Trish has found some relief from a strange early season, and is now one of two females challenging the 530 miles and 60,000 feet of climbing in the Colorado Trail Race. 23 people started the CTR in it's second year and most are carrying SPOT GPS trackers. You can keep track of Trish HERE.
She is currently in 5th place overall. Riders are required to be totally self supported, and she is carrying everything on her Indy Fab Ti Deluxe 29er. Learn all about the CTR.

Last weekend was the US Mountain Bike National Championships in Mt. Snow, VT. If you know much about my specialties in on the mountain bike you might know that I tend to concentrate on the long races. Normally I would skip this short racing kind of thing to go somewhere with a proper 5omile loop, but my competitive spirit got the better of me and made me travel north to try out my legs against the best guys in the country. My weeks had been pretty hectic up to this point, and Mt. Snow was going to be my third week away from home. From July 1st to the 21st I had slept at home a total of 5 days.
I'd never raced a Pro National race so this was going to be an experiment. I entered the men's Pro xc and the super-d. The later was the one I was actually the most excited about.
I got to the mount on Thursday at 12:30, which is when the lift for the super-d practice runs closed, and they technically wouldn't open again till an hour before the race on Sunday. So I rode up the mountain till I found the course and walked/ rode up the course, before turning around and getting one run in.
On Friday I did the same thing on the super-d course and got one lap of the xc course in between friends' races. It was good to see so many people I know out and ripping it up. Greg Montello was there, as well as Kyle Rodland, and Thom Parsons. I saw Mo Bruno getting ready for some xc and short track action.
Saturday I got up early to go and get some more Super-D runs in time to get home and rest before my 2pm xc race. Technically the course was not open but the lift that was the super-d lift was also the beginner and sport downhill racers lift. Why USA Cycling would open the lift but not allow the D'ers could only be chalked up to their history of good planning. The rain from the night before had not done much to the course and I was getting it pretty dialed on the 29er Ti Deluxe. I knew that my chances of winning were pretty much nil due to the course style and competition, but I figured every 6 inch travel bike I beat would be the feather in my cap.
On my third run down, as I was setting up to soak up a big bump my front wheel went out from under me and I hit the dirt hard. My finger, which I was pretty sure I had fractured in Downieville the weekend before, sustained more damage and now the swelling hasn't gone down in a week. I picked myself up and found that my hearing was wobbling in and out, my vision was sort of fading and I felt like puking.
Okay, I'm suffering a mild concussion, and I told myself to just keep moving because there was no one on the course to help me, and I was afraid that if I sat still I might black out. Riding was impossible so I walked for awhile down one of the steepest chutes. After about 5 minutes I felt well enough to get back on my bike and rode the rest of the way down.
A little shaken up I was worried about my finger and the xc race that was in 3 hours. I went home showered, ate and lay down to recover. When I got up I felt pretty good, so I got my stuff together and went to meet Greg who was going to feed me for the race. I got my warm up in and since the start was going to have a call up I didn't worry about getting there to early. I didn't really matter since when we got called up they didn't even have my name on the list. That's what happens when you never do these NMBS races. The official penciled me in, sent me to the back of 60 pro's from across the country, and we took off.
I surprised myself and quickly moved into 15th for most of the first lap, but I think I might have burned myself, cause on lap two I dropped back to somewhere between 25th and 30th. I thought I was done, and I decided that I was a terrible racer and should give in. Unfortunately I somehow had a bunch of people on the course yelling for me, or at me, and the idea of bagging it couldn't come to fruition. Plus a lot of them were on the downhill section of the course and I get a kick out of going faster when people are watching. So basically I fought through the uphills, to get to the downhills, and by the end of the race I was feeling pretty good. I passed enough people to secure a 20th finishing position, and since my goal was a top 20 in my first xc race I could call the day a success! Thanks to Montello and Thom and everyone else yelling. You guys are inspirational.
Now the super-d was my only obstacle left on Sunday morning. Supposedly the lift opened at 8 to get a practice run in before the 9 am start, but when I arrived at 5 after 8, the line was so long I didn't get to the top till 8:35. I asked the official if I had time to get a run in and was promptly told "no". To me that was total BS, and effectively meant that there was only 1.5hrs of open practice between Thursday and Sunday. Fortunately I poached a couple of runs on Sat. Then I learned that they changed the way the course finished and there were going to be three extra corners at the very bottom. Thanks usacycling! You really know how to screw things up.
Anyways, we line up for the mass start, and holding, not riding, we have to run with our bikes about 50 yards uphill mount and then sprint down a fire road for about 200 yards before literately dropping off the side of the mountain. I had a good position going into the woods and had Adam Craig on my tail for about a minute before he couch surfed around me. After that I had a couple of guys trying to seek up behind me but about the time they were on me we came to a section that I could sprint and put some time on them. It was close, and I admit to being on the brakes a bit more than I would have liked, but I was a bit spooked by my previous crash, so I was a little cautious. When we got to the last few unfamiliar bends Michael Broderick came around me, and I had to pinch the corners to keep another guy from taking the inside lines. It was a great 8mins of fun, maybe not worth the $55 dollar entry fee, but still a good time. In the end I got 8th out of 25 or 30 pros, so I was satisfied. Maybe a hardtail isn't the best bike for this super-d but I believe there is one out there I'll be able to win. So much fun.

