FOOTHILLS CYCLING

What I Did This Summer

2011-08-24T14:44:00.016-04:00

"I haven't seen anything on your blog."

"When are you going to update the blog?"

"Are you guys still racing?"

After last year's effort at keeping our race adventures up-to-date, I cyber-bonked this summer after the first spring races and am just now recovering. Due in no small part to having fewer photos than last year (thanks to our absolutely horrible camera). Being hopelessly behind, I am going to summarize the summer's events, along with what photos I have available.

In fairness, this past summer was a bit askew compared to the previous year, when Amy and I gorged ourselves on every race we could squeeze in. 2011 was considerably more complicated due to evil forces in Eastern Burke County that created near-constant stress and made weekend travel difficult. We persevered nevertheless and got to as much racing as our schedule would allow.

So, picking up up from where I left off in April...

May 1, May Day Biathlon, Morganton

Despite having fewer races in her legs than last year at this time, Amy obliterated her previous PR in the May Day Biathlon, finishing 3rd overall female. Her overall time of 1:24:49 over the 5k run and 30k bike legs was eight minutes faster than last year, and her 4th-ranked and 3rd-ranked run and bike efforts, respectively, reflected a consistent effort across both disciplines.

May 15, The Ascent, Caldwell County

The Ascent was the latest diabolical offering from Pirate Race Productions. The mass-start hill climb ascended the newly-paved Reynolds Parkway, a 9.25-mile quad-buster that climbs 3200 feet at an average grade of 5.9% from the hinterlands of Caldwell County up to near Blowing Rock. While the claim of this being the hardest climb in the Southeast could be debated, with maximum gradients over 20% and the Garmin frequently reading grades in the upper teens, it was a bump to be taken seriously. Whatever your low gear was, it wasn't low enough. Amy set out with a small but strong women's open field, taking third place for her second podium of the spring.

Memorial Day Weekend

After last year's Memorial Day weekend bonanza that saw us race from Valdese to Fayetteville, we stayed slightly closer to home but still took advantage of the many races on the calendar, with Amy hitting three races and displaying her athletic versatility.

Friday, May 27, High Point Criterium

We returned to High Point for their annual two-day crit-fest. High Point has one of the most spectator-friendly venues and puts together two interesting (some would say dangerous) criterium courses, the reward for which will be hosting the US national criterium championships beginning in 2013. The Cat 4 women started with the Cat 1-3 field, which split the field up quickly and resulted in the entire field getting broken up by the end of the race. Amy, which is the lead rider in the dim photo below (I told you our camera was awful), finished 4th in her category on a dreary, rainy afternoon.

Saturday, May 28, Hearts for Heroes 5k, Valdese

We scampered home after the crit the night before so that Amy could get rested up for one of our favorite runs, the Hearts for Heros 5k. Held right down down the street from our home, it has gained a reputation in its three short years of existence as one of the most challenging and well-run 5ks in the area. Indeed, this year's field dwarfed the previous two editions and attracted stiff competition. Despite the previous day's racing and travel, as well as the fact that the course boasts a considerable amount of short, steep hills, Amy set a new PR for a 5k and finished 3rd overall female with a time of 22:36.

Sunday, May 30, North Carolina Time Trial Championship, Lexington

Of the three races of the weekend, Sunday's state time trial championship was what Amy had her sights set on. The 40k course wound around Thom-a-Lex Lake and rewarded riders who could both climb and motor. Unfortunately, participation in Amy's age category was light, leaving her competing only with herself. Even though the result was a foregone conclusion, her time of 1:08:26 was excellent and made her worthy to carry the crown of State Time Trial Champion, Women 30-39.

June 25, Valdese Triathlon, Valdese

Amy again competed in our hometown triathlon, which was moved from its traditional April date due to flooding rains. She finished the 250m swim, 9-mile bike, and 5k run in 1:04:11, a PR for her for this event, and good for 4th place overall female, up from 11th last year. Her result was anchored by a 2nd-ranked bike time of 30:19, only 14 seconds off the top women's time for the morning.

July 8-10, Piedmont Triad Omnium, Lexington
The middle week of July was bookended by a pair of 3-day omniums, with the first taking place in Lexington. With Amy's ABRC team looking to make noise at their "home" omnium the following weekend, five women from the squad were on hand to shake things up in the women's Cat 3/4 field. The team was in solid position after Friday night's storm-drenched 20k time trial, with Amy finishing 6th and the team placing four in the top-10.

The ABRC squad of Janet Trubey, Kristin Robertson, Amy, Erica Chard, and Allison Arensman

The following day brought searing July heat for the criterium in downtown Lexington. Again, ABRC was the team to beat, with Allison Arensman breaking away early and soloing to a fine win while the team controlled the field, led by the top-10 efforts of Amy and teammate Erica Chard.

Amy and Erica control the pace in Saturday's Criterium

With solid placings in the overall omnium, the team looked to finish strongly in the final day's 38-mile road race. After battling the heat for nearly two hours, the race came down to a bunch sprint, with Erica finishing 3rd, Allison 4th, and Amy 15th. Despite not taking the top step on the podium, ABRC placed four in the overall top-10, with Allison in 2nd, Erica 4th, Amy 6th, and Kristin 10th.

Rolling out for Sunday's road race

July 15-17, French Broad Cycling Classic Omnium, Asheville

The following weekend was a major target for ABRC: the French Broad Cycling Classic, their home race, on their turf. With claws sharpened from the previous weekend, the quintet was primed for another strong weekend, joined this week by teammate Klara Roussow. A 20k time trial would again make the initial selection for the weekend. All six landed in the top-20 of the deep regional field, with Erica, Amy, and Allison finishing 10th, 11th, and 12th to lead the team heading into Saturday's road race.

The road race stage of the FBCC may be arguably the hardest road race in the Carolinas, and possibly the Southeast. With a 10-mile gradual climb starting at mile two, two 2.5-mile climbs, and a summit finish, the course is a climber's delight and a sufferfest for the rest. ABRC placed Allison on the podium in 2nd, with Erica coming across the line in 11th and Amy 20th.

With Allison threatening for the top step on the podium for the omnium, ABRC entered Sunday's criterium with the goal of controlling the race as they did the previous weekend. Despite a deeper field and a more selective circuit, the team played its hand to perfection, setting Allison up for a fine sprint finish for the win and exerting total dominance of the chasing field. Klara rounded out the podium in 3rd, with Erica coming in 10th and Amy 14th. The criterium win gave Allison the overall omnium title, with Klara, Erica, and Amy all finishing in the top-20. It was very much a team victory for ABRC, who drew high praise for their teamwork over the past two weekends.

French Broad Criterium Action

July 23, Lowes Time Trial, Charlotte
After competing in the entire Lowes TT series over the previous two summers, Amy and I chose to do just one of the events in 2011. Amy kept pace with her better results from 2010, finishing the 10-mile event in 25 minutes, 21 seconds, just 20 seconds off of her best Lowes effort. I finished in 26:06, well off my best mark but good enough for 6th in the fixed gear category.

August 4-7, Crossroads Classic, Salisbury
A new event for us this year was the Crossroads Classic. Traditionally a men's-only series of criteriums, the Classic has added more women's events over the recent past, and for 2011 added a road race to break things up. Amy competed in three of the four events for the week, starting with the downtown Salisbury Criterium. The first event of the series, it featured a women's open field, with Amy's category 4 field having to compete with a stacked elite field. Amy finished 15th in a fast and highly technical race.

Chasing during the City Park Criterium

The third event in the series was the High Rock Road Race, and it had a separate Cat 4 women's event for the inaugural race. With the playing field level for the Cat 4s, Amy finished 3rd in the bunch sprint to the line, displaying rapidly improving late-season form after a summer of racing. She carried this form to the the following day's race, the City Park Criterium, in which she worked in vain with a select group in an attempt to catch a solo breakaway. Another sprint with the chasing field saw her finish 4th for the day.

September 3, Lenoir Triathlon, Lenoir

2011 marked the third year in succession for Amy doing the Valdese and Lenoir Triathlon double. After strong results the previous two years, Amy took the overall title for women this year. Anchored by the top female bike split for the second year running, Amy finished in 1:04:43 for her first multisport overall win.

September 10, Brenner Pro-Am, Winston-Salem

The Brenner Pro-Am criterium was held In Old Salem, the second year in a row for an event in the historic Moravian village. With all women's categories starting at once, combined with a tight and hilly course, the field split up quickly. Amy settled in to a solid group that worked together for a steady race. Amy bagged another podium, finishing 3rd among Cat 4 women.

September 11, Carolina Cup, Greensboro
The Carolina Cup circuit race has become one of Amy's favorites, and typically punctuates the end of the road season. Despite a hilly and technical circuit, the course has failed to break up the women's Cat 4 fields over the past two years, and 2011 was no exception. With the race culminating again in a sprint finish, Amy finished 6th against another strong field.

So, after her second full year of racing, Amy finished her 2011 road campaign as the 6th-ranked criterium racer in North Carolina among Cat 4 women (62nd nationally among all categories). She was 10th-ranked in road races, and 4th in time trials. In 34 events, she bagged 8 podiums, with 3 overall wins. She also finished 3rd overall for the Ring of Fire series for Cat 4 women.

Where was I in all this? Mostly turning wrenches for Amy amidst the occasional race here and there. After some early season road races (Fork Shoals, Rock Hill, and Tour de Moore), I settled into fitness maintenance with the Ring of Fire along with training with Amy as I kept my sights fixed on cyclocross in the late summer and early fall. So, stay tuned for some reports from the cross front while I get muddy and Amy rests up.

Kicking Off The 2011 Road Season

2011-04-11T22:13:00.022-04:00

The Bradford pears are green, Cherry blossoms are Giro pink, and pollen is wreaking havoc on our sinuses - road season is upon us. Actually, road season comes early in North Carolina, as the compulsive adrenaline junkies just south of us hit the late-February Greenville Spring Training Series in mid-season form. Although we entered one of the GSTS races in Fork Shoals, SC to test our building fitness in late February, we were looking at the beginning of April to sink our teeth into the new season. Rock Hill Cycling Classic, April 2-3, 2011 After priming our engines at the first Wild Wing Cafe Ring of Fire the Wednesday before, we headed to Rock Hill, SC for the 31st edition of the Rock Hill Cycling Classic. Amy lined up for Saturday's Winthrop Lake criterium with three teammates from her new 2011 team, Asheville Bicycle Racing Club. Amy was invited to join ABRC after her former team, SpokesWomen Syndicate, lost their primary sponsor, Performance, at the start of the year.

The 0.6-mile course, circling a scenic lake on the campus of Winthrop University, provided a beautiful setting for racing.

The course featured a hill on the back of the circuit, steep enough to make things interesting, but not steep enough to force a selection.

Rolling through the start-finish area near the end of the 15-lap race.

Exquisite dental hygiene in the post-race photo reveals a successful outing. The ABRC women put a large footprint on the Cat 4 crit, with (l-r) Amy taking 7th, Kristin Robertson finishing 5th, and Allison Arensman taking the top step of the podium for 1st.

The full ABRC contingent at Winthrop: Amy, Allison, former SpokesWomen teammate Erica Chard, and Kristin.

On Sunday, I entered the Rock Hill Road Race, a 43-mile loop through the hills of York County. Being well-suited for... well, something, I'm sure, but definitely not climbing, I hung in for almost half the race until the relentless hills got the better of me. I motored to the finish line in 28th with plenty of positives despite the fact that I'm saving myself for cyclocross season. Yeah, that's right... I'm saving myself for cyclocross season. It was a successful day for Velosports Racing, with teammate Alan Brookshire joining me in the Masters 4/5 race, and Frank Obusek, Andy Kimble, Wade Turlington, and Jimm McElroy making themselves a presence in the Cat 3 event.

Heart Of Carolina Weekend, April 9-10

Saturday's race took us to Asheboro, NC, for the first of two criteriums for the weekend. Despite a morning weather forecast that promised a high of 77, we arrived to heavy overcast skies, an occasional fine mist, and very cool temperatures. It was announced just prior to Amy's 2:15pm race that the temperature had just warmed... to 49. Fortunately, my cold-natured wife wears long base layers if it's colder than 75, so she came prepared with various and sundry cold-weather goodies and lined up for the Women's Cat 4 event toasty warm (relatively speaking). Unfortunately for me, the warmest thing I had were the straps on my Tevas, and I shivered through the weekend with nary a shoe, long sleeve, or trouser.

The 1-k circuit through downtown Asheboro included a deceptively nasty hill before the 4th turn into the finishing stretch. Above Amy and teammate Janet Truby (in last year's light blue ABRC kit) power up the last section of the hill early in the race.

Amy leads the field down the start-finish stretch late in the 30-minute contest.

Above, Amy winds up a sprint at the end of the final lap of the race...

... and outgallops the field for 3rd place, her first podium of the season.

Below is a video of the field heading into the hill in turn 3. Amy and Janet were making a move up the right side of the field in an effort to take the cash prime on that lap. Their efforts were successful, as Janet sprinted for the dough while Amy blocked the field from responding to her attack.

I raided Amy's clothing basket and entered the Men's Cat 4 race later that afternoon, glad to be warmer and caring not about the obvious cycling faux pas of racing in a non-matching base layer. As for my result - as previously stated, I'm saving myself for cyclocross season.

