Halloween Cross

Getting an early jump on the cross season, I raced for the first time yesterday at Washington Park in Milwaukee.  I love this race primarily because the start line is less than a mile from my front door.  If only every race were so convenient.  The race went well for me and I ended up with a sixth place finish in the Masters 35+ Cat. 4 despite some on-course gaffes.  The weather turned out to be beautiful as well which made the race even more fun ('fun' being a word I can now use to describe the experience because I no longer feel like my lungs are going to explode out of my chest Alien-style).

I have to mention the wisdom of cross guru Greg Ferguson, which I unfortunately did not follow and which in turn led to the on-course gaffes.  As the cross season approached, I asked Greg for some advice about training for cross races.  He mentioned doing shorter intervals and getting used to the sprint being at the beginning of the race instead of the end.  In addition, Greg advised me in perfectly clear and understandable terms that practicing cross skills is critical to cross success (genius, right?).  This was the part I did not hear so well.  As a result, I spent a lot of time on the cross bike but never practiced dismounting, running over barriers, and mounting.  My training, or lack thereof, came shining through yesterday:

• I failed to completely unclip on one dismount and became acquainted with the ground
• One attempt at a mount resulted in a gash to back of my left leg (smooth performance and only slightly less embarrassing than a chain ring tattoo because it is not obvious what caused the laceration from its appearance)
• At least two attempts to mount that resulted in both feet not being able to click in right away requiring me to ride for a bit on my heels, which had to look ridiculous.

Overall, the race was great despite my lack of barrier skills.  Unfortunately I could not stick around to see the other team members race.  I hope everyone who raced did well.  I have to say that I am hooked on cross and will remember Greg's sage (and what should have been obvious) advice to practice the skills you use in the race when I am out training this week.  

-Patrick Callahan

Sun Prairie Cup

We were spoiled with both a beautiful day and race event!

Let's play two!

Hey Mike!
That was so much fun, as Ernie Banks used to say, "Let's play two!"

ET Twilight Cross 45+

Fun times at the ET Twilight Cross.
Slapped together some photos/videos that Heidi took while spectating the 45+, 55+, and Women's Pro1,2 race; right after sunset, under a full moon.
Hope you find something in there entertaining!

Race recap:
I drove the pace for about a lap and a half. Then Mike attacked, I blocked, forcing Tedd to pull. He dragged us back up to Mike, who unfortunately fell on the slippery infield "sand" just as we were about to get back to him. Tedd attacked, I followed. I ran past Tedd at the barriers and blocked for half a lap, hoping Mike would be able to close it to us...then attacked coming out of the infield on the bell lap, got a gap and held it to the end - going through one male and 3 female racers right before the finish, at the barriers, with Tedd hot on my tail and Mike oh so close behind him...fun race!

Thanks to Ron and Ellen and everyone who helped put on the race.
Thanks to Lester Quitzau for the "Rollin' and Tumblin'" music!

USGP #1

I forgot how much it hurts to Cx race averaging 175 for the 45 mins or so.  I haven’t seen that number for a while.

 

Lined up at the back of the bus for the M123 race on Saturday with a number 73 on my back out of 82 I believe, nice.  That’s what I get for registering late. 

 

This was my first go on this course so I really didn’t know what to expect except for the “techy” section that I was able to inspect after the previous race.  Being a mountain biker the “techy” section suits me better anyways.  Overall the course was pretty sweet and fast. 

 

As is always the case we had a fast and furious start and on one of the early corners I leaned too far in and washed out, dang, a bunch of guys went past.  Get back on, head down, and the field was pretty spread out by this time.  I got in behind another racer and we started to pass a bunch of guys and kept making our way forward for a few laps and then crash again! I again leaned in too far, washed out AND dropped my chain.  I was able to hold position for the last 2 or 3 laps and finished in the middle-back somewhere but 7^th for the Cat 3’s.  I’ll take it for my first race of this year.

 

Looking forward to the East Troy night race…

 

-Sanjay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cyclocross motivation

good luck to everyone who's crossing this season - I'm with you in spirit.

t. hooyer

Cheq Fat Tire 40

Jarred and Matt on Friday's warm-up ride

Last weekend was my second trip up to the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race.  They claim it's the largest mass start mountain bike race with 1750 racers toeing the line in Hayward, WI.  It was a gate system this year to get everyone in order.  It seemed to work out much better than the system that was used in years past, which was basically the race before the race to get your bike down in a good starting spot.

