Updates from Richard Jacinto

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Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:23:01 GMT

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Race Report-USA Cycling MTB National Championships

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:46:25 GMT

July 16, 2009
78º+ F, little wind, dusty, high UV factor
DNF

Southwest Airlines is great with bikes. Only $50 each way in a bike box. Some airlines won't take them or charge upwards of $100 or more.

A couple of days prior to my departure, I called around for shuttle costs to Winter Park. One company told me it was $60 each way. After they found out I had a bike, the price doubled. According to them, my bike takes up so much space that it bumps a paying passenger off the shuttle. I told them I was going to rent a car instead.

When I got to the rental counter, the clerk sold me on upgrading to a Prius. I was curious about the car and paid the $15 extra per day. I folded the rear seats down and my bike box fit with room to spare. It had plenty of pickup, even at 12,000 ft. I even averaged 48 MPG at 80 MPH.

I arrived two days before the race and pre-rode the course that day. It was awful, going from sea level to 9,000+ in five hours. I couldn't get my heart rate up, I was out of breath and a had massive headache. I didn't ride the next day and worked on my bike. I replaced my chain and installed Nokon shift cables. Did all the things you're not supposed to do the day before an event. Even had a few beers.

This is the toughest race course I've been on all year, worthy of our national championships. At the start, we immediatly start climbing, gaining 160 feet in the first quarter mile. I even passed a couple of walkers. One of them in a Reno Wheelmen kit. Doesn't that guy live at altitude? With 15 miles to go, I'm completely maxed out. At least I'm able to get my heart rate up to almost sea level rates.

The course is lots of rocky single track through the forest, connected by fire roads. Within the first mile, I passed someone on the side of the road, puking his guts out. Then riders from the next start group pass me. They started two minutes behind me. And they're older than me. This is not going to be a good day.

I managed to climb the rocky singletrack without difficulty, but slowly. I decided to run a smaller, lighter rear tire in case of rain. It works well on buff trails, but doesn't have enough volume to soak up the chatter. I could have used the larger tire, as the smaller one almost came to a complete stop when encountering rocks while climbing.

The downhills were an adventure. Fine dust, decomposed granite, rocks, ruts and braking bumps, conspired to take me down at every turn. There's even one section that's rideable, but faster to run down. Roll 100 feet, drop 50. A crowd was lined up there waiting for carnage, but I denied them their candy.

During the rocky singletrack climb, I developed a small leak. Every time I aired up, it went down again within a mile. I had a tube, but didn't use it. I finished the first lap in 1:15, not bad if I didn't have to stop so many times. Repeating the climb at the start was harsh, I almost started zig zagging across the road, making my own switchbacks.

Finally, midway on the last lap, I ran out of CO2 and called it a day. I turned around and back tracked to the finish. I only passed 5 riders.

Next time, I'll get out of my weight weenie tire mode and run a larger volume tire that can soak up more of the bumps. If necessary, put the tube in, and carry a pump for backup. Even if you're out of the race, at least you don't have to walk back.

Race Report-CCCX #10

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:56:13 GMT

June 28, 2009
60º+ F, little wind
7th Place

This was the series finale and I wanted to leave it all on the table. I had a great first lap (18 min), maintaining contact with the leaders. A second not too bad lap (18.5 min), where I was riding with a shadow. A third tired lap (19.5), but I did manage to pass the eventual 3rd place series finisher. And then a blistering final lap of 17.5 minutes.

During the third lap, I couldn't shake two riders. After we passed the finish line, I hammered the rest of the way and had almost a minute lead over those two at the finish.

This was my best finish yet, only 4.5 minutes off the leader. If I had only managed to keep up the 18 minute laps, I could have moved up a place, maybe even podiumed.

Race Report-Skyline Park MTB

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:25:20 GMT

June 14, 2009
75º+ F, little wind
10th Place

I'd never raced here before, so I contacted Dain Zaffke at WTB for tire recommendations. He suggested a Mutano Raptor 2.4 up front paired with a 2.1 Nano Raptor on the rear. Great call, Dain. They're both high volume tires and worked well with the hardtail. I even saw him running the same tires on his full suspension Yeti ASR-SL.

Skyline Park has hosted numerous World Cup races and last year's Single Speed World Championships. The course runs through Valley Oak, Manzanita and Poison Oak, mostly on singletrack.

Right after the start, I'm hosed. My rear tire burped air on the first turn, waisting precious minutes. I filled it as quickly as I could and played catchup the entire race.

It's a tough course with an off camber hike a bike section and rocky, loose downhill single track. If this was casual ride, I probably would have walked those downhill sections. About halfway trough the first lap, I started catching up to racers in my group.

