Chess on two legs! Chippewa Creek 2010

A broken finger five weeks ago put my spring racing plans into the dumpster, so my first race of the year ends up being the fabled Chippewa Creek Road Race. Special thanks to the Chagrin River Cycling team for bring this race back to the area, and all the volunteer work to allow us to pretend to be kids again.

Things went right for me for a change too. On Saturday's ride, my shifting went to crap. So it seemed finally time to replace the chain and get things working for the race the next day. As I was adjusting everything, the rear der cable broke... explaining the poor shifting. Usually that would happen during the race.

Since I hadn't raced, and I know how the 1/2/3 race would have gone on this course, I decided to do the Masters race. Spin had Derik, John Bodell and myself. We also had one Spin Multi team member... sorry, I don't remember the name though. With no confidence yet, my plan was to lay myself out for the team. Whatever work I could do, and have some fun turning the pedal in anger... not saying I had no anger for the last 5 weeks, just that I wasn't doing it during a race.

About 40 in the field with the usual teams. Bike Authority, StarkVelo and MVC. I hadn't seen Glacial Energy before.

The first lap started out moving, while I tried to remember how to pedal in the field. Blah! This is going to be crazy unless we shed a bunch of these guys soon. I was also a little tentative about getting taken out, so the first lap was good to get those thoughts out of my head.

First time up the hill was quick enough to cut the field down a bit. A portion regrouped at the top, but the reshuffling got me closer to the front. Going through the rollers, the first move got up the road. Derik was there with a Bike Authority and a Stark. They got some space, giving me time to get up to the front 10, while Stark and Bike Authority tried to control the pace.

The move did not last long, as the other teams swarmed around the block. In short order, Chris Riccardi from Bike Authority went and one of the stronger single guys jumped up to him. I figured it was my turn to mark the move, so when a StarkVelo jumped to bridge, I went with him. As we connected to the tother two, I went straight to the front, and tried to help establish the move. Before we got to the descent, we were joined by Gorman from Orrvile, and an MVC rider. Someone said "We've got all the teams", and we started working to open the gap. I could not see much happening behind us, so we were away with 6 with 4 of the 6 laps to race.

Reasonably "easy" up the hill so we made it across together, but I could tell my climbing legs were a little sluggish. I had plenty on the rollers, so I would lead and fade the hill, and work the rest of the course.

Rudy bridged off the second time up the hill and connected in the roller section. Break of seven, and I'm pretty sure we'll stay away now. The problem is there's two from Bike Authority, and 5 singles. So the tactics will now be slightly different, and the work ethic may be compromised.

Next lap, another guy makes the bridge, and for a while I think he's from MVC, so there would be two BA and two MVC... when Rudy rolls off the front, I let the MVC guy do most of the work to bring him back, and jump a wheel to let the next guy finish it off. Turns out the last guy to join was from Glacial Energy. 8 away with 7 teams represented.

My strategy now is to get over the hill and not loose contact. I'm counting down the laps. I'll work if I need to, but I'm not going to bury myself, and get popped to help someone else finish with the field. Each time up the hill, I end up closing a slightly larger gap at the top. I probably could have sprinted for the prime on lap 3... since it seemed that no one remembered, or figure out, that the bell was rung as we went by a lap earlier. When we crossed for the 4th lap prime, I more concerned that I would be able to stick with the group.

That was the race. 8 guys going for 6 paying spots. Surprisingly little happened on the last lap. Rudy did a bunch of work pulling, and I thought for sure someone would attack... I guess if I had an ounce of confidence, I should have gone. I knew I needed to get away from these guys that were climbing better than I was to have a chance at the win or even at making one of the 6 spots. My excuse is it was my first race of the year. Instead I sat in waiting, and moving if anyone looked like they would jump. They didn't.

So we rolled to the last climb all together. Uphill sprint it will be then. I had been climbing in the 39 all race, but decided to stay in the 53 this time, knowing it would get fast soon. I gave it everything I thought I had, and I was still 200m back as Rudy crossed the line. I ended up 8th out of the 8, and am totally pleased with that.

I think Derik rolled across in 11th or 12th.

Of note, it didn't really seem like we worked well together in the break, and it didn't really seem hard. So maybe it is just as hard to get away as it is to sit in. Drew Bercaw's dad was hollering splits the last two laps for us. I didn't hear the time gap the first time, but we had 1:26 on the field with a lap and a half to go, and I hear we were up to 1:45 by the finish. So we must have done something right to keep the gap opening that much.. the 1/2/3 field may have slowed the masters field when they got caught. I'm just glad 1/2/3s didn't catch us, cause that would have screwed our race up a bit. Their finish was within that time gap. Close enough they'd have overtaken us in another lap.

My legs felt no pain on this mornings ride. Maybe my climbing problems were all mental. Time to do more hill repeats... and more races.

Derailluer

Plans. Well, I have them, of course. Then again, it would be nice to execute them. Unfortunately not to be this spring.

The dérailleur shifts gears... it's not a de-RAIL-er. That would cause a train to jump the tracks. It just changes the gearing so you can go at a different speed.

That said, I'm shifting gears. I had planned on hitting a bunch of the Covered Bridge races, and all the RATL series. Both are fun races in their own way, and with 8 races in 5 weeks, I should come out in ripping race shape.

Well, I was splitting wood... split, split, split. And so begins a story with a not so happy ending.

Leave it so say I'm typing with one and a half hands while my broken pinkie finger is nestled in this splint. I'm two weeks out from the injury and can only ride because I did NOT ask the doc if it was OK.

Group rides are freaky, so I stay at the back... not the best place to be, but it keeps me moving. Eating and drinking on the bike are difficult, first because I have to use my left hand, which is OK, if I think about it... but then all control is left to the splinted hand.... I have been working really hard at keeping a light touch on the bars. Though on really bumpy roads, it's better to firm up the grip a bit to dampen the jarring of the bars.

Next Ortho/OT appointment is May 10. So Maybe I'll be back in time to do Chippewa Creek. I'm just looking forward to gearing up!

The Man in the Arena

One of the ONLY things I put on FB that I want to hold onto is this quote, that I found about 6 months ago. A Theodore Roosevelt speech that you can Read Here. Includes this famous quote:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

In the arts, especially, critics abound. But everywhere, in every field, we are told how we could have done better. Instead I want to be the "strong man", and to encourage other "strong men and women" that are getting dirty DOING.

Endeavor to do, and when you are not doing, refrain from criticizing those that are... unless you are ready to step in and assist them in the effort. Take a chance! The only sure way to failure is to not even try.

What a perfect day... to UN-FB

Here's my announcement. I haven't figured out a way to "productively" use Facebook. Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy now, though I do have some younger folks that agree with me. Seems to me FB is really just another big time suck... I cannot afford another one, as the interwebs are full enough of things to distract me from what I should be doing while sitting in front of the tube. SO, in a public service kind of way, I found a link with instructions to delete my FB account. YAY!

How to permanently delete your facebook account.

I think THIS is how I should use this social networking thing. No more crazy security concerns. I could link them, but I've seen WAY to many reasons you should make EVERYthing on FB private. So instead... I made it even more private. In 14days, my account SHOULD be gone.

Blogger back up, since it's about racing season. I may even start a new one soon on my other (read the one that pays) life. If I can finish writing my dissertation someday soon.

I find it oddly satisfying to actually do this on April 1. Maybe I'm actively NOT being an April Fool. Un-Fool day.

Besides, I'm way to wordy for FB and other social networks.