Well worth $75

Via veloist.com

Last week I got a somewhat confusing phone call from my buddy Travis. Travis, who is a cat 4 bike racer who would likely be a cat 3 (or higher) by now if he hadn't taken off the entirety of the 2009 season, a well as a chunk of the 2008 season to travel to France and China, was calling to express his dismay that it was going to cost him $75 to enter the 2010 Tour of the Battenkill. (It will cost elite men even more, but why split hairs?)

Trav's call was the first I heard about the rate going up from last year's $35. For whatever reason, Travis was the first of several people who reached out to me, knowing that I know promoter Dieter Drake, to inquire about the increased cost. Of course, I'm sure there are hundreds of others who saw the price, and though "Gee, that's kind of steep, but whatever." I don't think Dieter would ever have set the price that high, if he wasn't confident he'd get it. In fact, in 2009, many racers registering after online registration had closed, paid nearly the same amount -- $65.

Of course, I am in no way involved in promoting that race, and I was not privy to, or aware of discussions regarding the entry fee. But, since I do know Dieter, I didn't mind inquiring on behalf of friends.

So, I sent Dieter an email, and heard back from him the next day. The bottom line is that the Battenkill is a friggin' huge undertaking. A far cry from the usual road race, that might attract 300 athletes, the Battenkill requires Dieter to bring in 25 USAC officials, provide about 60 race vehicles, cover some costs for a small army of state and local cops, in addition to everything else a race promoter is expected to do.

The Battenkill is already one of the best races in the nation (maybe the best, but don't take my word for it), but Dieter is sweetening the pot a bit this year, giving away T-shirts, increasing the cash purse, and -- more importantly -- hiring a company that will do scoring based on timing chips. The biggest complaint after last year's race was that results were delayed, and contained some errors. The reason being, or course, that with nearly 2,000 athletes, the race had simply outgrown the traditional camera-based scoring system.

Chip timing is often used in running races and triathlons, which generally see more participants than bike races -- and sometimes cost more.

But, the bottom line is that the Battenkill is was the biggest single-day road race in the country in 2009, and is set to grow in 2010. You won't want to miss it, and it will be well-worth the price of admission.

In other news, I'm now on day two of my mandatory rest. So far, I've slept past wake up time, and still manged to get all of my non-work work done two hours earlier than usual. If I'm not careful, I might get used to this restful life style.

Resting, against my will

That's some serious Brooklyn pride.

A quick post, a day early.

Upon arriving home from a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in the city, I got back in touch with my long-neglected coach, Scott Cole. By the time I wrapped up road racing at the Tour of the Catskills, I was pretty much sick of 20-minute intervals, 2x2s, 15-second ramp-ups, and any other kind of interval you can think of. As such, I took a two-month break from my formal training program, and have only talked to Scott in passing.

Since Scott lives in California, we don't pass all that often.

But now that the first races of 2010 are right around the corner (only three months away!), it is time to get my ass back on the program. So, Scott and I had a lengthy discussion about what I've been doing as far as riding over the past couple months, and what I'm going to be doing between now and the first major goal of the year, the Tour of the Battenkill.

Scott can be a real slave driver, and his training program for me is starting out with the worst torture that I can imagine -- at least 10 days off the bike, beginning today. Yikes.

I don't think I've spent 10 days off a bike since I spent the summer of 2006 in Europe, mostly because I really like riding my bike, and my days don't feel complete without a ride. Needless to say, I'm nervous about how this is going to go, but Scott says it's important, so here we go.

Live from Brooklyn

So, I didn't post last night. Sorry. I was busy packing for the big trip to the BK. With so much on the agenda for the weekend, there was a lot to pack and get ready. Thankfully, I got it all together in time to work out the end of my work week, and to then drive to Brooklyn.

I even beat the traffic, right until I hit the George Washington Bridge. It was slow going from there, but I made it. It had started raining at some point, but even that let up as I turned onto Tompkins Place. It's nice to be home -- even if I beat all my friends by a day and am now sitting home feeling lonely. So it goes.

Tomorrow will leave with just enough time for a pre-Turkey trip to Prospect Park, then the family and I are heading to visit the Bradys -- family friends -- in Westchester. After dinner, it'll be time for the overdue reunion with my friends, and hopefully the start of a fun weekend in Brooklyn.