Sunday took us a few miles further into the country to Denton, a tiny farm town near the Uwharries that is host to the Tour de Kale, a well-organized and highly competitive charity ride that we competed in last June. Alas, the weather was still cool but more damp than the previous day, with a fine mist falling during the entire 30-minute race.

Carving through turn 1 after the first lap.

Although the course was described by race organizers as "flat," this was mostly relative to the previous day. In actuality, the course gradually climbed along the back stretch of the circuit, and then descended toward a very fast start-finish area. This would prove to be a factor at the end of the race.

The video above shows the final "sprint" at the end of the race. Sprint is in quotation marks, because most of the women were racing with now-common compact chainrings, and the finishing straightaway was steep enough that they spun out in their biggest gears. So it was more of a finishing "coast." A cassette with an 11-tooth cog has already been ordered. Nevertheless, Amy finished a fine 5th in a smaller but overall stronger field than yesterday, capping off a weekend of arguably her most complete race efforts to date.

So after the first two weekends of racing, Amy has netted a 7th, 5th, and 3rd, and there is much to look forward to in her second complete season of racing. As for me... my preparation for cyclocross season is going well!

We would like to dedicate these past two weekends to Aaron, a reader of this blog, for motivating us to keep working hard at the values that are important to us - healthy living, an active lifestyle, striving to be more than just average, and, most importantly, to be good role models for our children. Thanks Aaron!

Final Road Season Wrap-up

2010-10-01T15:43:00.012-04:00

Our road racing season is now officially over and in the books. We punctuated the season with the last race in the Lowes Time Trial series on Wednesday, September 22nd. With the series championship for Cat 4 women virtually in the bag, Amy scared off all competitors and was the only Cat 4 to clip in. She sealed her second-straight series title with a new PR of 25 minutes, 0.74 seconds. I broke out my fixed-gear bike after competing all year on my geared bike, setting my own PR in the process with a time of 24 minutes, 55 seconds. My time was good enough for 7th in the fixed-gear division.

Getting ready for the last time trial of 2010.

Working it with her medals for the series championship and for a new PR.

This past Wednesday, we partied down at my team's end-of-the-year Ring of Fire awards dinner. At the dinner, Amy was recognized as the series winner of the women's division, scoring a sweet set of Continental tires.

Amy posing on the top step of the gi-normous Velosports end-of-year podium.

So when it was all said and done, Amy raced in a whopping 42 races in her first full season, and the finals stats were most impressive: 17 top-three finishes, including 7 wins, and 2 season-series championships (Ring of Fire women and Lowes TT Cat 4 women). As a measure of her consistency, she finished the season ranked in the top ten among NC Cat 4 women in road racing (tie for 7th), time trials (4th), and criteriums (3rd), and was the 16th-ranked Cat 4 woman in criteriums nationally (out of 741 women!). She also snagged 2 age-group podiums (1 win) and one overall podium (2nd) in the three multi-sport events she entered.

As for me, I did 49 races across three disciplines (road, cross, mtn). As for my results, well...

(crickets chirping)

I got the satisfaction of a job somewhat well-done, more or less. My fitness did improve throughout the year, with some better results toward the end. In the words of many a Chicago Cubs fan: just wait 'til next year.

Of course, now that road season is over, our attention turns to cyclocross. So grab your cowbells and your thermals and get ready for cyclocross season later this month.

Bridge-to-Bridge Incredible Challenge 2010: A Love Story

2010-09-22T09:40:00.030-04:00

DISCLAIMER: While this is an account of the Bridge-to-Bridge Incredible Challenge century that we rode last Sunday, this blog entry is to Amy. You are welcome to read it. It is sappy, and it is only partly about cycling. So if you are cynical, jaded, don't like sappy stuff, are tired of seeing pictures of Amy riding her bike from behind, etc., consider yourself forewarned. If you like seeing pictures of Amy riding her bike from behind, well, that could be kind of creepy, but I won't hold it against you.

"Let's do the Bridge to Bridge," you said, only a few days before its 22nd running. You knew how I felt about it, and all those reasons immediately ran through my mind: It's too expensive. It's too logistically complicated. I can ride those roads any time I want for free. I hated the only other century I did. The local riders who get all geeked out about it every year bug me. Et cetera. But you wanted to end your road season on a big note, so you made your case for it. I told you that, while I wouldn't choose to do it myself, if you wanted to ride it, we would. So we made our plans, and while I started to get excited about it, if something had derailed our intentions as we waited to the last minute to register (fearing one of us would catch strep throat from Addy), I wouldn't have cared too much. But we stayed healthy, dodged a registration glitch, and got signed up on Saturday less than 24 hours before the start. We were in.

We lined up with 500+ other riders just before 8:00am on Sunday morning in Lenoir. Even though you agreed that we should ride our own pace and simply survive the ride, as soon as we lined up, you wanted to move up closer to the front, revealing that competitive spirit that drives you take on new challenges. And that spirit helped us cover the first 50 miles of the ride, though the rolling hills of Caldwell and Burke counties, in just a little over two-and-a-half hours.

Refueling at the base of NC 181 with our riding partner for the day, former JIRDC co-worker and century ride veteran Will Moomaw.

The 12-mile climb up NC 181 to Jonas Ridge is the real start to the Bridge-to-Bridge, and it represented a mini-challenge for you of sorts. As I had my previous reservations about B2B, you had your previous reservations about this particular climb, mostly due to the high traffic it carries. As we settled in to the effort, it was beginning to occur to me that there was something more special about this ride to us than simply a cycling challenge. Having lived just outside of shouting distance to the climb, I had ridden up 181 dozens of times over the years. And now, there you were, tackling this same mountain for the first time. We would now have a common connection to a route that is a rite of passage for area cyclists. However, as the broader meaning of day began to coagulate in my mind, I started to have my crisis point of the day halfway up the climb; I started to suffer, and I had to slow down and drop away from you as you rode ahead, steady in your effort. My thoughts returned to managing my effort, which was becoming labored and very uncomfortable in the unseasonable heat. At its worst, I questioned whether or not I would really be able to finish the ride. I settled down and caught a second wind in time to catch up with you at the summit rest stop. As we stretched and refueled, I knew we would finish.

Early in the climb up NC 181.

Resting up at the summit of NC 181.

After the rest, we set out to tackle the remaining 40 miles of the ride. Despite the effort, I realized that as we traveled roads I had ridden on in years past, I was sharing part of my life with you. We talk often about how different our lives were at one time; we were each previously married, we grew up in different eras, we did different things. But cycling is a part of me that is the same, and these roads we were riding were a way for you to know me 20 years ago, when I first started riding them as a student at ASU.

Shulls's Mill Road

Shull's Mill Road

The climb up Shull's Mill Road, from Hound Ears, to Blowing Rock, was particularly special to me. I had ridden that climb many times in the years that I lived in Boone, and it was always one of my favorite climbs. Despite my affection for it, I had not ridden it since probably 1993. So even though it meant more climbing in an already brutal event, I was happy to hear of its inclusion in this year's event due to construction on the usual route up US 221. On this particular day, it would mean that after the screaming, 40+mph descent out of Linville to Foscoe on NC 105, we were less than 25 miles from the finish. The climb was as beautiful as I remembered it, with the road canopied with green leaves under cloudless skies. I was so happy to be sharing it with you, and the ride continued to morph from just a ride to a profound experience between us. For you, however, it was becoming a different experience, and strain of the day was beginning to take its toll.

Climbing toward Grandfather on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Even a lousy photographer gets lucky from time to time.

Grandfather Mountain looms in the distance...

Cresting the south slope of Grandfather on the Viaduct, with only the climb to the summit remaining.

The change in the route for 2010 also meant that ride would ascend the south slopes of Grandfather Mountain via Blue Ridge Parkway, cresting at the famous Linn Cove Viaduct. As with Shull's Mill Road, this climb is another favorite from my Boone days. However, we have actually done it before, albeit not after 90 miles of cycling.

We crested the ridge over the Viaduct, and after a brief descent, turned onto US 221 for the 1-mile trip to the entrance to Grandfather Mountain. We had covered 99 miles, but with only three miles remaining, we knew the final two would be the stiffest test of the day. We made the right turn into the park, and the road immediately turned upward. We tried to settle into a rhythm that would get us to the top. As the road winds through the park, it gets steeper as it moves towards its terminus at the famous swinging bridge. Your pace slowed a bit, but you kept turning the pedals over.

We were inside of one mile to go, and the road pitched sharply up, over 15%. As we grunted our way up this pitch and around the corner, the final test lay before our eyes: the last half-mile, the steepest section of the road, folded into steep switchbacks and devoid of trees so that we could see every last foot of the climb. Participants walking their bikes up the cruel slope outnumbered those who were still pedaling. The big yellow sign indicating 1/2 mile to go took the wind out of your sails, and you had to stop to gather yourself. We pulled off, stared at the final hurdle ahead, and steeled ourselves for possibly the steepest climbing we'd ever done, with muscles long depleted of energy.

We set out and started the last half mile. It is hard to describe the severity of the climb, but we both know that the picture above of the start of this section doesn't begin to reveal its difficulty. By the time we reached the first switchback, you said you needed to stop. We pulled over to the side, which mercifully had an asphalt pulloff, and the look on your face was one of desperation. You told me afterward that you were near tears and were facing the despair that after all those miles, you didn't know if you could make it to the top. I knew that you were in a dark place, at least as far as cycling goes, and after a day of challenge after challenge, you were at rock bottom. You said to me that you just didn't know if you could do it. We assessed the rest of the climb and determined that the next two sections, separated by one switchback, were not as steep as what we had just done, so if you could just regain your momentum, you'd have something left for the final steep rise to the finish. Off we went again.

You clipped in and steadied yourself on the steep grade, and I immediately began encouraging you. I was so determined for you, and I wanted so badly for you to finish on your bike, because it meant so much to you. You rounded the last two switchbacks, staying steady, before facing the final wall to the finish line.

As you stood on the pedals, with spectators and earlier finishers cheering you on, I knew you were digging as deep as perhaps you ever had on a bike to get up that final grade. We watched others stop pedaling up that slope, unable to finish; we watched some get off the bike at the bottom and not even try it. But you did it. You would not quit. We crossed the line together, 8 hours and 10 minutes after leaving Lenoir that morning.

My experience during the Bridge-to-Bridge Incredible Challenge ended up being so much more than just a bike ride, and that final ascent up the slopes of Grandfather was a catharsis that made the cycling just a backdrop to all that I felt. I felt your struggle to get to the top. I saw that summit as a symbol of everything you've accomplished as a cyclist in such a short time. I saw the beauty of your spirit in that beautiful landscape, the spirit that drives you to take on new challenges and not quit, and which in turn challenges me. Because of you, I rode farther and higher than I ever had before. I felt my love for you, the love that makes cycling more than just riding a bike, the love that underscores everything we do together, and that makes completing such a difficult event together so powerful.

I love you and am so very proud of you for everything you have achieved this year. Thanks for talking me into the Bridge-to-Bridge.

Winding Down the Road Season

2010-09-13T20:54:00.037-04:00

With almost 90 races between us for 2010, we headed to the Triad this past weekend for our last pair of weekend road races before hitting the off-season.

Saturday, September 11: Old Salem Criterium, Winston-Salem

The Carolina Cup weekend is typically a big date on the NC racing calendar, with many racers across the state wrapping up their seasons with the popular Carolina Cup on the second Sunday in September. Saturday of this weekend has typically featured a criterium in Winston-Salem, although the Walnut Cove crit of recent years was replaced this year with a new event, the Old Salem Criterium. Held in conjunction with a town festival, the race took place right in the heart of the historic Moravian settlement.

With our travel schedule making it difficult to get to Winston in time for the Cat 4 race, I chose to enter the Masters 35+ event. While I have raced in Masters events with just Cat 4/5 masters-age cyclists before, this would be my first time racing in an open masters field. For those new to all of these racing categories, the open masters field is often the fastest field outside of the Pro/Cat 1/Cat 2 field, and arguably more experienced. Thus, the joke that masters 35+ racers are just Cat 1/2s who finally got a job. Nevertheless, being a Cat 4 and just slightly older than 35 made me eligible to race in this category, so I paid my bux and threw myself to the wolves with the likes of Carolina Masters, Mock Orange Bikes, and so on.

Grinding up the 7% hill toward the start-finish stretch. With the A-listers working over even those who have earned their masters stripes on a weekly basis, my outcome was pretty much a given. Nevertheless, I considered it an honor to line up for my beating with some of the deepest race resumes in the region. The speed of the top half of the field was both sobering and inspiring. Being lapped several times over, I was inspired often. In actuality, with better form I would have hung with back of the field, and gaining more experience racing in this division is a goal of mine for 2011.

Cruising up the finishing straight toward the end of the race. Although I was the last finisher in 17th, I continued my effort through to the end of the race and took pride in not dropping out, which was the fate of 5 others in the race.

Amy entered the Women's Cat 3/4 race, which was held simultaneously with the Women's Cat 1/2. With PBR teammate and state criterium champ Bergen Watterson in the 1/2 field, Amy entered the race with dual goals of hanging with the 1/2 field to help Bergen and making life difficult for her 3/4 competition. The Old Salem course was dangerous, being short (0.5 miles), having tight corners, and having been repaved, oh, maybe once since the invention of the automobile. To make matters worse, the light on-and-off rain turned into a steady shower in time for the women to race.