I kept pushing and managed to pull off a 10th place finish. Not bad considering my tire snafu at the start.

Race Report-CCCX #7

Mon, 18 May 2009 11:36:13 GMT

CCCX #7 Race Report
May 15, 2009
70º+ F, little wind
5th Place

I finally cleaned up my bike from the Coolest 24 Hours mudfest and I was ready for my first solo race on the Trigon. I kept the same tires, WTB's Exiwolf 1.9 front and Wolverine 1.95 rear. Even though the rear tire doesn't have much volume, I wanted to test it on hardpack and sand.

The race started as I expected, with the leaders gapping me within the first lap. I forgot my HR monitor, so I had to go old school and rely on rating of perceived exertion (RPE). The first two laps were 9/10 RPE, the third around 7/8. I knew I was easily in the top 10, but we were so strung out, I didn't know exactly.

I passed the 2nd place points leader on the 2nd lap and was only passed again on the third by my nemesis, Tick. I backed off my effort on the third lap, but didn't know how much I was lagging without my HR monitor. I also forgot my Endurolites and had to bum off SportLegs from Tick. Luckily it wasn't extremely baking. In addition, I had no idea how long it took for each lap.

On one of the exposed fire road sections, I saw Tick and someone else in my group. That, along with multiple hits of my gel flask and water bottle, gave me the energy to bridge the gap on the final lap. As I made the pass on the final lap, I asked him (3rd place points leader) who else was ahead in our group, but his response was muddled. I decided to put the hammer down and easily dropped him.

When I arrived at the finish, the organized called out 5th place. Woo Hoo. This is a tough group. The series leader has won every race and finished 2nd at Sea Otter in a sprint finish. Three others were top 10 at Sea Otter.

For the first time this season, I finished in front the 2nd and 3rd place points leaders. I don't know if they had problems with the heat, mechanicals or aliens. I'm taking that as a sign of great things to come.

Race Report-Coolest 24 Hours

Wed, 06 May 2009 15:35:06 GMT

5 man open, 220+ years

14 laps

2nd place

Rain and mud

Arrival

Tick and I arrived around 1:30 PM on Friday and chose a spot one row removed from the first single track section. I was a fortuitous choice, as it made hand offs easier. We eventually stopped waiting around the chute and instead took off from our campsite. We were between Snowjnky's and Mountain Hardware's camps, right next to one of the many free kegs provided by the race organizers. The Mountain Hardware guys setup this incredible tent, the kind you see in National Geographic's pictures of Mt. Everest base camp. They said a larger version of this tent is used as a hospital there.

It was drizzling during setup, turning to steady rain as dinner approached. Carmen had volunteered to cook dinner, but rescinded her promise as the weather worsened. So, eight of us walked down to a pizza parlor that didn't have a liquor license. We quickly ate and then stopped by the bar on the way back to camp to carbo load and hydrate. Rough cut wood floors, pool table, both kinds of music on the jukebox, cowboy hats, none of this rhinestone stuff.

Jeff "Suave" Hecox

Remember that road trip scene from Animal House, when they walked into the bar and everything came to a complete stop. Even the music. Yeah, that was our reception. The locals warmed up quickly, though. In fact, Jeff could have had his choice that night. It was awe inspiring to see a master at work. The first blond in a soft leg cast said, " Oh, there's a tall one," and the second one eventually tried to sell him a house.

We're still chatting with the realtor, when a guy walks into the bar with a dog. He comes up to Jeff, grabs his hand and says, "That's my wife." Jeff's all calm and collected, as he's obviously dealt with this situation many a time. He casually told the husband about the race, and the guy offered Jeff $20 on the spot. He said it was a donation to our worthy cause. I called it a bribe to get Jeff to lay off his wife. We, I mean Jeff, didn't take his money, but asked him to make a donation during the race.

As we were consuming a plethora of Widmer Hefeweizens, this grizzled old guy comes in and starts setting up what I thought was a live band. Turns out it was Karaoke of all things. The realtor starts the show and she's a ringer with her version of Nobody Does it Better. Nobody wanted to follow that act.

Quite the Storm

We walked back to camp in the pouring rain and contemplated going to sleep at 8 PM. Tick went over to the Mountain Hardware tent and scored us an invite. It was dry and they had beer. We hung out with those guys until almost midnight before going to bed. It was howling and I kept getting up during the night to make sure our canopies didn't fall over. I hung bikes, a cooler and my toolbox on mine for weight. I even setup some guy lines. The rain finally stopped around 1 AM.

