The races

I did 2 races this past weekend. The trip to the midwest was to race The Berryman Trail Epic with dad. It is a 1 loop 56 mile mountain bike race almost entirely on pristine Ozark, leafy, rocky, singletrack. Not overly technical, but very rocky and bumpy. I was on a brand new Trek Elite carbon hardtail frame for the race. Dad was on his Fisher Superfly 100.
Cayle and I flew in on Friday morning, getting into STL at just after 10. Then we drove down to Bass River Resort in Steelville, MO where the race would start and finish. On Friday afternoon, dad and I headed out to preride the first 5 miles of the trail. At this time all equipment was working great, and the trails were in great condition!
The race starts at 830 on Saturday morning. Temp was in the low 30's, but supposed to be warming up to mid 70's by early afternoon. Perfect for racing! It was Dad and I, and another friend from Effingham, Blackberry. Blackberry had done the last 100 mile race with me as well in Ohio, and had done this race last year. We lined up about 4 rows back which put us somewhere in the top 50 starting out, out of 221 racers. Mass start. Unfortunately, some poor souls forgot how to clip into their pedals, and there was a massive traffic pile-up/jam at the start! By the time we got going a few seconds later, we were closer to 100+ people back of the leader. Only one thing to do... I TOOK OFF!!! I knew where I wanted to be (near the front) going into the first 3ish mile rock road climb to the beginning of the singletrack. I quickly passed bunches of people, and finally settled into a rhythm about 40 back of the front. When the climb started I continued passing bunches of people, until I was eventually riding with a group of 4 just behind the leading group of 15 fast guys. We were running a good paceline, trying to close the gap when we entered the singletrack. I was first in my group into the singletrack, just a bit behind the leaders.

I felt great! Coming from altitude, there was so much oxygen, I never even got winded. Shortly after entering the woods, my chain fell off to the inside of the crank.... (OH CRAP!!! Not shifting issues this early in the race!!!!) Turns out I could just shift and get the chain back on, ok, no biggie. Within the next couple miles, my chain did this 5 more times.. I thought I was hitting the shifter with my hand, but nope, that wasn't the issue. Front Der. just wasn't lined up quite right to prevent the chain from hopping off. So anyway, I hit the first checkpoint about 11 miles in, right at about 20th position. Didn't stop, just kept going, out onto the highway for a 1/2 mile, then back into the woods. Climbing. About halfway up the 1/4 mile climb... BAM!!!.... chain had snapped in half.... DAMN!!!! Never have had this happen to me before, not sure why it happened this time... No tools to fix it, so I rolled back down the trail about a mile to the checkpoint, and luckily somebody was able to help me fix it. Took about 10 minutes or so. At some point in this time, Dad had passed me, and Blackberry also. I told Blackberry I would catch back up, and he said "I hope not." I caught him within 3 miles... I was really moving, trying to make up lost ground, and I ended up having a small crash on a tight switchback that bent my derailleur a little bit and yanked the chain out of the der. More trouble... Seemed to be the theme of the day. This one put me out of the race. Luckily another guy was also having trouble, and he helped me fix mine enough to get to the next checkpoint where the rest of the family was waiting. Soon as I got there (20 miles in) I was done! Tired of shifting issues, and bike not working properly, I was forced to quit. Damn! I was feeling great too. On the plus side Cayle had a Huge Smile for me when he saw me!
Dad had a great race! No bike issues, and was able to cruise to the finish with a time of 5:15 good for 32nd place out of about 150 finishers. Great result for sure!The race was super well organized and super fun! Great weather! Great Beer after! Great Swag! I still can't believe all the things they offer for this race!
Free Beer!
Tons of Swag (including backpacking tents, GPS units, and 3 single speed mountain bikes!)
Great prize $$$ $1000 to first, plus $400 for breaking the course record, plus good money to the top 10, and the top 3 finishers in each age category!

Just a very well organized and well run race, and I would like to try again some time!

Sunday was a cyclocross race in STL. Bubba Cross race #3 out at Fort Bellefontaine Park on the north side of town. We were undecided if we were going to participate or not until Saturday night. Mainly because my race went so poorly on Saturday. I decided to line it up with the B category, while dad was doing the C's. He gave me the option of riding his cross bike after he was done with it, but I just opted to stay with the mountain bike which I was more familiar with anyway. The start is super important in cyclocross races, so I made sure I got a front row spot. I had my pink argyle Yeti's kit on, and got tons of stares and compliments! That kit gets so much attention outside of the local race scene here in Colorado. I didn't really know what to expect, and I think people underestimated me because they didn't know who I was, and I was on a mountain bike. A guy asked if he could have my front row spot, and I gave it to him.. (stupid!)Dad finished 5th in his race the day after a strong 56 mile mountain bike race!