Since I'll be pretty heavily dosed on Tryptophan, this will be my last post until Monday (I'll be slogging my way through traffic on Sunday, and thus unable to post).

I've been finding it more difficult to find interesting content to write about recently (hence my partial willingness to not post from time to time), and I'm hoping that taking a few days off will leave me recharged, and ready to blog. See you Monday!

Looking forward to Turkey day!

It's nearly time for Thanksgiving, the best holiday of the year.

My plan this year is to head home to Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, after putting in an honest two-and-a-half days of work, and to immediately commence hanging out with my brother and parents.

My friends from home (I use this term loosely to describe Amanda and Eryn, as they are friends that I met while living at home, although none of us lives in or near Brooklyn anymore), will get back into town on Thursday, and we'll resume our fall catch-up sessions started a weeks ago in their DC 'hood, at that point.

I always feel the need to point out to readers, friends, relatives, and anyone else who will listen that Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday because it's an occasion designed to gather people to sit, converse, and be grateful, for no reason other than tradition. Also, religion doesn't play a role in it, which I personally feel makes any holiday better. Plus, I get four consecutive days off from work, and that's always a good thing.

There will be much eating of Turkey, as well, which is always a good thing, visiting some family I haven't seen in a while, and possibly even a 'cross race. I say possibly, because I've been planning on doing this race for months, but have found my enthusiasm for racing 'cross pretty much vanish since I got closed out of registration for Northampton.

Instead, I haven't raced 'cross since Halloween, and have seen a marked decrease in things like top-end speed as I've slackened off the training. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- it is November, after all. But, it would be fun to jump in the race, run home for some quick laundry before driving home. Besides, I even borrowed my favorite 'cross bike for the occasion.

So we'll see, but 'cross race or not, I'm looking forward to the holiday. First, though, I have to pack and get myself to Brooklyn in one piece, without spending too much time sitting in traffic. Here's to wishful thinking!

Celebrations successful!

Scott says: "Why me?"
Andrew says: "Must find Journey!"
We really are close friends

Well, I'm 25 now. The great thing about birthdays is that so many people call, email, text, or otherwise check in, just to wish you a happy birthday, and yesterday was certainly no exception for me. So, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, it means a lot to me to have so many friends and family to think of my on my birthday.

Here in Saratoga, I celebrated my birthday with a small get together at home, before the party spilled into the street and moved to the more-populous section of Caroline St. I had a great time, and I hope everyone else did as well -- thanks to everyone who came to help me celebrate. In general, I think that's pretty questionable form to post potentially incriminating photos on this blog or anywhere else online, and although my birthday part was fairly tame by some standards, I think we'll leave the photos off line -- save the one above.

By way of explanation, the laptop off of which we were playing music was set up behind the couch. I felt an urgent need to change songs, so I was sitting on the back of the couch, fiddling with the laptop, and inadvertently setting my ass about two inches from Scott's face. Scott is a tolerant guy, but he doesn't look to pleased about this new arrangement. Fortunately, I don't think it lasted for very long.

Birthday celebrations wrapped up today with a nice sleep-in, clean up, and ride down in the wilds of extreme-southern Saratoga County, with Scott. Sorry buddy, you're going to have to force more shots on me next time, if you want to out sprint me up those hills...

Thanks again to everyone for the birthday wishes, and for helping me celebrate, let's do it again in 2010!

Working for the weekend

Well, spin class at Blue Sky went about as well as I expected it to: it was a lot of fun, and because I did everything I could to make it challenging, I felt reasonably worked out when the class was over.

I also wowed anyone who was looking (probably not anyone) with my mad roller skillz: riding without hands, doing the out-of-the-saddle efforts, and one-footed drills during the cool down. Like I said, I'm not sure if anyone actually saw my antics, or cared, but I was impressed with myself. I'd also like to think that I gave the rest of the class something to aspire to. Also, I was wearing my pink Anthem women's team bibs, just to sure that everyone noticed me, and that I looked extra ridiculous. Me, an ego maniac? Never. Seriously though, the women's bibs by Champion Systems have an identical chamois to the men's bibs, and the fit is close enough for me.

More likely, everyone was thinking: "who's that guy showing off in the corner?" Whatever. It was fun to do my hour-long spin with some company, it definitely went by faster than it ordinarily does.

