Category Archives: Race Reports

No not the drug, crack is what happened to me yesterday at the Schoolyard Cross race at the Boulder rez. It has been a long time since I really bonked or cracked and I suppose that is a good thing because I can’t remember the last time I had a full on body malfunction like the one that comes with a full crack. I am sure there were days where the legs, lungs and brain just were not firing on all cylinders and it contributed to some serious pain and sort of crackage but those days do not compare to the real thing. I have been lucky and can say that I have only had a full on bonk a few times. In fact, I can’t say the last time I felt dizzy, naucues, had zero power, pain and cramping and just generally out of my mind at least from cycling. The race yesterday was 70+ degrees, blistering sun and a super fast and punishing course. I had good preparation – ate well, decent warm up and preloaded with gels, sports drinks and the like. With all that said it still was not enough. What could have caused? Stress? Not really training? Not having raced in a few weeks? The heat? Riding over the limit? Not sure, but I do know that at one point I was riding really hard, you had to, the course made it such. There were some recovery sections but that was followed by full gas [...]

The Aspen Lodge cyclocross race in Estes Park was a bit of an experience, nestled away up in the mountain, 9000+ feet under the watch of Longs Peak. The location was spectacular, the vibe was spot on and the event very well run. Anna, Logan And I ventured up to get some good mountain cross going. Going into this race I knew it was going to be a tough day for me but sometimes it is ok to just participate and get the training in – mental and physical. Upon initial inspection of the course I was a little frightened, in typical Colorado fashion the course was designed with the mountain bike in mind. It was a mildly treacherous course and I am sure there were a few casualities on the day. I really had no problems with the course except when I needed to go fast I went slow and when I needed to ride technically smooth, I rode technically sloppy but I again, it was going to be a tough day and I knew it from the start. The course: A ton of elevation change, some pavement, some nice off camber and some really technical sections. It was partially an awesome cyclocross course and partially a great mountain bike venue. Some great forced natural running sections and some sweet turning is the grass on a hillside. The start was good, a nice drag race into a 180 uphill turn which had a few people hitting the pave. I [...]

Saturday, October 9th 2010 – Broomfield, Colorado – Elite Men. The conditions were more cyclocross, more east coast, more like it!  Temps still relatively warm in the 70′s but the course was wet and there was some mud,  not crazy mud, not peanut butter mud. not sloppy mud,  a conservative mud.  On a scale from 1-10,  it was a 4 on the mud caliper.  Enough to make a clean bike dirty, enough to spatter your legs, dirty your kit and make for some driving and powering of the bike. No bike changes needed in the hour of racing, no forced running on otherwise rideable terrain.  Hey,  it is Colorado and it is just early October which I think is perfect for cyclocross plot.  A few races with hot weather,  a few with some beautiful fall cooler temps and a transitional race with a tease of some mud. The race course was great,  a real treat compared to the stuff I have raced on since being in Colorado.  The race setting was great and reminded me a lot of the Louisville, Kentucky course that is raced on for the USGP’s,  that course is on an old golf course and what I could tell the Interlocken course was on a Frolf course.  Waffles, beers and some other vendors  made for a great race vibe with some big crowds lining the muddy run-up and a seasoning of others scattered about cheering and yelling. The initial inspection of the course was not without fall [...]