As the race comes through the start-finish area after the first lap, Amy charges away from the other two in her field to bridge up to the 1/2 bunch.

Heading up the finishing straight after catching the 1/2 group.

Carving through the 4th corner before hammering up the 7% hill toward the start-finish area.

Descending the back stretch of the course in an aero tuck.

While Amy would eventually lose contact with the 1/2 field, she never let up on the gas pedal, lapping the other two 3/4s multiple times. Above, one of her competitors tries to hang onto Amy's wheel after getting lapped, her facial expression saying it all.

Amy keeps the pressure on as she continues to solo away from her field with 2 laps to go.

Borrowing from Joe Parkin's excellent read, A Dog in a Hat, Belgian cyclists aspire to win with "no one in the picture." The video above captures Amy crossing the line with no one in the picture, in weather that would make any Belgian cyclist smile.

Post-race smiles from Bergen, who took second place in the 1/2 race, and 3/4 winner Amy.

The merchants of Old Salem were clearly thrilled to be hosting the race, and I can't count how many times I was asked about the race, if I was having fun, if I would come back, etc. As I was walking down the course at the start of the women's race, I had one such conversation with three ladies who stood in the doorway of their shop and watched every bit of the racing action for the day. When I mentioned that I was watching Amy, they immediately declared their loyalty to her and took it upon themselves to cheer loudly for her every time she came by. Once the race was over, we had to get a photo of Amy with her new fan club.

Sunday, September 12: Carolina Cup, Greensboro

The following day, we set out to the site of what was in 2009 my first race since 1994 and just the second road race ever for Amy. With the previous day's rain giving way to crystal blue skies, we were eager to measure ourselves against where we were just one year ago. The Carolina Cup typically attracts large fields of racers eager to end their seasons on a high note.

Amy toes the start line first for the day for the Women's Cat 4 rumble.

The Cat 4 field cruises by early in the race. Amy raced hard at the front of the field during the race, trying unsuccessfully to break away with others at the front. She did take a mid-race sprint prize, winning a pair of cycling socks. Don't laugh, cycling socks are important. Really.

Crossing the finish line in 3rd place. After the top part of the field stayed together for most of the race, a last-lap crash split things up. After finishing last in this race last year, Amy was thrilled to have finished on the podium and to have been a major protagonist.

Getting ready for the Cat 4 race. I struggled with my asthma all weekend, ending my season with a thud. Nothing to see here, move along.

Wanting to wring the most out of her excellent late-season form, Amy entered the Women's Open race at the end of the day to test herself against the Cat 1/2/3s. Above, Amy is keeping pace with the bunch as they wind through the uphill section of the back of the circuit.

Above is a short video of the field as they race through the section pictured above.

Amy stayed comfortable with the Open field and even stretched her legs at the front a time or two during the race. She dug deep and stuck with the race even as her energy was waning, crossing the line in 9th place, pictured above. She again raced with her teammate Bergen, who avenged a narrow defeat from yesterday with a stylish sprint win on Sunday.

It was a highly successful weekend for Amy, who tallied two podium finishes, including a win on Saturday, and a fine effort to finish 9th in a strong field in her second race on Sunday. As for me, I'm heading into the off-season with lots of experience and goals to work toward. We still have a couple of mid-week events (one last Ring of Fire and Lowes TT) before we hang up the road bikes and get ready for cyclocross.

City of Lenoir Triathlon 2010

2010-09-07T22:37:00.030-04:00

Saturday, September 4 was the second year in succession that Amy contested the City of Lenoir triathlon just north of us in Caldwell County. Held at the Lenoir Aquatic and Fitness Center, the sprint-distance triathlon consisted of a 250-meter swim, 16k bike, and a 5k run. Amy's overall goal for the event was to improve on her 4th overall placing from 2009. As was the case in 2009, conditions were nearly perfect as the region experienced its first stretch of low humidity and crystal-blue skies since spring.

With the advantage of being the first swimmer off after a 2-min break to allow the lanes to clear, Amy had time to splash around and give a thumbs-up before setting out.

Halfway through the last of the five 50-meter laps.

Running toward the transition area after clocking a 7 minute, 25 second swim leg, a few seconds off her pace from the previous year.

Ready to jump on the bike and set out on the 16k (10-mile) bike leg after a 1 minute, 23 second swim-to-bike transition.

Last year, Amy opted for her road bike due to the three steep climbs. Feeling that there were more seconds to be shaved on the flatter sections of the course, she chose her time trial bike this year, set up with a 50mm from wheel for aerodynamics and a standard rear wheel to reduce weight.

Never one to take great pictures, I am even less competent with our new camera, even though it's close to idiot-proof. However, there's something about this photo of Amy cresting the final 16% hill to the Aquatic Center that I like. After completing the bike leg in 29 minutes, 48 seconds, we would have to wait until the end of the race to see how she stacked up compared to last year, as the bike leg was shortened by two miles from 2009.

Two legs down, one to go, as Amy sprints out of the transition area after a 1 minute, 9 second bike-to-run transition.

Smiles are mostly non-existent as runners hit the line after running up the 1/4-mile climb to the finish, which ends with a 16% gradient. Amy notched a run time of 24 minutes, 47 seconds, trimming 27 seconds from her 2009 5k leg. Amy met her overall goal of improving her placing, finishing 2nd overall female with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, 30 seconds, and 18th overall out of 101 total competitors. Another important goal of hers was to do a strong bike time, which she also met; she clocked the fastest bike time among all women by almost two minutes, and she was also the only female to negotiate the course in less than 30 minutes. Her bike time was the 9th fastest overall among all competitors, placing her in a select group of only ten who broke 30 minutes.

The Exhale Races

2010-08-25T07:59:00.041-04:00

August 21-22, 2010, North Wilkesboro

I remember being a student at Appalachian State, driving back to Boone from Durham and getting stuck in the famous race-day traffic jams on US 421 just east of North Wilkesboro. During this era, racing fans were still able to make a twice-yearly pilgrimage to the Brushy Mountains, dubbed "the moonshine capital of America," to watch the sport's best racers duke it out in the cradle of stock car racing. North Wilkesboro Speedway was built in 1946 to give moonshine runners a place to race their heavily modified cars, and it soon hosted races in the fledgling NASCAR series. The speedway remained a symbol of the humble roots of of the sport until 1996, when massive growth and a change in NWS ownership led NASCAR to larger and more modern tracks.

Although the speedway no longer hosts the highest levels of stock car racing, the track is still used for local late-model events. And in 2010, it became a cycling venue. In the fashion of the Ace Speedway Series and our own Ring of Fire, Pirate Race Productions began hosting twice-monthly crits on Wednesday nights at NWS, and capped off the first year of the series with an all-you-can-race weekend smorgasbord called the Exhale Races. Pirate Race has quickly developed a reputation for producing unique and challenging events in our area, and after participating in their Tour du Life in May, we had the Exhale weekend circled on our calendar. With Pirate Race offering a single flat fee for entry into any race for the whole weekend, we carb-loaded and headed to Wilkesboro to race until our legs fell off.

Saturday, August 21

After two years of time trial racing at the modern, polished superspeedway in Charlotte, arriving at North Wilkesboro Speedway was like stepping back in time. Weathered, wooden press boxes perched atop the faded metal seats of the grandstand. The single-lane road leading to the interior of the track wound behind the splintered backstretch bleachers, now overgrown with brush. We drove into the infield, not through a lit 4-lane tunnel, but straight over the track and past the red-clay stretch used for tractor-pulls. As we parked outside the metal, open-sided pit garages, it was easy to see why the speedway was no longer used by NASCAR's elite. Still, it was a thrill to be preparing to race, not around a faceless industrial park, but in a historic sports venue built for racing.

Women's Cat 4
Family life dictated that we ease into the Exhale weekend with just one race each on Saturday. Amy led things off with a 20-minute contest in her category. Toeing the line with just 4 other competitors, the quintet became a trio after just two laps of the 0.6-mile track. Amy and two others proceeded to trade pulls for the remainder of the race, choosing to forgo any attacks and hunker down for a final sprint. As the trio began the final back stretch climb (a shortage of funds available to finish grading the track during its construction resulted in a climb up the backstretch and a downhill finish line on the frontstretch), the rotation found Amy in the unenviable position of the leading the group in the last lap. Unable to shake the other two off her rear wheel, she came across the line in third.

The women's Cat 4 field heads out of turn 4 toward the start-finish line.

Approaching the 3rd turn. This shot shows the grade of the backstretch climb.

Men's Cat 4Rounding out the first day, my category shot off the line, sprinted through turns 1 and 2, and hammered up the backstretch hill. Despite my improving fitness of late, a year's worth of getting dropped early in races left me uncertain of my fate for the weekend; the fact that the track had a slight climb didn't help matters. So as the field accelerated into turns 3 and 4 on the first lap of the 40-minute affair, I began to worry that my all-too-familiar pattern was going to remain intact. As the track tilted downward toward the start-finish line, I held my position in the field and caught my breath, determined to hang with the field as long as possible. As we hit the backstretch for the second time, the field settled into a rhythm that would characterize almost every lap I raced for the remainder of the weekend: a rapid acceleration out of turn 2, followed by the entire field sitting up and slowing just before turn 3. This flow gave non-climbers like myself the chance to stay with the field without going beyond their red line. As the laps clicked by, I continued to stay with the field, albeit still antsy about whether or not the field was still toying with me and would eventually wake up and rocket away. I began to race harder at the front of the field, hoping I would lose as little ground as possible when things got frantic toward the end of the race. As the race entered 10 laps to go, I still felt good, although I was yet to realize that I was expending a ton of energy staying near the front in my still-somewhat-paranoid state. But I was already feeling that my first event of the weekend was a success, having stayed with the field longer than any race since spring. I saw the junior who won the crit at the WNC Grand Prix hanging out near the front with me, and I entertained the thought of jumping with him if he launched an attack. Sure enough, with eight laps to go he made his move, and after a split second to decide if I really wanted to jump, I went for it. Alas, my split-second hesitation was my downfall, and instead of catching on his wheel, all I achieved was upping the pace in the now-chasing field. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I settled back in the pack to try to conserve energy and hold on without getting dropped. I stayed with the field into the last lap, and as the field would up for the sprint after catching the breakaway, I realized I had burned all my matches in my failed jump a few laps earlier. I crossed the line in 21st place, but very happy to have not only stayed with the field but to have actually been racing.

Sunday, August 22

Masters 35+ 4/5

With my spirits buoyed by my race the previous day, I was excited to be at the speedway and racing early on Sunday morning. My confidence was soaring as I warmed up, although my legs still smarted from the efforts from Saturday that I now knew were unnecessary. I entered the 30-minute masters race knowing that I would need to be smarter in the field in order to conserve energy, not only for this race but for the Cat 4 race in the afternoon, which at that point I still considered my "main" event for the day. So as the gun went off, my goal for the race was to manage my efforts better though my position in the field and to avoid wearing myself out chasing breaks down at the front. Fortunately, a 5-man break went up the road midway through the race, and with a combination of tired legs and the prospect of lots more racing ahead, the field was content to let them stay away. I succeeded in my goals for the race, staying with the field, having some gas left in the tank for the final sprint, and coming across the line in 14th for what would be my best result of the weekend.

Masters under-35 4/5

Lining up for the under-35 cat 4/5 masters race

One of the nice things about the Exhale Races was its emphasis on racing as many events as possible. To that end, women were eligible and encouraged to enter men's events. Amy, being just ever-so-slightly younger than me, had targeted this race as a good warmup for the day along with her teammate Erica Chard. However, in talking to a fellow racer from my first race, I learned that masters-age racers can race down in younger masters-age races, meaning I had the rare opportunity to race with Amy. I quickly registered and got ready to do my second race in a row in support of Amy and Erica in their attempt to go Thelma-and-Louise on the dudes. Going into the race, Amy's plan was to hang in as long as possible, and my plan was to hang with her and help her if necessary.

Now, Amy has raced with guys before, but only at the Ring of Fire, where the women get lumped in with the Cat 5 guys. These races, which typically have fewer than 15 participants, tend to be a bit disjointed in that the women ride their race, the guys ride their race, and it doesn't typically feel as if they are really racing each other. This would be her first honest-to-goodness crit against the hombres, and to add to the challenge, the field was the largest of any race that weekend and included Cat 4s. My repeated beatings by her in time trials have taught me not to doubt her; however, the expectation that she would eventually get dropped seemed realistic, not due to her ability but simply that this was her first go-round in a race of this kind. So we set out at the back of the field at the start of the 30-minute event relaxed in our modest expectations. Amy was energized by being in such a large and potentially faster field than she was used to, and I excited to be racing side-by-side with her.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the finish line: it turned out that Amy didn't need any help from me at all. Apparently in her element in a bigger, faster field, she worked her way through the pack as if she had been doing it all year. She moved easily from wheel to wheel, deftly managing her efforts and responding to every acceleration. I morphed from a deputized SpokesWomen Syndicate domestique to an excited spectator, sitting on her wheel and watching her stick her nose in the middle of the pack as if she were one of the guys. The joy in watching her finish the race with the field was overwhelming, and although her placing said 30th, she finished ahead of 9 other men and achieved the most significant result of the weekend among the two of us. It was also the most fun I've had riding or racing a bike.

