Bloomer CX report

After helping Robert set up the course yesterday I knew it was going to be fast. The start was really long leading into a cool little wooded section then back out onto the parking lot and the rest of the course was pretty much typical Bloomer. Right out of the gate I was up in front. I would estimate in about 8th place. I knew however that the pace was blistering and that I couldn't hold out for long. About 3/4 into the first lap on the climb behind the larger play structure I could feel some guys breathing down my neck. In what seemed like an instant 5 or 6 guys went past and I never could recover. From there on out my race pretty much fell apart. I was JRA until I got caught by Ken Oday and from there on out we were able to work together and pick off a few guys. I have found that this year I just don't have the ability to suffer out of the corners and push myself. I would have liked to think that I felt better and rode better today but in all reality I probably did worse. I'm not sure what's going on. Terry Ritter was talking to me after the race and he said that I was probably not warming up enough and putting in hard efforts that is why I blew up 3/4 into the first lap. I'm going to try warming up more before Stoney next week. Probably the best thing about the whole day was that I got to hang out with my daughter and watch the A race. She was getting kinda slaphappy from some of the Mountain Dew that I gave her but the good thing was that by 8 pm she was asleep. Oh well back to the drawing board for next week. TC

BIKERFOX

Thinking about tubbies

After taking care of some business at the Vet clinic/boarding place I decided to do a nice recovery ride out of pontiac. Joeberon called earlier in the day and we were going to hook up something nice and casual as I was trying to loosed the legs up after 2 days of racing and Joe was fresh off of a 3rd place finish at Addison Oaks yesterday. Rumor has it he was in 2nd going into the last lap and he accidentally took a wrong turn allowing Kuhncappi to pass him and grab the runner up spot. Well anyway to make a long story short we had some time to kill before we met up with Brian so we decided to take Gale road out to Teggerdine then head back into the park and finish up the last mile of trail before heading out to the parking lot. Oh did I forget to mention that I was still riding the CX bike as my MTB is out having the SID (aka the floppy flier) worked on at the LBS. The first attempt at PLRA was a success as I actually felt comfortable riding down the last downhill before making the final climb and riding back to the lot. After picking up Bro Brian the plan was to ride the backroads, nothing crazy and to chill. Everything went well and on the way back the plan was to ride in through the back of PLRA along the campground road and back out like Joe and I did on the first lap. Well this time things got a little twisted. I felt good swooping down the last downhill but on the last little uphill I felt a rock bounce off of my front wheel , pinching my tire and flatting it. NBD as I had another tube but in the time it took to remove the old tube and replace it with the new one I must have gotten bitten by 10 misquitos. Little bastards. Well we got the tube inflated enough that I could ride out and get back to the car. Afterward I kind of felt dumb for trying to ride my CX bike out there. Did I really think that I could get away with riding a gnarly trail like PLRA without flatting. Which made me ponder something else on the drive home. Would I have flatted with tubulars and would they really make that much of a difference racing CX. Joe said he read an interview with Page today in which he said that tires and wheels make a huge difference in CX. I would like to think that they would help but realistically at the current level that I'm riding I'm not sure they would make that much of a difference. But still the thought of some of those Reynolds Tubulars make me salivate. I'll have to keep checking ebay for now as the new ones are just to pricey but who knows the temptation may be to much to overcome and I may have to give in. TC

UCI Weekend

This isn't going to be a race report detailing saturday and sunday's races. What it will be is a collection of my thoughts about the weekend. First off I must say the weather was unreal, although maybe a little to hot and the courses were nice, although I would have liked some more technical sections and not so much of the long grass straight aways, but oh well. I always feel like a deer in the headlights at these big races. I really haven't done much training this year because of all the stuff going on with my family and my only goals really were not to finish last and not to look like a buffoon. I know I didn't finish last in either of my races but I'm sure I somehow managed to look like a huge buffoon. Having raced saturday I really wasn't feeling up to racing today. In my mind I was thinking up a hundred excuses to skip today's race but the reality of it is that I know I'm not in top shape. I was about 12 lbs lighter at the end of last years MTB season and I now realize that the extra weight is really a penalty (I wish I could be as lean as the Pony but I know my genetics will never allow that). So for now my goal is to keep riding, continue to get stronger, stop making excuses and just keep training. As for the rest of the weekends racing what else can be said....Page, Tilford and That Swiss dude showed what true professional cycling is all about. Those dudes have speed that I could never imagine (unless I was on a CR 450 F). Thanks to everyone who cheered me on (JW, MW, RS, Massey, AB and event the Cubbes who made it to both day's events). Hopefully as the season progresses there will be more 2 cheer about. TC

