Summing it all up by Roger

I am on a plane to Portland, OR sitting next to the German. (Ralf) The bikes are in Wyoming by now if not even further by now. Hell of a trip for everybody with bad weather and lot of stuff to move across the country for a 45 min race. A normal beer dinking and cigarette smoking Joe would say this is insanity! I agree, what was even more insane was the New England Verge series consisting of 14 races all over the place.
I could have driven back and forth to Bend, OR three times with the amount of miles I racked up going to all those races chasing the over all series win.

I never even unpacked a lot of times; it was just wash what was covered with mud, clean the bikes and make a trip to the bike store and rebuild the headsets and bottom brackets. I did my best to keeping thing organized and still do my job coaching and riding with clients in addition to try to do some training and recovering myself.

The New England series or the “Masters World cup” like I call it. The competition makes this CX series the best in the country. Everybody has their ups and downs in a stretch of 14 races for sure and if you are not ON one weekend you better hope you finish in the top 10 and still get some points. The coverage on the various web sites all tells how it goes down each weekend , so you all know the stories by now. Some courses and weather conditions suit some riders better and from Sep to Dec Mother Nature will throw everything possible at you guaranteed. Every venue has double race weekends and that also affects the results sometimes, it is extremely hard to have 2 perfect races back to back. I think I was the only one who won both races one weekend (Vermont).

Well it went right down to the wire; I was leading by 10 points going into the last 2 races in Warwick, RI. I always feel like I am on the enemy’s territory in New England, even though we are all friends and I even coach a few guys there. I am the guy to beat, no matter if I am winning or just fighting for a placing. Well it is no different to me either, I am there to beat them any chance I get, it does not matter if it is on the road or in cross.
I drove up the night before with the trailer in tow, since everybody who were going to the Nationals were going to be at this race and Kyle was going to take of for Bend, OR right after the Sunday race.
We raced hard again, Jon Bold was in control and I was hanging on for dear life to preserve my lead. I was close on Sat 5 sec off the whole race, but I did not feel like the same guy I was in Vermont 3 months ago. Sunday was even worse, lower back tightens up 1 lap to go and then it was game over, oh well! I won 5 races and Jon won 6, that was all it took to loose the series by 10 points. It is really hard to get to the top, but once you get there it does not become any easier, that is when the struggle starts to stay there. The last 2-3 weeks was a tuff period of time trying to stay motivated, recover and do the right kind of training for the fitness to stay at least the same or keep rising to yet another level.
I was winning races in March and had super form all throughout the summer with some really hard road races at the Pro 1 2 level, so when I am not beating the master’s field in cross by a mile, something is going on ! Maybe tired????

Great season though, won a USGP race and 3 Mac races as well plus a lot of 2nd places (first looser) so no complaints. My wife has been super supportive, it is not easy with baby sitters and me being on the road every weekend. She works hard at her real job as a nurse and then works for FinKraft (as hard if not even harder) on her days off besides being a mom. To be a girlfriend or wife to a cyclist or any other elite athlete for that matter takes a lot. I grew up doing this stuff, but for some one to jump into a life like this with no racing life background it is probably the hardest thing to adapt for someone and really puts a relationship to the test. A topic I will write more about another time in the off-season, a very important part of racing that every single athlete experiences.

The bikes (Ridley) were fantastic and all the tires (Challenge and Dugast) and wheels (mostly Zipp and Mavic) never let me down either. The super flashy National Champ Kit by Verge stood out and drew a lot of attention for sure. All the other things that Mark @ Westwood Cycle supplied me with like gloves for example (a whole bag full) and the service and the 12 tires( did not roll one) Allan glued this fall for me is irreplaceable in racing at this level. Sports Balm, Uvex and Country Choice Organic products is what gave me that extra boost each week to do better and win. This is something we all should think about, if someone gives you something for free or even a discount on a product that helps you in any way doing what you love (racing). When the gun goes off, race a little extra hard and show that the support means a lot to you. This is sometimes the only way of giving back besides saying thank you!