So that was fun.

Tops from the week:
1) My Washington D.C. visit, and thanks to all the friends and family who made it great!
2) Shame spirals, and essays on them.
3) Spin class, but you already knew that from reading above.
4) Thanksgiving, the best of all holidays, is nearly here!
5) My 25th birthday is nearly here too! Call if you want to party Saturday night...

Bottoms from the week:
1) Razor burn... oops.
2) It's only going to get colder.
3) Missing my flight on the way home Monday, although it wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened.
4) Rebellin.
5) There was no need for it to rain tonight. Seriously.

Spin class?

This is about as much fun as spinning could be
The glory days of Skidmore Cycling
And you couldn't beat the view!

It's almost spinning season -- those short, cold days of winter where riding outside on a daily basis is simply not possible.

The only time in my life when I can recall truly enjoying regular indoor rides was in college, when the Skidmore Cycling team would gather on a near-daily basis for spin sessions in the pent house of Johnson Tower. Even then, riding a trainer wasn't exactly fun, but at least there was some camaraderie involved.

Since then, with a few exceptions, I've been training on my own almost exclusively, watching movies and desperately trying pretend that I'm not bored out of my mind.

Since we're not really into training mode yet (that comes sometime in December), I've been making a habit of hour-long spin sessions on days where I simply can't make the time for a ride outside. Tomorrow, though, I'm going to try something completely new: a spin class at Blue Sky.

The class, which runs from fall until early spring, is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the shop closes, so I'm going to join in the fun tomorrow -- it'll be better than riding the rollers alone at home, right?

Most of the people in the class seem to be a little bit below my level, but these classes, from what I understand, tend to be exactly what you make of them, so I figure I'll be just as worked after the class as the first-year triathlete on the trainer next to me.

Of course, I'll have the added challenge of my rollers, which I'm using exclusively at this time of year. So, I'll be looking to impress my peers in the class by doing one-leg drills and sitting up on the rollers. I'll also be looking not to embarrass myself by riding off the rollers and falling over -- which I feel would likely have the effect of toppling a few others along with me. Yeah, that wouldn't be good...

Getting closer to staying warm

I wore tights, booties, a jacket and ski gloves on my ride this morning. It was the first time this year that the temperatures warranted such heavy clothing. Although I'd initially thought I'd over dressed when I went outside and found the temperatures to not be quite as cold as I'd thought, but there was still a rim of ice clinging to some puddles in the gutter.

In general, I do abide by a wear-booties-when-you-see-ice rule, so I opted to forgo a costume change and went forth.

I suppose it is a little nutty to be out riding a bike when the mercury is hovering around 0 degrees Celsius, but it was a wonderful sunny day, and I wasn't due at work until the afternoon, so what else was I going to do? Besides, Dante pointed out that it's a "balmy" -20 in Sterling, Alaska, right now, so I suppose it could be worse. At least we don't have any snow yet.

As it turned out, I was a little overdressed, but it turns out that might be the key to a happy winter riding season: I tend to under dress a little, which leaves me riding the border of comfortable and cold for most of the ride, and usually freezing by the time I get home.

Today, by contrast, I was comfortable right up until getting back home. It was kind of nice, and a lesson I'll have to keep in mind as the mercury continues to plunge south, and as fall gives way to winter.

On a side note of pure vanity, I hate the bootie aesthetic, which turns even the sleekest cleat into a fuzzy blob hanging from the end of your ankle like a bent Q-tip. But, I suppose that's the price I pay for warm-ish feet in winter.

While we're on the topic of odd-looking winter riding accessories, now that I've learned the joys of warm hands, I think I'm going to invest in a set of these. How's that for doofy? I think we've just discovered a key trait to my personality: although on-the-bike looks are very important to me, I am willing to trade them for comfort in certain situations. And this from the guy who wears shoe covers in 90-degree heat. Who knew?

Tweed-tastic

Just as my training has fallen away to make room for the off season, it seems that I'm also struggling to maintain my Sunday-Thursday blogging. I have a good excuse for missing last night's post. I was visiting friends in Washington DC, where I experienced an effective Internet black hole from Friday evening until this morning, when I got the the airport in Baltimore.

