If you read the ncnca forum you notice no fewer than three threads complaining about the Snelling results...
Two team mates and I finished 10,11,12 or 11,12,13 in the M35+4/5 A flite after we worked our butts off to stay in group of 15 or so guys that finished together. My two team mates also worked like dogs to stave off DBC attacks - they had 14 guys in a field of 50, which is maybe a topic for another thread. Anyway, the 11th place finisher is listed as "unidentified" but how do you miss three guys from the same team in a strung out finishing group of 15? We all got DNP's. I sent a pic of us finishing to Velo Promo but I am not holding my breath. I really appreciate all the great races Velo Promo puts on but this should not happen. I realize I am talking about a Masters' 4/5 race but we train hard just like everyone else and like to see whatever meager results we achieve
I finished after Chris Phipps in the M35+ race in 8th place. At the results table they had the top 7 and then nothing else. Since places went to 6th we just ignored it and left it to them to sort out while we drove home. Imagine my surprise to see that I was skipped over in the results. The next 6 places 8th to 13th (should have been 9th to 14th) were the guys in the group I had just recently left.
I've got a problem with adult men whining about their placings. The fact of the matter is that whether the results placed you 14th or 35th or not at all doesn't matter... at all! The only time that it might remotely matter is if you are close enough to the front to earn upgrade points or BAR/BAT points... or in some cases, points towards a race series like the 99 Series. Even then, if you really are ready to upgrade you should be able to earn whatever points you lost by being misplaced in the next race or two...
but... before I go on a rant, a little about scoring races...
first, you have nearly amateur officials practically volunteering their time to drive out to nowheresville in the wind and rain or blazing sun to make sure we play fair. They have more to deal with than just you and the immediate group around you... at Snelling they had as many as 500 or more people on a 12 mile section of road at the same time and they weren't all conveniently staying in their neat little groups (something about fitness and wind and racing I guess). And there are no computers and fancy cameras to keep track of it all. The officials are using those little yellow legal pads to scribble down numbers as fast as they can, and if they are lucky, they have a camera that works to capture the finish... except that mixed in with that finishing group might be dropped riders from another field or riders that still have an additional lap remaining (oops, we aren't supposed to mix groups, right? but we do, and then we complain when we don't get finished in the right spot!). Then, after they've scribbled all those pages and pages of numbers, the officials have to try and sort the finishing order out on the spot while still scribling down numbers of other finishing groups, keeping people out of the cameras line of sight, and dealing with Johnny Go-Fast asking where he finished... no wonder they make mistakes.
Second, it is not the promoters fault that the results are screwed up. He/she can only post what the officials give to them. They are spending their time and money every weekend putting on races just so we can have our bit of fun... they are trying to break even or maybe scratch out a few bucks at most so don't give me any business about not having so many groups on the road at the same time... Get off VeloBob and his contemporaries' backs. Without them we don't... let me say that louder... DON'T... race our bikes... at all!
okay. back to my rant...
There is an element of vanity to bitching because you don't see your name next to 14th or 22nd place. I can understand the disappointment, but not the roll-on-the-floor-kicking-and-screaming-like-a-two-year-old fit. Let it go, nobody but you cares... and nobody is going to do anything about it. Just like with a two-year old, the best thing to do is ignore the fit...
Now, with juniors, there is something noble about a parent standing up for their young'n, but think about what you are saying and how it is being said beforehand... A kind word and gentle correction goes a lot further than demands. And, pick your battles... unless it really matters in the big scheme of things, it may not be worth getting the placing adjusted from 17th to 12th. Pat your kid on the back and tell him or her that you are proud of them.
I find it interesting that most of the whining on the forum comes from the 4's and 5's crowd... maybe you have to learn that results will be messed up before you can upgrade. One legitimate complaint that we let lie on Saturday may have really mattered... well, not really, but it cost Judd Van Sickle an upgrade point, a t-shirt, and maybe a $5 bill. There was significant evidence that one of the top 6 finishers in the p/1/2 race skipped a lap... he was placed and bumped Judd to 7th, out of the "money." Kudos to Judd for realizing that it wasn't worth the battle and letting it go. Guess the p/1/2 guys that have been around racing long enough realize that it is just TBR (that's bike racing).
In the end,we race bikes because we love it, because it is fun... not to see our name listed in the results. For most of us results don't matter anymore than the fact that you got out and rode your bike. Tomorrow or next week or next year nobody is even going to remember where you finished... even if you won. You know about where you finished, you know how hard you worked for that spot... that is what matters.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Green Light
AWfoSho got the green light from his doc to ride on the road at 4:30 today... by 5:00 he was out on the road! No racing yet, but no restrictions on training...
bring it on!
bring it on!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Snelling... The long version
I said earlier that the boys did well...