It's been two weeks since my return from the Tour de Burg and my legs still feel a little flat. Good times indeed. Seeing friends and competitors new and old for long rides, hurtful efforts, pleasure pace parade, post ride meals, inspired performances, Jimmy's fireworks, lazy flat changes, even a double flat. The Tour de Burg has everything you need. If it's not there you don't need it.



Long story short, I had weaseled my way up to 11th before the last day and had tenth in sight by mere seconds. Then the afore mentioned flats in the middle of some of the most bangin' single track downhill trail :( What can I say "Flats happen". For me the overall place is kind of important, but the people and rides are what I really go there for. This tour was bitter sweet, being the end of my time as part time stay at home dad and the beginning of full time. Ride time is sparse for a while. I will be making the most of what's available in preparation for my week long vaca to SSWC 08 in Napa, followed by the Shenandoah 100 the following weekend.



This past weekend had me sidelined (I did say I had flat legs right?) at the local race (Michaux Endurance Series, Curse of Dark Hollow) helping out with the finish and excess beers. It hurt a little when the race started and I was not in it, but the attrition rate would have had me. As it did many others. 45 Michaux miles in 93 degrees with high humidity! OUCH!



Hope to see you somewhere along the way, and I hope you have cold beer.

Buck

Hanson, he's so hot right now.



FT Sponsor and all around awesome guy, Matt McGinty with Adam and Hanson, watching the Cat 2s in the circuit race.



You boys a a bit bored? Where is Macho Man Randy Savage when you need him?


And now the Cat 2 race. They rocked it of course.

Time Trial

Kristin Fortini said go, I went, 18 minutes later I stopped. Time trials rickity-rock. More excitingly, we had the IF tent set up in the parking lot and more portable chairs than asses to fill them. Plus there were cookies, pretzels, and even Fiordifrutta organic jam (icky) courtesy of Dr. Tom. We were the pride of the Fitchburg civic center parking lot.

Road Race

The cat 2 road race is generally pretty predictable. An early break goes, someone scoops up all the sprint points, and then in the last half of the race a small group bridges tot he break, sticks it, and the winner comes out of that. So I waited, the break went on the first of 8 laps, and before we saw 3 to go I attacked on the rollers before the feed zone climb. I drew out Cheyne Hoag (Sakonet), which was the goal, and we came over the top with a little gap, but got pulled back shortly after. Next lap, as expected, Cheyne attacked again. Except this time he got away, bridged to the break, and I was lazy halfway back in the field. I tried to get to the break for the next couple of laps, and Jerome took some monster pulls to bring the gap down, but we never got there. Cheyne won, 3 of the other 4 guys in the break got caught on the finishing climb up Wah-ah-wachussett, and I finished seventh.

Circuit Race

Next day at the circuit race I was determined to race smarterest. I sagged the climb until the last 6 laps. Bridged to a big split with the race leader in it, everything came back. Then with 3 to go a break of 3 was up the road. I attacked on the hill, one guy followed, and a half lap later it was a break of 5 with around 20 seconds and Jerome faithfully following moves behind. It was a good shot, but as the descent started on the last lap we got caught. I followed Jerome down the hill into the last corner, he set me up perfectly but I lost his wheel and came into it too far back. Got around some people but the podium was already sprinting and I came across fourth (like the date in July!!!), with Tommy, Thomas, and Jerome safely in the field. I was psyched to see afterwards that Matt McGinty of Fitness Together was there to watch the teams antics with his wife and new baby. Later I fed Bruno a rubber chicken during his race. Tommy fed him pizza. It was awesome.

