You can watch the video below or check it out on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaMWekagpCg. Make sure to watch it in 1080p HD for full effect. Check out the video from our 2012 trip here.
Video: 2013 Utah Mountain Biking
I am still working hard on my brain. I have now gotten my fourth set of certifications for this year. I started the certification process to become a USA Football Coach during Crossroads and have now finished the courses for Youth Flag, Youth Tackle and High School Coaching. I am a certified coach now. I have no intentions of actually coaching a team, but I do want to learn as much about the sport as possible to help me understand the exact demands of the players that come to me for training. I want to train them with as much specificity as possible. It's a good program. It's not challenging and is inexpensive. Any parent of a young football player should take the courses just to help their child. There's lots of good info about safety, rules, communication and equipment sizing. USA Football also offers some age-specific certifications for Youth ages that I am going to work on once the season is over. I also have my eye on another big certification through NSCA that offers more work with military, police and firemen.
Training has been going really, really good. Crossroads seemed to take me up a notch. I have felt stronger with intervals and sprints. My recovery has been fast, allowing me to do more workouts per week. Even at the end of my hard block of training I felt good. I was almost to that invincible feeling I get when I peak, but not quite. I have even lost four pounds over the past month, dropping me to a weight I have not seen in four years. It seemed as though things were right on track for me to peak for Gateway Cup. But a rest week follows a hard block and sometimes I don't feel very good after a rest week. I tried to time the end of my rest period to be over more than a week before Gateway so that I could open the legs up.
After a morning of walking through a wet garden, the blister from the night run at Rotary Park finally decided to peel away.
This past Wednesday was my first opportunity to open up the legs and see what the rest week did to them. I was fired up for the 11th race of the Music City Crits Series. It would be my last race of the series since the finals take place just two days before Gateway. I was fired up to have a good performance. I had some confidence that I have not had in a long while. But the weather kept me from testing my legs. A big storm rolled in just as the races began. I was still at home and had a hard time loading the car in the storm. The local news reported 60 mph winds and I believe it. I almost fell twice just trying to load my bike. Buckets and tree limbs were flying across our yard and the lightning was hitting all around the farm.
I was surprised to see on Facebook that the race was being held as the storm appeared to be headed straight for the race track. I was less excited to race in the rain, but I was still ready to do it. You can never get enough practice cornering in the rain, in my opinion. You just don't have the same cornering opportunities on a regular road ride in the rain that you get on a crit. course. I drove through heavy traffic and finally got to the race 40 min. before my start. I came through the tunnel into the track to find only one car in the parking lot. The officials had called the race due to lightning. They did manage to get in two races before the rain and lightning began. I am all good with not racing with active lightning, but calling the race so early seemed unnecessary. We still had 40 min. until our start. The storm was almost completely clear by then. There is a good chance than we could have safely raced by our original start time or within 10-15 min later. I shouldn't be surprised as the officials usually shorten our race so they can get home early. A little lightning was just a great opportunity to get home extra early.
I rode the trainer that night, but never really got a chance to feel out my legs. Effectively, the missed race added two more days to my rest period. I was hoping to shake out the cobwebs on Wednesday and then be feeling good by Saturday night for the River Gorge Litespeed Criterium in Chattanooga. It was going to be a tough field to race with, but I had high expectations for myself. I didn't expect to win or be in a break, but I did expect to be active in the main group and maybe have a shot at getting in the money.
The drive down turned out to be the most interesting part of the day. On I-24 we saw three motorcycle riders escorting a car through traffic. They were weaving through and using intimidation to get traffic to move. Intimidation through riding up next to the cars and showing the big guns they had strapped to their hips. It screamed illegal, but of course there was no cop to be found. I am guessing they were transporting drugs or guns. I wanted to go Jason Bourne on them, but considering I don't really know any Jason Bourne moves, I just kept my distance and roled on to my destination.
The Chattanooga course was a big rectangle, just over 1 km long. The turns were tight and rough. Turn 4 had this mystery bump in it that I kept hitting during warm-up and never could find the actual thing I was hitting. I still have no idea what it was. It was a hot day, but a rain shower moved through in the early afternoon and cooled things down a bit. It was still hot riding the trainer for warm-up, but I couldn't find a long enough street to get in a good effort.