Pop-pop's girls

I received a phone call from my wife this morning while I was at work and asked one of the receptionists if she could speak with me. This struck me as odd because if she ever needs anythhing she usually sends me a text or pages me (which she did but unfortunately today I left my pager at the other office at the hospital). My mind raced, what could it be? Maybe one of the kids was sick or maybe she just needed me to get something on the way home. But I just had a funny feeling about this call and I could feel my gut wrenching. Well apparently my mom's dog passed away this morning. Katie was being borded for the past week as my mom was out east visiting some family and closing down the summer house. She was doing well,
according to the lady at the kennel but when they went out to feed her this morning they found her dead in her crate. I couldn't believe what my wife was telling me. Katie was only 10 years old and she always seemed healthy. She was a little hyper like most weims are but otherwise she had no outward signs of being sick. Talking to my mom was difficult. Katie was really my dads dog. He was the one who walked her, hunted with her and gave her her nightly bowl of ice cream at 9:00. I really think she missed my dad. It was funny the whole time he was sick she stuck by his side and after he passed she was never really the same. That is why I took the news so hard. I feel guilty that she wasn't staying with us but my mom wouldn't allow it stating that she would only be gone a short time and that she didn't mind staying at the kennel. So now I am torn. My mom doesn't get back home until saturday at 5 pm. The kennel said they would keep her body until then and my mom could either have her creamated or we could take her home to bury her. I'm sure my mom wants to see her one last time but I'm not sure how she is going to handle it. I want to see her as well and I know I'm not going to handle it well. Life just doesn't seem fair lately. I do know one thing for sure I know dad and Katie are probably playing up in heaven together looking down on all of us. Dad I hope that you two are having fun and I want you to know that mom is ok and we all miss you. Love Tom

Things I like

Today I will start a new thing on this blog, I'll be doing a running list of "things that I like"on a certain topic. Today I'll start with things related to cycling (feel free to add anything)..

1. Wearing new bibs on a 4 hr training ride
2. Flying down Fox lake road after climbing that Fucker!!! (this only applies to a select few)
3. Riding PLRA at night with lights in the fall or better yet in the winter when it is snowing. There is nothing cooler than a HID lighting system reflecting off of the falling snow
4. Eating those tiny donuts and drinking cider after a cx race
5. Hanging out after the Iceman(drinking a cold one) and watching the Simonster killing them as they cross Williamsburg road.
6. A fork that works well
7. Running a new set of tires (always makes the trail feel more cushy)
8. The idea of trying a new 29er (hopefully either a Fisher superfly or the new Specialized)
9. Riding with Cathy....she is just that hilarious
10. The idea that even a bad day on the bike beats the best day at work.


Things I don't like about cycling
1. Changing in my car before going out on a winter ride.
2. The gastric distress caused by drinking to much apple cider
3. Dealing with certain people at Iceman after they have had to much to drink
4. Chaffing in the nether regions
5. Back pain


That's about all for now...Keep on checking back for more updates...TC

Awaiting the start of CX season

While some people got to start the season at the Ithaca GP (AKA The amphitheater of pain) I was stuck at work. It really wasn't so bad because like my buddy Tim I have been struggling with burnout and lack of motivation lately. I still enjoy riding every day I just don't enjoy the suffering that accompanies training. Sometimes after a day of riding I feel so totally spent that even taking off my shoes seems like a chore. Add in the extra responsibilities of being a father and working full time (well kinda) and it is easy to see how one can get burned out. The problem is that even though I know I'm not really as into the upcoming CX season I'm still going to get bummed out if I don't do well. There are certain guys that you know you can and should beat and even though I try to rationalize my results there still is a certain amount of pride (and ego) involved in racing. Having said all that here are my personal goals for this season. Have fun and not take it to seriously (no matter how bad I get my ass handed to me). I would like to end up the season feeling stronger than I did at the beginning and most importantly I want to stay healthy (ie. no more back explosions) so that I can continue to train and get stronger.

Seussing around

I loved this book. One of the most underrated children's books ever. Who could forget the big dog in the wagon getting pulled by the little dog. Everyone should get a copy of this classic...