When the race started I shot out of the pack and quickly settled in at 4 spots back. 1/2 way through the first lap, I decided we were going to slow, and tried to make a pass, and everyone started yelling at me... (ride faster then...) There were 4 of us most of the first lap, and I felt pretty great. Down to 3 on the 2nd lap of the 45 minute race, and then down to 2 for the rest of the race. I led for several laps, and he led for several laps before finally putting in a little dig and gapping me by just enough to hold me off. I ended up taking 2nd about 8 seconds back on a full suspension mountain bike! Would have been interesting to see if the result would have been different on a cyclocross bike. But I made my choice, and was more than stoked with 2nd place! It was great having Bob, Michael, Mom, and dad, and a few others yelling at me and cheering for me the whole race! This made up for the bike problems the day before!

Bubba #3 B Race Results

Fort Belle Fontaine Park - Sunday 10/23/2011

My fitness was dialed in! Weight was great! And got the results to show for it! Now time for chicken wings, donuts, ice cream, and beer whenever I want. It's snowing outside right now, winter is here, and time for some rest and non bike riding activities! First 7th grade basketball tourney this weekend!

Wonderful Day!!!

What an awesome day! This morning after Cayle finished breakfast we headed over to Yeti's Grind in Eagle for some scones and coffee. After coffee, I headed out for a mountain bike ride. Up Tick Alley and down Abrams Ridge then back to the house to get ready for school. Great weather, awesome ride! After school we (mom) took Natalie, Cayle, and I to the Dusty Boot for dinner for Natalie's birthday. Cayle loves playing on the outdoor play/patio area at Das Booten Garten. After the Boot it was time for Frosty's at Wendy's. Then home for some couch and tv time. Great day all around. Up tomorrow is time for our annual fall drive over to Aspen and Independence pass to see the Aspen trees changing colors.

USAPCC VAIL

One of the most awesome pics from the Time Trial in Vail today. Got our picture taken with Dave Zabriskie after the race! Got lots more pics to come, but this one was super cool!

Beaver Creek Blast and the Season 2011

It was a bittersweet ending to a fantastic season. Going into the last race, Natalie and I had talked about how I could not even race and still get 3rd overall, but I could move up to 2nd or maybe even first with a win and a poor showing from 1st place in the overall. So basically, I should have no pressure. I felt great going into the race. My weight was at an all time low 164 lbs! I was light and fit and ready for the first 3 miles of steep climbing on the course. I started out in the lead, and stayed there for the first half of the first climb. By the time we got to the top, I was about a minute behind the leaders, but they were still in sight, and that is a HUGE improvement over previous years versions of this race. I blasted down the single track, and ripped the false flat on village to village. Shannon (2nd overall) was in front of me, but Brinton (1st overall) was behind me. Brinton caught me shortly after the first downhill, he is more of a climber, so I think he was on a fairly bad day. We rode together for a bit, really pushing the pace. I ended up dropping him on the false flat of village to village. On that same trail, Jay Henry (1st pro cat) passed me (after having started about a minute in front of me and riding 3 miles further,) I surged and caught him and drafted off him for a bit. This is really when I realized how fast I was going! When we got to the end of Village to Village, I caught sight of Shannon just a bit in front of me in 3rd place. There was a 14 year old kid from Vail Mt. Bike camps just in front of me and behind Shannon, so I was currently in 5th place, and moving up! We hit a good single track traverse and the kid in front of me pinch flatted on a rock, and I quickly passed him moving into 4th. Climbed a short dirt road section, ready to begin the last 2-3 miles of singletrack downhill, and Pssss.... CRAP!!! FLAT TIRE!!! My race was done! It sucks because I was riding so strong, and making ground on the guys in front of me! Shannon who was directly in front of me ended up winning the race, and consequently lept from 2nd to 1st in the overall with Brinton finishing 6th on the day. I DNF'd for the race, and kept my 3rd in the overall, but felt like I would have been challenging for the win w/out the flat tire. Unfortunately that stuff happens though. To make up for it a bit, I won some cool prizes at the after party raffle. An Oktoberfest stein with chain lube, a Yeti's Grind gift card, and a couple other things. I also won a free pair of KEEN's which I later traded for a one night stay at the Weston Spa and Lodge in Avon, who sponsored the series! Looking forward to that! Also a way to show my wonderful wife my appreciation for all her support!It's difficult to be too upset about the result of the final race. I had my best season ever! I got my FIRST win EVER this year (road or mountain)! I finished 3rd overall in the sport category! I proved to myself that I could climb and ride with the other guys in my field! It felt pretty awesome showing up to every race as one of the favorites! All new experiences for me, and it was pretty cool. My previous racing weight had been around 180, and this season it was 170, dropping to 164 for the last race. There were many times that I thought I could not get my weight below 180 lbs! The season was super awesome, and I had so much fun! Of the 7 races, my results were: 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 3rd, DNF. Pretty freaking cool! And even cooler thinking that most of my training was done while pulling Cayle in the Chariot! He was a part of my success!... :)

Next year I will be racing expert, and there will be many new challenges. I am looking forward to it with newfound confidence. I know that I will struggle on many of the courses, but I also plan on being competitive on some of the courses. The races will be longer and harder and I will be racing with the Pro's, but I am looking forward to the challenge!