Amy and I cruising with the under-35 Cat 4/5 masters field.

Women's Cat 4

After the underwhelming women's Cat 4 race the day before, Amy felt that she had a point to prove in Sunday's race. After considerable debriefing of Saturday's race, her main goal for Sunday was to spend less time at the front in an effort to make the race hard when it counted. Although the field remained small, three more-experienced racers joined the three podium finishers from the previous day, resulting in a much more animated race. Multiple attacks were launched on the prime laps, including a two-up breakaway attempt by Amy and another competitor, and although none stayed away, it did serve to keep the pace high. Despite the more attacking nature of Sunday's race, the race again came down to a bunch sprint between the five who were still left. While one of Amy's Cat 4 compatriots scored a deserving double-win for the weekend, Amy punched the clock in second place after a long sprint out of the 4th turn.

Sprinting for the line

Sunday's women's Cat 4 podium

Men's Cat 4
With Amy having secured two podiums in two days among her gender, it was time for more fun. Still buzzing from the men's race earlier in the day, Amy entered my last race of the weekend, the men's Cat 4 race. Brimming with confidence, she had every intention of going for it. Brimming with lactic acid, I was shot before the race even started. With nothing left in the tank, and now knowing that Amy could take care of herself, I drifted to the back of the pack at the start and settled in to watch Amy race. The slightly smoother pace of the Cat 4s allowed Amy to deftly move around through the field, taking wheels, and even defend her position with an elbow here and there. By the closing laps of the race, she was riding in 8th position at the font of the field. She would eventually cross the line in 16th, again finishing with the field and ahead of six others. As for myself, with my tired legs unable to respond to the late-race surges, I sat up on a couple of laps so that I could jump on the back of the field when it came back around and watch Amy finish her amazing weekend.

Men's Cat 4 action

By the end of Sunday, it had been a fantastic weekend. We got to race in an historic setting in an event produced by one of the better race promoters in the Southeast. We did eight races between us in a little over 24 hours. After a season of training with little to show for it, I was able to finally stay with the field in my races and left with new confidence. Amy scored two podium finishes in the women's races and displayed the depth of her talents by racing shoulder-to-shoulder with the men. I guess that's why they call it the 'Exhale' Races...

Western NC Grand Prix

2010-08-20T06:25:00.015-04:00

July 30-31, 2010, Black Mountain

We spent our final weekend in July racing in the Western NC Grand Prix in Black Mountain. The first leg of the WNCGP consisted of a hill climb time trial from Old Fort to Swannanoa Gap, just outside of Black Mountain. The hill climb features a very scenic and interesting route that is worthy of a short history lesson. The 3.5-mile climb (4.5% grade average) is part of what used to be the only road from the east to the Asheville region, NC 10 and later US 70.

Photo from http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/old10/lookout.html

Once the new 4-lane US 70 was built (which would later become I-40), Old 70 fell into disrepair and was eventually gated off from vehicle traffic. The crumbling road, as seen in the photo below, remained a popular path for both hikers and mountain bikers, and most recently was paved over to make a greenway for pedestrians and cyclists. The scenic road winds alongside the Western NC rail line, which crosses under the famous Swannanoa tunnel at the top of the gap.

Photo from http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/old10/lookout.html

So up Old 70 we went, one by one, to see who could ride to the top of the mountain the fastest. Amy crested the peak in 19:55, good for 5th in the Women's Cat 4 division. I stopped the clock at 18:35, finishing 12th among the Cat 4/5 men.

Saturday's contest was a criterium around Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain. The counterclockwise course is very technical, boasting a nasty left-hand corner leading into a long climb featuring a switchback. To add to the difficulty, the gray and overcast day gave way to rain about an hour prior to our races, making the roads greasy and treacherous.

Above, the men's Cat 4/5 race gets underway. Although the road was drier at the start line, the heavily shaded course was still mostly wet for the 30-minute event.

On the climb early in the race.

Rounding the switchback. With only a few laps to go, I crashed in this section when my rear tire slipped on the white paint in the road.

Racing through the only real straightaway on the course, just prior to crashing. Despite the crash, I finished 9th after an unspectacular but consistent effort.

The women's race immediately followed mine, and the decision was made to combine all classes into single women's open field.

Motoring down the straightaway before the diabolical left turn.

Mashing up the hill after the switchback.

Amy finished 3rd among the Cat 4 women in the race after surviving the technical course without incident. Her consistency over the weekend netted her some cash and a crit prize of an indoor grill!

Lowes Time Trial Update

2010-08-19T10:58:00.007-04:00

As our busy summer winds down, I again find myself way behind in race updates. Below is a summary of the last two time trials at Lowes.

Lowes TT #3, July 7

The third leg of the series found us in the middle of a serious heat wave, with race-day temps near 100 and track temps too frightening to think about. Our household competition was knotted at one race each, with the coveted Lakeview Cup in my possession after last month's tilt. Determined to regain the lead in our grudge match, Amy came out fighting and finished in 25:43.64, maintaining her consistency for the year and finishing first in the women's Cat 4 division. It also gave her a decisive victory in our duel, after I limped home with a time of 27:18.74. Amy was all smiles after wresting the cup from me and taking a 2-1 advantage between the two of us.

Lowes TT #4, August 4

The fourth event in the series was official start of vacation for us, as we loaded our truck to the gills and prepared to drive straight from the speedway to Virginia Beach for a few days of fun in the sun. We faced another sultry night at the track, with temps again in the mid-90s. Fueled by excitement over vacation plans and motivation to erase my miserable performance from last month, I stopped the clock at 24:58.24, a new personal best at the speedway. Amy finished her test in 25:47.08, good for second place for the night. She also put herself squarely in the driver's seat for her second series title, amassing a commanding 30-point lead in the women's Cat 4 division.

Photos by Paul Gamewell

So with two events left in the 6-race series, Amy sits atop her division, and our household battle is knotted at two events each.

French Broad Cycling Classic

2010-07-20T21:03:00.009-04:00

The French Broad Cycling Classic is a 3-stage omnium that takes place in the greater Asheville area. The race is one of the highlights of the NC/SC racing calendar and draws nearly 1000 racers from the Southeast. Amy's Performance Bicycle Racing team circled this date on their racing calendar as a major team race for 2010, so after recharging our batteries at the Outer Banks for a week, we headed up to Marshall, NC for the omnium.

Friday, July 16: Cane Creek Time Trial, Marshall, NC

The first stage of the FBCC omnium was a 20k (12.2-mile) time trial along the French Broad river. The out-and-back course is generally flat and fast, and Amy was well-prepared for the course after her efforts in the Lowes Time Trial series. Despite our week of leisure at the beach leading up to the race, she crossed the line in 32:44, placing her in 4th place out of 21 competitors in the Women's Cat 4 division.

Saturday, July 17: Liberty Bicycles Road Race, Marshall, NC

In 2009, the FBCC replaced the Saturday criterium with a road race designed to showcase the very thing that makes cycling in Asheville what it is: mountainous and challenging. The Asheville Bicycle Racing Club (organizers of the FBCC) devised a punishing 40-mile route featuring a climb over Murray Gap and finishing atop Walnut Creek gap for a total of 6100 feet of climbing. Having previewed the course a handful of times, we knew we were in for a hard day in the saddle.

The first selection of the route actually occurred during the first 10 miles of the route, which consisted of a mostly uphill grind to Mars Hill. This resulted in several racers simply dropping out of the women's Cat 4 race, turning around and heading back. Although Amy (pictured above 300m from the finish atop Walnut Creek road) lost contact with the front of the race during this first stretch, she battled on to finish 24th after 2 hours and 40 minutes of racing.

While I did not contest the overall omnium, I did jump in on the road race in the men's Cat 4 division. In hindsight, I may have been a bit too relaxed following a week at the beach, and I limped home in last place at 55th.

Sunday, July 18: City Of Asheville Criterium, Asheville, NC

The omnium concluded with a criterium staged in South Asheville. While flat compared to the previous day's route, it nevertheless consisted of a long, gradual uphill stretch for about half of the 1.1-mile circuit. With the air thick and humid from daily thunderstorms and legs still smarting from the previous day's torture, a challenging contest lay ahead. The women's Cat 4 field started out at a steady but relatively moderate pace for their 35-minute race, and the field mostly stayed together for the first few laps. Just as the field was beginning to increase its speed, two riders went down, and Amy was caught behind and a gap formed. Left to chase mostly by herself, she was unable to catch back on to the field despite a furious chase and finished 13th.

In what was only her second omnium, Amy finished 14th out of 37 total competitors, anchored by her excellent time trial result. In addition, Performance Bicyle Racing had an outstanding weekend, with the elite team landing 7 top-10 finishes among the three stages, a win in the Sunday crit, and a second-place in the overall women's Cat 1-3 omnium.

The four photos above were taken by Paul Christopher. Please visit Christopher Graphics Event Photography to view additional photos of the FBCC, as well as photos of other cycling events from the area.

Heat Wave

2010-06-13T21:35:00.004-04:00

Martha and the Vandellas sang about it right - the City Park Criterium in Salisbury on Sunday, June 13 was like a heat wave for sure. With temps in the 90s and a heat index near triple digits, the villain of the day wasn't the nasty climb up the finishing straight. Still, it beats winter, so Amy, Addy and I headed down to roast with the other cyclists who had been participating in the NC State crit championships all weekend.

Above, Amy and the rest of the women's Cat 3/4 division get set to go fast and turn left around Salisbury's Hurley Park.

Working hard early in the race.

A breakaway of seven broke up the race a little over midway through the 40-minute event. Amy stayed with the chase group, which was unable to close the gap.

Amy was among a large majority who suffered breathing problems among many other heat-related issues. One of her teammates collapsed from the heat during the midday women's open race.
Despite a tiring day and not feeling her best, Amy made strong charge for the line as the chase group splintered, finishing 13th.

It was a highly successful weekend for Performance Bicycle Racing. Bergen Watterson, pictured above, was crowned NC state criterium champion, taking first place in both the women's open and women's masters races on Friday and Saturday, before finishing second in the women's open race in the City Park crit on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Sonja Van Holderbeke.

Lowes Time Trial #2

2010-06-13T21:17:00.010-04:00

Wednesday, June 9 was the 2nd race of the Lowes time trial series in Charlotte. After the first race last month, we decided that we needed to sweeten the deal for our monthly household competition with a trophy of some kind. After scouring the local thrift stores, we had narrowed down the possible prize to a 1999 Budweiser Christmas beer stein, an unused urn, and a creepy Spanish doll. We finally settled on a humongous band festival trophy that was buried in Amy's band storage room. We now truly had the motivation to beat the other and be the first winner of the newly-christened Lakeview Cup, pictured above in all its splendor. Actually, what's left of all its splendor, because several pieces broke off as I tried to tighten it up. Hard to imagine it any bigger.

Getting in our warmups before hitting the track with friend and new roadie convert Paul. Photo courtesy of Paul's cousin John Patterson.

Paul sprints away from the start house, his face a picture of determination. Photo courtesy of John Patterson.

Paul en route to a 28 minute, 34 second test. His start line focus paid off, and he shaved a whopping 4 minutes off of his time from last month. Was it that he was riding Amy's bike? His newly shaved legs? His steely start-line gaze?

With Amy having a lot of racing in her legs, and myself finally getting underway with some structured training, we both felt that we had PRs in our legs for the night.

Hitting the finish line.

Amy is stunned to find out that I beat her, but by only seven seconds. To paraphrase French cycling legend Jaques Anquetil's famous quote after winning the Tour de France by what was then the smallest margin in history, "It was six more than necessary." Fortunately, we met our real goal of continuing to improve our individual times, setting new PRs in the process. In addition, Amy's time of 25 minutes, 19 seconds was good for first place in the Women's Cat 4 division.

Ah, the sweet spoils of victory. After hearing about last month's result from what seemed like every human being Amy came in contact with, I was glad to call the former symbol of junior high band prowess my own.

Mugging with good dude Will Turk, who took all of the non-John photos above.

1st Annual Memorial Day Race Binge

2010-06-04T21:49:00.019-04:00

I seem to be living my adult life in reverse sequence. After spending 15 years in a dungeon of mundane, middle-aged routines, never going anywhere, doing the same chores around the house week after week, I've now regressed to living life on the no-plan plan on the weekends. In the case of this past Memorial Day weekend, throwing everything in a backpack and driving across the state to race, all on two days' notice. All humour aside, it's not so much about regressing as it is having a partner with the same hobbies as you, and who has the attitude that you're never too old to play as if you were still in your early 20s. So with that in mind, we decided at the 11th hour that we would follow the extended weekend racing action as it wound east through High Point and ended up in Fayetteville, participating in as much of it as our bodies would tolerate.

It all started innocently enough. Amy registered for the Hearts for Heroes 5k, held in Valdese as part of the Founder's Day Festival on Saturday, May 29. Amy won the inaugural running of the 5k last year and was back to defend her title.

The course winds through the residential back streets of Valdese and consists of several short, steep hills.
Despite focusing primarily on cycling this year, Amy improved her time from last year, finishing in 24:32, good enough for second overall female.

So then we figured we'd hop in the car and head to High Point to race in the second of their weekend crits. Amy, being all young and all, figured that it wouldn't be an issue racing a late afternoon crit, since the 5k was overwith by 8:30 that morning. With my category racing even later that evening, it was a no-brainer.

