Louisville Course... First Look

So...

We're finally here!   After 6 months of racing...  and 21 races it all boils down to 1 more race (not including seeding races for the guys)... for all of us and then it's over. 

But... with the end of the season dangling like a carrot in front of us, we can't afford to think about that yet.

We have to concentrate on the  elephant in the room that is staring us all in the face this week...  something that is arguably the most important race of the season... THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!

The Flea is in denial... don't worry... this is normal for her... She will come around.



 

We were able to jump onto the course and check it out before they closed it to all riders...

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the start... about 100 meters of crushed rock before it transitions to grass

 

 

 

 

 

The course at the time we pre-road it was dry and fast... but we don't expect it to stay that way. 

 

 

 

 

 

This hill was barely ride able when it was dry... if wet, or icy... it will be a run

 

 

 

 

 

 

    This grassy section on top of the big hill... if it turns to mud... will be a huge slog!                     

 

 

So, what's the bottom line???

 

We learned last year that the weather in this city is pretty fickle and it has a huge impact on the course... As the weather changes, so does the course....

 

61^°

27^°

AM T-Storms / Wind

Chance of rain:

90%

 

Thu Jan 31

36^°

22^°

Partly Cloudy / Wind

Chance of precip:

10%

Fri Feb 1

32^°

26^°

Sunny

Chance of precip:

10%

Sat Feb 2

38^°

31^°

Few Snow Showers

Chance of snow:

30%

Sun Feb 3

45^°

30^°

Sunny

Chance of rain:

0%

 

 

 

Not to mention... riders will be tearing up the course...

 

So,

 

Tomorrow

 

Big Pit and Tom race in their Seeding Races

 

For the larger fields, they have 3 lap races, that in turn determine how the racers will line up for their championship race.  That is called a seeding race. 

 

The Flea and I will be working in the pit as their Pit Crew... I think I will need to go find my own blanket to hide under!!

 

Until tomorrow...

 

Peanut out. 

 

 

Day 1 on the road... Racing to Louisville KY

So....



I don't want to start off the week by complaining. 


But I gotta say... If you plan on following Big Pit on a trip... here's what your are going to see

.i

 
Yup... That's right.  If you squint really hard, you will see a tiny dot way out there.... that's Big Pit and Flea... rocketing down the highway, at the speed of sound!!! 

Now Tom and I are weren't exactly dogging it...  the van can do 75mph before the vibration gets out of hand....

So...

I don't want to knock my van.  It gets the job done.  But come on... It's... a 2002 Ford, with over 100k miles on it.  The doors howl when you open them, the motor coughs when you stomp on the gas, the turning radius is for crap... not to mention... it failed to start 3 times when we were in Madison 3 weeks ago... 




 


In short:   It's kinda like driving a empty box of animal crackers with 4 wheels.











So... When Mr Pig Pit Mario Andretti and the Flea decide it's time to burn a bit of carbon off the ole spark plugs... well... let me tell you!!!!  The Peanut is stomping on the gas pedal in the old  Blue Steel Van  swearing a blue streak... hoping like hell the van doesn't kick the bucket and roll over and die before we make it to Louisville!  

I could have swore we were going to start racing when we got to Louisville... not race all the way there!


But than again... we are racers... it's in our blood. I wish like hell the van could go faster!!  Guess I just need a new van.

Peanut out.

LAST DAY IN MADISON... A VIEW FROM THE PITS

Sunday... the last day of the National Championships are reserved for the 2 biggest billed races of the venue... the ELITE aka PRO Women and Men's races.

Today is Sunday... today the Pros race...

Last night, I got a last minute request from a Stacey Barbossa, who was racing in the women's pro field... asking if I could pit crew for her... just in case she needed a bike.  Last night we expected frozen ruts and a pit like would only be needed if a equipment failure took place... so, I said "sure"...

This morning... guess what????