He wants to ride!

This afternoon Cayle and I were out in the garage hanging out after our bike ride. He wanted to go for a ride in his little car, so I pushed him for a bit on the driveway and sidewalk. Then when we got back in the garage, I thought he was done. I headed inside the house to grab some chocolate milk, and when I went back into the garage to see what he was doing, I was kind of surprised! He had gone to the shelve where he keeps his bike helmet, grabbed the helmet and was standing by his tricycle holding the helmet waiting for me to help him. While watching him, he tried to put it on a few times with little luck. What can I say? I guess he just wanted to go for a ride! It's super cool that he already knows, in order to ride his tricycle he needs to wear a helmet!

Had a mt. bike race last night. The 2nd last race in the series. The Boneyard Brawl in Eagle. Going in, I was sitting in 2nd overall, 40 pts behind the leader and 10 points ahead of 3rd place. Basically in order to have a chance to win the series, I needed to win the last 2 races. That's not going to happen, but I did get 3rd last night. While I was super excited about the result... the guy behind me in the overall won the race, and because of the 15 point winners bonus, he leapfrogged me into 2nd overall, and I slid to 3rd.
It was probably one of my favorite races yet this year. The course was basically 3 miles up and 3 miles down, we did 2 laps. At the top of the first climb I looked around and it was just the 3 of us overall contenders. Shannon, Brinton, and I. I was feeling really good, and was climbing really good. We all went downhill together, but at the bottom of the downhill, I crashed! Not a bad one, but took enough time that I never saw 1st and 2nd place again... Finished the rest of the race on my own, and took an easy enough 3rd place. It is super fun being competitive in this local series! Going to have to try to grab the win in 2 weeks at the final race in Beaver Creek. If I can do that, I will move back into 2nd place overall, but it's definitely not going to be easy! Results

Results for the Men's Sport
Place Bib Name LAST Team Time Point
===== ==== ===================== ============================== === ======= =====
1. 267 Shannon Crockford 54:17 100
2. 7 Brinton Barry Vail Mountain Bike Camps/M 54:25 85
3. 330 Nicholas Brummer Yeti's Grind 55:53 80

Pants, Weight, & Bike Racing

Living in IL and bike racing on flat or mostly flat ground, body weight wasn't much of a concern. I mean, I was athletic, and in pretty good shape just because I was riding about 250 miles a week, and naturally you are going to be pretty fit. Once we moved out here, and I started doing the mountain bike races, I began to notice that on the (flatter) races, I was good, and on the long climb races, I was really bad! I first attributed it to just not being able to climb or the altitude, and then after that, tried to drop a bit of weight. The past 2 seasons I was racing at about 183-185 lbs. Just getting the same results over and over. My dad say's...(Has to be his favorite saying) "Do you know the meaning of insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." So basically, I was doing the same thing every season, in just trying to increase my power on the bike through different training, but not really doing much with my weight.

This season instead of falling into the same trap (insanity) I decided to mix it up a bit.
My goal was to drop to a racing weight of 175 lbs. I thought this would allow me to be much quicker uphill. It's kind of tricky for endurance athletes to cut weight while training, because if you don't eat enough, you hurt your recovery which in turn hurts your performance, but if you eat too much, your not losing any weight. After I hit 175 with no loss of power, I decided to drop it down to 170. I am almost there now, 171.4 lbs. I have been very careful with watching what I eat, and just eating very healthy and clean. I have been tracking my calories on Lose it and this has allowed me to cut the weight I wanted. (It is kind of tedious and a pain at times, but def. works!) So hopefully the lower body weight will help me get to where I want to be this racing season...(a win would be nice!)

A side effect of the lower body weight (a good one) is that none of my clothes fit anymore. They are all too big! Most noticeable are my khakis for school. I hate spending money on clothes, but love having new clothes! So I finally broke down and ordered 2 new pair of pants and a belt from Old Navy. Ordered 32x34, same size I wore through high school... and got them in today. I was excited to have new clothes, but they are too big! No Way! After I ballooned up to 245 lbs (ya, no joke! lots of pepsi's... and fast food and sleeping) my soph. year of college, I never imagined I would be back in a size 32 waist! Now a 32 waist is even too big! Gonna have to exchange for a 30 or a 31 I reckon... I know this is a good problem, but it's kind of annoying... :-)

Hopefully I'll get some pants soon that fit, and the mountain bike season will be a good one for myself and Yeti's Grind, my new team. I'm excited about it, and excited to be able to have Cayle cheering me on!