I had a pretty tough go at the race last year, after spending a week in Germany at Eurobike.  Despite the cramping, I ended up at 2:35:41.  It was slower than my 2:30 goal, but considering the lack of riding, I knew I could get to 2:30 this year.  And I was also hoping to get into the top 150.

I did have a trip to Norway in early September, but I tried to minimize the time off the bike.  I was feeling pretty good before leaving, and got right back on the bike as soon as I got back.  Hopefully, it would be enough to have a better race than last year.

On Thursday night, Jarred and I headed up to the Eau Claire chain of lakes northwest of cable.  We have an awesome host who puts us up in their boat house and is extremely hospitable all weekend long.  On Friday, we headed out for a warm-up ride.  I found myself with a flat tire about 1:15 into the ride.  Luckily we weren't too far away and Jarred rode back and picked me up.  Not the idea thing to happen pre-race, but I was able to find myself another Bontrager tire and get it mounted up before the night was over.

Despite the gate start, we got to the start line early to put our bikes down.  My time last year put me into gate 3.  I was able to get a great spot in the second row.  Knowing that the guys in front of my all had good results from previous years made me much less worried about the start than last year.  As the race got underway, it was clear on the 3-mile road lead-out that the gate start had done it's job.  There were of course people moving forward and backward in the group, but for the most part the start was really smooth.

As we headed onto the Birkie trail, I found my self on another TMTmate's wheel.  It was Sanjay, who had gotten into gate 2 just before the start.  He started to move up through the people and I followed.  We got into a group on some of the gravel road sections; he was up front and I was happy to sit on the back of the group.  We rolled like this for most of the race.  The group would shrink and swell, but I would just hang on the back with Sanjay more animated up front. 

I came around Sanjay before the Seeley Firetower climb, was able to get a clean line and ride the whole way up.  Sanjay must have too, as he came around me right after we crested the hill.  Around mile 35, I found myself with Sanjay and 2 other racers.  We all took our turns on the front, pushing towards the finish.  With about a mile to go, Sanjay rode away from the rest of us.  I rolled in about 30 seconds behind him, but it was good enough for a 2:24:54 time!  Much better than last year and will bump me up to gate 2 for next year's start!  It was also good enough for 133 place, so both goals for this year's race were met.

Already at the finish when I rolled in were Sanjay, Dirk, Doug, and Seth.  They had had some great results!  Jarred came in shortly after I did with close to a personal best time as well.  Here's the round up of TMT results:

Dirk: 2:18:57 (Top 100 overall and 1st place singlespeed)
Seth: 2:19:54 (Top 100 overall)
Doug: 2:20:04 (Top 100 overall)
Sanjay: 2:24:27
Matt: 2:24:54
Jarred: 2:42:05

Excellent results for the team and a great weekend in the northwoods! 

Biking Is Social

Last night I was riding home from work, getting a few extra miles, and fully decked out in TMT gear (of course).  I came up on a guy riding a very trick titanium bike with an internally shifting rear hub.  I rode along side him and mentioned the fact that his bike was very trick.  We ended up riding together for 10 minutes chatting about the merits of internally shifting hubs, fixed gear bikes, commuting in winter, and the joy of not having to take a car to work.  After we parted company, I couldn't help but think that this interaction between strangers on the way home from work could not have occurred anywhere but on bicycles.  For whatever reason, cycling is a communal activity that breaks down the natural barriers we put up between ourselves.  I know that I was a better person yesterday because I decided to ride my bike. 

Master Nationals Interviews

Below are two interviews of Arrietta and Diane following the National Championship races:

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Riders Go After Multiple Stars and Stripes Jerseys
By Amanda Miles in The Bulletin

Arrietta Clauss picked the perfect day to win her first road race.

A 57-year-old Madison, Wis., resident, Clauss dropped the only rider still with her inside the final 10 kilometers of the 84K women's 55-59 road race and held on for victory on Friday, the third day of the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships.

“In Wisconsin, we don't have any masters, so I'm always racing against women a lot younger than me, so if I finish in the top third, that's really nice," Clauss explained. “And out here racing against women my own age, it's really interesting. It's really fun."

Clauss, finished the race in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 1 second, defeating Matthews, N.C., resident and runner-up Marianne Holt by 1 minute, 4 seconds. Clauss has been one of the stars of the 2012 masters nationals thus far. She picked up her third consecutive stars-and-stripes jersey (reserved for national champions) in the time trial in Prineville on Wednesday. The rise to the top of the masters age group ranks has been a quick one for Clauss, who works on the editorial staff of the Journal of Chemical Education. She fell in love with cycling in 2004 on a seven-day cycling trip to France with her husband and five children but only seriously took up the sport in 2007.