We Also Raced

The next morning, Carmen and Tick made breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs and coffee. We discussed our strategy and prepped the bikes. Our order was Tick, Jeff, Marco, myself, then JL. We would have sent out our captain first, but JL didn't show up until 10 AM. The race came to a complete clusterf*ck within a minute as no one wanted to get wet and muddy at the first stream crossing less than a quarter mile from the start.

The proposed handoff area was right down the chute from the start line, but really didn't work out. Teams started lining up at the first turn where it was wider. At the beginning, the next rider was waiting for the previous one to arrive for a mythical baton handoff. Soon, it became once you reached the dismount point, your teammate took off. For us, it morphed into come and get me when it's my turn.

I only managed to ride everything on my first lap. I couldn't shift to my three lowest cogs and had to clean out my housing and change the rear derailleur cable. My night lap combined with mud, rain, fatigue and not enough lumens made me walk a few of the steepest sections. Rafael was still holding court when I returned at 1 AM. Fortunately he left soon after and I got a few hours sleep. Tick and his tent, unfortunately, were right next to Rafael he and heard everything.

I got up at 3 to relieve myself as Jeff was preparing for his lap. He told me that Marco looked pretty haggard after his lap and that I might need to go out early. I set my alarm for 5 AM and prayed for his speedy recovery. I was relieved to hear Marco stirring about when I awoke. I started getting ready during his lap when Jim stopped by to tell us the race was ending two hours early. I did the math, if Marco gets back by 8, I'm going. I had breakfast, cleaned and lubed my chain and rear derailleur cable and waited. Fortunately, Marco arrived with 2.25 hours to spare.

It was raining the whole lap which actually improved traction. Anywhere it was steep, I rode in the running water. I was nice and solid there, compared to the slick stuff on either side of me. As I made the left turn over the root near the end, I over cooked it, hooked the tree with my left elbow and went down on my back. I got up quickly and sprinted to the finish. Before I left, I gave Tick the keys so he could start loading the Explorer. I guess I was too fast, as only his tent was packed up. Oh well, we had plenty of time to kill, as it was a major traffic jam with double parked vehicles.

Podium

We never knew the team standings until 11:30 AM. Turns out we came in second, behind some Sho-Air ringers. We collected our hardware and took a team photo under the finish line. We'll have to PhotoShop JL into the picture as he left earlier.

Race Report-Sea Otter Classic

Wed, 06 May 2009 15:27:36 GMT

Cat 2, 45 to 49

1:44:31

54 of 90

Perfect racing weather

Eight minutes faster than last year

As soon as I saw Paul Ellison getting dropped on the Corkscrew climb within the first mile, I knew this was going to be difficult race. He's one of the fastest local racers, and one I've yet to keep up with.

This year we had five minute intervals between starts, which relieved the bottleneck at the first single track section. I lost traction and fell on a dusty sweeping right hand turn, but got up quickly without impeding traffic. The only slowdown occurred on the first single track climb. There are very few passing opportunities, and I was kind of tapped out to make any aggressive moves through traffic.

I'm definitely improving my downhill skills, as I had no problems on the sandy sections. But, I need to work on rhythm sections and maintaining momentum.

It was still a tough grind on the exposed fire road climb, but at least the weather was better.

I wish I had fresher legs for a better race, but I went on the Bicycling Magazine ride on Friday. It was definitely worth it, as I met the editor, some of her staff, and industry heavyweights from Pinarello, Mavic, Time Speedplay, Scott, Pedros, and others.

We started from the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey for a social ride via 17 mile drive. It was nice and easy until the climb to Highway 1. Then it was fireworks time. I was keeping up the the lead group and maxing out my HR, but decided to back off and save something for the race.

Race Report-Napa Vallley Dirt Classic

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:02:27 GMT

Sport 45 to 54

2:01

31 of 45

Two falls

Eight minutes faster than last year, still 20 min. off the leader.

Not much to say about the race, so I'll tell you about my falls. The first one happened on the hard left just before we reached the airport. I locked up my rear wheel and rode up the backside of a rear tire, washing out on my left side.

The second one was one of my best. I happened at the bottom of Pope Valley. I was descending well and took the line on the right. I was trying to slow down before the little water crossing, but didn't scrub off enough speed. I hit the bottom, the bike stopped and I went over the bars hard. I got up quickly, twisted my bars back and remounted. I think Matt was right behind me and said that was Epic as he rode by. I briefly thought about stopping and waiting for a ride back to the start, but it was quicker to finish the race as I only had 5 miles to go. I was achy, but still in one piece and started riding in survival mode. Although, I did manage to fight off one rider as we climbed back to the airport and dropped another before the last single track section and held him off to the finish.

