let rip a statement that made me realize that she may be hooked on this after all:

“Daddy, I think I can go faster. I think I could have gone faster today.”

Kenzie's Big Weekend (or Dad's...)

Months ago there was crying, negativity, and general disdain for athletics and even the thought of doing anything that was "hard". The process of getting Mackenzie, and subsequently Madeleine, involved in cyclocross started almost as a mandate. It wasn't because I was forcing her to ride because I rode, WE were forcing her to do something athletic for fitness.

Mackenzie wanted to do Cross Country, we both approved. Then she didn't want to run...at all...and while on vacation in Florida there were gigantic dinosaur size tears as mom and dad were "forcing" her to do something on her vacation. She was to have been doing this for a month already, but we both knew if she didn't start then the first week of practice would be awful.

Finally she came clean and said "I was only doing Cross Country because my friend was doing it and I knew I HAD to do something...but I really don't like to run..."

I suggested cyclocross - no pressure. Let's just go to kids on bikes, try it and see what happens. Over the next several months there were moments of elation and moments of emotion - one day she LOVED it, next day she HATED it. But we persevered.

At the Middletown race she made the podium, finishing in 3rd place, and got a trophy. The light bulb started to go on, but there was still a lot of concern and feelings of inadequacy - sure she wasn't really good enough. But, she kept working at it and each week got a little better. This was her first real athletic adventure, so she wasn't used to this progression.

One of the biggest battles was feeling like she had to WIN everything. "What if I don't get on the podium?" Constant reminders that we don't expect wins, only effort, followed by reassurance after the races.

In the last couple weeks everything started to click. I started working with her on flying remounts to speed up her pace over the barriers. After giving some instruction, she finished it all by herself. Over the period of a week she had trained herself to get back on so smoothly that friends who have ridden for several years were jealous of how smoothly she could remount and ride off.

Everything was building nicely into the two day Indianapolis weekend. She is stronger, mentally tougher, and way more confident than she was 3 months ago. This was her weekend to show what progress she had made.

On Saturday there were four girls in the 13-14 girls race - only one of which she had beaten previously. We talked about strategy and what to do - just ride hard and go for the full time period. She got off to a slow start, but by the time she hit the first hill had already passed two of the three girls. After the next segment she was behind the two girls, but it was because she had fallen and had to get back up - but she was right on their wheel. She followed them down the descent and then on the next section put them away - a sizeable gap after the first lap, and a gap that grew.

The result was great, but the difference was in the attitude and the approach. She had learned many things and put them to practice. She didn't panic at any time. She rode hard the entire way. She maintained focus the entire race - no way that happened back in September.

The next day was a different challenge. Rachel, a girl who has been doing this for 6+ years and way ahead of Kenzie mechanically and physically as a result, was not going to be there. Kenzie had gone from a beginner just hoping to finish in September to the favorite. She suddenly realized this and the nerves set in.

I finished my race, which was right before hers, and came back to find her in tears. She didn't feel good and wasn't sure what to do. I worked to calm her and keep her mentally in the game, and then the community of cyclocross happened - Mr Haley from Red Zone overheard and gave her the same advice - "just have fun". Pre-teens tend to listen to people other than their parents and while she wasn't ecstatic, she seemed better. I topped things off with the token "Take Luck!", a quote from Brian Regan that she and I joked about all season long, and finally a smile came to her face.

I left the start/finish to give her some time to calm herself and wait for the start. She was off and got a pretty good start. The first lap she traced the steps of her main competition, but at the end of the first lap she took off. She put some power into it and rode away from her competition. So much so that she had to complete 3 laps for the first time this year. Usually the leader of one of the races had lapped her and she would get pulled a lap earlier.

She finished the 3rd lap and dad was way more excited than she was. I ran from the start finish to where she came to a rest and gave her a big hug. She had just won a race for the first time. Instead of getting engrossed in the win, she stopped to have a nice conversation with Eden Webb, daughter of Morgan Webb and an excellent rider to boot (winner of girls 10-12). Kenzie was excited she won, but was more interested in stopping and talking with a fellow competitor.

Whether it had anything to do with Betsy and I's discussion with her or not Kenzie was displaying what sportsmanship is about. She knew she had won for the first time and chose not to display that emotion immediately, but to save it for when the time was right.

When the call for podiums came, she hitched up her socks (quite the fashion trend in cross these days), was the first one onto the podium, and raised her hands with a smile and excitement I had never seen before. She knew she had accomplished something and knowing that and being able to display it in a simple way with hands raised was enough for her.

Dad was way more emotional.

Restart!

Roan Mountain

This week is the fall trip to North Carolina for mountain riding in the Roan Mountain area. The weather thus far was beautiful on Wednesday and Thursday, rain on Friday, and today is a bit chilly, but definitely rideable. We rode yesterday in the rain as well, though some are questioning whether they should have.

Got a few great pictures that I will post later on Picasa, but overall it has been a great trip. A few newbies on the trip, which is always good. They seem to go through a wave of feeling great and feeling awful as they get their mountain legs.

Yesterday we found an excellent new road. I surprised everyone with a climb that was previously undone, but that Michael Davis (of the former Bicycle Inn) had told me about when we were down here in 2006. The road is Coxes Creek and climbs over 1,000 vertical feet in a mile and a half. It was a serious workout trying to get to the top, but everyone survived and everyone made it without walking.