The plane landed (finally), we are in Portland and it is 25 degrees! A 3 hour drive over Mt Hood and we should be in Bend, 14 hours later since leaving my house in NJ. I will write what happens in Bend (if anything) on the way back , I hope Kyle and Justin are getting close as well , we will need the bikes to race !

Thanks for reading,

Roger

Now they call you Prince Charming...

I cannot even imagine what the inside of my car must smell like to "outsiders". I have to be used to it by now.

First, to say that I am over-caffinated would be a slight to moderate understatement. So there is some gurgling there.

Then, all of the "elite" bikes were put away without being washed, so there is that 4 day old mud thing starting to build up.

I am pretty sure that Justin left some of his Grandmothers swiss cheese in the passenger door pocket back in Boise.

I am also pretty sure that Boldy did NOT wash his national championship winning skinsuit before he put it in his bag and then stacked that bag directly behind me in the back seat.

I cannot remember the last time I did laundry. Or even bothered to change clothes into clean laundry, for that matter. Hey, out of site, out of mind.

Last but not least, there is a teeny tiny bit of flop sweat left over from that fog thing in Utah.

So, for all of you, my faithful readers, scratch the computer screen and sniff. Yikes.

A few passing thoughts: Cleveland does not rock. Why do some trucks have fancy lights and others none at all? JB: thanks for the messages Champ.

Training tip: wash your kits in cold with a little oxy-clean.

Sorry, no pictures.

I never thought I would ever say that I am happy to be back in Iowa, but I am happy to be back in Iowa. Kinda.

So this morning started with me calling the Wyoming State Highway Patrol after the light trailer ban continued to be in effect on I-80. It went something like this:

"Good morning, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Lt Crespin speaking."
"Hi, is the ban still in effect for I-80 east?"
"What does the internet say?"
"Oh. Um, It's not that I don't think your state is nice, but I want to leave, how to do I that?"
"Have you tried the old route 30?"
"oh"

So, I went across to the coffee shop and asked the guy with the biggest hat about old route 30. They gave me directions. So, I started my simple 100 mile detour of Southeast Wyoming around Elk Mountain on a lovely single lane desert road. I got to see the town of Medicine Bow (elev. 7700, pop. 274) and the bustling Bosler (elev. 7640, pop 0). Yup, zero. A real life ghost town. Pretty cool. Soon, I made it to Laramie and back on the Interstate.

Then, my enemy appeared, and his name is Nebraska. Even with "severe clear" skies and dry roads, this state takes forever and is freaking cold. I mean, it took 8 hours it was 6 degrees in Omaha. What? How do you grow corn in 6 degrees? And those cows only have thin leather jackets, they must be freezing!

So, here I am Iowa, resting up for the big push home. Oh wait, did I tell you the best part of Iowa? Well let me tell you: its their 350 miles of grooved concrete highway. Except for the fact that the trailer is filed with extremely light carbon fiber bikes and wheels, so the trailer bounces up and down on every groove and rocks the Kyle-mobile more than a Friday night at the movies! ha!

Ok, that's it.

Remember, you race like you train.

Chasing windmills in my dreams...

"They put poets in prison?" " No." "Too bad." Alright, fair warning: this is going to be a long one. So get a drink and a snack. I'll wait...still waiting...ok?...time for me now?...Thanks.

The USAC Cyclocross National Championships are finally over. I will not lie to you, my faithful readers, it was chaos. A repeat thumbs up to Kevin and Ralf, great showing Finkrafters! Yesterday was the "elite" race. It was incredibly fast; those guys are on top of their game and it was very impressive. It was also cool to see the nice guys from New England bring it hard to Treefarm and Mr "Rude" JP. Nicely done gents.

