Carpentersville

So Ben said that this coming weekend is the midpoint of the cross season, this is kinda scary, but its kinda good too. Before, i go there i should start with this past weekend. this past weekend, was the chicross cup race in carpentersville. If you read 2 entries ago you already know i didnt go to any other races this weekend. so this one race, was my only cycling focus this weekend.

With my single speed races coming up (jingle cross and nationals), i have been trying my darnest to race single speed, when i can. (this coming weekend isn't one of those weekends) so single speed it was. After recounting, my front ring, i realized my front ring is smaller than i thought. so all my gearing calculations have been off buy about 3-4 inches. that is HUGE!!! basically i have been running a gear too small, and not understanding why i couldn't put power down. well i fixed that problem, and finally started running a better gear. the gear of choice this weekend was about a 61, instead of the 57 i have been running. (that is inches the tire will travel per full revolution of the pedals.)

the race itself wasn't to bad, a crash at the beginning. i was not involved, just caught behind it, sometimes that could can be worse. I didn't pass many people, but i did get a few. The single speed was a good idea, it made me push myself more than i probably would have before. the only place the single speed was a bad idea was the sandpit. I wasn't not able to down shift, so it was harder to than it would have been to get thought. out of the 4 laps we did, i was able to ride it the second lap, but it took too much out of me.

the sand pit is always where something weird happened. for the first time, all year, i got past while off the bike. on the last lap, while running thought the sand pit, i got past by someone who was also running it. I was shocked, and almost let him get away i was SOO shocked. But i hung on his wheeling, wanting revenge. I wanted to take my revenge on the run up after the barriers. As we approached the barriers i saw him look back, so i acted like i was going outside, but upon my dismount i took the inside line. I dismounted 3 steps behind him, but was half a step behind at the top of the run up. At the last second he noticed and cut me off and took the line i wanted. It was his line, he was technically ahead of me. With a straightaway, turn, and the finishing straightaway, i didn't have much time left. With no room on the first straightaway, i wanted until after the turn to start a sprint. I, on my single speed, still had enough to pass him and win the sprint for 43.

it was a fun race, and after the 40 minute race i did last weekened, a 30 minute race was nice. I can't image doing 1 hour races, maybe in 2 or 3 years. THAT bring me to this coming weekend. with plans for next year looking the way they are, i might not be able to travel a lot. so this weekend i am going louisville to race the CAT 4 GP of louisville. it should be fun.

everyone trips

7am-alarm goes off
me- damn i dont want to go to work today
me-hits snooze
me-why o why do i have to go to work today
cell phone alarms goes off
me- wait, its not friday its... SATURDAY!!!
me-hits snooze on cell phone alarm
me-wait if its the weekend than i need to get go to my cross race, which means i can't sleep in
(long pause)
me-screw this, AM sleeping in

so no race for me, first time since the cross season has started. all it means is i have no saved 2 tanks worth of gas, and 20 bucks for entry fee.

maybe now i can afford louisville... the debate goes on.

Heroes and Friends

So I have been really slacking on blog entry’s, 7 cross races into the season and this is maybe the second entry. This season so far I have proven I am not in cross shape. This is several different types of shape, and I am not referring to square or round. The shapes I am referring to is shapes like, mountain, track, road, crit, and cross. Each discipline requires different types of fitness, and abilities. Cross requires a 30-60 minute all out effort. You can not slow, you can not be weak, you must be near or at your redline for the either race. Do not forget that at the end of the time, you must be able to push yourself beyond your redline and sprint all out until you either finish or blow up and lick your wounds as you cross the finish line.

While I have licked my wounds, I have also finished with some strength left; this post is not about that. This post is about some changes in my thinking.

Some heroes come and go from your life, but if you’re lucky enough you can call some heroes your friends. Recently I was able to travel away to a 3 day race out of state. On this trip I realized my heroes have changed the older I am getting. I have been around cycling enough to run into several pros. Most pros will say hi when you talk to them, but few are willing to hold a conversation with you. Cyclocross is the one exception to this rule. This year I have been able to talk to many pros, not limited to, Tim Johnson, Todd and Troy Well, Jeremy Powers, and Katie Compton.

This past Sunday, while sitting on the hill watching the Men’s UCI race, I looked and saw Katie Compton, the 2007 US Women’s Cyclocross National Champion. She was sitting there watching the race, just like everyone else. If you didn’t know any better you wouldn’t know she just raced and won by over a minute. As she sat there, she interacted with everyone on the hill like a normal person. I also saw Jeremy Powers when he arrived take a picture, with his iphone, of his cone. This was not just any cone, but a cone that reserved his parking place at the race. It was very cool, and he was amazing to talk to.

But the one major thing I noticed is how my personal heroes have changed, and I never noticed. I can now call someone I know, someone who I spend the weekend with, someone whose house I have been in, someone whose phone number I have in my cell phone, one of my heroes. This person is super friendly, honest, and someone I believe I can truly call a friend. At times I think he is rather hard on himself. But to me he is pure pro. He does not act like one, he has no attitude, and he is not a pre-madonna. He is a normal guy, trying to live the dream. But he isn’t a normal guy, he is a pro. He is unbelievable strong, and smart. I wish I had the power he had, the loving wife who supports him and helps him out as much as she can. He is my hero, he is a pro, and most importantly I call him my friend.

First 2008 Cross Race.