We won the 13/14 and the 15/16 races, but I haven't had a chance to chat with the victorious warriors yet. Shouldn't be too long before you can read all about their exploits on 45x12. Check it out...
I do know that Kelbster did battle with the wind in the 13/14 contest and finished strong. I tried to get all of the details out of him in the car on the way home, but he was out like a light before we even made it to highway 99. Guess that's what happens when you are twelve years old and stay up too late playing x-box the night before...
We had four starters in the 15/16 group. Robby, AJ, and the Tapinator succumbed to the wind and the speed of the lead group, but stuck it out to gain valuable experience. Robby did most of the race on a single speed because the mechanical monster jumped up and grabbed his rear derailleur. According to D-Tap our fast finisher rode away from the rest of the lead group in the finale'. Gotta like it.
PtotheArker was the only DBCJRT starter in the 17/18 group. A valiant effort by the kidlet earned him a fifth or sixth place finish (we think) Bummer thing is, PtotheArker couldn't stick around long enough to fetch his t-shirt.
Three of the kidlets raced their adult categories... El Gigante and Staz in the 3's and TK in the p/1/2 race.
The three's saw a break go away early that contained Staz. El Gigante stayed with the peloton letting the break go free... T'was not to be though. Staz ended up blowing chunks on the side of the road and had to withdraw. By that time the break was well clear and El Gigante was left with no choice but to ride out the miles... a dropped chain on the final lap put him in the grupetto which he lead home for 'round about half a lap. A quick note on grupetto etiquette... DON'T SPRINT at the end... especially if you are sprinting around somebody who dragged your sorry butt all the way home. You want to have friends in the peloton, not enemies. (editors note: to be grammatically correct, "one" should be used in place of "you" but in this case, "you" is appropriate because the comment is directed at one or two individuals who know who they are, but shall remain nameless)
The days show case race was a complete six lap sufferfest that included pros from BMC, Rock Racing, VMG Felt, Kelly Benefits, and Symetrics... not to mention 13 riders from Cal-Giant rounding out the 100 rider field... Giant took control of the race and whittled down the field to about 20 or so contenders with two laps to go... TK managed to make the lead group along with his Elite Team compatriot, Judd Van Sickle. The final lap saw attacks go off which formed a group of four up the road... TK made the bridge to make five just as Symetric's Wohlberg attacked out of the break. TK, getting a little more savvy, forced Cal-Giant to chase Wohlberg before he launched his attack that allowed him to solo in for the second step on the podium... not bad for a kidlet.
We won the 13/14 and the 15/16 races, but I haven't had a chance to chat with the victorious warriors yet. Shouldn't be too long before you can read all about their exploits on 45x12. Check it out...
I do know that Kelbster did battle with the wind in the 13/14 contest and finished strong. I tried to get all of the details out of him in the car on the way home, but he was out like a light before we even made it to highway 99. Guess that's what happens when you are twelve years old and stay up too late playing x-box the night before...
We had four starters in the 15/16 group. Robby, AJ, and the Tapinator succumbed to the wind and the speed of the lead group, but stuck it out to gain valuable experience. Robby did most of the race on a single speed because the mechanical monster jumped up and grabbed his rear derailleur. According to D-Tap our fast finisher rode away from the rest of the lead group in the finale'. Gotta like it.
PtotheArker was the only DBCJRT starter in the 17/18 group. A valiant effort by the kidlet earned him a fifth or sixth place finish (we think) Bummer thing is, PtotheArker couldn't stick around long enough to fetch his t-shirt.
Three of the kidlets raced their adult categories... El Gigante and Staz in the 3's and TK in the p/1/2 race.
The three's saw a break go away early that contained Staz. El Gigante stayed with the peloton letting the break go free... T'was not to be though. Staz ended up blowing chunks on the side of the road and had to withdraw. By that time the break was well clear and El Gigante was left with no choice but to ride out the miles... a dropped chain on the final lap put him in the grupetto which he lead home for 'round about half a lap. A quick note on grupetto etiquette... DON'T SPRINT at the end... especially if you are sprinting around somebody who dragged your sorry butt all the way home. You want to have friends in the peloton, not enemies. (editors note: to be grammatically correct, "one" should be used in place of "you" but in this case, "you" is appropriate because the comment is directed at one or two individuals who know who they are, but shall remain nameless)
The days show case race was a complete six lap sufferfest that included pros from BMC, Rock Racing, VMG Felt, Kelly Benefits, and Symetrics... not to mention 13 riders from Cal-Giant rounding out the 100 rider field... Giant took control of the race and whittled down the field to about 20 or so contenders with two laps to go... TK managed to make the lead group along with his Elite Team compatriot, Judd Van Sickle. The final lap saw attacks go off which formed a group of four up the road... TK made the bridge to make five just as Symetric's Wohlberg attacked out of the break. TK, getting a little more savvy, forced Cal-Giant to chase Wohlberg before he launched his attack that allowed him to solo in for the second step on the podium... not bad for a kidlet.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Brrrrief Snelling Redux
Brrr... that wind was cold, but the boys did well. Two firsts and a second. More tomorrow... I've been up since 4:00 am
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Linkage...