Yup... the course was changing!  The mud was slowly melting... it was sticking to the bikes and it was going to be mayhem in the pits.  I couldn't handle it alone.  Professional pit crews were being manned in the pits and the Peanut needed help... so I recruited Tom... to help me, just in case. 

Thank God he was there.

As we're watching riders checking out the course before the pro women's race, we saw a few riders on the course with mud coating their drive trains.  "Hey... how far have you gone",  I shout out...  the response... 1/2 a lap...

Holy Crap!!!  Game plan change, Stacey is going to need to take bike exchanges... every lap...  we better tell her!!!

  This is what peanut butter mud looks like after half a lap when it starts to freeze... things don't work so well...  huh... wonder why??

 

 

So, our game plan was quickly altered....

 

Stacey had 2 bikes... one in the pit and one she was riding on.

 

Rule #1.  Keep one bike ready for her to ride at all times.  Even if that one bike is the one she's riding...

 

Rule #2.  Keep Stacey informed if her pit bike wasn't ready for pick-up.  Why??  If a rider enters a pit and doesn't actually get a bike exchange... they incur a 10 second penalty... not to mention, it's very upsetting to the rider when the pit crew doesn't have their act together. 

 

Rule #3.  Don't let other Pit Crews get in your way... in turn, don't be a moron and get in the way of other Pit Crews.  So the basic rule of good manners applies... don't be a bunch of dumb asses in the pit... but, always assert yourself to ensure you take care of your rider.

 

 

With a field of a 100 plus racers on a muddy course... the race in the pits for the power washers, is as frantic as the race out on the course.  Tensions are running high, racers are dashing into the pit looking for bikes, pit crews are scrambling... trying to get frozen mud that's caked on the bikes, broken off, before they are taken to the power washers.

 

The end of lap 1... all the power washer freeze and we have no water.  WTF????!!!!!  

 

Racers are coming towards the pit... we don't want to cause them to panic by telling them we don't have water... we somehow have to fake it...   

 

So... we take the bikes from the racers as if nothings going on... and chip the mud off the bikes, spray WD40 on the drive train and when they come back in... we give them back the bike... for another lap.  It's better than nothing!

 

Lap 2 the power washers come back to life and we're back in business.... the pit crews are still chipping iced mud off the bikes but it's not feeling nearly as frantic.  At least the bikes won't weigh 1000 lbs when they are given back to the riders.  It's hard enough out there for them as it is...  

 

Several riders didn't have Pit Crews and they had to abandon the race due to the conditions...

 

Mechanicals took their tolls as well.

 

The racers were awesome.... it was cold as hell and they raced the the warriors they are.

 

I am so proud to be a part of this sport.

 

Stacey Barbossa was so appreciative of our Pit Crewing... it was humbling.  She was the one racing not us... we were happy to help. 

 

It was fun providing her the support.  She's a great athlete and racer, finishing 26th out of the best American racers in the US.  Great job Stacey... I would pit crew for her again in a second.

 

Pit Crew Survival Kit... Wisely advised by my new friend and teammate Michele

 

 

 

 

Frozen mud, before it began to thaw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very motivated fans with very little clothing... wow!

 

 

 

 

 

Pit Crew's waiting for the Women's Pro field to start

 

 

 

  

 

Chipping Mud Off the Bikes in the pit

 

 

  Kate Compton flying through the pit.. it's great having the ring side seat!

 

Jonathan Page on his way to the win

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the pits... It was so cold...  The spray from the power washers were freezing all over our cloths

 

 

Without a pit crew... you had to abandon the race.  You wheels just didn't roll

 

 

 

 Final look at the field before wrapping up and heading out...

 

 

So, tomorrow we start our 2 day trip back home.  The first part of our 2 part  mission is almost complete...

 

 

It's been a blast, entertaining and so far... no one has lost an eye.  So... in my book, a total success.

 

Until later,

 

Peanut out 

 



MUD, MUD AND MORE MUD

I've raced cross in it all...