Pain was the name of the game, not as bad as last year but still OUCH!!. let me rewind a minute and start with the weekend. Saturday started with a 10am breakfast with an old friend i hadn't seen in over 10 years. than back home to pack and head to Audrey's house for the weekend. The reason i was at her house saturday night, other than her being the coolest single girl i know, she happens to be a teammate, and offered her house as a place to stay before the Jackson Park Cross Race. After getting there, i decided to treat her to dinner as a way to say thanks for a place to stay that was with in 15 minutes of the race, instead of having to drive 2+ house thought evil bear traffic. I don't remember the name of the place, but it was foreign, it was good. I always got a food rub from the person next to me, and offered some hienny. Back to her place to rest and relax.
The next morning brought some computer and loading up an ipod. After packing up a backpack, Audrey, Amanda (another teammate) and i heading to Jackson Park. After watching some races, and doing a handful of practice laps, i got ready to race. I, once again, got a first row starting position. Riding a Single Speed, a fast start isn't in my favor. But being a single speed did allow me to find a flow rather quickly. my flow helped in the technical part of the course, but during the wide open sections, i lost a lot of ground that i gained. That is the way of the single speed versus the geared folks.
The race was fun, but i cant wait until the weather cools down. this race was hot and humid. I unzipped my skin suit during lap one, and sweated a ton on sunday. Post race i rode back to Audrey's place, showered, and headed out to eat at some sweet Chinese place. It was good and very fast. After my drive home i slept liked a little kid. 6 more days until Madcross, and maybe a cat 3 upgrade after that race?

Holly KillJoy Style Update

- Downers Grove was fun, but next i dont want to be hurt going into it.
- Palo Meltdown was fun, but i want to race sport next year.
- Track Season is over, i am sad, very very very sad
- Time to start preparing for next track season, ie time to get a new stiff as hell track bike.
- Cross Season is upon me
- this past weekend was my last planned free weekend until after cross season, ie the weekend before Christmas
- I am signed up for Madcross, and Jingle Cross
- I am currently waiting to sign up for Single Speed Nationals.
- My currently cross bike is setup to be a 1x10 or a single speed with the rear derailleur acting as a chain tensionor.
- I cant spell and i know it, plus my grammar sucks.
- My toe isn't healing, after 7 weeks you can still see the break plain as day
- My toe will be broken probably until after cross season, but i will not let it be an excuse.
- My goal is to not freeze my fingers at nationals this coming year.
- I send my best wishes to Ben and Julie as they start there cross season this coming weekend
- Ben is the riding and Julie is the mechanic.
- They happen to be married, which is awesome that they share the love for cycling
- When i get married one day, i hope my marriage can be filled with as much love as i see in theirs.
- i am soo tired right now that i am getting dizzy
- i cant go to sleep until i register.
- does anyone else agree this wait sucks donkey balls?
- My best wishes to Tristan, and his quick recovery.
- I am excited to see 2 brothers i watched in the WORS series race cross this year.
- Registration is minutes away so here ends another crap entry.

I AM BACK!!

I can now officially say I am back on the bike. I say officially because i kinda "raced" the Glencoe Grand Prix. I finished 27th of 30th i think, not bad for breaking my toe 3 weeks to the day earlier.

Okay, I'll start this blog with the race. Having not been on a bike in 3 weeks, and being told i should wait 4 weeks before i even try, i decided to see if a cycling shoe fit and to see how i could ride. O, did i forget to say i signed up for the race on Friday night, and didn't try riding till Saturday with the race being Sunday, oops. Well the good news is my shoe fit, and i could pedal. The bad news, my legs felt tired and slow, but after 3 weeks off the bike they felt good. Saturday night i packed the car and attempted to go to bed early.

The alarm rang at 5am, so i could be on the road by 5:30. I left late, but some how (looks around) made it to the race around 7am, like planned. After signing in and getting dressed, i took a few warm up laps in a failed attempt to shake some more rush from the legs. I got a front row starting position, like i always seem to get.

The race itself was a pretty slow race, compared to what i am used to. The race didn't really reach the 30mph i am used too. With that said I did get filtered out the back after a few laps. HEY, i was off the bike for 3 weeks, so i had a good excuse. I did stay in the race for the full time, I got lapped the 2nd time at the VERY end. I could have tried to sprint and not get lapped again, but why should i take away the glory of the people who could keep the pace and wanted to win.

After the race i took my camera out and took pictures for the rest of the races. Click for some of them. I had fun, took a lot of pictures.

Now to the important part, the doctor's appointment from today, the 11th. I left work early so i could go to my doctors appointment. After getting X-rays and taking to a gentlemen, who should have been dead from a motorcycle crash with no helmet, who happened to be a police officer, i met the doctor. The doctor remembered me because i attempted to talk him into letting me ride my bike the day after i broke my toe. Any ways, the X-rays showed that my bone isn't healing, or at least its not showing any bone growth on the X-ray. The doctor explained that it could just be bone growth delay, basically the bone is growing, the X-ray just isn't showing it. Either way he wants to see me in another 4 weeks (7 weeks +1 day of the break). Next is the fun part. The doctor wasn't quite believing me when is said i felt very little pain, so he squeezed the toe. And i don't mean nicely. He squeezed my toe like he was juicing an orange while looking me in the eye. After that, he started to believe me that it didn't hurt and I was fine.

I then explained to him my cycling shoes don't flex due to the carbon fiber soles, and my foot wouldn't bend at all. He finally agreed that i could "try" cycling, to which i told be about the above race, but called it a "fun ride". He than agreed i could ride my bike again, as long as i didn't push it. (like i listened to him the first time) He also agreed i could wear a normal shoe, and not my boot.

So expect to see me around the cycling scene again, but I don't promise to be near the front. Downers Grove any one????