Couple of places to surf to when you have a few minutes to kill...
1) The junior point series standings have been updated on ncnca.org. They left Kelbster out, but I've been assured that that little omission will be corrected after Snelling.
2) Speaking of Snelling, have you seen the weather forecast? It'll be interesting to see just how many hardmen really are all that hard. It's not the rain that will be a problem, although it'll scare away all those made of sugar and spice (they might melt). But those made of slugs and snails and puppy dog tails and aren't afraid of the rain will have to deal with the 10-20 mph wind... on an open course like Snelling it oughta be field shattering. Plan on riding in the gutter, boys!
3) AJ's pops took a few photos of the boys at Cherry Pie. Check 'em out.
4) And AWfoSho took a few more pics...
1) The junior point series standings have been updated on ncnca.org. They left Kelbster out, but I've been assured that that little omission will be corrected after Snelling.
2) Speaking of Snelling, have you seen the weather forecast? It'll be interesting to see just how many hardmen really are all that hard. It's not the rain that will be a problem, although it'll scare away all those made of sugar and spice (they might melt). But those made of slugs and snails and puppy dog tails and aren't afraid of the rain will have to deal with the 10-20 mph wind... on an open course like Snelling it oughta be field shattering. Plan on riding in the gutter, boys!
3) AJ's pops took a few photos of the boys at Cherry Pie. Check 'em out.
4) And AWfoSho took a few more pics...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Thoughts from the Road
If you descend the north side of the Grapevine after dark you get to see miles and miles of headlights and tail lights streaming away up the central valley. It is pretty amazing to see the line of cars on 99 heading up the east side of the valley and an identical line on 5 heading up the west side... kinda cool, but all I could think was, "Man, that is a long ways to drive..."between trying to figure out what songs were playing on the kidlets i-pods, I had lotsa time to think...
First thought: that bike change during the crit was pretty slick. TK was the unfortunate beneficiary of somebody's front wheel making contact with his derailler. stayed upright and all, but his chain tied up in a knot better than any kid tying his shoe could do. What I heard over the race radio was the simple mantra, "Steveo, I'm f&%$ed, I'm f%$#ed!" repeated several times as he envisioned his GC placing slipping away. After getting him calmed down, I looked up to see Steel Joe pushing TK around the final corner. Joe pushed him to the pit and took off after the pack. Upon inspecting TK's bike, it became pretty clear that a bike change was needed if he was gonna save his GC spot. A quick shout into the radio brought Steel Joe back to the pit to give TK his bike, but Jan saved the day by charging through the crowd with the Staz's bike... same Dura-Ace pedals, same junior gearing... and TK was off when the pack came back around with Steel Joe baby sitting him, making sure he maintained his composure... how pro was that? Thanks Joe..
Second thought: TK is the real deal... the kid has more untapped talent. It'll be fun to see how far he takes this thing...
Third thought: El Gigante and Staz both raced well, but you could sense a little bit of AWfoSho in their heads during the crit. They've both seen the carnage a pile-up can cause and don't want any part of it. Gotta get out of your head if your gonna race your bike.
Fourth thought: thank God... AWfoSho's been feeling pretty low what with his mates down in AZ racing their bikes and all. Gotta simple text message from him on Friday, "this sucks, I want to quit." I went into damage control mode trying to get his head out of the gutter, but nothing I could do could match what Davitamon did for him on Sunday... Davitamon took him down to the ToC Prologue.
When the call came through that afternoon, AWfoSho sounded like a fifth-grade girl... "Dad, guess what! Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God. Guess what! Guess what!"
I thought I had a pretty good guess... "You saw Tom Boonen?" If there is anybody AWfoSho idolizes it is Tornado Tom...
"No, I shook his hand, and he signed my sling!"
Guess who was on the trainer for two hours today? Thank you Davitamon. Thank you Tornado Tom.