Quick shower, followed by a visit to the EMTs, a couple of Aleve and beer later, and I'm beat.

I did win the prize for best knee injury. A sweet orange CalTrans polo.

The only other time I crashed this badly was when I carpooled in Tick's van for a CCCX race last year. DNF, busted helmet, the works. I will never ride in his van again. It's bad mojo.

Race Report-Cool MTB Race

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:49:45 GMT

9th place
1:51:26
10 min off the leader
Field size: 39

Another top 10

I haven't given much thought toward season goals until now. I'm now dedicating my season to all top 10 finishes. I've never done that before as a Cat 2. Other goals:

Qualify for MTB Nationals
Win a race
Podium at Santa Ynez Valley US MTB Cup

That's enough for now.

Race Report-CCCX #2

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:13:19 GMT

Sport 45–54
8th place

19 in field

21 miles

1,600+ feet of climbing

1:36:36

I made some changes to my off-season training and don't feel as slow as the beginning of the previous two seasons. I spent 3 weeks off the bike prior to Thanksgiving to recover from ear surgery, giving my legs some much needed rest. I'm finally below 170 lbs. on a consistent basis and my body fat has dropped a couple percent as well, hovering around 10 percent. Once I got back on the bike, I was able to build a good base, more power and greater endurance.

This race was a last minute decision as economic realities may not allow much racing this year. But, my sister and her husband were visiting from Pittsburgh, PA, and had never seen me race. So, I suggested that they arrive later with my wife, watch the race, then go to Monterey and Carmel afterwards.

I was with the lead group for almost a lap, but fell back with Paul Ellison, who finished in 5th place. He was on my wheel for another lap, but when he passed me, I was unable to keep his wheel. After two laps plus the start loop, I looked down at my watch, and it indicated 53 minutes. Where in the **** were the leaders? Is it just me, or did my group gain three more skinny Russ Carmick's this year? I knew I had a lot of work to do when I saw the leaders passing me (beginning their 5th lap, ending my 4th) going the other direction where the course parallels itself. From there, I still had the two swoopy single track sections, lap line and small climb afterwards to get to that section.

I overtook a few younger riders and managed to hold my position after Paul passed me. At the finish, I felt like I had given it my all, and had nothing left unlike prior races. While I've certainly learned the value of recovery, I don't think more rest would have made me 9 minutes faster.

Race Report-Whisketown Classic

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:57:58 GMT

Sport 45-54

2nd place

After 3 years, I'm finally figuring out this course. There's no place to rest, and you really need to maintain your momentum through the berms and rollers.

The course starts out with a gradual fire road climb for a couple of miles before entering the first single track section. Even if you don't make the hole shot, there's plenty of passing opportunities. After a few rollers, you're on a short fire road section until the hike a bike leading you to the Clear Creek Canal trail. It's an old water flume with bermed turns that you need to rail to maintain your momentum and conserve energy.

The second hike a bike section stars off with a rocky switch back and a drop, taking you down a loose, dusty, rooty and rocky section to a creek bed. It's a skid and balance test that I passed both laps. I finally caught the leader (Tick) at that section and took the shortcut directly up the other side while he took the more gradual hike to the right.

After exiting the single track, there's a long, high speed fire road descent followed by a hard right turn across the Clear Creek bridge. Tick missed the turn and stopped before the tape, giving me a taste of the lead until the second lap.

After another fire road climb and fast descent, we started climbing Satan's Crack. The transition onto the single track is a g-out through gravel while veering right. This was the most challenging section of the course for me as we climb up the side of a windless and hot ravine. Tick and I traded places on the climb, where I crested the climb first.

The line of the first part of the fire road descent is on the left, right next to the drop off. I took it too hot and locked my rear wheel to get back on line. I even unclipped my inside leg and tapped the ground a couple of times on the sweeping right hander. Tick was right behind me and said my rear wheel was almost over the edge.

We then ended up on pavement, followed a short, rocky single track section before the fire road climb to the start line. Tick got away from me then and I didn't see him again on the second lap until the finish.

There's only one more race in the NorCal Series, the LaGrange Fall Classic in Weaverville. This one's for all the marbles as I'm only in 1st place by three points.

Race Report-California State XC Championships

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:57:06 GMT

Sport 45–49

7th place

I gotta figure out this dust thing

Yeah, we're starting at 7,000 ft. and going up to 9,000+ a couple of times, but the dust was more of a factor than the lack of air. I completely popped at the start of the race and was left in the dust, and not just figuratively. Maybe I should go Beijing and race with a mask.