The 1k course was very technical, featuring multiple corners and placing a premium on bike-handling skills.
Above, Amy is coming through the start-finish area, in the High Point furniture convention center bus terminal, at the start of her final lap. Amy had great position going into the last lap, but was knocked out of position by a fellow competitor whom she rubbed wheels with for several seconds. She recovered and gained a few positions back with a strong sprint to the line, finishing 10th in the Cat 4 division.

Below is a short video of the women's field rounding the last turn before heading into the start-finish area.

I raced in the Cat 4/5 Masters division, which started at 8:50pm. Despite still suffering from a lack of form, racing through downtown at night was a total blast, especially as we moved from sparsely lit streets into the bright bus terminal start area with cheering spectators. I emerged from the dark city streets in 17th.

So then we said, "Well, we're already halfway across the state, we might as well go on to Fayetteville and race down there, too." So we tossed Amy's time trial bike in the back of the truck and continued east to compete in the Dragon's Challenge time trial the next morning. Our start times were mercifully not until after 11:00am, since we didn't get to our hotel until around 1:00am. The event was actually in the town of Wade, just outside of Fayetteville. Every town east or south of Raleigh feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, and Wade is no exception. I suspect that cartographers may be able to prove that Wade is, in fact, the actual center of nowhere. The 22-mile circuit was flat, devoid of any scenery, and cursed by the meteorological phenomenon that ensures that cyclists always have a headwind, even if travelling in a circle or the trees aren't moving. The flat course, constant headwind, sensory deprivation and hot temperatures combined to make the time trial a very physically challenging event. Amy crossed the line in 1 hour, 1 minute, 44 seconds, taking 7th in the women's Cat 3/4 division.

After being plagued by heat, toe-staining weeds, and fire ants during my warmup, I finished in 1 hour, 38 seconds, good for 8th in Cat 4/5 Masters. Take that, all y'all who are always wanting Amy to beat me at Lowes.

So then, we decided that since we were already basically in Fayetteville, we might as well stay for the criterium on Monday since we had Memorial Day off. The short, 4-corner circuit took place in historic downtown Fayetteville, with the finishing straight being on the tree-lined bricks of Hay Street, pictured above.

Racing past the colonial center of town.

Despite being in her 4th event in a little over 48 hours, Amy was aggressive throughout the entire race, working with racers from other teams to animate the race and to try to get a break going. Above, Amy is accelerating to the front of the field during the latter stages of the race. Her efforts yielded a 5th place finish.

Below is a video of the field coming down Hay Street and into the first turn.

After all that racing, what's the best reward? Bux. Amy finished in the money and scored her first cash prize in road racing, earning $19! Whee! We were stymied by the amount of the check, given the fact that, with a $200 purse and the top 5 places winning money, the check amount was a prime number. Despite the mathematical conundrum, we did not look the gift horse in the mouth, and we headed away from nowhere back to somewhere with a little cash in hand and memories of fine dining at the Wade Waffle House.

Catching Up

2010-06-04T14:44:00.018-04:00

The heart of the spring racing season has kept us busy, and as a result, I am almost hopelessly behind in race reports. So below is essentially our summary of May racing action.

The first weekend of May is always the May Day Biathlon weekend, with youth racing on Saturday and adult racing on Sunday. Addy entered the youth competition on May 1 for the second year, and he was ready to strap it on with the youth of Burke County on his still-new Redline. The fact that, at only 7 years of age, he is able to wear one of my Velosports jerseys indicates that his bike is soon to become his too-small Redline.

The 7-to-10-year-olds dash off the line at the start of the 0.8-mile running leg.

Despite a near-death experience during the running leg, Addy sprints to the transition area to mount his bike. Mom ran along for encouragement/pushing/dragging.

Any 7-year-old big enough to carry his mommy on his back can bring the hurt. Despite being at the back of the field after the running leg, Addy unleashed the power in his massive thighs during the 1.6-mile bike leg and stormed back into the race.

Rounding the final turn before the finish line.

Like mother, like son. On the strength of his bike leg, Addy took 5th place.

Racing over the Lake James dam during the 19-mile bike of the adult biathlon on Sunday, May 2.

Amy bettered her time from last year, stopping the clock at 1:32:35 and winning the women's 30-34 age group. She was also jumping for joy at winning a neon green Camelbak as a door prize. I came across the line at 1:27:33, good enough for second in the men's 40-44 age group.

Wednesday, May 5 was the first race of the year in one of our favorite events, the Lowes Time Trial series. Above, Amy was all business as she exited the pit garage.

This year, it's personal. Ready to duke it out for time-trial bragging rights on Lakeview Acres Road. Amy drew first blood, finishing in 25:39 and taking 2nd in the women's Cat 4 division. My time of 26:05 landed me in 14th among Cat 4 men.

Our friend Paul entered his first road race the same evening.

Amy entered her first omnium on May 14-16, the new Tour du Life in the High Country of northwest NC. The first leg of the omnium was the Beech Mountain time trial, which Amy is getting ready to start above. Amy finished the 5-mile hill climb in 36:33, taking 7th place in the women's open division.

The following morning was the second stage of the Tour du Life omnium, the Boone Road Race. As with any route in the High Country, the 35-mile circuit boasted copious amounts of climbing, including a mountaintop finish atop George's Gap. Above, Amy gets ready to set out from historic Cove Creek School with the women's open field, among whom she would finish 11th.

Having missed the Friday time trial, I jumped into the fray on Saturday morning, looking forward to race on some of the same roads that I began cycling on as a student at ASU 20 years prior. However, a lack of fitness and an unfortunate crash by a fellow competitor combined to leave myself and two others far off the pace after 16 miles, at which point I pulled out of the race, choosing instead to head to a cookout to scarf hot dogs. Lack of fitness... hot dogs... hmmm...

The final stage of the omnium was the Newland criterium on Sunday morning. The 1-mile circuit featured a long rise culminating in a 12% legbreaker before descending to the start-finish area. The brutal course took its toll on many riders that day, myself included. I finished 9th in the Cat 4/5 Masters division.

Out of the saddle and powering over the steepest part of the course. Amy finished 12th in the Newland crit and 7th for the overall omnium. However, this was in a women's open division, which includes not only Amy's cat 4 division, but categories 1-3 as well, meaning Amy was competing against the most experienced women racers. She was the second-highest placed Cat 4 racer in the final omnium standings.

Ring of Fire action on May 26. I raced again in both the Masters and Category B (Cats 3 and 4) races.

The Ring of Fire has started a women's open race, and Amy finished 6th on this night. She also sprinted for an unofficial win among the women in the earlier Cat C men's/women's race.

OK, so I think I'm pretty much caught up. My next report will be of our fascinating journey to the sandhills of NC over Memorial Day weekend.

The Ring of Fire

2010-05-10T22:14:00.011-04:00

The Ring of Fire is a criterium that is put on by Velosports Racing every other Wedesday during the spring and summer. The series is held at the mellowdrome in Asheville, a 500m (roughly 1/3 mile) former stock car track that has been converted into a cycling facility. Through the first three events, Amy has had some excellent results, finishing 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd in the women's C division. I've raced in the C division, masters, and B division over the first part of the season. Below are some photos of the April 28 Ring of Fire.

The women race with the guys at the Ring of Fire. Above, Amy gets her game face on prior to the 20-lap C race.

Keeping pace in the 40-lap B race.

Amy tucked in on the left.

Amy winding up for a sprint with the XY crowd.

Ready to start my first masters race.

Amy riding strong with the field.

Hanging on in the 30-lap masters race at 29mph.

Valdese Triathlon 2010

2010-04-18T08:46:00.014-04:00

Amy competed in our hometown triathlon Saturday for the second year in succession. Hoping to improve on her time from last year, and with a goal of placing in her age group, she arrived at the pool Saturday morning with no shoulder dislocations, collarbone breaks, sinus infections (mostly), colds, mechanical problems, etc. Amy was coming off a second-place finish at Wednesday's Ring of Fire in Asheville (finishing ahead of your truly), so the snap had returned to her legs at just the right time. The unseasonably warm April morning set the stage for a good day for competition, further raising the odds that Amy would meet her goals for year.

One cannot go fast without first looking good. Amy prepares her SpokesWomen Syndicate/Performance Bicycle Racing kit for the biking/running leg. Her dominant women's racing team has two professional triathletes on the roster, giving it a multi-sport flavor.

Amy's band students felt that she should paint her nails black for the tri, so black they were.

Pushing off at the start of the swimming leg.

Able to use both arms this year, Amy took 1 minute, 34 seconds off of her 2009 swim time, finishing the 250m, 10-lap leg in 6minutes, 12 seconds.

Leaving the rain-forest climate of Valdese's indoor pool, Amy was glad to be heading to the transition area in upper-60s temperatures, instead of last year's upper-40s.

The 9-mile bike leg skirts the base of the eastern-most section of the South Mountains, making it a loop of endless short, steep hills.

Heading in to the transition area after completing the bike leg in 31 minutes, 46 seconds, the 4th-best time among the 83 females competitors, and nearly 3-minutes faster than last year.

Two legs down and one to go, Amy sets out for the run.

Amy completes the 5k running leg in 24 minutes, 59 seconds, the 11th-fastest female time. She trimmed 14 seconds off from 2009.

The photo says it all! Consistent improvement in all three disciplines netted Amy an overall time of 1 hour, 5 minutes, 23 seconds. In addition, she met both of her goals, finishing 3rd in the female 30-34 division and improving on her 2009 time by 6 minutes, 31 seconds. Her time placed her 11th overall among all 83 female finishers, an jump from her 2009 placing of 18th. I enjoyed not getting my heart rate anywhere near its maximum training threshold and working out only my camera shutter-finger.

We'll be heading down to Athens, Ga next weekend for the Athens Twilight race weekend, a big date on the national race calendar.

Rock Hill Classic Road Race

2010-04-12T09:53:00.010-04:00

Historic Brattonsville, SC, was the locale for Saturday's race, which was part of the Rock Hill Classic weekend omnium. Not being able to attend Friday night's sprints or Sunday's criterium, we targeted Saturday's road race for our weekend fun. It was a tall order, however, with the 47-mile loop representing the longest race on the calendar for the year. Having to train around jobs and kids means being better prepared for shorter events, so our expectations were modest. But, we looked forward to great weather and teammates to race with.

With their kits finally arrived, the Performance Bicycle Racing team was a presence across the women's fields for the weekend. Developmental team members Amy, Shannon Parrish (l) , and Erica Chard (c) lined up for the women's cat 4 event.

The 47-mile course consisted of unrelenting rolling hills that were never very steep, but went on seemingly forever. This resulted in most of the races getting split up, usually during the first section of really challenging, back-to-back climbs around mile 15. At this point, Amy got separated from the field and chased solo for around 10 miles. Her long, steady effort paid off, and she limited her losses until she caught on with another racer. The duo worked together until her cohort began to wobble, eventually stopping and laying down in the road, in tears due to the extreme effort. Amy stopped, helped her to her feet, and told her that if she could push out a 9-lb baby after 26 hours of labor, the other racer could finish the race. She got the other racer back on the bike and continued the chase. She eventually caught on with another group and rode in to the finish, with enough gas left in the tank to lead out a sprint to the finish line. Amy finished 25th among the Cat 4 women. Overall, the pink ladies stamped their foot on the field for the weekend, with the elite team winning both the women's cat 1-2-3 road race and the queen of the mountains competition. Their strong performance led the team to also take first and second place for the overall weekend series.

With teammate Brian Morrison just prior to the start.

The Cat 5s set out at a relatively fast pace for such a long race, covering the first 15 miles at an average speed of over 25mph. Not being well-suited to hilly efforts, I also got separated from the field around mile 15, and finished 31st while working with other stragglers along the route. An inglorious result, but the hard race was rewarding in the effort, and the beautiful weather made for a great day to be out on the bike.

Uwharrie Wheelmen Road Race

2010-03-26T09:42:00.014-04:00

Amy and I headed to New London on Saturday to race in the Uwharrie Wheelemen Road Race. Conveniently located at least an hour or more from everywhere else, the course was in the rolling farmland just north of Albemarle.

The Category 5 racers tend to be the figurative roosters of the bunch, often going off as the first races of the day. I was still bundled up for our 9am start. Fortunately for Amy, her race started after lunch, allowing her to enjoy the first-day-of-spring temps that ended up in the mid-70s.

With their kits still yet to come in, the Performance Bicycle Racing women went stealth with unmarked, white-and-black kits.

Ready to roll at the start line.

The course consisted of a 6.6-mile circuit through the cattle farms and cotton fields that populate the area. The rolling terrain was deceptively tough and made for a selective race. The Cat 5 35+ race was a 4-lap contest of around 26.5 miles. With bad legs from moving furniture the day before, I soloed in behind the field in 21st place.

As was the case in her first race of the season, Amy had to race in a Women's Open field, meaning that she toed the start line with all categories, including pros. With four teammates in the field with a pre-race strategy to make the race hard, a tough effort lay ahead. The field stayed together on the first of the five-lap event. However, on the second lap, the Performance Bicycle Racing women put their plan into action and sent two up the road. The breakaway sent the speed soaring, and the field quickly splintered into ones and twos, as seen in the picture of Amy above. The PBR plan worked to near-perfection, yielding a 2nd-place podium finish and 3 of the top 5 spots.