Oh, BTW, the VOS GC can be found here. TK-- 3rd out of 100 in the two's. El Gigante-- 39th out of 100 in the three's. Staz-- 43rd out of 100 in the three's.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Randoms from Phoenix
It truly was the Valley of the Sun today...
TK finished with the lead group to maintain his hold on the third step of the podium in the 2's. His DBC Elite team did a stellar job of making sure he was safe and comfortable for the final climb to the finish... as an added bonus, Paul Mach and Chris Morales both moved up a spot or two on the GC, we think... As it stands, the DBC Elite team has three in the top fifteen--TK in third spot, Paul Mach in 5th? and Chris Morales in 10th? 11th? We'll verify it all when the results are posted later tonight. Kudos to ex-DBCJRT athlete Steel Joe and Judd Van Sickle as they both sold themselves out today to make sure that nothing dangerous went up the road without the DBC anchor hanging on it...
In the 3's, El Gigante and Staz made the final selection and ended up somewhere in the top 25 of the 73 mile RR. El Gigante was 10th wheel with 300 meters to go but had to grab a handful of brakes when a wreck caused guys to swerve in front of him, nearly taking him off the pavement into the gravel. Can't grab brakes with 300 to go and still finish top 5... Angry... sure, but that's bike racing and sometimes top five finishes can be swamped in the blink of an eye. Both El Gigante and Staz moved up on the GC quite a bit today... we are expecting somewhere around 20 places or so, but that remains to be seen...
Bummer for PtotheArker as he felt the 12 hour car trip and the bonk monster today... but he's learning what it takes to be a stage racer!
I'm thoroughly impressed with all the guys... these are kidlets riding with big dawgs and more than holding their own. Gotta love it.. and, gotta love that the DBC Elite team is easily the top team in the 2's race. If there was a team classification we'd be rockin' it.
Also cool that the Sunday Jesse Ride crowd is putting on a show so far away from home. El Gigante and Staz both were feeling low most Sundays in December and January after being dropped as Jesse worked the watt-o-meter on the hills above Folsom, but if you figure that the guys they were riding with are plastered all over the top twenty of the 2's race they aren't feeling so bad now... All that hard work is paying off in a big way.
Shout out to ex-DBC Elite rider, now Cal-Giant, Tyler Dibble... he posted the fastest time of the day in yesterday's TT and easily defended his jersey today with a second place finish in the RR... all without a team. That boy's gonna sign a contract soon. Which is way cool because part of the DBC Elite Team's mission is to develop talent and help guys make that next step!!!
Finally... I've heard rumor that DBCJRT alum, Thor, won the 3's at Cantua today. If what I hear is true, he won out of a break and rode his break mates off his wheel in the finale despite a flat front tire... I think he'll know how to pronounce it when I say, "Power!"
Gawd, bike racing is fun!
TK finished with the lead group to maintain his hold on the third step of the podium in the 2's. His DBC Elite team did a stellar job of making sure he was safe and comfortable for the final climb to the finish... as an added bonus, Paul Mach and Chris Morales both moved up a spot or two on the GC, we think... As it stands, the DBC Elite team has three in the top fifteen--TK in third spot, Paul Mach in 5th? and Chris Morales in 10th? 11th? We'll verify it all when the results are posted later tonight. Kudos to ex-DBCJRT athlete Steel Joe and Judd Van Sickle as they both sold themselves out today to make sure that nothing dangerous went up the road without the DBC anchor hanging on it...
In the 3's, El Gigante and Staz made the final selection and ended up somewhere in the top 25 of the 73 mile RR. El Gigante was 10th wheel with 300 meters to go but had to grab a handful of brakes when a wreck caused guys to swerve in front of him, nearly taking him off the pavement into the gravel. Can't grab brakes with 300 to go and still finish top 5... Angry... sure, but that's bike racing and sometimes top five finishes can be swamped in the blink of an eye. Both El Gigante and Staz moved up on the GC quite a bit today... we are expecting somewhere around 20 places or so, but that remains to be seen...
Bummer for PtotheArker as he felt the 12 hour car trip and the bonk monster today... but he's learning what it takes to be a stage racer!
I'm thoroughly impressed with all the guys... these are kidlets riding with big dawgs and more than holding their own. Gotta love it.. and, gotta love that the DBC Elite team is easily the top team in the 2's race. If there was a team classification we'd be rockin' it.
Also cool that the Sunday Jesse Ride crowd is putting on a show so far away from home. El Gigante and Staz both were feeling low most Sundays in December and January after being dropped as Jesse worked the watt-o-meter on the hills above Folsom, but if you figure that the guys they were riding with are plastered all over the top twenty of the 2's race they aren't feeling so bad now... All that hard work is paying off in a big way.