There's plenty of passing opportunities, as we're on fire road for the majority of the race. Once I caught my wind, I started passing riders, but couldn't make up the gap. I may have caught one, maybe two riders in my group. I stalled on an "S" turn between a downed tree on the first single track descent, ran through the section, and managed a nice cyclocross mount without losing much time.

We started climbing again to the ridge line fire road, where I played cat and mouse with another racer in my group. He was riding a 3 x 1 and when he started walking a steep section near the summit, I dropped him for good.

After reaching the ridge line fire road, I caught a tandem and knew I needed to pass them before the next single track. As I was attempting to pass, the stoker said, "Slow down." I don't know if it was directed to me or his captain as we were in a loose turn at the time. The reached the section first and they allowed me to pass before the trees. The second single track section is deceiving as it gradually rises, culminating in riding over both a downed tree, then up a loose, rooty section between a couple of Ponderosa Pines.

We're now at the best part of the course, Upper Fall Line. It's a mile of loose dust over sharp shale. Just as I started the descent, another rider started to walk in front of me. I called out "TRAIL," which spooked him enough to get out of the way. Near the end of the trail, I caught a rider from another group, and passed him on the fire road.

I started climbing for the second time to the ridge line and returned to the start, making another turn onto the final single track descent. It had lots of loose, rocky switch backs, with some roots thrown in for good measure. I passed a few more racers on this section and rolled through the finish line.

Next week, I'm racing at Whiskeytown, one of the classic races just west of Redding.

Update from Richard Jacinto

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:05:50 GMT

Race Report-Howell Mountain Challenge

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:56:30 GMT

Howell Mountain Challenge

August, 10, 2008

Sport 45–49

10th place, 2:05

95°+, dry and dusty

I was 6 minutes slower than last year. Fortunately, the conditions made everyone else slower as well.

A few months ago, I started working out with Al Painter, from Integrate Performance Fitness in Mountain View, CA. He recently opened his own workout studio and created a test program for MTB riders focusing on building power and balance. Workouts were an hour of circuit training with light weights, high reps, and quick transitions to keep our heart rates up. Many exercises required wobbly surfaces (foam, swiss balls, BOSU, etc.) to engage core muscles. As we were posting our program reviews on mtbr.com, someone asked about the "control group". Well, we didn't have an official group other than our fellow racers. Now, I'm the "control group," as my results have suffered since stopping the program.

My next race is the California state championships a month from now. That's plenty of time to restart the program.

Race Report-USA MTB Nationals

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:24:43 GMT

July 18, 2008
Mt. Snow, Vermont
87°, humid, partly cloudy
13th place, Sport 45–49, 1:26

This was the second year at this location and the course was dialed in. Unlike Windham, there were lots of fireroad passing opportunities before reaching the single track. Unfortunately, I was the passee instead of the passer.

I had no power and couldn't maintain as high a heart rate compared to my previous race five days earlier. I was off the bike for four days, and took it easy on my practice lap the day before my race. Got plenty of sleep, ate really well, and didn't drink much. BTW, the Cherrystone clams at Boston's Union Oyster House were especially tasty. Didn't do much except walk around Boston for a couple of days. I don't know why I was off my game that day. I really had high hopes based on the previous race.

I knew it was game over when, nearing the top of the course during the first lap, three female racers passed me. They probably started 4 minutes behind me. I enjoyed God's bounty in its many forms until they rode out of sight.

These were the toughest climbs I'd ever encountered in a race, maxing out at 25%. Luckily there were no extended forested single track climbs to bunch us up. It was only a problem on forest descents. It's rocky, rooty, and slightly damp as the parade of riders wore down the course. The rocks were granite compared to shale at Windham. Not sharp, but large enough to stall your momentum going up or down if you were going slow. The stair steps down the roots were especially fun at speed. You needed speed to maintain your line, otherwise you'd start riding a root and would slide across the trail.

I didn't fall, I didn't walk, I didn't break bike parts, and I didn't top 10. On the plus side, I beat ShoAir's Scott Tedro, the top ranked sandbagger, I mean, rider in my group. Ok, technically he DNFd. I'll take what I can get.

Race Report-East Cost National @ Windham Mtn.

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:26:42 GMT

Since we're in New Jersey for a wedding on July 6, why don't we stay for Mt. Snow on July 18?

We had planned this trip for months and decided to extend our east cost swing to visit Philadelphia (wife's home town) and Boston (don't know anybody there). Luckily, Windham had a race the week before Nationals, offering me a tune up opportunity. I've never ridden anywhere but Cali, and was concerned about the roots and rocks. I had a difficult time choosing a durable, but light tire for the conditions. After a couple of emails and a conversation with Dain at WTB, I raced on ExiWolf 1.95s.