This hill was the nastiest of the course, boasting a 15% grade.

Amy hit the finish line 19th. Despite being part of the carnage, she worked together with another racer to put together a strong effort in a very tough race. The nearly 2-hour effort will pay dividends.

Next up, a couple of weekends off followed by the Rock Hill Classic and the Valdese Triathlon.

Greenville Spring Training Series Finale

2010-03-07T21:26:00.010-05:00

Sunday was the final event in the Greenville Spring Training Series, held again at Donaldson Center. This would mark my second road race of the season, and it would be Amy's debut for the year after many weeks of recovery from her collarbone break. However, we were both feeling good with improving fitness from our training programs, and we appeared to have no residual damage from yesterday's 5k.

My Cat 5 35+ race again consisted of 3 laps around the 7-mile Donaldson Center circuit. Another hard week of training paid off, as I was able to stay near the front of the field for the hour-long contest, despite the pace averaging 3mph faster than last week's race. However, as we approached the end of the race, I was very aware that I had no idea what to do or when to do it to contest what was shaping up to be a bunch sprint. Sitting near the front, I tried to size things up in preparation for the move that would accelerate the pack for the final move. A rider surged past me, and I grabbed his wheel, hoping he would pull me and the pack toward the line. Unfortunately, he went a bit too early, and when the field made their final acceleration around 200 meters from the line, I had nothing left, coming across in 17th position. Regardless, I was very happy to be both a factor in the race and in the mix right to the line.

The women's race started just four minutes behind our race, so Amy and I were both racing on the course at the same time. Amy's race started strangely before the gun even sounded. Often, women race in an 'open' category, meaning that they race directors lump all 4 categories of women into one race, resulting in less experienced racers competing against the most experienced. Typically, when enough are registered, they break out the Cat 4 (novice) racers so that they can compete against each other on a more level playing field. However, yesterday, they didn't make such a distinction, and all women lined up together. The director asked the field at the start line if they would like to split the field up, but the question was not heard by everyone, and so the race went off as an 'open' field. Needless to say, with the more experienced racers in the field, the riders set off from the line at a blistering pace. Issue #1.

Issue #2 happened soon afterward. Amy was near her maximum effort, but hanging with the brisk and experienced field. But, thinking that she would be racing against her own category (which had their own race in every other one of the series to that point), we had decided to change her gear cassette on her bike to one that was considerably lighter, but higher (harder) geared. With the gearing more difficult than we anticipated, she was struggling to shift to a gear that she could manage, and she dropped her chain while climbing the steepest hill on the first lap, requiring her to get off her bike and put it back on. Fortunately, she made a quick repair and caught on with another woman who was off the back of the main field. They organized and began to work together to chase.

Issue #3. After chasing for almost 20 miles, the twosome had caught another pair of chasers and was halfway around their final, 4th lap (the Cat 4s had to race four laps instead of three due to racing as an open category) when Amy's rear tire punctured. At this point, she felt like this:

No number of tales of other cyclists' racing misfortunes can take away the frustration of having to sit at the side of the road, waiting for race support to transport you back to the start area as a non-finisher. Despite our mock bike-throwing picture above (I probably would have actually thrown my bike), Amy was gracious amidst her bad luck and took things in stride, choosing instead to focus on the many positives from the day, which really did outweigh the negatives: being able to survive a nuclear blast of a start with very fast, experienced riders; having the patience to quickly fix a mechanical in the throes of a race; and having the skills to help lead a long chase effort. So even though we each came away with different results, we both felt positive about the start to the season and of what lies ahead for 2010.

Special thanks to Eddie Helton for the four photos above. For more pictures of the Greenville Spring Training Series, please visit his website.

Chase for Cupid's Arrow 5k

2010-03-07T21:25:00.005-05:00

Photo courtesy of Kelly Kropiwnicki Harmon

Amy and I ran in the Chase for Cupid's Arrow 5k on Saturday, which is held right next door to Valdese in Rutherford College. It was the second time we've run the race, which was postponed this year due to snow. The course is generally flat and unremarkable, save for a nasty 1/2 mile climb that occurs at mile 1. We finished around 25 minute, 46 seconds, essentially equalling our times from last year despite trying to conserve our legs and energy for the following day's bike racing. Nevertheless, Amy's time was good enough for second overall female, while I finished in 25:47 for second in my age group.

Kick-starting the Road Season

2010-03-03T15:24:00.008-05:00

Amy and I headed in opposite directions this past weekend to ring in the new road racing season. After a seemingly never-ending winter of snow, then snow, then wind, then rain, then snow, we were both glad to get outdoors and do something purposeful on our bikes besides toiling away on our trainers.

I did my first road race of the season on Sunday, racing in the Greenville (SC) spring training series. The 21-mile circuit race traversed a rolling, 7-mile loop around Donaldson Center, a technology and aviation campus south of Greenville. Conditions were about as good as it was going to get for this year, with the air cold (but not as cold as it has been), windy (but not as windy as it has been), and nothing falling out of the sky. Starting my first full season of road racing, I raced in the Category 5 35+ division along with 20-some-odd others. I was pleased that my first winter of structured training is paying off, as I was able to stay with the field for almost the entire race. If you've read my posts from last year, you will know that this is a dramatic improvement over what used to inevitably end up as solo rides. The field took a more relaxed start to the race, in contrast to what typically happens in a criterium, in which the field jumps from the start as if shot from a cannon. By the second lap, things began to ramp up, and I made the first big selection as the field accelerated through the roller hills on the back part of the course. On the final lap, I responded to an attack, which, although unsuccessful, got me to the front of the field in about 3rd or 4th position. However, just as the field was accelerating up a hill, the rider in front of me inexplicably stopped pedaling and started to coast. I got caught out behind him as the field sped by. By this point, the field was winding up for the closing miles, and I was unable to catch back on for the finish. However, this may have been for the best, as there was a crash in the field about 200m from the finish. Although I finished 17th, it was good start to the year and an excellent gauge for my early-season fitness.

Amy headed to Chapel Hill for the weekend to rendezvous with her new teammates on the Performance Racing Team. The training camp was the first for the fledgling squad and gave them a chance to meet and greet and get in lots of miles. The primary sponsor of the team, Performance Bike, rolled out the red carpet for the team and provided support for the camp. The team is comprised of two squads, an elite-level squad that will focus on larger regional and national events, and a developmental squad (on which Amy is a member) that will focus on local and regional events. The team has drawn talent from several areas of the southeast, particularly the Asheville area, Chapel Hill, and Atlanta. Both squads were on hand for the weekend. After gathering Friday evening, the team set out Saturday for a long training ride, and the spirited pace of the ride indicated that the team intends on being an immediate presence in women's racing. Sunday's riding consisted of a charity ride to benefit the victims of Haiti. Before dispersing for the weekend, the team recovered from the weekend's riding with a session with internationally recognized yoga expert Sage Rountree. Interspersed throughout the weekend were meetings about the organization of the team and of the sponsorship support by Performance.

Amy's first race of the season is coming this Sunday, also at Donaldson Center, and I will be hitting the pavement for the event as well.

Snow Day

2010-01-30T21:34:00.014-05:00

We cyclists in the foothills have had little to complain about during the winter months of the past few years, with snow rare and temperatures mild. In stark contrast to the recent past, Saturday brought our second winter storm in as many months, sending the townsfolk scurrying for milk and bread and postponing the weekend's racing. A weekend indoors loomed. However, I have a severe allergy to training indoors, and I will typically do anything to avoid it. So, I lowered the pressure in my 29er's tires and set out to mix it up with the ATVs and 4x4s around our new hometown.
Our new hometown of Valdese was settled in the late 1800s by the protestant religious group called the Waldensians, who left their home in the Cottian Alps after centuries of persecution. Above is a picture of the Trail of Faith, a recreation of the Waldensian settlement.

The snow-covered stage of the Fred Cranford Amphitheater is the summer home to the outdoor drama 'From This Day Forward,' of which Amy is an alum, as is buddy Will Turk, who has contributed to this blog.

The Old Rock School is the former primary school of Valdese and now houses the community auditorium and community theater, the Old Colony Players.

The Waldensian Presbyterian Church is the founding congregation of the settlement of Valdese.

A monument outside of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church commemorating the settlement of Valdese by the Waldensians. The Cottian Alps are situated in what is now the Alpine border between France and Italy, and the Waldensians spoke a hybrid of the two languages called Patois. Fans of professional cycling will recognize the mountain of Sestriere, part of the Cottian Alps and the site of many famous mountain stages in the Tour de France.

The Redline Monocog 29er singlespeed was a competent winter weather exploration vehicle.

A snow-covered road leading to Waldensian Heritage Wines.

Vinyards outside the winery.

Waldensian Heritage Wines makes wine in the tradition of the Waldensians. A favorite local activity on summer weekends is drinking wine and playing bocce, the traditional sport of the Waldensians.

While I'd rather be cruising around in the 56-degree temps we had last Thursday, the snow provided a unique setting for exploring the town. Now if we can just have an early spring...

NCCX Winter Series #4

2010-01-25T09:32:00.009-05:00

Sunday, January 24 was the finale of the North Carolina Cyclocross Winter Series. After the first two legs of the series were characterized by bitter cold conditions, the third race in Fayetteville last weekend was a mud-fest. With heavy rains looming, the final race in Greensboro promised to dish out some Belgium-esque cyclocross goo.

Sunday's course was held in Bur-Mil Park, adjacent to Lake Brandt. The 3k loop featured two sand sections , a stair climb, and an uphill double-barracade obstacle. The sand pits were particularly tricky, situated back-to-back at the top of a gradual climb and separated by a u-turn. The sand was loose and deep, and all but the strongest riders ground to a halt if they attempted to ride through it. The smart rider ran through the pits, but this resulted in dismounting, running, remounting to ride through the u-turn (which was a bit too long to run), and then dismounting again for the second pit. While this approach was generally faster for most riders, it added up to four total dismounts each lap. This tricky and well-placed obstacle truly made competitors pick their poison each lap. Fortunately, the heavy rains held off, and the course was muddy but very rideable.

I again did the Cat 4/Masters 35+ double, placing 19th in the Cat 4 race while struggling with asthma toward the end. I cruised at the back of the field in the Masters race, finishing 15th and keeping my heart rate low enough to recover from my earlier breathing issues. My non-stellar but consistent finishes notched me 11th place among Cat 4s for overall series points and 9th place for Masters 35+.

I was travelling solo on Sunday, so I have no race pictures. However, for your consideration:

The blue poison frog, or dendrobates azureus. D. azureus is a mid-sized dendrobatid frog weighing about 3 grams and having a length ranging from 3 to 4.5 cm. It inhabits small isolated forest areas surrounded by the dry, prairie-like Sipaliwini Savannah at elevations from 315 to 430 m. It prefers a dark, moist environment, living only near small streams among moss-covered rocks. It typically remains on the ground, but has been found in trees at heights of up to 5 m. D. azureus is terricolous and remains close to some type of water source such as a stream. It is very active during the daytime (diurnal) and moves constantly with short leaps.

The blue poison frog has nothing to do with the NCCX Winter Series race #4, but it is wearing a handsome shade of Velosports Racing blue. However, if you are ever in the South American country of Suriname and spot a pretty little frog wearing a handsome shade of Velosports Racing blue, do not touch it, because it will kill you dead.

With the 2009-2010 cyclocross season in the books, it's time to hang up the cross bike and hit the road. Amy and I will be headed down to Greenville, SC, in late February to kick off our road-racing seasons. Til then, stay dry, ride safe, and don't touch the blue frogs.

2010 Winter Short Track #1

2010-01-18T20:59:00.006-05:00

Sunday, January 17, was the first round of the Charlotte Sports Cycling Winter Short Track Series. The home of the 5-race series is Renaissance Park, featuring a 3/4 mile course designed and maintained by the Tarheel Trailblazers. At least half the course is singletrack, and the Trailblazers packed a lot of character in a short stretch of trail, including several banked turns, a whoop-de-doo section, and a short but very challenging swtichback climb culminating in a rock step at the top. The course was neutralized on this morning, however, by the deluge of rain that fell overnight. Several sections of the course were turned into thick mud, and drivetrain and traction problems plagued racers all day.

I entered the singlespeed division. Above, I'm coming out of the singletrack section on my first lap and heading up a doubletrack service road toward the start-finish area of the course. Kit still white and blue, bike still green.

Cresting the top of the short hill after jumping over the rock step.

Sprinting through the singletrack section.

More singletrack goodness.

My grimy Redline Monocog 29er, ready to hit the showers.

Is there an age at which playing in the mud stops being fun? Despite my strangely anxious expression, the race was a blast. I finished 10th in the singlespeed division, and I am still getting dirt out of my ears.

NCCX Winter Series #1 and #2

2010-01-14T07:53:00.043-05:00

or, Adventures in Multiple Layers

The North Carolina Cyclocross Winter Series kicked off this past weekend with a pair of races. Despite the record-setting cold snap, I entered both races in an effort to regain some fitness lost during a month of house-moving tasks. Joining me was Paul Gamewell, who was eager to give cyclocross a try.