Shout out to ex-DBC Elite rider, now Cal-Giant, Tyler Dibble... he posted the fastest time of the day in yesterday's TT and easily defended his jersey today with a second place finish in the RR... all without a team. That boy's gonna sign a contract soon. Which is way cool because part of the DBC Elite Team's mission is to develop talent and help guys make that next step!!!
Finally... I've heard rumor that DBCJRT alum, Thor, won the 3's at Cantua today. If what I hear is true, he won out of a break and rode his break mates off his wheel in the finale despite a flat front tire... I think he'll know how to pronounce it when I say, "Power!"
Gawd, bike racing is fun!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Valley of the... Rain
Big fat rain drops all day long couldn't put a damper on TK... How about third in the 2's TT? Not bad for a kidlet, eh? No pics yet, but I can describe it for you...
Big, black clouds in the background, fat rain drops in the foreground, and the focus is on a great suffer mug... The boy rode well.
El Gigante and Staz finished mid-pack in the three's and are free to surf the peloton tomorrow...
PtotheArker will be following wheels in the junior race, making sure that nothing slips up the road without him after a couragous ride in his TT.
Results are here... I think...
Big, black clouds in the background, fat rain drops in the foreground, and the focus is on a great suffer mug... The boy rode well.
El Gigante and Staz finished mid-pack in the three's and are free to surf the peloton tomorrow...
PtotheArker will be following wheels in the junior race, making sure that nothing slips up the road without him after a couragous ride in his TT.
Results are here... I think...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
I Know, I know...
I know this blog is supposed to be about bikes, but I have to give a shout out to my sweetie...
Happy Valentine's Day, Caren with a C!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
In My Living Room
T'was the night before Valley of the Sun and all through the house not an inch of floor space was to be found, not even enough for a mouse...
3 Cervelo Soloists...
3 Cervelo P3s...
2 Fuji Track Pros...
1 Fuji Team Pro...
1 Fuji Aloha CF-1...
1 Fuji SL 1...
1 Renn Disk...
1 Corima Disk...
1 Zipp Disc...
1 Zipp 404...
1 Zipp 909...
2 Flash Point FP 60s...
6 Ksyriums of varying variety...
6 Easton Vistas...
4 Shimano Dura-Aces...
4 Trainers...
4 TT Helmets...
8 Race Radios...
14 brand new kits...
7 brand new skinsuits...
1 pile of PowerBars...
Enough H2O bottles to drown an elephant...
Most of it heading south for Phoenix tomorrow in the early am...
Hopefully I'll find somebody's wireless to poach and can send some updates your way...
3 Cervelo Soloists...
3 Cervelo P3s...
2 Fuji Track Pros...
1 Fuji Team Pro...
1 Fuji Aloha CF-1...
1 Fuji SL 1...
1 Renn Disk...
1 Corima Disk...
1 Zipp Disc...
1 Zipp 404...
1 Zipp 909...
2 Flash Point FP 60s...
6 Ksyriums of varying variety...
6 Easton Vistas...
4 Shimano Dura-Aces...
4 Trainers...
4 TT Helmets...
8 Race Radios...
14 brand new kits...
7 brand new skinsuits...
1 pile of PowerBars...
Enough H2O bottles to drown an elephant...
Most of it heading south for Phoenix tomorrow in the early am...
Hopefully I'll find somebody's wireless to poach and can send some updates your way...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Spitting into the Wind
Jim sent me these... more photos of Cherry Pie as so on as AWfoSho gets them off his camera...
TK, tired of going in circles with a break of nine up the road, decided to test his fitness. He launched with seven to go and took a Kelly Benefits rider with him.
With two to go TK's break mate flatted and sent him off solo with a, "Good luck, dude!" muttered in a thick French-Canadian accent.
alas, the hungry pack swarmed TK with just meters to go in the race for the tenth spot. I think TK hung on for a top-twenty spot. The DBC Elite guys put four (TK, Judd Van Sickle, Phil Mooney, and Joe Iannarelli) inside the top-twenty of a hundred plus rider field.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Cherry Pie... Making sense of it all
With ten dbcjrt athletes competing in no fewer than seven races over the course of eight hours Cherry Pie made for a long day... but, I think I've made sense of most of it.
There were four pies and every podium place imagineable... first, second, third, third again. There was deep diggin' and gutsy riding... and it was fun!