Dry conditions, ice, snow, frozen ruts and mud.

Now... not all mud is created equally.  Not to a cross racer.

So, let me break down the different mud types:

There's the...


Soupy Mud - Which is equal parts water and mud... which does a lot of splattering but doesn't really amount to a lot of build up.  Soupy mud can be very deep in sections and this may be the best place to ride... if the alternative is one of the muddy section described below.  One of the more annoying aspects of soupy mud is, it rooster tails up your butt... leaving a muddy wet streak, that gets larger and wetter as the race goes on.   This results in the wet diaper effect... UGH!

Goose Shit Mud - That's the really greasy mud.  Not super thick, but it can be very challenging to steer in... particularly in corners.  Have you ever stepped in goose shit.  You slid everywhere in it!  And it sticks on the bottom of your shoe... it also sticks on your bike and drive train... requiring frequent bike changes.  When you get to the goose shit stage... it tends to be everywhere.  On riders, bikes, dogs, spectators, children... everywhere.

Peanut Butter Mud -  This is what, for the most part... they raced in today.  It's thick, usually a few inches deep... but thick enough and firm enough to create a rut effect, causing the wheel to jerk around involuntarily... but it is still ride-able.  It does however take more energy and is harder to control the bike than soupy mud and goose shit mud. 

Sucking Mud -  Is the worse level of mud a racer can face.  Sucking mud is thick, deep and slightly wetter than Peanut Butter... but much deeper.  In many cases, with sucking mud, you are better off energy wise... running vs. riding.   Other than being off your bike and running, the other draw back in running in sucking mud is the real possibility of having your shoe sucked off your foot!  

This is what happens during a day of racing in Peanut Butter Mud...

Power wash over drive!

 

 

Uhh... is something over heating????

 

 

 Bikes in the Que to be washed

 

 

Oops, this one first!!

 

 

Muddy U Turn during the 1st lap

 

 

Without a spare bike in the pit... this is what you tried to raced on!

 

 

 

Racing in the mud isn't as straight forward as you may think... it depends on what type of mud it is. 

 

Today, anyone without a spare bike and a pit crew were effectively out of the race.  They didn't stand a chance.  The weight difference alone, in the mud build up, would add 10lb to the bike within 1/2 a lap.

 

Tonight the temps will drop to the single digits... so guess what???

 

Yup... tomorrow, the course will change again!

 

Until then...

 

 

Peanut out 

The Hearts of a Lions

Today I was a spectator, stood in the damp fog along with a tons of other spectators... watching racers and I saw some amazing things...  But there's only one thing I want to write about today because that moment, brought me to tears. 

Ellen Noble won her first National Championship today... she won it on one of the hardest courses, with some of the toughest conditions imaginable. Add to that... the loss of her dad, less than 9 months ago and I don't know how anyone, regardless of age... but someone so young... can be so poised, centered and focused to have the ability to train, race and win, at the level of the National Championships.    

Both Ellen and Sandy (her mom)... came back to Madison, not only for Ellen but I would imagine for other reasons... 

What I witnessed was a young woman showing the strength of a thousand today.  She raced with the heart of a lion...

I was standing at the finish line with Sandy.  Her eyes were closed... she couldn't bear to watch, we weren't 100% sure who would cross first.  But I could hear her whisper softly, "Dear God, please let her win... she deserves this and it's been such a hard year." 

When Ellen rolled across the line... both mother and daughter were in tears... for a million different reasons.   

I broke down and cried with them...

HEARTS OF LIONS... They both have HEARTS OF LIONS!!

No one deserved that win more that Ellen Noble.  For a million reasons.  She beat an obstacle that none of us had to face.... a broken heart.

Congratulations Ellen....  You and your mom were my hero's today!!


Peanut out. 

WARNING: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Remember when we were kids, we would watch something on TV...