Saturday, January 9, Salisbury

As I watched the sky come to light on Saturday morning, I checked the weather conditions. Seven degrees. Not 27, or even 17. Single digits. Facing what was certain to be a day-long Boone flashback, I scrounged up as many layers as I could find that might shield me from the arctic blast. For those of you keeping score, my outfit consisted of: one thin long-sleeve base layer, two heavyweight long-sleeve Under Armor base layers, my Velosport jersey, wool tights, wind-blocker bib tights, Velosport bib shorts, DeFeet Woolly Boolly socks, Woolrich wool socks, polypro balaclava, and neoprene paddling gloves. Bring it on. Despite feeling like the performance-fabric version of Randy in 'A Christmas Story,' my core temperature seemed to drop when we arrived at the course to find that the septic chemicals in the port-o-johns were frozen solid.

The first race of the series took place in Salisbury Community Park, featuring a very open, sweeping course. Challenges on this day included a double-obstacle section, a two-step runup, and two steep rideable hills. Of course, the primary challenge of the day was the weather, and the wind-swept course was frozen solid at the start of the race, making for a very bumpy and tiring ride. I entered the Cat 4 race, the first of the morning, and finished the 30-minute event in 19th place. Wanting to get in as much training as possible, I also entered the Masters 35+ race, coming in 22nd.

Paul captured the start of the Cat 4 race on film, below:

Negotiating the steps at the bottom of the runup.

Clearing the double-obstacles. My jersey, straining from being pulled over three base layers, ruptured while I was at the start line and my zipper separated. I was forced to start a new fashion trend by tying the bottom of my jersey together in a hip, midriff-exposing style.

Paul entered the singlespeed division, his first bike race of any kind. The learning curve was steep in the small but highly-competitive SS field, and he was further hamstrung by racing on his Redline Monocog 29er mountain bike. Nevertheless, by the second lap Paul was quickly adapting to cross racing on a mountain bike, and his dismounts and remounts became fluid. With his skills improving with each lap, he finished 6th and completed the process of getting hooked on racing.

Sprinting back up to speed after remounting at the top of the runup.

Beginning the runup. Paul was lugging 10-15 more pounds of bike compared to the rest of the field.

Hammering to the top of the hill in the wooded section of the course. This picture does not convey how steep this hill was. Paul ran a 32x18 gear.

Paul's bike was so heavy, it jumped him over the obstacles.

Everyone smiles at the end of a cross race. His first race in the bag, Paul was no exception.

Salisbury was also Addy's first chance to "race" his new Redline Conquest. Bundled by mom to the point of being able to withstand an extended Yukon expedition, he stumped the NCCX race officials by showing up for a kid's ride that they had not planned on having. In the middle of preparing for the start of the SS race, they quickly devised a kid-friendly course and took Addy on a 2-lap ride, led by NCCX team member Jason Morgan. In addition to giving Addy his first cross ride by himself, they also gave him a pair of DeFeet socks afterward. Thank you NCCX for going above and beyond.

Addy's new bike is 15 pounds lighter than his former bike, the 'Chrome Dream.' However, the challenge on this day was not the weight of his bike, but the volume of his conversation. Enjoying the one-up "race" against Jason, his conversation was in hyperdrive and he couldn't stop talking long enough lift his bike over the barriers without an assist. Nonstop talking=happiness.

We're pretty sure bbq is contraindicated as a recovery food. We cared not. We cholesterol-loaded for the following day's racing at College Barbecue in Salisbury.

Sunday, January 10, Mooresville

Sunday's racing moved to Mooresville in Stumpy Creek Park, on the shores of Lake Norman. The Stumpy Creek course was considerably more technical than the previous day, boasting a runup of 40 concrete steps shortly followed by very steep but rideable wall; a bumpy, off-camber descent; a wooded singletrack section made treacherous by slippery pine needles and cones; and, numerous other sections of climbing that were deceptively steep. Despite daybreak temperatures in the single-digits again, start-time temps were warmer, making the weather less of a factor and necessitating fewer layers. However, the course offered few sections for recovery, and a tough day lay ahead.

I again entered both the Cat 4 and Masters 35+ races. With my legs still smarting from the day before, I remained consistent and finished 21st in Cat 4 and 20th in Masters. I was spent after traversing the Stairs of Misery 11 times (440 steps) over the course of the morning.

NCCX 2009 Fall Series #9

2009-12-09T14:14:00.010-05:00

Sunday, December 6 was the 9th and final race of the NC Cyclocross 2009 fall series at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. Watching the UCI race in Hendersonville two weeks before was too much to take, so I scored a Redline Conquest from Carolina Fatz and dipped my toes in the cross pool for the first time. With a typical 6-year-old's affinity for mud, Addy joined me for his first cross event, too.

The course at Tanglewood was fairly flat, although mud from the heavy rain late in the week slowed things down and made for a more technical ride. Temperatures remained cold all day, with the high never getting out of the low 40s and the air feeling much colder. With this being the final race of the fall series, the vibe was considerably laid-back, with cold beer on tap and brats on the grill all day.

Addy hit the track first for the kid's race, which consisted of one lap around the flatter section of the course. The only real snag for him was not being able to lug his bike up and over the obstacles, despite ample cheering by the nearby beer gallery. I was able to team up with him to get his steed over the obstacles, and he was on his way to the finish. He was the second kid to finish the non-competitive event. Word has it that Santa is checking out a new bike that comes in under the 33-lb behemoth he's riding now.

I raced in the men's Category 4 event, a 30-minute race that traversed the circuit three times. This category was by far the largest of the event, so my plan was hang around the back and get used to the unique technical skills required in cross without taking anyone (or myself) out. This appeared to be a good plan as the field experienced a pileup just seconds into the race. I avoided the mayhem and ran into no further difficulties during the race. In fact, my crash-course in cross technique over the previous two weeks seemed to pay off, as I not only negotiated the technical sections of the course with no problems, but typically passed others who struggled in these sections. Overall, I overtook 2-3 people per lap and steadily moved up in the field. As of this date, the results haven't been published. Now that my addiction to cyclocross is complete, I am looking forward to the NC Cyclocross winter series, which starts in January.

As for my bike, I converted my Redline Conquest to a 1x9 drivetrain. I tossed the cranks that came on the bike in favor a set of SRAM Rival cranks in my preferred 175mm arm length. I used a 39t chainring in combination with a 12-26t cassette. The gearing seemed fine for the Tanglewood course, although I would maybe go with a 38 or even a 36 for a hiller track. The stock Shimano Tiagra shifter and rear derailleur shifted fine initially but became unpredictable as the drivetrain became muddy. I used Challenge Grifo XC clincher tires, which have a fine diamond tread designed for drier, faster conditions. However, they are considerably lighter and more supple than the Continentals that I picked up for mud, and I didn't seem to give up anything to anyone else due to traction. I used the Alex wheels that came with the bike, and although heavy, I'm going to go ahead and wear them out before stepping up to a more performance-minded wheelset.

INJURY UPDATE: Amy is recovering slowly but steadily and is in her 4th week post-crash. Most bumps, bruises and road rash have healed up, but she still has a lot of soreness. Her 3-week follow-up with her orthopaedist revealed two additional breaks in the clavicle, which have already calcified and appear mostly healed. She is looking at 12-16 weeks for complete recovery, although she is hoping to get back on the bike in time for her new team's training camp in Chapel Hill at the end of January.

NC Cyclocross Grand Prix

2009-11-22T08:14:00.015-05:00

We headed to Hendersonville yesterday to watch The North Carolina Cyclocross Grand Prix. For family and friends who don't know what cyclocross is, it is a form of bike racing that is part road biking and part mountain biking. Popularized in Europe, a cross bike looks very similar to a road bike, with with a frame designed to shed mud that is common during the fall and winter cross racing season. In addition, cross bikes use wider tires than road bikes, often with knobby tread patterns to tackle off-road conditions. Cross races are typically 30-60 minutes in length and are run on a mostly off-road circuit course of around a mile. Cross racing is unique in that courses are designed to force racers to dismount their bikes and jump over obstacles at different points over the course. Short, steep climbs, often requiring riders to carry their bikes, are typical as well.

The race in Hendersonville was part of the NC Cyclocross 2009 fall race series. The weekend's racing featured internationally-sanctioned divisions for elite men and women, meaning that the respective fields, which were comprised of some of the top national cross racers, would also earn points toward their international ranking.

Below are pictures of the "wall" at Jackson Park during the elite women's race. Despite the steep grade of the climb, most racers sprinted hard before the climb and grunted their way up without dismounting.

Our buddy Paul with Amy and her broken collarbone/conversation piece, watching the action at the wall.

Below, the elite women are hitting one of the other steep climbs on the course. This climb required riders to dismount, jump over two obstacles, and run with their bikes to the top of the climb.

Here are a couple of videos of the wall, which was situated just before the start-finish line.

One Tough Broad

2009-11-19T09:00:00.007-05:00

"Snap back to reality, up, there goes gravity.."

While Eminem wasn't rapping about cycling, the reality of riding a bike is that, at some point, every cyclist will confirm the laws of gravity and hit the deck. This past Sunday, approximately 2.5 hours into a training ride south Black Mountain, Amy crashed while descending a mountain at 30+ mph. After hitting a disguised rut in the road, she lost control of her bike and flipped over the handlebars, landing on her head and left shoulder. Although unconscious when myself and teammate Frank got to her, she quickly came to as Frank called 911. Despite being in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, the first responders were in church right at the top of the hill, so help arrived almost instantly after the call was placed, with EMTs from the local VFD around the corner arrived soon after. The first-response care was excellent and we are forever indebted. Amy experienced amnesia for the day's events, but even by the time the ambulance arrived, her memory was steadily returning. Evaluation in the ER at Memorial Mission hospital in Asheville revealed a broken left collarbone but no concussion, her crushed helmet having done its job. Follow-up evaluations on Tuesday confirmed no hidden head trauma. Additionally, a follow-up x-ray of her collarbone revealed that it broke in a manner in which a child's more elastic bones would, stymieing her orthopaedist and making for a very clean, non-displaced break that will heal well with a much lower chance of calcification.

In a testament to her character, Amy has taken this painful rite of passage in stride, still claiming that it pales in comparison to pushing out a 9-pound baby boy after 26 hours of labor. We of the male gender are having to take her word on that one. In fact, her first question to her coach was, "How long before I can start training again?" Tough indeed. So, Amy has come out of the experience with more resolve as she looks toward racing in 2010, and we had a bonding experience with teammates that was unwished for but nonetheless positive. Erica, Frank, Joey, Andy, we are glad you were there with us.

And to all you kids out there - stay in school, say no to drugs, say your prayers, and ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

Bank of NC Short Track Mountain Bike Race

2009-11-14T21:12:00.010-05:00

Saturday was the third race in the Bank of NC Short Track mountain bike race series in Harrisburg, benefitting the Cabarrus Rotary Club. The 4-race series takes place at Harrisburg Town Park, which features a NORBA-style 3/4-mile short track. The local mountain bike club put together a great track including a downhill singletrack section with berms, a grassy cyclocross-esque grassy section coming into the start-finish stretch, and a short, nasty climb.

Conditions were near-perfect, as we enjoyed weekend temps in the mid-70s. Ahhh, the summer we never had, right smack in the middle of November. The rain from two days ago left the trail in excellent shape.

Amy's teammate Erica Chard hit the loop first for the day, competing in the women's Cat 3 division. With some snap still left in the legs after a season of road racing, she paced the eventual race-winner and finished a strong second. Above, Erica is coming off the upper half of the singletrack downhill section and cresting a short hill before finishing the downhill.

Since my last race, I was invited to join the Asheville-based Velosports Racing Team for 2010. Above, new teammate (and Erica's boyfriend) Frank Obusek begins the grind up the steepest section of the climb during the Cat 2 40+ race. Frank also rode strongly to finish 3rd.

Rounding out the day, I entered the singlespeed division for my first mountain bike race of any kind. Above, I'm coming out of the grass track and heading into the gravel start-finish double track.
Grinding through the steepest section of the climb in my crisp, new Velosport kit. Pushing a 32x18 gear, in hindsight I probably would have given up a little on the downhill sections in favor of being able to spin a little bit more on the climbs.

Hitting one of the berms on the upper downhill section.

Another shot of the upper downhill section. Amy handled the photography for the day.

Grunting up the short climb separating the upper and lower downhill sections.

Cresting the top of the climb. I rode my Redline Monocog 29er, set up by singlespeed and fixed gear guru Chris Jordan. Steel and fully rigid with Sram 175mm Hussy downhill cranks, Thomson seatpost, Ritchey stem, saddle, and bars, Surly stainless chainring. Wheels are Salsa rims laced to Surly singlespeed hubs, handbuilt by Chris, with Maxxis rubber.

Hitting the finish line after the 45-minute effort. I came across the line in second place or last place place, depending on one's interpretation of the half-filled glass. With only two entrants in the singlespeed division, I was assured of at least second place. As the other singlespeeder sprinted away from me at the start line, my placing was secure. Regardless, the results show second place. It was a fun event, well-organized on a great course, and a fantastic day. Next week is the last in the race series, but it will be at night. Time to break out the lights!

Fuji Track Comp Shakedown

2009-10-26T07:46:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we headed to the Mellowdrome in Asheville to put Amy's new Fuji Track Comp through it's paces. This was Amy's first chance to experience the fixed-gear bliss of being completely connected to the bike combined with the occassional terror of having no brakes and no coasting. The Track Comp is stock with basic track goodies: aluminum frame/carbon fork, 165mm house-branded cranks, 32-spoke Alex wheels, 48x17 gear.