I'm impressed with our win in the 13/14's, and with our podiums in the 10-12, 15/16 and 17/18 races, but it is boring to write about things that are expected. If you want the gory details of victory and glory I'm sure that you can read about it here shortly...
what I want to brag about is the unexpected... Kelbster hanging with the lead group of the 13/14's, even while giving up a year and a half to them, all in an effort to serve pie to AWfoSho... -or- Karch turning 150 plus rpm on the downhill while clinging desperately to the hind quarters of the lead group... -or- Robby, in his first-ever junior race, finishing with the lead group of 15/16's... -or- the smile on Torey's face as he recalled moments of joy and ecstasy in the first chase group-- the thrill of the hunt... -or- the grim determination on AJ's mug as he realized that bike racing hurts... -or- the lap that Brian got to race with his pops... -or- the utter disappointment TK must have felt after being gobbled up by the p/1/2 field 20 meters from the line after 5 or 6 laps in the wind... -or- the battle against tears AWfoSho waged as he watched his teammates doing battle without him...
those are moments that make junior bike racing what it is... gotta love winning, but gotta love each kid's personal victories just as much...
There were four pies and every podium place imagineable... first, second, third, third again. There was deep diggin' and gutsy riding... and it was fun!
I'm impressed with our win in the 13/14's, and with our podiums in the 10-12, 15/16 and 17/18 races, but it is boring to write about things that are expected. If you want the gory details of victory and glory I'm sure that you can read about it here shortly...
what I want to brag about is the unexpected... Kelbster hanging with the lead group of the 13/14's, even while giving up a year and a half to them, all in an effort to serve pie to AWfoSho... -or- Karch turning 150 plus rpm on the downhill while clinging desperately to the hind quarters of the lead group... -or- Robby, in his first-ever junior race, finishing with the lead group of 15/16's... -or- the smile on Torey's face as he recalled moments of joy and ecstasy in the first chase group-- the thrill of the hunt... -or- the grim determination on AJ's mug as he realized that bike racing hurts... -or- the lap that Brian got to race with his pops... -or- the utter disappointment TK must have felt after being gobbled up by the p/1/2 field 20 meters from the line after 5 or 6 laps in the wind... -or- the battle against tears AWfoSho waged as he watched his teammates doing battle without him...
those are moments that make junior bike racing what it is... gotta love winning, but gotta love each kid's personal victories just as much...
This much I know...
Karch, Kelbster, Alex, Tapinator, Robby, Torey, AJ, El Gigante, Brian, and TK raced their bikes today... got a few pies for their toils.Tales of bravado and other doings just as soon as I sort it all out...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Looks Familiar
AWfoSho doesn't have the nappy bald head or the tat on his bicep, but everything else looks pretty much the same... same sling, same bandage, same road rash on the shoulder...I figure that AWfoSho is about a week behind Maggie, so he should be sitting on the trainer soon. This evening he told me he may be up for the exercise bike in the gym tomorrow afternoon... big fat padded seat that will allow him to sit up without putting any stress on the shoulder.
Photo courtesy of Megan Backstedt via Velonews.com
Photo courtesy of Megan Backstedt via Velonews.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
AWfoSho Update
Alex is safely out of surgery. It took six screws, but everything is back in place and the doc is happy with the results. Alex is pretty groggy right now and not talking much, but he did say, "Aah, that's nice!" as the nurse injected a syringe full of morphine into the IV line.
He'll be at the hospital overnight, home sometime around noon tomorrow.
He'll be at the hospital overnight, home sometime around noon tomorrow.
While a few of the boys were up in Chico...
...Robby was riding dirt locally. Doing us proud with a win in the junior class at the MTB Challenge.
WTG, Robby...
WTG, Robby...Monday, February 4, 2008
Under the Knife
First off, thanks to all of you that sent kind words. Alex appreciates every one of them.
Saw the orthopedic surgeon today... special thanks to Dr Steve Nowicki of DBC Masters fame for his quick referral. The orthopedist actually called me before I even got my sub plans finished this morning... Took a few more films, including some of AWfoSho's elbow because it was showing symptoms of breakage, but thankfully they turned out negative.
The diagnosis... a displaced clavicular fracture. AWfoSho must be special because they are calling his a butterfly break, which means that the bone actually shattered into four pieces, two of them resembling the wings of a butterfly.
The treatment... permanent hardware--plates and screws, I guess they can't pin a butterfly break. Alex is scheduled for surgery at 1:30 tomorrow which means I have to write sub plans for two more days. I was proud of the kidlet. He asked the doc all the right questions about risks and anesthesia, and post-op treatment, and recovery, and how soon he can be back on his bike, and how many times the doc had done the surgery, etc, etc... I kinda just sat and watched.