Word has it that DC does have the Internet, but I seemed to have a hard time connecting. The good news is that a dearth of web-powered interconnectivity appeared to have little or no effect on my ability to catch up with, connect with, and otherwise enjoy the company of the large number of friends I now have living in the nation's capital. This is, of course, a roundabout way of saying that while I always feel bad when I miss a post, my time usually set aside for blogging on a Sunday evening was given willingly last night to other purposes, because sometimes it's necessary to put friends and family I don't often see ahead of this blog. I'm sure you understand.

Anyway, as you've doubtless inferred by now, I spent the weekend in Washington DC, and spent two consecutive days off of my bike for the first time in a long time. How does it feel? Despite not sleeping much this weekend, I was all jittery with energy when I got off the plane in Albany (five hours late, as I missed my flight this morning). So, after driving home from the airport, dropping my bags, and saying "Hi" to Marissa, I immediately got dressed and headed out to the Battlefields.

There are many things I do well on a bike, but my greatest challenge continues to be not riding. The hardest part about the late fall and winter seasons, for me, is getting up the motivation to ride when it's cold and windy outside, and the only alternative is to sit on a trainer or rollers. So, while it can be difficult to take two days off (of course, this time, it wasn't that difficult since I was having such a good time in DC), it might be worth it, as I seem to be more psyched to break out the fleece-lined spandex when it is time to ride again.

Of course, that doesn't address other issues, such as the early sunset, but what can you do? Part of my mania to ride today was also fueled by the fact that it was in the 70s yesterday in DC, and I was walking around in short sleeves. Amanda took great pride in wearing a skirt. Everyone with a bike was out riding, teasing me. It was a little frustrating. Tantalizing, perhaps?

The only cycling-related activity in which I participated while away this weekend was a "Tweed Ride," and even that was only tangential. One of Amanda's room mates participated in this slightly odd theme ride, which seems to have been lifted straight from Portland. The ride is exactly what it sounds, a bunch of people wearing tweed clothes and other '20s-era attire, riding around the city.

Amanda and I meant to watch, but didn't get our act together in time, and just went to the after party instead. We weren't wearing any tweed and thus felt a bit out of place, so we retreated for brunch after a quick walk-through. I wish, though, that I'd had a camera with me, as the bar was quite a sight -- tweed and turntables make an interesting combo. I also knew that the ride would be of interest to BSNYC. So, in my ongoing quest to get a shout-out on his blog, I forwarded the Washington Post story (linked to above) to him.

Of course, I wasn't the only one. The quest for 'snob recognition continues.

Some promoters don't have it so easy

Here's a great video that was forwarded to me by a couple different people today:




All that being said, I have been very lucky with the volunteers that I've had for the two races I've helped to promote, and I can only feel bad for anyone who has to deal with unpleasant characters such as the ones in the movie.

I'm heading to Washington DC in a few hours to visit a cohort of friends and family I have down there, a trip that I'm very excited about. I'm also excited that I decided to fly, rather than drive, as it will cut my total travel time for the weekend by about 60-percent.

Anyway, here are the weekly hits:

Tops from the week:
1) Training-rides-turned-races.
2) Off-season "training" sessions at The Local -- two this week!
3) Nice fall weather over the past few days.
4) I've got a Serotta for the last 'cross race of the year -- yes, THAT Serotta!
5) The winter beard is coming in nicely.

Bottoms from the week:
1) DOT proposal on rumble strips.
2) HUGE pile of dishes to wash before I can ride.
3) Roller sessions. Not so many yet, but winter is nearly here.
4) The ongoing debate regarding aero equipment in collegiate racing. Who cares?!
5) My luck in traveling via airplane. Let's hope today's trip goes better!

Good news from Coney Island

Some good news out of Brooklyn today. It seems the city has secured the purchase of seven acres in Coney Island from a private developer for the paltry sum of $95.6 million. First of all, I'm excited to hear that this destination of my youth will not become just another overpriced condo project.

I also have to wonder if those carneys, with their run down amusements, knew how valuable their real estate was, and if they got a peice of the action when the land was originally sold to Thor Equities.

As a kid, my Dad and I made a semi-regular habit of riding under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to Coney Island, where we'd enjoy a hot dog at Nathan's (thus undoing the exercise of getting there), and then riding home along Ocean Parkway. I don't remember spending all that much time at the amusement park itself, but I certainly enjoyed the fact that it was there, and that it harkened back to a bygone days of simpler thrills.