The week in review

This week started off with the Stoney XC race. It can be summed up like this....really humid, glasses kept fogging up so being the idiot I am I took them off. Bad move. Got poked in the eye by a branch..Freakking painful...Thought about bailing on lap 2 but didn't...still riding and feeling like shit. Finished the race with some incredible back pain. Good thing Kuhncappi was there to offer up some Vicodin. Monday 2 laps at PLRA. Tuesday the CX training race at waterford hills. Felt good riding and was pleased with my results... but was left to wonder why Jeff and the Rhine Ho's don't do this every tuesday and open up the track to cyclists who aren't part of their silly club. Wednesday another 2 laps at PLRA....met up with Phonak for the second lap and while he did drop me on a climb towards the end of the loop I mashed it down to catch him which I think suprised him as it appeared that he backed it down significantly (which I don't think he did on purpose). Finished off the ride on his wheel only to have him ask me at the end of the lap "what do you do wait out here to find someone then try to kill them?" Thursday another 2 circuits of PLRA...Saw Phonak heading out at the start of my second lap (his first) but had no intentions of riding with him today as I was cooked from my first lap....I'm finding that I enjoy riding alot at this time of the year, don't ask me why maybe it is because it isn't so hot and I don't overheat as quickly. I do know that this probably isn't the best way to train for CX but I've decided that I'm going to ride everyday for my enjoyment (which does mean riding hard at times) but I'm not going to take racing so seriously. If I do well fine, if I don't that is ok as well, no excuses. Tomorrow I have to day off of work and I will either do some riding from the house out to Bloomer then ride through Rochester and then take the Paint Creek trail to Dutton road for a few hill intervals then off through the back roads to Stoney and finally head home. Either that or I will be doing a few laps at PLRA....

Finally home

Well vacation had to come to an end and I'm sure going back to work on Monday is going to BLOW MASSIVELY but oh well that is the way it goes. Riding the MTB today as I am preparing to get my ass handed to me at Stoney tomorrow. It never ceases to amaze me that after two weeks of only riding the road bike how foreign the MTB feels. Creeping out of the parking lot of PLRA my legs felt HEAVY...like lead. The first big climb hurt but after that I started to loosen up. The second lap felt much better than the first but I still didn't want to do either all out because I'm trying to save something for tomorrow. My goal is to ride a strong race and not go to crazy out of the gate. We will have to see how things work out. Another thing occured to me on today's ride. It seems that the only thing that is more addictive than bikes (at least to me) are my kids. It kinda saddens me to see them getting so big. My son is not a little toddler anymore, as a matter of fact he is kinda a flirt and a big ham. He had all of the people at the airport smiling at him as he made the rounds asking everyone "what's your name" then followed by "I'm Zachary Thomas Clark I'm two". So while on vacation my wife and I discussed having another one...I have doubts I'm 40 now (I know kinda old) but financially we are set and if we were going to do it now would be the time. I think that as I get older I'm starting to understand the value of family more and especially after losing my father earlier this year I'm starting to feel more of a responsibility to my kids and wife...So here we go. I'm hoping for another girl but as long as they are healthy I will be happy with either. TC

Working on the tan

This has been one of the best vacations I've had in a long time. The kids have been behaving, the weather has been great and the water is warm. Riding has been sweet as well. Today's ride had me heading to the North as the wind was out of the dead north and I wanted to ride the tailwind home. Two hours out and an hour and 20 minutes back not bad,,

Let's try this again

Since I am stuck with an ancient inspiron and no cordless mouse I've decided to try this link again. So here it goes again...I am here. I think that should work better. Now for some off of the bike observations...Since this is a seaside community with beautiful beaches much of my afternoon is spent observing people on the beach. Is there anything more tacky than the tramp stamp? You know that nice little tatoo that girls get on the small of their backs. Nothing says aim here more than the old lower back tatoo. Secondly, why is it that moderately obese middle age women still find it acceptable to wear the bikinis they had in college. Memo to wannabe MILF's COVER YOURSELVES UP!!! I think they call it a sarong (sp). Lastly to my neighbors who think they are to good to talk to me or my family thanks for leaving early the day before labor day. Your hot tub was really relaxing last night and don't worry I didn't Pee in it or anything...CYA next summer Muthas..

Vacation thoughts

Kuotas (sp?) must be the bike of choice where I'm at. See more people on them then anything else. Right now I'm here it is basically an island that is seven miles long. There are routes to the inland and I have done most of my riding there, but every now and then I like to spin along the main island road. Really it is a nice place. There is a dedicated bike lane and there always seems to be people out riding. The only problem with New Jersey is that it it is flat. I mean flatter than Michigan flat and there always seems to be wind, which can be good and bad. Today's ride was pretty brisk there was a local running race going on and I wanted to get out before the runners began to block off the roads. About half way into my ride I noticed a single rider pulling out about a half a mile in front of me. I was pedaling back in to the wind and was really in no hurry but the persuit of this rider had me wicking up the pace to catch him. It appeared that we were riding about the same pace and no matter how much I tried I couldn't reel him in. But persistence pays off. About 3 miles later I was passing him as he blew up pretty hard. I kinda expected him to sit on my wheel until the end of the island but he was gone. Oh well so much for my excitement...TC