KW

The crit was not really a typical crit, at least as far as the pace goes. The average at the end was only 24 mph which lead to some pretty sketchy times including one that almost derailed IF's hopes of another decent finish. We 2s raced well and very smartly too. We weren't one of the bigger teams so therefore were not looked to to do all that much work. We all sat towards the back of the field for about the first 18 laps. I moved up once just to get the feel for it. Kevin tried for a break to bump himself up into the top 10 but the horsepower wasn't quite there and he and the two other break companions were brought back with two to go. When he came back we decided that it would be best if he swept my wheel in the last lap so that he could block from behind for the sprint. I was in perfect position going into the second to last corner but the guys in front of me decided that it would be fun if they stopped pedaling so there was a swarm about 10
wide trying to fit around a corner that can take maybe two wide at that speed! Recipe for disaster! Which is exactly what ensued. The rider in front me managed to drift both wheels through the corner and into the hay bales, he flipped over them and landed on the side walk but his bike came bouncing back into the course and hit me on the shoulder and caused mayhem behind. I came out of the corner and almost ran into another rider as he was looking over his shoulder to see what happened. I came around most of the riders in front of me and placed forth so not bad for a near miss! Tommy, Tom and Kevin were all behind the crash I think but no one was hurt and bikes are okay (which is the important part!).

jt

Well, folks what a fun and exciting race. Golly. This was my 1st attempt in the cat 2 field as I had done the 3s last year and it is a whole new, and challenging level. Thursday's time trial is a very interesting event. I was not sure if it was more appropriate to whip out the cross bike on maybe just put some clip-ons on the ol' mountain bike. It's a lot uphill, and very bumby. So, it's very hard to rest in the 1st 1/2 or to get a good rhythm. I was planning on just riding hard without too specific a goal and was at least happy to take 30 seconds off my last years time. Kevin Wolfson had a great time- pretty much the theme for the weekend is that Kevin and Jerome are killing it.

The road race is one of the hardest on the New England circuit. There is a 12 mi loop we were to do 8 times plus a climb at the end which brings the riders to the summit of Mount Wachusette. As a general rule, I always find races which end in places that have chairlifts are hard. I was jinxed this day as I flatted 1.5 laps into the race at the very base of a long climb. Luckily I had my Dura-Ace tubular wheels on and was able to make it to the feed zone with the flat. Riding with a flat could be some new sort of power training. grrrr!! I jumped off the bike ready for a faster change than some of my past trials, but crazily the wheel car was in front of me with a break. I had no money in my pockets, so kept the long string of profanity in my mind to myself instead of making a large contribution to the potty mouth jar. Instead I was wowed by the work of my teamate's dad, Steve Branfman, who ran to the car and grabbed Adam's spare wheel for me. I got rolling again and got though the decent chasing at what must have been 60 mph +,but was not able to catch the group. SO, I had a lovely solo effort of 100k + to make the time cut. Guess the miles will help the legs.

Day #3 was the circuit race, which had been on day #2 in previous years. I was so hurting from the 3 hr solo effort in the road race I could barely hang with the power surges in on the "finish" hill for a few laps. Eventually I found myself doing some more base miles off the back with my crown jewel. With such a crowd yelling and screaming I figured I better keep on moving to finish the race. BTW the P1 field averaged 29+ mph x 75 miles. Wow.

The 4th, & final day's, crit is always fun. I had now obtained a lantern rouge to defend and was not going to let it be taken- even if it meant having to trackstand at the finish line until moments before the time cut. This was going to be tough as I knew Kenda-Raleigh's Colin Murphy was gunning for the same honor and was only minutes ahead of me. Any mishap ane he culd have done worse. -or better?? Appratently for le Tour, the Lantern Rouge earns a bit of celebrity, so I was hoping for the same result. I has a super time surfing through the field and saving as much energy as possible. Tommy G looked at me at one point and said "hey, tailgunning this course is great!" You were able to glide down the backside's decent and storm up the hill every time. No thanks to me me, Jerome impressed with a solid 4th place finish and proved he is well on the way to that cat 1 upgrade.

A non-performance highlight in the race talking with Dick Ring at the finish and his telling me how psyched he was about IF. He was riding a crown jewel over the past few years and his material of choice was steel. He said, he was "knda old school, " and I was like "NO Way!"

Good pics from circuit race to come, but cannot get them to download yet.......

Labels: Fitchburg Stage Race Category 2