They are called reality shows todays but back then, they were just dumb asses... doing dumb ass things, like jumping off a garage on a pogo stick with a metal pie plate attached to their head with duct tape... and somehow thinking it's going to work out well.  From the couch we saw the ugly results coming a mile away... a splat, a surprised look on dumb asses face, a tacoed pie plate (while still duct taped to said head) and then.... lots of crying.

... and after the video tape came this warning!

Warning:  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

 

In a nut shell, that about summed up yesterdays races.

 

From the spectators point of view, they may have looked pretty reasonable and maybe even easy... with the leaders walking away with many of the races.

 

But let me tell you, from the racers point of view... it was a war zone out there.

 

I kid you not! 

 

Now... don't misunderstand me... a war zone isn't all bad.  It does have some redeeming qualities.  

 

Like the adrenaline rush of the near death experience as you are rocketing down a icy, rutted path that you know will serve as a cheese grater... when, not if but when, your wheel decides to turn sideways and tosses you over the handlebars like a rag doll at about 40 mph.

 

Your heightened sensory receptor (whatevers) have kicked in... because you don't want to die and the species survival thing is taking over... That's kinda cool.  Because you realize you are in way over your head and you aren't sure how the hell you're going to get out of this mess... so you just keep pedaling and hope like hell things sort themselves out and you just don't break something you'll regret later.  That part isn't so cool.   

 

The hammering of your heart rate at 40% above lactic threshold is thrilling... because you've never experience this before and you wonder how long this will last before you head explodes...   So this is what the true adrenaline rush is all about!!!? 

It got colder than we expected the night before and by the time we arrived on course it was only 16 degrees...  everything was a block of ice and where there was standing water on the course the day before... was now black ice. 

Michele and I took 2 laps around the course and spent a lot of time trying to figure out how not to kill ourselves on the course.  It wasn't a matter of not crashing... there was going to be plenty of that.  The trick was making sure you didn't hurt yourself or damage your equipment.  On a flat course, that's a little easier than a course with huge elevation changes, like this one. 
 
Answer to question #1... we were running the hill for the first few races! It was a sheet of ice and only 1 out of 15 riders were successfully riding the hill.  The odds didn't pay off to try to ride it only to slip out and crash.

Tom D. and I were first up in the batters boxes as far as racers were concerned.  He took off to race, I headed out to warm up. 

Tom had a great race, and finished 11th! What an awesome day for Tom!!

The strategy for my race was pretty simple.  Take the lead before the big climb... get to the top and then punch it on the false flat.  Take calculated risked whenever possible and whenever the elevation goes up... so does my effort, not to mention freaking HR.  

The plan worked beautifully... what spectators didn't see were the 3 huge crashes I took on the back side of the course that cost me huge time and in the last lap, could have cost me the race.

Here's what happened...

My lead was yo yooing around the 30 second range and at one point crept up to close to a minute but on a course this sketchy... a lead of that size is of little comfort, particulary when you have someone who is steadily grinding behind you and not showing signs of giving up.  The riding on my ass had just age graded up into my field, I had not raced against her in the past... and she wanted to hang my hide on her wall

In taking the bell lap, I hit the long run at full tilt, punched it hard on the false flat and then railed the decent before the stair run up... remounted on the top of the rutted decent and that's when it happened...

I was about half way down the hill... just hit full speed when my front wheel caught a rut and launched me over the bars and my bike cart wheeled into the tape!  A spectator who initially was cheering my descending skills, was now owwing an awwing my aerial acrobatic .

 After scrambling to my feet, I had to then untangle my bike from the tape (to make it a bit more challenging, it was wrapped around both my seat post and handle bars)... While I'm trying to figure out this little puzzle, a silent prayer is running through my head, hoping I hadn't wrecked a wheel or bent the derailleur...  I was on the far side of the course... about a mile from the pit...  my 30 second lead was now down to about 15 seconds and I'm trying to tell myself not to completely freak out... because I have half a lap between me and a National title and at the moment, my head is the only thing that can control if I win or lose it!