I didn't like those derailleurs anyway

I took a well needed rest and got back on the bike again on the 9th. As I was reassembling my bike, I stripped the B-screw on the rear derailleur and the cable pinch bolt on the front. Not the screw or bolt, but the freakin threads on the derailleurs. I tried to upgrade, but I couldn't find a low-normal XTR derailleur. XT worked great and was less than half the price with only a small weight gain.

Three cassettes later

During my pre-ride at Windham, I kept adjusting my cable tension, trying to fix some ghost shifting. After one lap, I noticed that the 30 tooth cog on my old XT cassette was bent. I got a new SRAM 990 cassette and bent that one within 10 minutes. I finally put on an LX cassette and haven't bent that one yet. Oh yeah, and add two chains to go along with the cassettes. I picked up an XTR cassette upon my return and I'm also ordering some new chainrings to complete the drive train refresh.

The Race

July 12, 2008
East Coast National @ Windham Mountian
70°+, 60% humidity, cloudy
4th place, Sport 40–49, 1:11

10 miles and 1,800' of climbing never seemed this difficult before.
Windham Mtn. is a small ski resort in the Catskills. The race course starts at the base lodge and meanders across the ski runs and through the trees. There's an immediate choke point within the first 1/8 mile as the course transitions from gravel road to single track. I had a great start and was third at that point. After two short tree sections, you immediately start up a 20% climb before the first ski run traverse.
The single track sections were dusty over shale with a few ladders over the muddy sections. Some of the wooded sections reminded me of Steam Donkey at Skeggs.
I held my 3rd place position until the backside of the first lap. I was fourth in a group of riders before descending the "Mini Wall" section. I just couldn't find enough open space to pass four guys and paid the price. The lead rider went down, causing me to dismount and run the section. Five riders passed me—at least one in my group.
After the first lap, I started climbing with more effort. That's where the iBike shines. I know right away if I'm creating more power. I started passing guys again, including the guy in my group who passed me earlier.
I hung around the finish waiting for the results, but finally returned to the B&B to clean up and pack. It was raining when we returned and I had to hunt for the results board. 4th place.

I'm ready for Nationals.

My First Citizen's Arrest

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:18:02 GMT

I'm on my way home this morning and my riding buddies and I stop next to a car straddling the left turn only and thru traffic lanes at a red light. I didn't give it much thought and rode away in the bike lane when the light turned green. As I started moving, I hear a horn behind me, and then the same car passes me within inches. It was close enough to reach out and touch the roof. I'm pissed and sprint off after the guy, hoping to catch him at the next light. For reasons unknown to me, the driver stopped in the middle of the road, between the double yellow lines, where one of my buddies gets in front of him and starts screaming. The driver then attempted a 3-point turn, bashing the curb in the process. Now, he's just stopped, blocking the lane, completely incoherent, mumbling something about just getting up. I started taking pictures of himself and the car as they coaxed him to park correctly. He gets out, and can barely stand up. As my friends were dealing with him, I made a wreckless driver complaint to SJPD and requested an officer on the scene. After what seemed like and eternity, two cruisers show up. One of the officers took a statement from me, interviewed the driver, and then asked me if I felt his actions were dangerous enough to warrant a citizen's arrest. I answered in the affirmative, and he said "That's all I need to know," and sent us on our way.

We got lucky. He wasn't freaking out or belligerent. I wouldn't recommend doing this on your own or in a less populated setting.

Score one for cyclists.

Race Report-CCCX #9

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:24:32 GMT

Tanned, rested, and ready to go

I was in 5th position for the first half lap and watched the leaders gap me as I recovered from the fast start. I knew I had four more laps to go and needed to pace myself. A few more riders in my group passed me but I caught up to them on the second lap where they reached the 4th place rider. I was in 5th when the 4th place rider mis shifted, causing me to dismount and run up the hill.

Helmets work

I quickly remounted after my run up, and was pedaling furiously when a yellow jacket decided to get in between me and my base layer. I tried to kill it as it stung my chest numerous times. My front wheel twisted in the sand and I went over the bars, landing first on the back of my head, followed by my left shoulder and elbow. I quickly got up and moved my bike out of the trail and watched my group ride away. I finally managed to kill that SOB and quickly took stock of my condition. Bloody Elbow + Broken Helmet = Race Finished.

