Video

Global Gutz Brisbane 08 from Bjorn Rust on Vimeo.

More Beer?

Indeed! Much to wifey's dismay, I found solace in heading down to Cooperstown after Saturday's B-kill s**t-show. It was a drive-by by all means (no time to take the tour and get tipsy like last time down there), as a 3.5h drive back to Boston was looming over my head. 6 cases, 6 glasses, and 3 packages of cheese later I was back on I-88 headed for home. These guys have put forth a considerable effort to make the facility more green (see here and here) - yet another reason to support them!

Awkwardness

Thanks Gewilli...

For pointing out Henry's contest...

Congratulations Cort, you are the winner of CONTEST #7!

You may choose any one of the 17 cyclocross DVDs, or 1 road DVD available now:

Thanks for entering my CONTEST.

Henry Jurenka

www.cyclocrossvideos.com

Battenkilled

If you don't have anything good to say...

Nah, f**k that. Lots to say. Scattered thoughts, and I apologize for the profanity-laden post in advance...

Got my ass up at the crack o' dawn, grabbed a 4BUX and headed out for what Google claimed was a 3h40min drive. Google clearly doesn't drive like I do...2h50min later I was pulling into the Salem School parking lot. Hit up registration quickly, kitted up and headed out on the flat roads to the east of the school for a 60min warmup. Legs didn't feel too hot after the warm-up, and the mercury was already at 74 at 10:00am. My initial thinking was to work with Jon Bernhard from CCB and the BRC crew again...however, someone didn't show up and that plan went to hell fast. Thankfully, Jon was still in there alongside his new teammate (and former Cat4 B-kill champ) James Morrison. I made a point to eat more than I normally do pre-race, having a bagel, Bonk-Breaker bar, and a package of Clif Shots prior to going off. I also opted to carry 3 bottles, knowing that I have issues with the heat and it would be worth the weight penalty.

We were off as planned at 11:30 and the so-called "neutral" start was a crock of s**t, with fists and elbows flying to get to the front. Naturally, I found myself in the back (I'm a lover, not a fighter ;) ). The first dirt section was a wakeup call...I consumed a s**tload of dust and other fine particulates at the back and couldn't see a thing. HR already pegged at 180, respiratory tract inhibited and face covered in dirt...sweet...can't wait to see the other 50 miles of this race. We passed back through town and made our way to Juniper Swamp Rd. The first section was paved and not too bad...and then it turned to dirt and the wall appeared. I made a quick surge to try and get halfway up the pack to limit the damage that was bound to occur on this one...sure enough about 50m from the top, half of the front of the pack spun out, dismounted, and starting running....great for them, not so great for the other 75 guys following closely on their wheels. I ended up running ~25sec to the top, and by the time I remounted the front group had a ~10sec gap (and gaining) on a group of about 25 of us. I couldn't believe I was getting shelled this early. I spent the next 5-6min (with my HR already pegged at 180 from the climb, mind you) destroying myself to work with 3 other guys to latch back on...miserable. Thankfully the pace slowed a bit after we reconnected, which offered the rare opportunity to drink. I took a few sips, and immediately recognized some cramping and GI distress. I've had a storied history of racing in the heat and associated issues going back to my multisport days, and I should have been better prepared. With my stomach already checked out, my lungs filled with s**t, and HR still at 180 I was all but done for. I don't remember much from the middle of the race, other than finally getting shelled for good on the 3rd set of climbs. I'm famous for pushing too big of a gear on everything, and attempting these in my 39-23 was just plain stupid on my part. I cramped up terribly towards the top of the 2nd and the pack was gone. Fortunately I had some company in HUP's PVB, NorEast's Keith Button and a few other stragglers. We spent the next ~10mi making half-assed attempts to work together and not riding smart...kind of funny, looking back on it. A Kissena guy kept giving us s**t for not pulling through, even though he was unwilling to work with us. Weirdo. We hit the final dirt road section and PVB immediately dusted us. I tried desperately to close the gap to him, but no luck. This effort did however give me 15-20sec over Keith, and with all but my last bit of pride chewed up there was no way in hell I was getting passed again. I put the head down, opened up the hip angle, and finished the race as strong as I possibly could.

Lots of "I should have done this" or "I should have done that"s right now...but the bottom line is I raced like s**t.

April has been a tough month. That is about all I can say right now...

Other news...

Nys to Landbouwkrediet in 2009

Cyclo-cross champion Sven Nys will be riding for the Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner team, starting January 1, 2009. According to the team, the Belgian has signed a three-year contract. Luc Versele, CEO of the company, said that "we have now the top cyclo-cross racer... We already did a step in the right direction with signing the young Rob Peeters; this paid off already in his first year as a professional, as he won the 'cross in St. Niklaas." .