And, on a more joyful note... TK put everybody under the knife at Paskenta yesterday. I didn't get a chance to brag about him what with all the hubbub last night. The boy is a beast right now. He and AWfoSho would have been a pretty wicked 1-2 punch in p/1/2 ranks, not to mention the junior 17/18 races... Maybe later in the Spring. You can find pics of TK and the rest of the DBC Elite Team tearing Paskenta apart here.
Saw the orthopedic surgeon today... special thanks to Dr Steve Nowicki of DBC Masters fame for his quick referral. The orthopedist actually called me before I even got my sub plans finished this morning... Took a few more films, including some of AWfoSho's elbow because it was showing symptoms of breakage, but thankfully they turned out negative.
The diagnosis... a displaced clavicular fracture. AWfoSho must be special because they are calling his a butterfly break, which means that the bone actually shattered into four pieces, two of them resembling the wings of a butterfly.
The treatment... permanent hardware--plates and screws, I guess they can't pin a butterfly break. Alex is scheduled for surgery at 1:30 tomorrow which means I have to write sub plans for two more days. I was proud of the kidlet. He asked the doc all the right questions about risks and anesthesia, and post-op treatment, and recovery, and how soon he can be back on his bike, and how many times the doc had done the surgery, etc, etc... I kinda just sat and watched.
And, on a more joyful note... TK put everybody under the knife at Paskenta yesterday. I didn't get a chance to brag about him what with all the hubbub last night. The boy is a beast right now. He and AWfoSho would have been a pretty wicked 1-2 punch in p/1/2 ranks, not to mention the junior 17/18 races... Maybe later in the Spring. You can find pics of TK and the rest of the DBC Elite Team tearing Paskenta apart here.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Bike Racing 101: Knowing Your Place
So, you wanna be a bike racer?
Let's assume you've been to the Early Birds and ridden in largish packs on group rides. You know how to draft, can pull through even in an echelon, and can hang even when the pace picks up to, say, this-hurts-a-bit on the speed-o-meter. Now you've got to figure out how to win...
The first thing you need to know if you want to win bike races is just where you fit into the group. Are you all choc full of fast twitch fibers that allow you to accelerate like a bat out of hell? Are you a slow twitch type that takes two months to get up to speed but can go like a freight train once you are there? Somewhere in between? Are you willing to sit elbow to elbow with Racer X at thirty miles an hour as things get twitchy towards the end of a race, or are you more likely to back down a bit and slide in behind him?
The answer to all of the above along with many more answers to many more questions will determine just how you race your bike. You don't have to accelerate like a rocket-sled-on-rails to be able to win a crit, nor do you have to be able to sit in the wind for hours to win a road race (although those attributes help, just a little). It is more improtant to know yourself as a rider.
Most beginning racers are scared of the front. I've watched time and again as 30 riders will come to the line together, everyone of them thinking they are gonna win the sprint. Unless you are absolutley sure that you are one of the fastest sprinters in the group (and I mean sure), you have no business coming to the line with 30 other guys. Instead, you need to do all that you can to break up the race into a more manageable group. That means riding aggressively until you are sure that you are the fastest finisher left.
Case in point: TK is by no means a fast twitch guy, especially if he is riding junior gears. But, he ma
nages to win his share of crits in a season (usually the domain of the sprinter) because he doesn't wait until the last two laps to try to win. He is aggressive from the gun, riding to eliminate others chances to win. Each attack and subsequent attack narrows the field more and more until either he knows he can win in the sprint or he is solo off the front and has broken the will of the group to chase. While it is more complicated than this, and teamwork is invloved, TK used this tactic to win in the 2/3 race at Apple Pie, at Cal-Aggie in the juniors, at Land Park again in the juniors, and to take the GC at Valley of the Sun in 2007.
nages to win his share of crits in a season (usually the domain of the sprinter) because he doesn't wait until the last two laps to try to win. He is aggressive from the gun, riding to eliminate others chances to win. Each attack and subsequent attack narrows the field more and more until either he knows he can win in the sprint or he is solo off the front and has broken the will of the group to chase. While it is more complicated than this, and teamwork is invloved, TK used this tactic to win in the 2/3 race at Apple Pie, at Cal-Aggie in the juniors, at Land Park again in the juniors, and to take the GC at Valley of the Sun in 2007.Say you are a sprinter. You still don't have a free ride to the finish. If everybody in the group knows you are the fastest finisher (and they should if they are worth their salt as a bike racer) that means everybody will be working to make sure that you are not in the group that comes to the line together. The sprinter's job is to read the race (more on this in Bike Racing 201) and make sure that he is in every significant move. In a nutshell, make sure that nothing goes up the road without you that has the possibity of staying away.
