What Season is it?

Last week we had a Nor' Easter blow through here and dump a boat load of water on VA. We all hunkered down and waited out the rain.. man can you image what it was like if it had rained for 40 days... aga.... four plus was more than enough for me...

We all have things we do to stay in the best shape we can when it is TOO cold, TOO wet. TOO dark to ride outside. For the last couple of weeks we've been meeting at Bill's house to set up the trainers in his garage and spin for an hour or so... last week I couldn't make it because of a family conflict; but since I had the day off.. I road the trainer for an hour.. nothing like peer pressure to make you ride your trainer..

We have a couple of teammates that just love riding their bikes.. mountain bike, cycle cross bike and no matter the weather... they ride... SO I've 'plagiarized a couple of the e-mails they sent.. just to let you know what the team has been up to... and not to leave anyone out... when the team isn't riding.. you just might find them wearing a blue official's shirt....

To answer my own question... it is BIKE season, just pick one and go out and ride...


From my teammate Karen

" I had a great time officiated at Urban Cross yesterday. Chilly in the morning, roasting in the afternoon..how many people do you know get to come into the office with sunburn in November.. 2 highlights of the day... Jared Neiters soloing off the front in the men’s 1- 3 race in the afternoon, with Richmonder Tom Jefferys overcoming a horrible start to chip away at the front each lap to come in 5th..
The other was getting to watch Brent.. overcome a not great start position to work his way up to 3rd, and then to 2nd adn then to charge ahead on the final lap. Steely determined was in his eyes and those of us in the official chairs were pretty sure that he was going to hold it. I don't know that the bobbles was on the back side of the incredibly technical course... but Brent came back in 3rd in a tough field. If there was ever a course that favored a good mtn biker with great bike handling skills, it was the Urban Cross course.. It twisted, it turned had gnarly run ups, a sand pit, and a power climb that I only saw Jared Neiter ride consistently all day...

There is a reason why cyclocross is the fastest growing sport in cycling... the friendly feel, with pure cut throat competition. Man it was exciting as hell..

So congrats to Brent... who has an incredible record this season... and will be upgrading to a CAT 2.."

His third place finish yesterday was his only 3rd place finish so far this season... Brent was 1st at Chimborazo TT, 35+ Omnium for Richmond Cross Weekend, 35+ Apple Harvest Cross 3/4, 35+ All Hollows Cross 3/4, 35+ Tech Cross I, and CAT 3 Tech Cross II.

Go Brent...

So you want to race your bike

I still remember the very first bike race I entered... it was 1980 something at Fort Carson, CO back when there was still a citizen's category. It was intimidating as HECK. Now fast forward to 2008 at the Sportsplex down near the beach. Yeap still as intimidating as heck if not more so, cause they put the women in the same field as the men's CAT 5 and the juniors. You don't have to be around cycling too much to know the nickname for the CAT 5's is crash 5's. As I'm standing in the inevitable line, you know which one I'm talking about, no not the one to registration table, the other one. My toes are freezing and I'm wondering does everyone just assume I know how to race my bike. They are actually going to let me get out there with all these other riders and not check to see if I've been in the bike more than once in my life time. Well as most folks have experienced I didn't have to worry about the field too long, I was off the back in nothing flat, trying with everything I have to stay at least on the tail end of the field.


Now fast forward almost another year and I have a full season of racing under my pedals and I still have a lot to learn but here's a couple of pointers I wished someone had shared with me before that very first race.



1) You must get a good warm-up to race a crit, because they start very fast and then tend to settle down, but then they go very fast again and again and again...



2) Like golf, the thing you practice the least is the most important. In golf the saying is drive for show, putt for dough. I'd say the same is true in cycling, legs for show, cornering skills for dough. Practice your cornering skills before your first race. Find an empty parking lot and just have a go at it.



3) Pin your number with at least 6 pins, like you're sewing, number, jersey, number and right on your rib cage like when you're on your drops.. If you don't and the officials cannot read your number, sucks to be you.



4) Read the rule book, it is not very long and explains a lot. Like if you get lapped in a crit. you finish on the same lap as the leaders.....



There are plenty more and more still to learn. Now that the days are shorter it is hard to put in a full day at the office and still have time to ride outside. So build, build, build cause what you do this winter will show come 2010.