Mar 21, 2004 UW Parkside, WI
A change of attitude!

Chris Hammer pulled up at the Butler house with Lee at noon, we loaded up my gear, and departed for another cold day in the saddle. Temps in the lower 30s and a steady SE wind would greet us in Kenosha as we arrived for yet another go at UW Parkside. We pulled in next to John and met up with Rich at registration. So with 5 guys in the race hopefully we'd get some luck. While many of the guys had brought trainers and were quietly sweating out a long warmup, the intrepid members of Wheel Fast took a different approach. We found an abandoned corner of the Union and slowly changed, savoring the warmth and feeling no particular rush to venture outdoors. 5 jerseys, knee warmers, tights, armwarmers, booties, gloves, mittens, and a thick coat of Vick's Vapo-rub had me ready. I felt like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man prepared to wreak havoc.

After working up our courage, we grabbed our bikes in time to get a lap on the course. When the official started to push everyone around for a second warmup lap (which would make 2 miles of warmup) I stopped to adjust my shoe in its booty and used that to get in the 2nd row. Why make things harder? So, I had precisely one mile in my legs as we rolled up to do battle. I believe a record low for me. Around 60 guys ventured off as the official let us go and immediately Triple X started driving the train. We go from 0 to 25 or so and they keep on the gas. My strategy for this race was altogether different than last week. I needed a change of attitude. A week ago I sat in and just tried to guage my fitness. It seemed ok and I finished 31/66, but didn't really do anything than watch the race from within. This week I decided that I'd rather blow up trying than to simply watch. So, I sat up in the Top 10 for awhile and kept an eye on things knowing that I had support to my rear. The pace eased off a little, but Triple X stayed on the front. Some attacks early were for naught as we were able to surge enough to keep things in check.

A fresh crop of new racers kept things unpredictable and more than once I found myself on the wheel of somebody who had never ridden in such close quarters and would simply move where he pleased. To these guys a "line" would be what they'd use on a lady later that night rather than the predictable course through a fast corner. As I calmly asked a rider to please pay attention to his line, Chris from behind me saw him take his hand off the bars to give me an ok - mid-corner!! It's just March, by June they will be better or injured. I let up in my vigilance and quite suddenly found myself near the back. When Brian from Triple X said hi and said he was patrolling the back I figured it was time to get busy and moved back up. Rich and Chris were right by me and John was near so things were looking good. A surge with about 10 minutes to go saw the departure of Lee (It -will- get easier, Lee. Hang in there!) and the pack started to come apart. The tempo was hard, but I felt ok.

We got 2 to go and I was in a good spot and started to think about the finish. We hit the hill and it goes nuts as guys were all over. We came around the turn and just as we hit the top of the rise, bikes and bodies went down. The crash happened left and was moving right, domino-fashion. I got right and narrowly missed it. Chris was with me and we went charging back up to the riders ahead. There was a pause which is unnatural. Usually when steel meets asphalt the riders ahead drop the hammer. Thankfully we were on before that hammer dropped. Rich got caught behind the carnage. So we were left with 3 riders. We rolled through for the bell and it was fast and furious. Turn 1 was tight, but we survived. I just tried to keep moving up and looking for gaps. We hit Turn 3 and I was inside. I tried to move up but got squeezed into the gutter at close to 30 mph. I didn't think to panic and tried to advance and get over for Turn 4. John got caught up in additional nuttiness at the front. I get an opening to the left and start driving home with Chris behind. We hit the line in good shape. I took 15th, Chris 18th, and John close behind. In all, a good solid day for Wheel Fast in March. I showed about 23 mph for the crit with an identical average HR as last week's 172 for about 50 minutes of racing. So, I'm feeling good about myself right now. Everybody rode well and Lee availed himself well in only his second crit. You'll figure it out, bro. I'll be on vacation next weekend and so will miss the dramatic conclusion. Good luck guys!! [Editor's note: Chris went on to a 10th place while Lee scored 13th!! at Parkside #3]

Mar 14, 2004
UW Parkside, WI
Spring Classic!

