Trek Midwest Master 3/4 are heating up

Our win at the Fast & Furious crit on Sunday was a great team effort and I tip my hat to my teammates for helping me capture my first road win. The guys did such a great job of helping to keep the break away. Bike racing is so much frick’n fun when the team work happens and it works!  I was getting info from a fan on the guys were working to keep us away and that just fed my desire to suffer and make it work.    Kudo’s to everyone for making it happen. 

Here’s how it went down from my perspective.

I was covering a bridge attempt. The break had several strong guys in it including David Studner.  When we got to the break at corner 1 the guys sat up and looked to be giving up on it.  I jumped it right away just prior to the group being caught and just prior to the head wind section.  I encourage Doug (independent guy who’s been really active in our races) to jump on and he did.  Initially,  it seemed impossible that it would work with just two but I was feeling good and was committed to it.  My confidence was rocked a little when I looked at the lap count and it was only at 7 minutes into the race.   With more than 40 minutes to go, I knew I was going to need my mates in the pack to help me stay away – and boy did they ever.  I tried not to think about how much further but instead focused on resting when Doug was pulling up the home stretch and pushing my pulls into the head wind section.   We sorted out that rotation really quickly since Doug was telling me he was uncertain how much and how long he was going to be able to work with me.   With each time gap report growing slowly and with the time ticking down it became more and more feasible that it was going to work…if I could keep the pressure on.  Doug thought he was going to pop several times but I kept encouraging him to hang in there for one more lap….since that was running through my head over and over…just one more lap.    The toughest section was from  laps 10 to 5 to go.   I rested a little extra around 7 to 5 laps to go thinking that we were going to have to hold off a pack that would be hard for my teammates to control.  We had about 35 seconds at that point.  At 5 to go I worked extra hard on that back stretch and extended my pulls up the home stretch.   At about 3 laps to go Doug told me he was not going to contest the sprint.  Up until then, I really tried not to think about how I was going to muster up something extra to deal with Doug for the win.  I tried to focus solely on being committed to my maximum sustain effort and make the break work was my only priority.  Around 5 to go I started thinking about it. I was not going to leave it to a sprint since I could tell that he was really struggling to hold on and I really don’t know what kind of sprinter I am –  estimating somewhere between mediocre to poor –  certainly inexperienced.  The plan was to jump him after his pull at 2 laps to go just prior to corner.  Actually, I don’t think I had it that well planned out but that would have been the best plan.   

Thanks again,  it felt great to deliver knowing how much abuse and hard work my teammates put out.  

Mike Meteyer

Ps  I wont be trying to bunny hop any more curbs until cross season.   So the header I took after the race to go see my daughter and friends who were cheering for me will not be any sort of post-race tradition.  

Congrats to Mike Meteyer on his win the Masters 3/4 race at the Fitchburg crit!

It was a great team effort, all the way around.
And Mike sealed the deal with the win out of the break.
Awesome!

View from the back - race reports

Jim Merrifield

For not having much to show in terms of results, I can not remember when I worked harder. But hopefully it helped my teammates. The first Saturday in June was the Lake Geneva RR - a gently rolling course thru the country side. The course was not going to thin the field but the winds could make it tough. In the Masters3/4 race, Greg F and Mike M were active early. Greg was off the front late in the first lap (if I recall correctly) when Mike M bridged up to him and much to the surprise of David S, Glen and myself, the pack let him go. So the boys were off to the races. David, Glen and I did our best to disrupt and discourage any attempts to real the boys in. David and Glen were very smooth about getting into the pace line and just not pulling thru. I spend some of the time further back waiting for someone to want to do something and then quite a few times, followed them up. Saw quite a bit of elbow waggling and hand waving up there. Sorry, not pulling thru but thanks for bringing me to the front! At about 3 laps in, one guy bridged up and I hoped that would be enough to let Greg and Mike finally move outta sight and mind but the winds kept them in check and in sight. So we kept throttling back the pack. A few times, I felt I needed to move up, usually on the windy side of the pack, to discourage the boys by half wheeling to lead rider, pinning him to the yellow line and keep the second rider from moving to the head of the line. It worked very well to slow the pack but cost me a lot of energy. With about a lap to go and some boys at the front driving into the head wind and gaining on the break, I decided to play that trick again, hoping that discouraging them just one more time might do the trick. And stayed up there, keeping the dogs in check as long as I could but the break was caught - and I was hosed. If someone had countered, I am not sure if I could have worked back into the pack. But I recovered on the downwind section and fought to stay in good position in the front, hoping to help Glen, David or Greg or Mike if they had any gas let in the tank. Or at least try to soften up the competition by forcing one or two to ride in the wind coming into the final corner. As luck would have it, all but Mike were on the right side of the pack while I was on the left and when I told Mike to get on the wheel, he said he was gassed. So I was kind of a non-factor at the end, wrong place to help but it was a fun race, trying to keep Mike and Greg away.