Case in point: When AWfoSho won his first state championship in the crit he did so because he 
managed to insert himself in a move with the two strongest riders in the race, Jake Allen and Collin Samaan. AWfoSho was by no means as strong as either rider, but he was faster than both of them in the finish. Jake and Collin repeatedly attacked eachother, dropping AWfoSho each time, but they wouldn't push home the advantage because they couldn't drop eachother. AWfoSho clawed tooth and nail to fight his way back to them each time. He was completely cooked when the three came to the line together, but he had more fast twitch then both of them and used it to his advantage. He had the fastest finish out of all the riders in the race, but he had to give everything he had to be able to use it.
managed to insert himself in a move with the two strongest riders in the race, Jake Allen and Collin Samaan. AWfoSho was by no means as strong as either rider, but he was faster than both of them in the finish. Jake and Collin repeatedly attacked eachother, dropping AWfoSho each time, but they wouldn't push home the advantage because they couldn't drop eachother. AWfoSho clawed tooth and nail to fight his way back to them each time. He was completely cooked when the three came to the line together, but he had more fast twitch then both of them and used it to his advantage. He had the fastest finish out of all the riders in the race, but he had to give everything he had to be able to use it.Above are some over simplified examples, but the first rule to bike racing is to know yourself. Race according to your strength and race aggressively and that first win is sure to come.
Friday, February 1, 2008
What's the plan?
Saturday: 3.5 hours with lotsa ME and SFR. It's supposed to rain in the afternoon so I imagine the kidlets will wake me up early.
Sunday: Paskenta... Staz, El Gigante, AWfoSho, and TK are planning on grinding out the 100 miles with most of the DBC Elite Team. We're gonna drag the radios out even if we look like a bunch of Fred's just so TK and AWfoSho can log some air time (read: practice) all mic'd up with the rest of the Elite Team. It's supposed to rain all day in Chico so I'm thankful that I've been requested to drive support. That way I can be yelling into the radio all toasty warm in the car while the kidlets suffer like drowned rats. Hopefully nobody will flat. That way the closest I'll come to getting wet is when I roll the window down to hand up a bottle.
I know what I'm doing all weekend. I'm hoping that many of the other kidlets will be down in Fremont grabbing hold of a last dosing of experience before the real thing kicks off at Cherry Pie next weekend.
Speaking of Cherry Pie... looks like 50 or so ankle biters are reg'd for the 15/16-17/18 race. some familiar names, but lotsa new faces too. I've got an inkling as to how this one is gonna turn out, but I'ma gonna keep me thoughts to meself for the time being. As for the younger young'ns, I see Dishes is all set to do battle, but rumor has it that Karch has plans to turn the cranks in anger as does Kelbster. I've got my pick for this race too, but will withold its secret as well. Gotta say I'm looking forward to seeing how all the DBCJRT kidlets do in the adult races... good test of the early season form.
Speak up... let me know what your plans are. Riding? Racing? Couchin' it watching good commercials on Sunday?
Sunday: Paskenta... Staz, El Gigante, AWfoSho, and TK are planning on grinding out the 100 miles with most of the DBC Elite Team. We're gonna drag the radios out even if we look like a bunch of Fred's just so TK and AWfoSho can log some air time (read: practice) all mic'd up with the rest of the Elite Team. It's supposed to rain all day in Chico so I'm thankful that I've been requested to drive support. That way I can be yelling into the radio all toasty warm in the car while the kidlets suffer like drowned rats. Hopefully nobody will flat. That way the closest I'll come to getting wet is when I roll the window down to hand up a bottle.
I know what I'm doing all weekend. I'm hoping that many of the other kidlets will be down in Fremont grabbing hold of a last dosing of experience before the real thing kicks off at Cherry Pie next weekend.
Speaking of Cherry Pie... looks like 50 or so ankle biters are reg'd for the 15/16-17/18 race. some familiar names, but lotsa new faces too. I've got an inkling as to how this one is gonna turn out, but I'ma gonna keep me thoughts to meself for the time being. As for the younger young'ns, I see Dishes is all set to do battle, but rumor has it that Karch has plans to turn the cranks in anger as does Kelbster. I've got my pick for this race too, but will withold its secret as well. Gotta say I'm looking forward to seeing how all the DBCJRT kidlets do in the adult races... good test of the early season form.
Speak up... let me know what your plans are. Riding? Racing? Couchin' it watching good commercials on Sunday?
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