I hope everyone is off to a great 2004. For me '04 has brought a lot of travel and hence a lot of meals at restaurants and hence 6 pounds of excess baggage and not nearly enough training as last year. Of course this year I'm working and last year I wasn't ... trade-offs :-) So, it was a desire to see where my meager fitness stood that saw me battle 20mph+ winds up to the University of Wisconsin Parkside's campus for the annual kick off to midwestern criteriums. For three weekends each March we battle high winds, cold temperatures, and our own doubts and try to reclaim some of the glory we experienced last season. The temps were in the 30s and the winds at a steady 20 mph gusting to 40 mph. Everytime I hopped out of my truck to warm up, I thought better of it and hopped back in. So, I had 5 miles of noodling around in me when we headed to the S/F to wait for the master's race to end. Standing around in nothing but a couple measly layers of lycra and polypro was awful. Most of us were standing around shivering, the smell of Vicks vapo-rub thick in the air. Finally about 50 of us rolled up to the line. Yep, 50 guys were so desperate to race that they made the trek and were going to be facing 45 min and 2 laps of brutal winds. Bike racing makes no sense ... After instructions we set off right into the 20+ headwind. I found a wheel and started my strategy - do no work, face no wind, and finish with the field. The first lap was pretty squirrely as we tried to remember how to ride in a tight pack after being locked in trainers all winter and not balancing. A lap later we mostly remembered how to ride straight and not hit the brakes and in 50 minutes of racing, nobody wrecked. Not to say there wasn't some pushing and shoving and close calls, but nobody hit the ground. Cool.

I settled in and found a wheel. Uh oh. It is my old nemesis from last season, the guy on the red Waterford that has caused me more close calls and near wrecks than anybody short of Mark McIntyre! We hit turn 3 after a good tailwind and rather than stay on a wheel and cruise on through with some speed he backs off and lets a big old gap open. Hello? Did you learn nothing this winter? Couldn't you have snuggled up with a good cycling book and learned not to let gaps open?? Argh. So, I stayed off his wheel for the remainder. I jumped across the gap and settled back in. I went to shift and then realized I couldn't feel the fingers in my right hand. I'm jamming at my lever with my entire hand trying to get it to and it is tough going. How many shifts am I going to make in this race? Will they all be this hard? Several laps later, feeling was restored and all was well.

Time kept ticking by and I was feeling ok. Each time we hit turn 4 and the front guys hit the headwind they'd lose probably 5-8 mph. Those from behind were exiting the turn at 25 and coming up on guys struggling to make 18. That was crazy. I wore my brake pads down a bit. I stayed in decent position, but kept off the front, letting Triple X battle things out up there. Evidently some clown that is a Cat II was in our race and kept attacking off the front. They didn't catch him at registration when he checked in and so he pounded on us. Ugh. Finally we got 2 to go. I'm sitting in ok position and just sitting in. We hit the bell and a guy in front of me drops a chain. Yikes!!! So we seperate around him and keep going. The tempo on the "hill" is fast, but I'm still ok. Then the tempo goes up and we're single file down the backstretch doing over 30. I'm on a wheel, but if a gap opens ... We hit turn 3 and we're still totally strung out. Gaps start opening and I'm powerless to get across. I'm out of steam. I maintain my position and cruise in for a position in the low 30's I think. My fitness was proven. I'm not in as bad of shape as I thought. I could use some extra power and I could use a few pounds to drop off, but that will happen as we can start training in earnest. With the high winds we only averaged 21 mph and I had an avg heart rate of 172 which seems to be my racing sweet-spot. So, next week I can concentrate on racing and not worry that I'm going to blow up somewhere in the race. With teammates next week it should be easier, too. Till next week, Kevin

Read about the 2003 Downers Grove Sports Grand Prix on the US Pro Criterium course.

Read about my adventures at Super Week - The International Cycling Classic.

To read previous entries, visit The Race Archives