I managed to get the bike untangled... got myself settled down and focused on clean lines.  You didn't need to win by a lot... you just need to cross the line first. 

It may have looked like a easy race from the side lines.  It may have looked like a done deal from the start... It may have even appeared like a walk away from the first lap.  But it felt like anything BUT... from "this" riders point of view.

The course should have had a warning sticker on it!

Michele (my new Teammate) had a simply spectacular race! 

Check this out!  She decides at the proverbial last minute (a week ago)... to race Nationals.   Then she signs up for what is without a doubt the hardest women's Master field out there... and races is the absolute toughest conditions on a miserably hard course... and guess what she does????

SHE COMES IN 6TH!!!!   1 spot out of podium... and the only reason she wasn't on the podium is because she slid out in a particularly treacherous corner, approaching the pavement heading to the finish line.

She's clearly disappointed for missing out on a podium finish... and I'm disappointed for her as well... but with that said...

Michele had a really, really... not sun shine being blown up the butt... knock em dead race!!! And she was racing against women who have been focused on this race all freaking year.  This was their #1 goal.  Most of them would have been thrilled for a top 10 finish... and Michele just rolled to the line an thrashed them, walking home with 6th place in her pocket.

If that's what we get for a last minute decision... I wanna see what happens when she really plans on Nationals, next year :)!


By 2:00 PM rather than course conditions improving, they actually got worse.  The course was melting and a thin layer of water was now sitting on the ice making corners impossible for traction. 

Paul Curley... who is arguably one of the best bike handlers around, was covered in mud from hitting the deck so many times... before the end of the first lap.

Paul was the defending National Champion and I could see that he wasn't going to go down without a fight.  That's exactly how I would have done it.  The more you crash, the bigger the riskes you have to take to try to get back to the front... but then you run bigger risks of crashes... but as a Champion... it's the all or nothing mentality.  You either race to win... or go down in flames.  Sadly... Paul didn't win yesterday, but it wasn't for lack of trying. 

I will say this about Paul...  given the opportunity to follow and study a line from anyone.  Paul is the guy I want to continue to learn from.  He is the absolute master at picking, analyzing and riding lines.  I have learned so much from him.  He has a ton of jersey's to prove it... not getting it this year doesn't take any of that away from him.  He's still a CHAMP in a very big way.

Tom won't admit it... but he had a really good race.  He lined up hoping for a top 10... but the course gods had other plans and really recked havoc on the results...  so guys who should have been in the top 5 were back in the teens (like Al Blanchard and Paul Curley) and as a result... Tom finished in the top 25.  I think Tom does get the award for accumulated the most grub on his body though... it seems that he body surfed (on his back)... with his bike still attached to his feet)... a long down hill on the back side of the course, and actually passed riders trying to ride it. 

John had an awesome race... he and Paul were keeping each other company in the war zone and John was holding his own despite a close encounter with a wooden stake.  Shortly after Johns race, I saw him standing around and found that he was waiting on Derek, who was racing... so I bought him a cup of hot chocolate.  The poor guy was trying to convince Michele and me, he was fine... because he had a layer "on top of his wet skin suit"... but we knew better.  His shaking hands and blue lips, told us other wise...

Derek... Now... he's the MAN!  After doing 2 races the prior day... he turned around and nailed down a 11th place finish!  Wow... I don't know how he turned around and did that all over again...  

Nice job to all!!   
 

It was way harder than it looked! And... as the day went on... it only got harder.  

 

 

Paul's one of the best bike handlers I know... he had a tough day on the ice

 

  

 

Hey!  Is there a vaccine for that???

 

 



 



Family photo... but this is NOT our Child!!

 

 

 

 

 

Tom bubble wrapping his body in an attempt to stay dry... it looked like a flake jacket!

 

 

We had a bunch of "no show's for the awards ceremony"... what gives!!!? 