I slowly rode to the finish line, where EMTs and a keg awaited. On the way back, I passed a rider in my group running along with a broken chain. He later swapped bikes with his sister's and asked if her bike made his butt look big. The EMTs cleaned me up and checked my neck and head. I returned to the car and washed off the rest of the dirt and PO. Then it was back to the EMTs for some bandages. After that, I changed my goal to getting everyone to finish the keg before the experts and pros ended their race. It was a valiant, and tasty effort.

Race Report-CCCX #8

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:48:56 GMT

Sport 45–54

4th Place

High 60s

Sunny with haze

10+ mph wind from the west

I didn't recover enough from the Tour de Cure last week.

Instead of taking it easy, I rode every day up to the race. I forgot that I did a week's worth of volume with more intensity in just one day. I also ate a larger breakfast than my previous race, went out with the leaders instead of going a little easier at the beginning and building up the pace later, forgot my gel, my lucky socks, my … So now I know and will prepare accordingly for the series final on June 29. That's also the 4th of 7 NorCal Series races and I'm the defending champion in the Sport 45-49 category.

As our group's CCCX series leader was absent, I thought I'd have a chance to finish better than last race's 3rd place. We went out fast the first lap and started to string guys out on the second lap. Until the 4th lap, I thought I was anywhere from 1st to 3rd. I only found out about the new guy in the lead when I was passed almost midway through the final lap. I told him there was only one ahead and then he reminded me of the new guy. I wished I would have known that, as I was within 10 seconds of him during a climb on the third lap.

I maintained a much higher heart rate vs. the previous race, but my power numbers were lower. I was really spent the final lap, giving up a minute compared to lap 3. I was passed again at the half way point and really picked up the pace on the downhill before the final climb. I caught and passed him again but didn't feel free until I cleared the hairpin just prior to finish.

Tour de Cure Ride Report

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:56:00 GMT

Ok, this was a charity ride, not a race. But I kept stats nonetheless.

77 miles

7,500+ feet of climbing

4 hours, 58 minutes ride time, less than 5.5 hours from ride start

We left at 6:30 am to the bagpipe solo from AC/DCs "It's a long way to the top." I hooked up with the lead group and enjoyed the pull to the base of Kings Mountain Road. Once we reached the climb (1,600 ft. in 4.3 miles), I settled in for the long haul and lost contact with the group. I didn't eat too much at the 1st rest stop. I refilled my bottle with Gatorade and ate 1/4 of a PB&J sandwich along with a small piece Hobee's coffee cake. I then headed south on Skyline and turned right on Highway 84 toward the coast. The descent was incredible, with unbelievable weather. Sunny the whole day and not too windy coast side.

The next stop in Pescadero, same drill, a little bit to eat and drink refill, then onward to Tunitas Creek via Stage Road. By the time I reached Tunitas Creek, I knew I needed to eat more to make it back. I ate about twice as much compared to the other stops, but didn't go on a total binge as I still had to climb back up to Skyline. The final climb (1,900+ in 8.9 mi.) lulls you into a sense of complacency as it gradually climbs on fresh asphalt, only to try and break your will as the roadway ascends on broken macadam. Some spots reach 10%+, daring you to get off and rest. I caught up to a few faster riders, who paced me up the hill. I'm glad I ran into them, as I probably would have eased up, missing my 5 hr. goal in the process. Rick, thanks for setting the tempo. As we were on the steeps, a Webor rider passed us world champion stripes on his kit. I mentioned out loud that the WC was going to show us how it's done and he said he got the stripes on the track as he was dropping us like a bad habit.

It was hot once I reached the top, probably around 90°. I shed some clothing, ate and drank some more, called the wife to arrange the post-race, I meant ride picnic, and started the descent. Kings Mtn. is lightly travelled compared to Highway 84 and Page Mill Road, with great pavement. I managed to follow a Webcor rider (same guy?) with WC stripes down the hill. He obviously knew the descent well and I learned a lot from following his line.

I rolled in just before noon and had real food compared to last year's dried out sandwiches for the late comers.

Other than at the start, this was mainly a solo ride, which makes my time even more amazing.

Race Report-CCCX #7

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:40:19 GMT

Sport 45–54

3rd place

35 seconds from 1st

10 seconds from 2nd

Best Race Ever

This weeks game plan of letting the leaders go and reeling them in finally worked. I managed a steady but hard pace and passed Tick at the far end of the course as we reached the pavement on the 4th lap, Robert at the start of the 5th and Bruce within the first mile of the last lap.

I probably would have caught them sooner, but my front wheel washed out on that second 90° turn onto the single track during the first lap. Tick and Robert got away and it took me three laps to catch them. I got up quickly and wasn't passed at that time.