As an adult, I'd visited the aquarium down the street from Astroland, been dragged to minor league baseball at Keyspan Park on at least two occasions, and ridden the Cyclone. The amusement park could easily have been tacked onto any of those outings, and I'll be happy to have some kind of an amusement option the next time I visit!

I certainly understand that private property owners will do what they can and will with valuable real estate, but it seemed a shame to let what was a wonderful space for the public become the domain of those wealthy enough to afford condos. So, that's all very good.

Parenthetically, I wish I had something to sell to the government of New York City (or any other government) for nearly $100 million!

By the way, this is post #600 on Good Bye Blue Mondays. Yikes!

NYSDOT proposes rumble strips; danger to cyclists

If you are a cyclist living in New York, this post applies to you. Apparently, the New York State Department of Transportation is considering requiring most secondary roads to have rumble strips included in any new paving projects.

Rumble strips may only be an annoyance for solo riders in most situations, but anyone who regularly riders with a friend, or in groups, would likely encounter troubles derived from the strips, which essentially become continuous potholes along the fog line. In addition to being unsafe, this wouldn't be any fun at all.

Of course, rumble strips are proven safety features on major roads, but they should only be put in place in areas where they do not pose a safety threat to some users.

The press release reproduced here comes courtesy of the New York Bicycle Coalition. The New York State Bicycle Racing Association will also be putting out a call for action on the topic, as not only would riding be effected, but bicycle races would be impacted in a huge way. I'll also not that while this a real threat to cyclists in the state, the policy revision is still subject to in-depth review by the state, and is not imminent in any way.

I don't usual take action on matters like this, because I feel a certain journalistic duty to remain impartial, but I will be writing to NYSDOT on this matter, and so should you.

***ACTION ALERT 11.9.09***

NYSDOT Proposing Widespread Use of Rumble Strips on Secondary Highways, Posing New Hazards to Bicyclists

Contact NYSDOT and Your Legislators—Urge NYSDOT Not to Jeopardize the Safety of Its Roadway Users!

CURRENT NYSDOT POLICY: Do not install rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances

PROPOSED NYSDOT POLICY: Installation of rumble strips will be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary roads with a few exceptions

RUMBLE STRIPS are a well-documented hazard to bicyclists. Accepted practice nationwide dictates that rumble strips be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling.

NYSDOT is proposing an Engineering Instruction (EI), titled “Secondary Highway Audible Roadway Delineators – Guidance and Policy,” which is at variance with the practices recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and other standards setting agencies. Such national agencies generally recommend if rumble strips to be used on two-lane roads if there is a documented run-off-the road accident problem—and then, used only as a last resort due to the hazards they may create for other roadway users, including bicyclists.

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy. Ask them to work with groups, such as the New York Bicycling Coalition, organizers of bicycling tours and events, and local cycling clubs to construct a less hostile policy that better balances the needs of motorist and bicyclist safety.

BACKGROUND: Rumble strips, as illustrated, are audible roadway delineators or indentations in the shoulder pavement that make sound when a car runs over them at high speeds. While an important safety tool used to prevent run-offs on high-speed Interstates and other limited access highways, they are a well-documented hazard to individuals on bicycles and should be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling. NYSDOT is proposing to replace current stated policy -- not have rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances -- with a new one declaring "installation of shoulder rumble strips to be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary highways" with a few exceptions.

In short, the proposal would have NYSDOT install rumble strips (with certain exceptions) on secondary roadways throughout New York State, compromising bicyclists’ safety and the quality of riding surfaces on thousands of miles otherwise scenic roadways. National practice is to have rumble strips nowhere with some exceptions on secondary roadways. By taking the opposite tack, NYSDOT's policy promiscuously promotes rumble strips, going far beyond what is seen as efficient deployment. Aside from the policy's cost implications, it is unwise. It means rumble strips in urban areas, creating or adding to the din. It means rumble strips on roads with speeds too low to generate sound. Rumble strips also mean higher maintenance costs for the taxpayer. And, of course, they pose a danger to cyclists by causing spills, erratic avoidance maneuvers, or causing them to avoid the shoulder and ride mingled in automobile traffic.