The 31 year-old has ridden for Team Rabobank since 1998. He has won five Belgian national cyclo-cross championships and two mountain biking championships, and was cyclo-cross world champion in the 2004-2005. He will represent Belgium in the mountain biking events in the Beijing Olympics.

BSNYC...

...just posted another gem. Read it.

My favorite line:

"Being in a breakaway is like going from a cushy job at a big company with a regular paycheck to a really hard job at a tiny company where you have to work 16 hour days on commission only and people are always yelling at you."

Spot on!!!

Turtle Pond RR

Despite the week-long crappy forecast for yesterday, the weather turned out to be nothing but compliant. I went into this one not expecting too much, as my fitness has been questionable the past few weeks. I met up with the BRC crew before the race and, since they had some serious numbers and I was flying solo (I had better get used to this!), I saw it best to help them out wherever needed. We rolled out steady and easy, and took the first go of the finishing climb at a comfortable pace. Bikereg's Chris Bagg launched himself off of the front at the top of the climb, clearly just testing the field, and although no one chased him down he saw it best to fall back in the pack a few minutes later. Chris Bailey took over the reigns and led the field for the remainder of the first lap, riding a nice, steady tempo as we approached the climb for the second time. Sure enough, Chris Bagg took a flyer again as we started ascending. This time, he had some company in BRC's Kevin Backhouse. The pack seemed content to let them go, and go they did. Bailey smoothly moved to the front again and slowed the pack to snail's pace - great tactic. At one point I looked down and we were doing 15mph, and I joked to CCB's Jon Bernhard that the Cat 4s would catch up to us - surprised it actually didn't happen. After a full lap at this leisurely pace, the break had ~2:30 on us and gaining (well done, Chris!). The pack finally started to wake up on the third lap, but the damage was already done. Several CCNS guys moved to the front and tried to push the pace to close the gap, but the BRC guys covered nicely. NEBC, which was well-represented (in numbers, at least), did absolutely NOTHING to save the race, save for a half-assed 4-man flyer attempt that went absolutely nowhere FAST. It was clear by the 4th lap that we were racing for 3rd place, and the pace picked up quite a bit. The field was quite strung out the 5th time up the climb, and a few guys unsuccessfully tried to jump. The last lap saw Bernhard and I doing most of the pulling up front - not ideal, but we slowed up dramatically and the pack was still content to sit in. Frustrating, in a Cat 4/5 sort of way. ~5K from the finish Marvin Wang and two others jumped and got themselves a nice little gap. We kept them in sight but ultimately never caught them. Terrible. Bernhard and I fell back and grabbed some wheels heading to the base of the penultimate climb, hoping to pull something positive out of all this. It was clear that most of the field was dying halfway up the climb, so I jumped and got myself a ~20m gap with ~300m to go. I burned an entire book of matches getting the rest of the way up, and I clearly should have waited another 100m to do so. Just as I crested, BRC's Jay Combs and a CCNS guy shot past me and beat me to the line with ease. Damn! Results had me at 9th - not what I was looking for, but with no help and shoddy fitness, I'll take it.

Congrats to the BRC guys for racing SMART!

Bad Ju-Ju All Around

Cyclists are dropping like flies lately...

1. MRC tri-geek Jim Koch, after incessant prodding by yours truly, jumped into the Wells C race on Sunday - his first organized road race ever. He rode strong his first 14 laps, even contesting a few primes...fired up for the bunch sprint on last lap, and...promptly took half of the field down, with his body taking the brunt of it...3rd degree separated shoulder and his entire left side of body a mess...

2. Same day, MRC prodigy Boulder Boy gets taken out in a collegiate race in Golden, CO...banged up, bruised, swollen, possible concussion, etc.

3. Yesterday, BTT tri-geek Woody Freese gets taken out by a car on a group training ride returning to Landry's via Weston...not sure how bad his condition is, but an ambulance ride to the ER is never a good sign...

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!

Keep it upright, and rubber to the road...

Recovery

I've spent the past few weeks trying to recover from the big training trip of one month ago. I normally would have taken a full week of recovery immediately following the trip, but the work schedule did not allow for this to occur. Instead, I put in another high-volume week immediately following Tucson, and I am paying the price for it now. Two weeks of small-ring'ing, and I still can't shake the cobwebs. I hit up Wells on Sunday with the intention of sitting in the A race to just open up the legs a bit - mission accomplished. The pace was fairly hot throughout but manageable. I did put together a half-assed attempt at the bunch sprint, and passed about half of the field in doing so - good for the confidence.

Turtle Pond is next on the calendar this Sunday. My one and only USAC win happened here last year (as a 5), and this course suits me well - plenty of rollers and a tough uphill finish. Hopefully I can pull myself together...

PSA

Sterling reg. is up.