The course was dry for the final few races. We were last to go and had a big Pro/1/2 field with 86 riders. Of those 86 riders, 55 were Pro or Cat. 1. It was going to be a fast race for sure! I took a few extra minutes to cool down before the start. I put some ice in my jersey and bibs to cool the core. I headed for the start line with 8 minutes until time for the start. I thought people would be riding the course, but they were already lined up. I was still a ways from the line when I heard them tell the pace car to start going. I was sprinting down the sidewalk weaving through people trying to get to the line before they took off. Luckily, the official did not let them start so quick. I was huffing and puffing as I got to the line. And I was at the back. It wasn't the way I wanted to start, but at least I didn't miss the start.
We did end up starting a couple of minutes early. I never stood a chance in this race. The first lap was not as fast as I expected, but there were still gaps opening up in the line the first time through the start/finish. I think multiple riders only started this race to start it. They appeared to make no attempt to stay on. About 10 people just sat up in the middle of the group the first 2-3 laps. I was almost instantly in trouble having to close down numerous gaps. I stayed smooth and felt strong. My heart rate was getting high after just three laps. After I got through the people who were not racing, then I had to go through the numerous new upgrades that were being welcomed to the Pro/1/2 group at max speed.
Mike Olheiser pulling early in the race
I got blocked in a couple of times as riders were sitting up two and three at a time. I never seemed to be on the back of the group. Every time I got there the rider ahead got gapped. I was off the back after four laps and chasing my heart out. I gave it all I had and almost rejoined the group at one point, then Mike Olheiser went to the front and the pace picked up. When you are chasing the worst sound you can hear is the announcer saying Olheiser is driving it on the front. It was basically me against Mike O in order for me to rejoin. And we all know who will win that battle. I kept the group in sight for a few laps. I was going so hard that I was almost cross-eyed coming off turn 2 one lap. I was still on the same straightaway as the group, but the officials pulled me anyway, after just 11 minutes of racing. That is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I was in no danger of getting lapped. Heck, if they had slowed down I still had a shot of getting back on. It was very disappointing. I felt like I was riding strong, but never got a chance to race with the group. It was a bit of a wasted trip. Eleven minutes doesn't even get the legs opened up fully, even if you are going all-out. They credited me with 65th place.
Me leading a chase group off the back
The field is blowing up
Single-file down the backside of the course
Me and Nathan Stone coming off turn 4
photo by Newtography
photo by Newtography
photo by Newtography
Shannon shot a little video which is posted below, followed by my entire shortened race from my GoPro handlebar cam.
Litespeed Criterium Video
Pro/1/2 Handlebar Cam Video
The officials must have worn themselves out with all the pulling of riders because they had no idea what was going on at the end. A break of eight lapped the field coming to one lap to go. Instead of giving the field one lap to go and putting them on the same lap as the break that had caught them, the officials instead gave the break two laps to go twice. Most of the break sprinted for it as they were supposed to, with Emile Abraham being the first of the break to cross the line. The field had no idea they had been lapped so they continued on, while a few members of the break went on as well. Alder Martz thought he had won the race after going the extra lap. Abraham and teammate Olheiser were arguing that Abraham had won. It was a big mess. At first Martz was credited as the winner, but I see now that on the posted results they finally got it right and gave the win the Abraham.
I did find a few positives out of the race. For one, I have never been able to chase by myself for so long at that speed. Usually I blow up within a lap. My power is definitely better. I was rolling 31 mph down the straights consistently. Also, my heart rate was higher than it has been in a while. That means I had the legs to actually push it to the max. I was missing some snap in the legs as far as following accelerations when riders passed me. Hopefully, that will come back by Gateway. I think that is just a product of a rest week. And the last positive is that this race will make me fight hard for a good start spot at Gateway. I will not be taking any chances up there. I am going there to get a good result. Just hanging in the group is not an option. I really need to win a race. It's been four years since I have won a road race of any kind. Last year, my only win of the whole season was at Dirt, Guts & Donuts and it was recently announced that it will not be held this year. So, I need to step it up and win something or end up with a big goose egg in the win column for a season for the first time in my racing life!
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