The next day was the Sussex crit and we (Glen, Patrick, Greg and I) got together before the race to talk about the plan. We would all get to the front with 2 or three to go and then I was to bring us to the front early in the last lap for as long as I could, giving over to Patrick, with Greg then taking Glen to the line. It was another windy day and while it was unlikely that a break was going to go anywhere unless it was 3 - 4 people, I decided I would patrol the front, just in case. A few solo efforts but nothing to speak of. And like clockwork, the boys all got towards the front with the laps winding down. And then sand started to get in the strategy gears. With a couple laps to go, NO ONE wanted to be in the wind and the front started to get crowded. Patrick decided to keep it fast and went to the front but taking the pack into the head wind took its toll. I then took a turn at the front, more to keep from getting swallowed as much as anything, trying to save something for the final go. And then fought to stay close to the front. I could feel there was no leadout in my legs but hoped that I could grab an early wheel up the side and then go strong into the final corner, hopefully bringing Greg and Glen along. I came around the final corner in the top 4 or 5 and then BOOM. Time to move to the side because the only thing that was going to get me up the final climb was knowing my spare wheels were in the pit. Glen however was 4th, getting overtaken just before the line, thanks to Greg bringing him forward. And despite the suffering, another fun race working as a team.

Hot Weather Racing - What Fun!

What a weekend of racing - the Tour of Galena on Saturday and the State RR Championships on Sunday.

First up, the Tour of Galena, a three-stage omnium (6.7 mile hilly prologue time trial on Saturday morning, a hilly road race on Saturday afternoon, and a downtown crit on Sunday) - it is a really nice event and I expect to see more TMT riders there next year! The prologue went well (I finished second), but I could tell just from the morning temp (already about 80 degrees) that the afternoon's road race was going to be brutal! Finishing up the prologue by 9:30 am and the road race not starting until 3 pm made for a long day of sitting around - luckily I happened to park across from the local "air conditioned" library, so I hung out there most of the day catching up on the latest issues of People magazine! Mike M joined me for the road race - race conditions of temps in the low 90s and windy, perfect for racing (note the sarcasm!). Shortly after the gun a Team Mack rider (they had 4-5 guys in the race) and another guy roll off the front, and I decide "why not" and bridge up to them (I thought it might be a good way to get the legs warmed up for later efforts). About 15 minutes later we hit the first moderate hill, and my two break away partners are falling back already, so I decide "what the heck" and decide to motor on without them. I continued to build a significant lead and soon the pack was nowhere to be seen, and since I was catching riders in the categories who started in front of us, I thought that could only help too as they pack would not know where I was. And Mike also was having a nice free ride in the group. Well fast forward to about 10 miles left to race - the heat, wind, and the effort of riding solo for the past 1.5 hours was beginning to take its toll. My right leg was starting to cramp up and my effort was beginning to drop as a result - on one of the steeper hills I actually thought I might have to walk the last 100 meters! Now I was at the point of having to unclip every so often and shake my leg around thinking that will help delay the onset of a cramp (like that will help!). With about 5 miles to go Mike and another guy (who ended up winning the omnium) caught me - my dream of fame and fortune from a solo win quickly faded and now it was survival time! I watch the two of them disappear and I am now hoping my leg does not seize up and leave me laying by the side of the road! Finally, the 500m to go sign, but now I see two Team Mack guys coming up quickly behind me!! I start my one-legged sprint, but get caught by one of the guys at the 200m to go sign and I roll in for fourth. Mike had a good race and finished second and also learned a valuable lesson - preview the finish!