A check of other states with such secondary highway policies shows they require an accident analysis be done before such rumble strip use; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states specify where rumble strips are used, have at least 5 feet of paved shoulder between them and any guardrail; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states say not to even consider rumble strips unless there are high speeds and high traffic volumes: while the proposed NYSDOT policy does have speed and volume thresholds, they are considerably lower than those of any other state. There are dozens of other such examples in this EI where the proposed policy varies from generally accepted practice.

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy TODAY. Call, write, or email (or utilize all 3 methods of communication) your Assembly Member, State Senator and the Commissioner of Transportation.

WHO REPRESENTS ME?

Who's my Assemblyperson?Click here to search by Zip Code

Who's my NYS Senator? Click here to search by Zip Code

At the above sites, clicking on the highlighted names will bring you directly to the legislator’s official website where you may make comments.

How to contact NYSDOT:

Website: Click here to email NYSDOT

Or write: Commissioner Stanley Gee

NYS Department of Transportation

50 Wolf Rd. Albany, NY 12232

Prefer to mail? Simply send a postcard (28¢ each at your nearest US Post Office) to your legislators and the Commissioner. For an investment of 84¢, you have the ability to improve bicycling throughout New York State, including in your village, town or city. Or, if easier, just stuff a copy of this notice in an envelope (adding personal comments if you wish) and mail (44¢ postage) it off to the Commissioner and elected representatives.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Feel free to copy this letter, add your name, and forward to your state reprsentatives:

Dear Mr./Mrs. (your representative's name),

NYSDOT is proposing an Engineering Instruction (EI), titled “Secondary Highway Audible Roadway Delineators – Guidance and Policy,” which is at variance with the practices recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and other standards setting agencies.

I'm asking you to please urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy. Ask them to work with groups, such as the New York Bicycling Coalition, organizers of bicycling tours and events, and local cycling clubs to construct a less hostile policy that better balances the needs of motorist and bicyclist safety.

Thank you,

(Your name)

(Your address)

Trying new things, and paying the price

Today, instead of riding my bike, I headed up the Skidmore athletic facility with Steve S. to play a little racquetball. Although I grew up playing the occasional game of racquetball with my Dad and brother (who learned many traumatic lessons about sportsmanship on the raquetball court), I didn't really get into playing until college, when I discovered that you can get academic credit for whacking the blue rubber ball against a wall for about 3 hours a week. Can you say "easy final?"

That kind of credit was incredible to me then, and it is still incredible to me now. Anyway, Tom and Travis and I used to have some epic racquetball matches in our day. In fact, I'd say for us it was a pass time second only to playing darts and eating Oreos (that was one activity that I later lived to regret).

I was a little rusty, but still managed to find the front wall most of the time, and beat Steve -- who may not have known what he was getting into -- in four of five games. Sorry buddy, that one game was pretty solid, though!

After Saturday's hot lap around southern Washington County, I tried something new (or, at least, long-ignored) on Sunday: touch football, with Jamie, Rachel, Steve G., Pete, and a few others. My brother and I used to play two-on-two football on the street with some freinds back in the day, but the street's narrow width really served to put a limit on the game's tactical nature, while putting a premium on speed. Good times. Anyway, the grass at the East Side Rec was much more amenable.

Although I had a great time playing football, the game also served to re-affirm a few things, which I will list here:
1) I'm bad at catching things thrown at me.
2) I'm bad at throwing things at specific targets.
3) I don't look pretty while running.
4) I don't run very fast, or change direction efficiently.
5) Cycling is poor training for football -- though, apparently better than no training at all.
6) Touch football will not be this year's boutique off-season training method of choice for bicycle racers.

As a result of my football foibles on Sunday, I am now feeling extremely sore, especially in the hip flexors and quads. I expect my right arm to be sore from racquetball tomorrow, and will find some way to injure my back before the end of the week. I've been stretching each of those body parts more than usual, and it does seem to be helping a bit, but I suspect that it'll be a few days before I get back up to full strength.

Tomorrow, if everything goes according to plan, I'll get back on the bike, just to remind my legs that they are still good at something -- even if it's just one thing. Of course, these short daylight hours are not conducive to riding. Bahhumbug.