Our own Justin Lindine is ranked 11th in the country, so he got a sweat call up spot. He handled the start well and was going strong. However, on the back side of the course, the sun had set behind the hills and some water froze on a short section of pavement. He, and most of the field (including then leader J-Pow) fell hard. Justin carved himself up and ripped his only long sleeve skinsuit. He was able to catch back on and moved up to 13th overall when he flatted just beyond the pit. Crap. By the time he ran all around the muddy course, the officials pulled him and all the other riders. A bit disappointing. Unfortunately, the nature of cyclocross is that sometimes it happens. We put him on a plane this morning in Boise, ID to go home early so he can heal and get ready for Belgium. We went to a meeting on Saturday evening and the schedule will be awesome. They even gave him cards to hand out to the fans at the races. So freakin' cool. He will write some blogs for us to tell about the adventures over there.

Ok, now I get to vent a little. This weekend's event was a joke. Normally when we go to bike races, the promoter is a club or a rider or a fan. However, when the USAC puts on their events, they use a large scale promoter who is there to make a profit. For all we know, when the guys that put on Natz finish, they have to prep for the Bon Jovi concert next. With fees at least at $70, we should have been able to count on course marshalls, pit passes, or at least the same course every day. Instead, it was chaos, and with fields over 190 riders; people were getting lapped and pulled within a two laps. Crazy.

Then there was the venue: a lovely mountain town, sure. But this town is 3 hours from the nearest airport and as far as I can tell, the course was held at a toxic waste dump.

Then, this other picture is a view from the spoils piles over towards the lovely mud slop called the service pits. It was disgusting. Then there is this picture a pile of garbage on the far side of the course. If you look carefully, you can see the course tape in the background. You don't see those pictures on the internet!!!

Ok, I feel better. Now, you ask: Kyle, from where are you typing this lovely note? Well, I am stranded in Rawlins, Wyoming. Yup, they have closed I-80 Eastbound due to high winds. Apparently my car and trailer (with 25 bicycles) will blow over. No snow, but wind. Ugh.

However, this part of the country is stunning. That's it for now. I am hoping that the wind will stop so I can get the heck out of here and back east. I don't like beards. If you have been to Oregon, you would understand.

Train hard, race harder.

Just around the Bend

Greetings from Bend, OR again! Today is Sunday and the last day of the Cyclocross National Championships. It has been a very interesting week.

First off, CONGRATULATIONS to Finkrafter Kevin Hines who won the masters 50+ race on Saturday morning. It was a great race! Kevin was second in line going into the first hairpin turn at the beginning of the race, passed the one person and never looked back. With cold and icy conditions, the course was treacherous but Kevin never faltered and beat the next placed rider by almost a minute. It was fantastic. He was supposed to have heavy competition from a famous ex world champion, but rumor around here was when that guy heard Kevin was a Finkrafter, he decided not to show up! Awesome. Good work to Kevin for a long season of racing and training. In fact, Coach Roger advised Kevin to race the "faster" 35+ Verge series all year, and that prep made him heads and shoulders above the rest. It was great to watch.

In the 45+ event, Finkrafter Ralf Warmuth was amazing in taking 4th place. He has been moving up every year and now to be on the podium was just great. Ralf rode a smart race, never panicing on the ice and moving up lap after lap. He was cautious and aggressive at the same time, and his hard work really paid off. Our friend Jon Bold won day in one of the best races I have ever seen. Remember, rubbin' is racin'!

Roger came to this venue after winning races since March and the defending champion. He absolutely railed the hole shot at about 30mph but had some issues and was not able to defend. The competition was incredible and the racing great.

Also, our friend Luke Keough took 3rd in the under 23 event. This is considered the future of bike racing, and so is Luke. He was beat by a guy on a Protour team, so it hardly seemed fair.

Well, today is the big show. The elite races for men and women. It should be awesome as this year has really been a slug fest out there, and the Northwest guys have been giving a lot of trash talk about us New Englanders and Northeast guys. Cant wait. Our own Justin Lindine has an 11th spot call up, so that should really help him. I hope everyone thinks good thoughts.