Mike and I then decided that racing in the heat and wind on Saturday was so much fun that why not do it again on Sunday at the State RR Championships! Neither of us were feeling too good about our chances given the fatigue we both were feeling from Saturday's race, but you never know how things will go. Halfway into the first lap Chris Halverson attacks with two other guys, and by the time I bridged up, Chris had already dropped the two of them. The three of us chase for a lap (as the pack is chasing us as well), but we fail to close the gap to Chris and the pack finally catches us. Chris is gone and solos in for victory (he is a beast!). A few attacks from the pack here and there, but Team Velocause (with 8 or so guys) seems to want a pack finish, so nothing gets away and it comes down to a pack sprint up the finishing hill at the end. Wish I could say that Mike and I saved it all for the end and we smoked the field up the hill, but alas that was not the case! The team did have some success: Gordy is the new state champ, Glen finished 4th, and Diane finished 3rd - excellent work!

Results from Senior Games

2012 Senior Games at Mankato, MN  June 2-3  Arrietta Clauss

I qualified for the National Senior Games in Cleveland OH, July 21 – August 1, 2013 in the 40k RR and 10k TT.  The quantifying event in WI is September 11 and 12 in Menomonee Falls (http://www.wiseniorolympics.com/w/index.cfm). You must be 50 years or older to compete.

40k RR

Rectangle course with 3 right turns.  Basically flat with a few small rollers. Some wind, temp in 60s F. ~28 racers; only 4 women.  Men and women started together.

I had a poor start as I was in the wrong gear.  When will I learn!  The first 3/4 of the first lap was at a moderate pace (20 mph) as people were getting used to each other. Coming into the last right turn on the first lap a guy went off the front of the pack and I followed. We rode about 20 s in front of the pack for 3.7 miles, but did not increase the lead.  Finally we decided to let the pack catch us.  I rode with the pack for another lap, resting, watching, and deciding when to make another move. On the third lap, the same guy asked if I wanted to make a break on the corner before the finish leg.  I was fine with this strategy as I had decided to go at that point already.  Curtis and I went off the front again (poor move as went directly off the front and just increased our speed), took the last corner at our own pace and line, and then started to work together.  When we crossed the finish line Curtis slowed down and sat up.  I told him that we had once more lap. Curtis dropped back 5-10 yards (I think trying to figure what was happening).  I slowed down and waited for him.  We had over 6 miles to go and I thought that two people were better than solo.  Again we only had about 20 s lead in front of the pack, but the pack did not appear to be working together. Curtis and I worked together with me taking more pulls.  After the last corner on the last leg I could see a group of 3 closing on us but was confident that we could hold them off.  At this point I concentrated on beating Curtis. I had carefully scoped out the finish and knew exactly where to sprint.  I was tired, but beat Curtis by a second.   That was a satisfying finish.

 

10k TT

One lap of the same course. Start at 8:03 am the next day

I had a good warm down after the RR race and did 1 hour of yoga and had a good warm up before the TT, but my legs felt heavy.  My start was good: correct gears and clipped in.  After about ¼ mi, I knew that my legs were tired and were going to be tired for the whole race.  I wanted to do well at the TT so I muscled my way through it.  This was not a pretty race for me.  My cadence was too low, but I shifted when my cadence fell below 80rpm.  I tried to cut the corners, but I did not ride the white line.  I did not concentrate on my form: flat back, helmet touching my back, hands together.  However, on the plus side, I was mentally tough and kept myself together.  I won the TT in 14:21.

Head Games

A bunch of “head games” is how I’d describe my summer thus far as.  It all started well and I had high hopes for my first year in the road scene – indoor training began and then awesome weather lead to lots of early outdoor riding.  And I even was lucky enough to take a Trek Travel Ride Camp trip to Mallorca Spain!  But then the day before the first race of the year, I caught an edge during a group ride and sliding across the pavement I went.  Ouch.  The exterior wounds have since healed but I am still left with the internal ones.  You know… THOSE ONES.  The ones that are a bit harder to heal.  And being new to road riding in general, I was already a bit scared to draft a wheel or ride in a group.  So crashing the way I did is not helping, but I’m working on it.  It’s baby steps with the pavement and I these days...