“Each year, I learned more, matured with it, gained both mechanical understanding and mental understanding," Clauss said about cycling. “And still, I think my mental understanding is a little weak, and that's why I was so proud to win the road race, because in a time trial you're a very constant speed. It's very difficult, but you're in control. However, on a road race, somebody else controls it, so you go very fast, you almost redline it, and then you have to realize that that's going to be over and you can continue. So that's something I've had to learn."

Clauss will be racing in her division's criterium, scheduled for Sunday in Bend's NorthWest Crossing neighborhood. Clauss is one of four riders, along with Paul Tetrick (men's 80-84), Melinda Berge (women's 65-69) and Lisa Campbell (women's 45-49), who have won their respective time trial and road race events at these championships and could sweep the races in their respective divisions. Among the four, only Campbell is not listed on the masters nationals website as being registered in the criterium.

Even if Clauss does not win, she likely will not be too crestfallen, as cycling means much more to her than that.

“I'm lucky because I'm winning, but I've met so many wonderful people by doing this," Clauss said. “The workouts ... any time you feel a little down about your life, the endorphins kick in, you feel great. Learning how to tune my bike and putting it together has just been empowering as a woman. So there's been so many positive aspects. Winning is sort of icing on the cake, but cycling is good for anybody that wants to do it."

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Final day, first win, Denver cyclist claims first title at the Masters Road National Championships in Bend
By Amanda Miles in The Bulletin

Diane Ostenso saved her best result for last. The diminutive Ostenso, of Cottage Grove, Wis., came flying out of the pack in the finishing straight to take the women's 55-59 criterium. Ostenso, 58, spent some time at the front of the pack early in the race before her Trek Midwest Team teammate in the race, fellow Wisconsinite Arrietta Clauss — who had won the women's 55-59 time trial and road race earlier in these championships — moved toward the front late.

“Crit racing is a lot more technical, and I'm really good at technical, so with these corners, I feel most comfortable being in the front," Ostenso explained. “I can take my own lines, and so I just felt more comfortable at the front. But then I know I need to rest a little bit. I can't do all the work the whole time, so (Clauss) helped me rest when I needed to rest for the finish."

This year's masters nationals made for a triumphant return to Bend for Ostenso. Among her several national titles, she won the women's 55-59 division at the 2009 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, also in Bend, but missed last year's road nationals while recuperating after breaking her ankle in a cyclocross race the previous November. That injury required 15 screws and two plates, but Ostenso, who has been racing bikes for nearly 30 years, is back now.

And good as gold once again at masters nationals.

TMT Women Sweep National's Masters 55-59!

The Trek women won all three events at the USA Master National Cycling Competition at Bend OR in the 55-59 age group. Arrietta won the time trial and the road race and Diane won the criterium.

The time trial was a 20 k course with some rollers and an intense, but short climb in both directions. Arrietta was able to win with a 8 s margin over tough competition from two northern CA women who just aged up.

The 84 k (52 mi) road course started with a 10 mi descent. There were no sharp corners, but the speed built up. Diane lead most of the descent setting a good line for Arrietta to follow.  At miles 20-27 there was a climb and descent. The group stayed together and neutralized any breakaways. Everyone was saving their legs for the 22 mi uphill to the finish. There was a steep climb at mile 42.4 that broke the group into two. The lead group worked together to gain some separation on the false flat. The steep 1.6 mi climb started at ~47.5 mi and splintered the group. Arrietta and Marianne Holt (from NC) rode off the front of the group and then Arrietta rode away from Marianne. Arrietta pushed through a headwind to put more separation, climbed another steep 0.3 mi climb, and rode solo to a 1:04 min win.

The 1 k crit course had 7 corners and corner 5 was the site of many accidents. Most races had accidents that required medical attention. Our race had to be shortened to make up time as we were starting 1h late. Diane led the crit for the first half and was able to take all of the corners smoothly and keep the pace high.  Arrietta tried to block when Diane and another rider made a break, but other women came around.  During the second half Arrietta was able to come to the front and twice was able to slow the pace down and give Diane some recovery.  Arrietta lead the last lap and Diane sprinted for the win, with Arrietta taking third.

This was a very successful showing for Trek’s women’s team!
Thanks for reading,
Arrietta