I kept pushing and finally left Bruce for good at the same spot as Tick. I managed to pass a few more on the maze before the finish and didn't see too many racers there. I stood around as more finishers arrived and went up to Rod and asked him if number 943 was in the money. It was.

Highlights

Last race, I was 10 min. off the leader. I never thought I could keep up, let alone almost catch him.

The mini-crash session last week worked. I can handle the volume and intensity.

I'd never beaten Robert or Bruce before.

I used my iBike Pro and found that Wattage data was much more useful than HR.

Tour de Cure

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:01:07 GMT

On June 8, I'm participating in the Diabetes Society's Tour de Cure fundraising ride. I'll be doing the 120K route from Palo Alto to the coast and back. It's my longest ride of the year and I'm planning for less than 5 hours of actual ride time. The rest stops are well stocked, with plenty to eat and drink.

Click here to visit my fundraising page.

Race Report-CCCX #6

Fri, 30 May 2008 13:44:55 GMT

May 24, 2008

12th place, 1:45

Fire season started early.

The Summit fire created air conditions that reminded me of my trip to Manila last February. My throat was raw and I caught a cold.

I raced OK, given my condition.

I started a mini-crash session this week and have been on the bike daily since Monday, May 27. Lots of hill climbs, seated and standing. Level 2–5 work along with strength training. I feel great, even with the cold. I'm hoping to find my over training limits along with a power increase. I'll let you know after Sunday's race.

Race Report-2008 Santa Ynez Valley Classic

Tue, 27 May 2008 16:35:51 GMT

May 18, 2008

17th place, 1:19

11 minutes faster than last year.

On a more difficult course.

But, still 11 minutes off the leader.

This year with hot showers!

I need more cowbell, I mean, power. I have all the endurance in the world, but guys ride away from me at the start. Even though I'm faster and fitter than last year, I need to up my workout intensity and time in the saddle. 4.5 hours per week makes me a mid pack finisher in most events. So, I've started longer, steeper hill climbs and MTB specific circuit training.

Dain at WTB recommended NanoRaptors for this hard pack course. I did a practice lap late Friday afternoon in 90°+ temps in 1:16. I ran a bit more tire pressure than in Shasta, but the tires rode harshly. They're a larger volume tire than the ExiWolfs I ran the previous race, and worked better on race day with less PSI. I'm also going to run more fork and shock pressure and adjust the rebound damping to firm up the NRS.

The race itself was uneventful. I set a finishing goal of 1.5 hrs for the 1.25 laps based on my practice lap and beat it by 11 minutes. I paced myself until the final climb before turning on the gas. It's a great strategy, if I wasn't so far behind the leaders. I'm already racing at tempo, under 11% body fat, and I'm not planning to lose muscle mass, so it's time for more training to increase my power.

I needed some bike bling, so I purchased a set of Ti skewers from the CBO booth and ran them during the race. The packaging said they were MTB compatible and I didn't notice any stretching. I'm also changing my rims from Velocity VXC to ZTR Olympics. The rim change alone will save almost half a pound of rotating weight.

Race Report-2008 Lemurian Shasta Classic

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:09:17 GMT

2nd place
Sport 45-54
20 miles
3,590' of climbing
2:26:29

I'm here!

So maybe I race best on more technical courses with lots of climbing. This one was a beast, 20 miles, two 1,000'+ gut busting climbs and white knuckle descents with lots of sweet single track linking everything together.

The rain preceding the race knocked down the dust, creating perfect conditions. It was sunny and mild in the 70�s with a slight breeze.

I knew that previous winners times were in the 2:30 range, so I set out with that in mind. I changed tires from 1.9 knobby front, 1.9 semi slick rear, to 1.95 WTB ExiWolfs. I never would have made it down in one piece on Gas Can or Couch with the semi slick. Just for the record, Gas Can descends 1,200' in 1.9 miles and Couch drops 800' in 1.2 miles.

We arrived Friday afternoon, checked in at the race venue and only had enough time to preview the short course. The single track descent down Brandy Creek was sweet, and I anticipated major beginner carnage that luckily didn't occur.

There was one single track section along the hill that required a dismount. I carried my bike on high side (wrong) and started pedaling on the low side (wrong again). I slipped, unclipped and put my foot down the hill to arrest my fall. My saddle got caught on a sapling as I fought to free myself and my bike, cursing all the while.

On the final hike a bike (for me and other mortals), it was refreshing to see pro's struggle up the hill in their granny gears. I didn't feel so weak for walking.

After five consecutive weeks of racing, I'm looking forward to fresher legs for the Santa Ynez Valley National in three weeks.