 

 

 

Julie was so excited... she hopped on the podium and forgot to get her Jersey!!  God love her!

 

 

So... Now, I'm officially a spectator!

 

I am going to hang out and watch the pros race and then we'll start to head back on Monday. 

 

The first part of our racing job is finished... now we can rest a bit!!

 

Thanks for all the really great emails, texts and face books comments.  You guys are all awesome!!! 

 

Racing isn't any fun without friends.. it would be lonely and hollow... so thanks so much for your love, friendship, support and for believing in us!

 

One last thank you to Tom.. His coaching and strategy in large part is how I got #7... so thank you so much Tom.  That's why you are the COACH!

 

Until later,

 

Peanut out 

 

 

Wake Up & Let The Racing Begin!

Today was the kick off of the first day of Nationals with non Championship racing conducted for the majority of the day and the final 2 races of the day, beginning the formal Championship racing schedule.

The 2 Championship races were the men's and women's single speed races. 

For those of you who don't know what a single speed bike is... it's a bike with only 1 gear. 

Yup... you don't have a choice, you are stuck with that one gear....  UP the hills, DOwn the hills... and on the flats.  So.... what ever freaking gear you put on your bike (and  from what I understand... you pick your poison... aka you install the 1 gear/size on your bike before the race) and hope you are happy with it or better put... can live with it.

Personally... I think these guys and gals need their tiny little pin heads examined!!!!  Because Cyclocross is hard enough!!! 

During half of my race... out of the 18 gears I have, I'm looking for extra gears that I don't have!!!

And these gluttons for punishment, intentionally take all their gears off their bike, except 1!!!!  My guess is, this group also saves a ton of money on dental care by opting out of Novocaine... they just tell their Dentist...

"Hey... don't need that crap, just drill without it... I race single speed... can't hurt worse than that!".

So... huge kudos to these folks.  Especially on this super slick, hilly course.

 

Here's the leader of the womens race.. out in front and climbing the hill... with her one tiny gear!

 

 

 

Leaders of the men's single speed race in lap 1

 

 

Most of the field had to run the hill... it was just too slippery to ride

 

 

After a bunch of looking around, kicking at the snow... sniffing the mud and sticking our fingers in the wind we've arrived at the following conclusions regarding tomorrow's course conditions based on the time each of us race...

 

We have no freaking clue what it's going to be like!

 

Just kidding...  Here's what we think

 

Tom Doucett - His race is at 9:30... we think it will be frozen mud and ruts and a little snow on the big climb.

 

Peanut (aka yours truly)  -  I race at 10:30... It will still be frozen but the ground will begin to thaw and it will start to get greasy...  with a firm base underneath, lots of sliding.

 

Michele Satrowsky (our newest Blue Steel teammate) - races at 11:30... will have the same conditions but the course may begin to get a little wetter.

 

Tom and Paul -  race at 2:00... we expect a mud track on top of frozen ground... so lots of slipping and sliding and splattering, with cold puddles forming all over the course.

 

There is a prediction for rain... but the current forecast says it will hold off until later in the day... so we may all dodge the rain drops for the most part.    

 

So... that's our best guess... don't hold me to it... I don't get paid for this crap!

 

     

Here are Tom and Paul praying to the cycling Gods for a good race...  I prefer to pray in the privacy of my room. 

 

 

So.... we are about as ready as we can be...

 

We will head out early and do a few easy laps at around 8:30 am to look over the course one last time and then the course will be closed for racing. 

 

Then we will be off in our own little worlds, getting ready for our races and once we're finished... doing pit support for those racing afterwards.

 

Keep your fingers crossed!  You will know how we do before I have a chance to tell all of you... but I'll fill you in on all the details as soon as I can.

 

I would like to thank all of you for reading the blogs, sending your likes on facebook and your nice notes.  I am passing them along to Tom and Paul.. they appreciate your support as much as I do.

 

Until later,

 

 

Peanut out!