We head back East this afternoon so Justin can get on a plane to Belgium for the Superprestige and Zolder World Cup. Freaking awesome.

Ok, one last thing to mention. The hotel where we have been staying has been great. They have a fantastic waffle machine, the staff has been very friendly and the maintenance guy let us use their hose and indoor (warm) shop to work on the bikes and the maids don't freak when they see what Roger does to a hotel room.

Also, when I went to get batteries for my camera this morning (hence no pics of Kevin, sorry) the neat market next door has an amazing selection of snacks, porn, bongs, 40 oz beers, and thankfully, batteries. This has been an interesting trip to say the least.

More from the road this week! Stay on that training, this is the fitness time of year!

It's not heaven, it's Iowa!

I hate two things in the world. Actually four, but that is a subject for another blog. These two are easy: Pennsylvania and Nebraska. Let me tell you why:

I am driving across the country this week for the Cyclocross National Championships. With the Finkraft mini-trailer filled beyond reasonable capacity, me and one of our athletes left the final Verge race in Rhode Island on Sunday night headed for Bend, Oregon. After quick sprints through RI, CT, NY and NJ, the long haul through the Keystone State begins.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the importance the Eastern part played on our Independence. Lancaster with its roots in religious Freedom is great. The industry of the West is critical to the health of our nation. My Dad hunts in the Northern parts and things it is keen.

But when you are just trying to drive through the damn thing, Pennsylvania stinks. Seriously, it takes about 75 hours to get across and after whipping though all of those tiny states so quickly, the State is a huge buzz kill. I hate you Pennsylvania.

Next let’s vent a bit about Nebraska. Previous to this trip, I had no real opinion about the Cornhusker state. Then I drove through it on Tuesday. For those who watch the TV news, they had a little weather. A lot of weather. It snowed really hard and there was a constant North to South wind that tried to blow me, my bike racer laden car, and the Finkraft mini-trailer (mentioned above) all the way down to Texas. I have been to Texas, I did not want to go back.

So, Nebraska took a really long time too. Almost twice as long. Very disappointing. I now hate corn and if I ever see another advertisement for “beef, it’s what for dinner” again, I will puke.

Whew. I actually feel much better now. So tonight I will make it to Bend. Greeting me there will be the Finster, Ralf, Kevin, and several of our New England friends and fellow bike racers. Wish them all speed and skill. Luck is for those who didn’t train.

Did I mention how it was negative five degrees this morning in Wyoming? I will, don’t worry!

Youth and the young

I received a telephone call this morning from the director of a fairly famous cycling team about one of the riders we help out here at Finkraft. I can't name any names, but the team is sponsored by that thing on most of your handlebars, and the guy wears funny glasses.

We are trying to get the young lad a job on his team. It was a good conversation and some good steps were taken. It was amazing how the director knew specific results from specific races and events. These were races where this young lad kicked some serious butt, and he was noticed. Success all around. I was very impressed as to how the director was such a gentleman and professional on the phone. No beating around the bush: this is the deal and this is how it works.

I was also pretty darn excited that he already knew who I was before the call; that was almost as cool as him knowing the rider. With rare exception, my racing days are over, nowadays it is all about the athletes and the racers.

It reminded me of the importance of setting goals when working with your coaches. These goals could be an USAC upgrade, finishing a triathlon within a certain time, or scoring well in an important race so that a Protour team winds up calling your coach a few weeks later.

Remember that these goals can be lofty or lowly; they are your dreams and you need to try to live them the best you can! Talk to your coach about 2010 during the next few weeks and follow his or her directions so that you can work towards completing the goals.

Imagine how it feels: reaching what you want after months of hard work. Good stuff all around.

We look forward to hearing from some of you soon. Tell your friends, we can help them too.