Apple Festival 5k

2009-10-26T07:25:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, October 17, we ran in the Apple Festival 5k in Taylorsville. Par for the course, it was unseasonably cold and wet. However, the rain managed to stay firmly anchored over Morganton, making conditions for the run simply cold and damp as opposed to cold, damp and raining. This Apple Festival course is a very interesting course through part of the residential area of downtown Taylorsville, consisting of lots of up and down over several streets. It has grown considerably, attracting twice the number of runners as last year. Unfortunately, with growth comes growing pains, and the event's scoring system was ill-equipped to deal with the number of runners. As a result, placings were either completely mixed-up (Amy), or lost altogether (Jim). Despite pledges by the Alexander County YMCA to improve on this for next year, it provided considerable frustration this year. Even after feedback was given, I am still not listed among finishers, nor do I know how I stacked up against my age group. I know I finished the same time as Amy (23 minutes, 55 seconds). At least Amy's time was officially recorded, although awards for her age group were fouled up, and Amy was listed as 4th place when she finished in 1st. Fortunately, her age group consisted of honorable women, and at the insistence of the runners, the appropriate placings were awarded, with Amy recognized as the winner of the Women's 30-34 age group. We believe she finished 4th overall among women, although the final results are invalid. Hopefully things will improve for next, as this is a neat course that provides a break from the flat, often uninteresting courses that can make up 5k races.

Greenville Cycling Extravaganza

2009-10-03T22:08:00.008-04:00

We returned to Simpsonville, SC for our final race of the season: the Brookwood Church Criterium, part of the Greenville Cycling Extravaganza weekend. The course consisted of a 1k loop with a technical left turn-right turn section just before the uphill finish. Both of our events were 30 minutes plus two laps.

I set out with the Category 5 35+ field for the earlier of our two events in picture-perfect weather.
Beginning my uphill sprint coming out of the technical turn section. I actually led the field during the first lap, but paid for my insolence by striking my pedal on the pavement and almost taking out the field. Fortunately we all kept the rubber side down and no blood was shed.

Despite my improving fitness, the result was the same: off the back after a few laps. I did catch another casualty of the high pace of the field and we worked together for the remainder of the race, holding the field off from lapping us until the last lap. I have much work to do this winter.

The Women's Cat 4 race was... sparsely attended. Comprising 50% of the entire field, Amy set out from the start line with only one other competitor.

Sprinting out of the technical section, Amy was in her element on the long, sweeping uphill section toward the start-finish area.

The two-up race provided a strange experience for both spectators and the two participants. The two chatted early on and even traded prime laps with each other (free socks! 3 pair!) As the race progressed, the paced quickened as the two sized each other up and plotted strategy. Amy took a conservative approach, choosing to work together until the final stretch, when she attacked on the final climb and took the long sprint for the win, pictured above.

Amy's first crit victory capped off a great season. Time to rest up before starting training for 2010.

Lowes TT Series Finale

2009-10-03T21:56:00.009-04:00

This past Wednesday was the final event for the Lowes Time Trial Series. After five of six events, Amy was poised to win the women's 30-34 division series, and despite not being a series contender in the top-heavy fixed-gear division, I was looking to continue my trend of improving my time. After a summer of soggy weather, conditions were near-perfect, with temps in the low 70s and almost no wind, a rarity at the speedway.

I finished my last gallop of the year in 25 minutes, 32 seconds (23.49mph), a new PR and good for 5th in the fixed-gear division and equalling my best single-event placing for the year. I finished 7th out of 16 for the over series.

Still fatigued from her half-marathon effort on Saturday, Amy clocked a time of 26 minutes, 2 seconds at an average speed of 23.05 mph. Despite being 30 seconds off of her PR set last month, she still had her second-fastest time to date. More importantly, it was more than enough to secure first place in her division for the overall series, capping off a great year in which she lowered her time by over four minutes.

Starting just 30 seconds apart, we spent much of the race in close proximity. Good bud Will Turk got this cool pic of us on the front stretch.

The 2009 women's 30-34 Lowes Time Trial Series champion.

The medal presentation in the speedway winner's circle.

Speaking of our good friend Will, he posted some additional pictures and very entertaining video at his blog site. Please check it out here!

Carolina Cup

2009-09-13T22:17:00.033-04:00

This past Sunday, we headed to Greensboro to race in the Carolina Cup. This was the 37th running of the Cup, which bills itself as the "longest running bicycle race in the South." The Cup is raced in the Greensboro Country Park, which is located in the historic area near the Guilford County Courthouse. The Cup course is a 1.6-mile loop through the park, making it either a long criterium or a short circuit race, your pick.

Hamming for a self-photo by Amy before the racing ensues.

Waiting to take the start line for the men's Category 5 race, my first mass-start race since 1994.
Ready to roll out for the 25-minute Cat 5 event. The field heads through the start-finish area after completing the first lap.

Coming through on the first turn.

Concerned that Amy would not be able to get good photos of me in my first crit in 15 years, I allowed the field to go on ahead of me so that the shots wouldn't be cluttered. As I cross the finish line above, it is clear that my strategy worked. Taking the glass-is-half-full approach to my post-race analysis, I did not finish last and at least managed to finish ahead of the guy wearing a t-shirt and sneakers and using toe clips. Also, I did not get lapped. This is a dramatic improvement considering I got lapped in 100% of the crits I entered in 94.

After the men's Cat 5 race, Amy toed the start line with the Category 4 women for a 25-minute event.
Employing a slightly different strategy than I, Amy chose to stay with the leaders during her race. Above, Amy comes through the first lap and heads into the first left-hand turn in 5th position.

In the first photo above, one has a nice view of the start-finish stretch (the red fencing and tents on the back of the pond), the first left-hand turn, and the start of the first and longest climb on the circuit. Amy's approach to this section of the course was to take the safer outside line through the first turn and then use her climbing skills to move to the front of the field on the climb. The first photo shows Amy beginning to move up the pack, and in the second she moves to the front during the steepest section of the climb as it turns left.

Approaching the last section of the first climb, positioned perfectly near the front. Among many positives, Amy stayed with the front of the field for the entire race. While the course is not technical in a tight, criterium sense, it is challenging in that it has several short hills, the longer first hill with a left-turn in the middle, and a winding layout, making it difficult to get in a rhythm. It is a scenic and beautiful setting for a race.

Coming through the first turn at the start of the final lap. Unable to both cheer loudly and take photos at the same time, I did not take any photos of the finish. Amy finished just behind the lead finishing group, capping an excellent day in her first criterium-esque race.

City of Lenoir Triathlon

2009-09-10T16:37:00.018-04:00

On Saturday, September 5, Amy competed in the City of Lenoir Triathlon. The sprint-distance event, consisting of a 250-yard swim, 20k bike, and 5k run, attracted 109 entrants across five states.

Amy was able to get in the pool at the Lenoir Aquatic and Fitness Center for some warmup laps. The unseasonably cool night gave way to near-perfect conditions for racing in the morning. The swim leg at the LAFC consisted of five 50-yard laps.

Amy runs to the first transition after logging a 7 minute, 15 second swim time.

Finishing her first transition and heading out to complete the 20k (12.2m) bike leg. The out-and-back route, mostly on Zack's Fork Road, consisted of flattish rolling hills bookended with multiple short, very steep hills and broken up with not one but two turnarounds.

Amy grinds up the final hill toward the transition area after a 42 minute, 35 second bike leg. The entrance road to the LAFC is nearly half a mile long and boasts gradients as steep as 16%, prompting many to leave their time trial bikes at home in lieu of lighter road bikes. More than one triathlete was forced to dismount and walk up this hill. Amy's bike leg was the third fastest among women.

Why bike up a 16% hill when you can run up it, too? Adding insult to injury, the 5k running leg required competitors to drag themselves up the LAFC entrance hill once again. Amy heads for home after completing the running leg, which traversed part of Lenoir's excellent greenway system.

Heading into the finish chute after cresting the hill.

Amy stops the clock at 1 hour, 18 minutes even. Her 5k run time of 25 minutes, 14 seconds ranked 4th among women. Anchored by her strong biking and running efforts, she took first in the women's 30-34 age group and finished 4th overall among 53 female competitors.

Women's Results

Men's Results

Four Days, Four Races

2009-09-09T15:05:00.049-04:00

Trying to make the most out of the waning racing season, we (well, Amy, mostly) crammed in four races over a four-day period at the end of August.

Wednesday, August 26, Charlotte

The first event of our race binge was the 5th Lowes Time Trial Series race of 2009 (http://www.carolinatt.org/). To refresh, Amy beat me by 3 seconds at the previous race in early August. Determined to reclaim my spot at the top of the cycling food chain (in our house, at least), trash was talked for three weeks as we prepared to lock horns in a battle of the sexes. In an effort to back up my smack, I hung a 52x14 gear on my IRO fixie and set a new PR of 25 minutes, 45 seconds ( 23.3 mph average), besting my previous PR by 41 seconds. I was confident as I crossed the finish line - surely my time was good enough to reclaim bragging rights under our roof.

Ummm... no. Amy handed it to me again, this time by 19 seconds. In the process of making beating me a routine occurrence, she again set a new PR herself, smashing her previous best by 1 minute, 13 seconds to cross the line in 25 minutes, 26 seconds at an average speed of 23.6 mph. She finished first in her division and took a commanding lead in the series points for the Women's 30-34 division. Unfortunately for Amy but fortunately for me, we have no pictures of the race.

Thursday, August 27, Marshall, NC

The following night, we headed up to Marshall, just north of Asheville, so that Amy could compete in the finale of the Asheville time trial series.

The 20k course actually begins in Marshall and travels NC 251 along the French Broad river toward Asheville. To the right, Amy warms up with the scenic French Broad as a backdrop.

At the start line for the final countdown.

Amy winding up her speed after leaving the start line.

Heading in just a few meters from the finish line. The heavily overcast skies and time of evening made for blurry photos. Amy finished in 33 minutes, 4 seconds, besting her previous time on the French Broad course.

Mom gets a congratulatory hug from Addison after finishing second among Women.

Not content to race only two time trials in 24 hours, Amy was invited to join members of the Team Velosports women's team to compete in the team time trial event. The quartet lines up at the start line to the right.

Sprinting away at the start and falling into formation. The team time trial contested the same 12.2-mile course as the individual event.

The foursome sprints for the finish line. This was the only picture I got that has all four visible. The time for a team time trial is taken when the third member crosses the finish line. The strategy is that the member who is at the front of the group heading into the finish takes a hard pull, and then the remaining three slingshot around just before the line and sprint to the finish. Here, the three Velosport women are sprinting around Amy, who has just taken the final pull at the front. The team finished the event in 30 minutes, 31 seconds, winning the team division. The Velosport women were so impressed with Amy's contribution that they voted to invite her to join the team on the spot.

Saturday, August 29, Fork Shoals, SC

We headed just south of Greenville, SC, for Amy to compete in the SC State Road Race Championship.

Amy’s current road bike setup includes a Lapierre S-Lite carbon fiber frame with an Easton EC90 carbon fork. The drivetrain is a mix of Ultegra and Dura Ace with a set of carbon IRD Mosaic compact cranks. The Terry Butterfly saddle sits atop a Thomson Elite seatpost. FSA shallow drop handlebars and stem. The Easton EA90 wheels are wrapped in Vittoria Rubino Pro 23mm clinchers, stopped by Ultegra brakes.

Amy shows off her new Team Velosports kit on her way to the start line.

The Women’s Category 4 field sets out from the start. The 26-mile race consisted of two laps of a 13-mile circuit.

Amy heads out with the field.

The Velosport team is visible at the back of the field as they ease into the rolling hills of upstate SC.

Approaching the start/finish line at the end of the first lap. The field stayed together during the first lap until just before the final hill, when a loose dog charged into the field and caused a split.

Amy crossing the finish line. Following the dog incident, the chase group was unable to catch the lead pack on the final lap. The group was further held up by a major crash in a men’s race that was running concurrently, forcing Amy and others to dismount and run around the carnage before continuing. The result was a 21st place finish for Amy out of a field of 31.

Dissecting the race after the finish with new teammate Marilyn Senz of Asheville.

A post-race smile reveals the satisfaction of a good effort in her first mass-start road race. Despite challenges from loose dogs and crashes, Amy felt strong and came away with valuable experience.

The final stats for the four-day period: 4 races, 600 miles driven, 70.4 miles raced, 3 PRs, two 1st placings, one 2nd placing.

New blog site

2009-09-04T11:11:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my new blog. Over the past several months, I have been blogging about bikes, rides, and races at http://www.tablerockcycles.blogspot.com/. However, over time these blogs have become less about our stable of Table Rock Cycles bikes and more about the racing that Amy and I have been doing. These blogs have also become aimed more toward keeping family and friends abreast of our racing/riding and less about the cycling culture that is unique to Table Rock. So, I have launched this site as a place for family and friends to check in on our cycling activities. For those of you who are cyclists, or who have come to know the goings on at Table Rock Cycles through their blog, I hope that you will remain regular visitors of both their blog site and shop. I would also like to thank Chris at TRC for his support and service and for hosting my previous blogs. At this time, all previous blogs that I have written through the TRC blog site will remain there.

Happy Labor Day weekend - get out and ride!