Battenkill fall ride

The lead group in the cat 3 race blitzes Meeting House Road
April, 2009
On this stretch of road, the group went from 50 to 7.

Another great weekend! First of all, I'm sorry that there was no top and bottom five list posted here for your reading pleasure on Friday. After working the late shift Thursday, some co-workers and I spent a few hours talking about some of the most-pressing issues facing journalism and the print industry, and by the time I got home it was far too late to start blogging.

Anyhow, I spent Saturday morning and afternoon over in Washington County riding the Tour of the Battenkill course, with a group of about 60 riders who showed up on a perfect, if chilly, November day to get a preview of what we can expect in April.

Anyone who knows me knows that the Battenkill is, for me, the first goal of the season, a race more important than any other. Not only is it a huge race in the national sense, but it's a huge goal for me personally. In three attempts, I've had one good finish, in this past April's edition. However, I still have some lingering disappointments regarding that race, as I think I had the legs to do better than my 7th-place finish.

Of course, I'm in a higher category now, so I do expect to have to moderate my expectations for 2010, but I also expect to do better. To make it happen, I'll be working with Coach Scott to create a specific program, and I plan to build on my local knowledge by riding the course on a some-what regular basis between now and race day. Last spring I rode the coruse ad nauseum in the weeks leading up to race day, and I can now visualize almost every turn and each stretch of dirt.

This proved helpful on Saturday, when I wound up in a group of about 15 riders who were psyched to ride the course -- and ride it fairly hard, especially for November. Let me tell you, even though it was just a group ride, I treated it a little like a race (Dieter did hand out numbers, afterall), and attacked up every climb, and sprinted for the "win" back in Cambridge.

This time, I let my race-day plan (from 2009) play out, accelerating to split the group on Stage Road, and then attacking the three riders who stuck with me on Turnpike, with about 400 meters to go. It was *almost* an attack worth of Fabian Cancellara, to hold off Kevin Mosher, and Farm Team rider Ben. I say *almost* because there is a 90-degree right-hander at 200 meters to go, which dumps you onto Main Street in Cambridge. On race day, with the street closed to traffic, this is a fairly straightforward turn that you can rail at high speed. With traffic, it require a little more discretion, so I risked the "win" by slowing way down to check for cars before accelerating out of the turn.

Fortunately, I still able to hold Kevin off.

I'm sorry if anyone was put off by my aggressive riding Saturday, but hey, we were wearing numbers! Even more, I hope that everyone had as much fun as I did on the ride -- thanks to a summer of vehicle traffic and some rain last week, the dirt roads are in excellent shape and ride really well, contirbuting to the fun. The blue skies, and temps that reached the 50s by day's end didn't hurt either.

The Battenkill is the kind of race where you can learn something new everytime you ride the course, and the best way to learn those lessons is to ride it hard.

Thanks to Dieter for putting together a great group ride, and to Christine Hoffer, of the Rice Mansion Inn for the post-ride snacks.

Post-election contemplations

I'm wondering why it's always freezing cold in my apartment in the morning, then becomes toasty around 1 p.m., only to be freezing again by the time I get home from work in the evening. This seems opposite the usual heating plan, that involves heating the place up in the morning, then letting it cool through the day when no one is home, before heating things again for the evening hours.

It's a trifling thing, I suppose, and maybe all the shivering in bed will prove to help me keep my weight down as I ride less and eat the same.

It seems that winter is here in earnest, as snow and other mixed precipitation is in tomorrow's forecast. I think that's a sign that I really should get some new tires on my car, as the ones I have on their are starting to resemble the file tread on my Tufo tubulars. Fine for a bike, not what you want to see on a car.

Anyway, the election is over, thank god, and thanks to my readers for granting me away from this blog yesterday, which enabled to focus fully on the task of writing nearly the entire Wednesday issue of The Saratogian. Yes, sometimes I do work that does not relate to cycling. Not often, but it does happen.

The election also had the effect of creating a sedate mood at tonight's City Council meeting, which meant that I got home earlier than expected tonight, which I enjoyed about as much as I do the election being over, which is to say, a lot.