 

That said, sometimes you just need to go back to the beginning to see how far you’ve come. 

 

I spent much of the summer of 2010 on two wheels also, but far away from the pavement.  It was the “summer of the mountain bike” I called it.  And quite a summer it was – I did my first race which lead to 7 more in the WORS series, a 24 hour race, Chequemegon 40, as well as tossing in a vacation to 3 continents, my first road ride ever after being in the business forever, and a couple of 5K’s among other things.  All that for the girl who just wanted to get better at mountain biking and to check out what racing was all about.  I’d say I did ok that year. 

 

So back to the fat tires I went this past weekend and raced WORS #3 – Big Ring Classic up in Wausau.  All and all I’d say I did not too shabby – 2^nd in my age group and 5^th overall.  Huh.  I never placed in a race before and I got me a well needed “mental boost”.  Like I said, sometimes you just gotta go back to the beginning…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                        

Motorpacing

Motorpacing

Now that the bike racing season is upon us Diane's turning to her 'secret weapon'-- motorpacing. Using a small moped/motor scooter as a training tool helps her work on speed and high tempo endurance. The scooter doesn't get tired, so it can maintain a high speed effort much longer than a rider. While some folks mistakenly think the idea behind motorpacing is to see how fast they can pedal their bike, the real purpose for the use of the motor scooter is to simulate having a fast rider or peloton to draft. Realistic race speeds are more useful than pedaling at 50 miles an hour. The moped can also provide a 'resting' spot' when she is practicing maintaining a high speed out in the wind. For these uses it's not necessary to have a big motor cycle; in fact, it's counterproductive. We use a small, 90cc, moped with large wheel so that the moped is roughly the same size and height as a bicycle.

A typical motorpacing workout involves bringing  Diane up to speed of about 25-31 MPH. She'll spend some time behind the moped simply staying in the draft and maintaining a constant, high, speed. This aids her ability to turn a big gear with a high cadence so she can stay with a fast moving rider or pack. As she develops the ability to do this behind a motor, she'll be able to do draft at high speed in a race for longer than her competition. Usually in our motorpacing workouts she'll also do some efforts where she pulls out of the draft behind the moped and pedals in the wind for as long as she can. When she starts to fatigue, she pulls back behind the moped and 'rests/recovers' in the draft. Another workout involves having her pull out from the draft of the moped and sprint past the moped, then fall back in behind to prepare for the next sprint.

Using a motor vehicle (never a car) to train must be done very carefully. Both the rider and the moped driver must be knowledgeable about the safety considerations. The moped driver must be familiar with bicycle capabilities and limitations. As an experienced bike racer myself, when I drive the moped I'm aware that the moped can accelerate more quickly than Diane's bike and that it can go up hills with ease that might cause her to lose the draft. I never brake with Diane drafting; first, I pull ahead, and when I have room I brake. We are communicating all the time. Both of us must be on the same page about any changes. I regulate my speed to insure she can draft safely. Our moped has mirrors set up so I can maintain a close watch on Diane as she drafts behind me. We always use quiet roads for motorpacing.

While the moped/bike combination is no different in most respects to two bikes drafting each other on the road, some drivers might not understand how to deal with the combination. While the bike rider must be in the draft of the moped, there's a low fender on the moped which would be contacted by the bike's front tire so the risk of touching wheels from behind is very low. However, both Diane and I must be vigilant to maintain safe distances, alert focus on the road and each other and anticipate problems and avoid them. Done

properly, motorpacing is as safe as drafting a bicycle.

Diane's won 8 USAC National Championships, and many Wisconsin State Championships. This year, I can honestly claim that she's riding the best I've ever seen her ride. After a severely broken leg in 2010 and at a racing age of 59, this is remarkable. I believe she's going to have a fantastic racing season for the Trek Midwest Team. One small reason for her success, when it comes, will be the hours she spends behind a moped.

Gordy

(Photo courtesy of Jackie Arendt) <<...>>