My weekend plans to race at the Northampton Verge 'cross race have been blown (or, at least, thrown into question) by my own inattention to pre-registration, and allowing the cat 3 field to fill on both Saturday and Sunday before I'd even though about registering. Oops. So, I'll go ahead with a ride of the Tour of the Battenkill loop on Saturday, and then play Sunday by ear. I'll go out on a limb and say I'll probably spend part of the day on a bicycle of some sort, even if I don't risk the two-hour drive to Northampton (not likely at this point, I'd say.)

It's funny, in the summer, when I was traveling nearly every weekend to races all over the place, all I wanted was a weekend to chill at home. Now that I've got a weekend without racing place, I don't know what to do with myself!

Feel free to post suggestions.

Saratoga crit date set for 2010

The 3/4 men get ready to throw down
Grand Ave. may not be big enough to contain the excitement for 2010!
You'd best start training now...

The Saratoga Crit, (Formerly the Racing City Grand Prix) will be held on May 8 in 2010. Title sponsor, key beneficiary, and course details to be announced. One thing is certain, 2010 is going to build on the successes of 2009, and I am looking forward to an even bigger race.

It's really a bit early for me to be thinking about details for this event, but the New York State Bicycle Racing Association is already in the process of compiling the 2010 calendar, so the date is set!

In other news, although I loved getting the extra hour of sleep on Saturday night/Sunday morning, falling back for Daylight Savings Time becomes a real bummer when it gets dark at 5 p.m. I guess the days of after work rides are over, at least until I get some lights.

Tomorrow is Election Day, so there will be no post here for Wednesday, unless I get really excited after deadline and decide that I need to share my exuberance here. Not likely. Knowing myself as I do, I'm pretty confident that I'll be passed out shortly after the paper goes to press.

We have quite a few close races here in the city, I think it's going to be an exciting night at work. On that note, I need to go rest up.

Something wicked this way comes

What's creepier than day-glo bikes?
I've also noticed the 1x10 setup gaining in popularity
Who needs a front mech anyway?

Although I only had one day off this weekend, I have to say that it was a pretty solid two days. Saturday was Halloween, which is my favorite fake holiday. It was also another chance to pretend that I'm a 'cross racer at the Wicked Creepy Cyclocross in Bennington, Vt., in the morning.

The race went about as well as any 'cross race has gone for me this fall, with me getting a poor start position in the larger-than-usual field, passing some people, then fading late in the race. I am embarrassed to admit that even in the short, 45-minute 3/4 race, my back was killing me -- likely signifying that both my position is too aggressive and that my core is too weak. I think I'll work on improving both of those over the next few weeks.

In the last couple laps of the race I got into a battle with a Battenkill United rider, a fellow cow-print wearer (sorry, I should know your name, but I don't!). While he ultimately wound up out sprinting me for a mid-20s finish, I thought our matching Kona Jake the Snakes were quite a pair -- mine in day-glo orange, and his in day-glo yellow. I actually heard a report that friends back in Saratoga were able to watch us battle it out, just by keeping an eye out for the colors.

The Wicked Creepy course, in a town park, was right next to a BMX track, and after the race, John and I did a little session on the table top and rhythm bumps. I think I may have missed my true calling, and will be trading 700c wheels for 20s next spring.

This sandy whop-de-doo was only 100 meters from the finish
I needed another 50 meters to come around in the sprint
So it goes

After the race, it was time to head to work for an afternoon of trying to track down trick-or-treaters, most of whom were inside, hiding from the rain by the time I reported to work. So it goes. In the midst of it all, I managed to pull together a Halloween costume for myself.

As readers know, I'd been having a difficult time coming up with a costume, but a little last minute pressure seems to have been the trick for me over the past few years. This year, a number of people suggested I go as a cyclist, or as a reporter -- both ideas I rejected on the basis that Halloween is a day for dressing as something that you are not.

I settled on Michael Jackson, after some prodding by Mareesa. Later on, I went out with Marrissa and Mareesa (who could have passed for Janet Jackson, though it's not clear if that was actually her intent) and some other friends. Here is a photo of Mareesa and I, in our costumes, outside of the City Tavern:


Much dancing ensued, followed by a glorious extra hour of sleep. Thanks Day Light Savings!

I spent four hours on the bike today, the longest ride I've done since that rainy century back in October. This time, it was sunny and warm, and I had the roads up to Sacandaga, from Providence to Hadley, and everywhere in between, nearly to myself. It doesn't get much better than that for a fall afternoon!