2012 Canadian National Cyclocross Championships Weekend.

Me and the mud. Photo: The incomparable Doug Brons.

What a crazy, tiring, emotional, exhausting couple of days.

This past weekend my cycling team, Daryl Evans Racing, was the title sponsor of the 2012 Canadian Cyclocross Championships. So naturally, myself and other team members were tasked with making sure that many aspects of the course were in shape for the weekend of racing mayhem. One might call it volunteering. I consider it an obligation, and a good one at that. For our small team, lead by Jeff Hanninen, I consider this obligation one of the best CX experiences that we have had the privilege to be a part of. Jeff was (as he has been since our first CX race here in 2007), designated as course designer and venue expert by Cycling BC. Since many Daryl Evans team members know this venue and the course so well, setup and teardown is becoming a snap--with much less direction from Jeff than in those first few years. It is a familiar racetrack, which has had few changes over its six iterations. Those changes have been made only to run a better course.

As an athlete/volunteer, trying to host an event and race a double weekend is taxing. Probably double taxing considering the weight and scope of this event. Fatigue sets in early even before the first race, and it is a matter of survival. At least, that is what it felt like for me trying to race the two days, stay late after the first race, show up early for the second, and stay late for cleanup on Sunday. All told, that left me with little in the tank.

Some positives and negatives for me came out of this racing weekend, day one, and some from day two.

Positive: Jeff Hanninen, Frank Ammirati, and Daryl Evans.

Jeff was our fearless leader. Frank was the backbone, and unsung hero of this weekend. And Daryl has been an amazing supporter of our team for the past 4 or 5 years now. It was really great to see him out there on both days.

I can't say how happy I am to be part of this cycling team, and how proud I am of our guys who race, push each other on training rides, and give up their time to make these events as great as they are. We are fast becoming known as a team that puts on a great race, which in turn, forces every other cycling club to up their game. And that is evident in many of the CX races that I have been to this year in the lower mainland. Just the amount work, time, heart, money, blood, sweat, and pending divorce papers go into making these races as special as they are is amazing. Hopefully our team showed that we can make a truly great event happen, even in late November when the weather is poor. 

As for Cycling BC, I have been critical of them in the past based on the Abbotsford Cyclocross race back in September. They were a good group to deal with and very friendly. For an event of this magnitude, it would have been great to have some media coverage and more volunteers to set up and take down the course. We  were really short on hands for the venue. Organizing these two things a long way out will make the event that much smoother, and make it feel like a real deal.  Results were posted in a very timely fashion--way faster than any other team has posted this year post-race. It helps that they all had timing chips. Without dealing with them directly, it is hard to be too critical. However, I did receive Bob Welbourn's number instead of my own for the BCGP of CX on Sunday.  As of Wednesday, that had not been corrected on the official results.  So it appears that I had a DNS, and that Bob finished third to last. I have contacted them about it, and CBC has told me that they are looking into it.  

Positive: The Start.

I was called to the front row for the Canadian Championship Race, Masters 30-39. Very cool. My early registration helped that effort, and I felt the pressure from being up there wearing the number 305. That is about the only positive from the race for myself.

Negative: Crashing. 

I crashed on lap two twice. First one saw me go down hard into the barriers Joey style, and land on my right shoulder. I checked out just fine, and got back on my bike to heckles. Coming out of a 90 degree turn at the south side of the park I went down in a washout. Both times I bent my shifter inward, the shifter stuffed full of mud and grass. To add insult to crashes, my chain broke on the last lap. I pulled the plug on the race rather than run the rest of the course, as I should have after watching Aaron Schooler do it on Sunday. I think that was the bullet in my cyclocross race season. It has been a slow, painful ordeal as I have tried to find form and fitness, but nothing has come for me. The running has never been better. But cycling?.....yeeeshhhh.

This season has been a hard one to deal with. High expectations, but no finish. I remember playing high school basketball and going into grade twelve feeling entitled to more playing time. My coach thought otherwise, and I sat for many of the first games that season until something clicked in my head and heart, and I started to play with fire and passion in my game. I played like it meant something. After that, things started to fall into place. The trust of my coach, team mates, and my confidence went up.

Last year the CX season meant something. This one, I think I felt like I could just do the same and the competition would be the same. I was so wrong. Learning experience. Dig deeper, train harder. Push further. Ride faster. Probably the most important thing is to be ultra competitve. Martin Bojenson and I have talked about what it means to lead a race, the effort needed, and how to put a strong CX race together. Simple, but at this point, I do not want to think about racing bikes for a while.

Positive: 6 racers that are top drawer, in my mind. All inspiring performances.

Bob Welbourn for the win!! Photo: John Denniston, Sportpix.ca

Bob Welbourn winning an emotional Master's 40-49 catagory to become National Champion. To quote my team mate Mike Dolling:

Bob started from the third row, rode up to the lead group, got a flat with three laps to go and dropped to tenth, managed to change a wheel and fight his way back to first place right at the end of the final lap.  That is an incredible performance in such a tough field.

Wow!! I could not be happier for a man most deserving. He is a true champion!! Much admiration and respect for one of the best guys around. I bought him a beer, and will do it again.

Chris McNeil and Martin Bojesen coming 2nd and 3rd, respectively in the M30-39 race. These two guys are rocketships and both know they are fast. They work and train hard for it in Kamloops, they push each other to the limit. On the flipside, they are humble, cool under pressure, and gentlemen to boot. The top step is right there for them, and next year it is even more of a possibility with Nats being back here in BC again. Well done boys! Martin--let your kids wear that medal. Kamloops represent!

Trevor Pearson. So close to having a junior national champ in our back yard, but a bit of a crash prevented him from taking the win. Coming off of a broken wrist, he had to miss provincials but was on fire during the championship race. 400m to go, and it slipped through his hands. Heartbreaking, but again, another fine BC performance for a young guy who handled his winning second place with grace. Well done Trevor!! He will be a force in the coming years if he keeps up with cycling. Coached by Andrew Pinfold, the kid is learning and racing very well.

Emily Sportsman. She picked up 3rd in the Female 30-39 Catagory. With a better start, and some more training (C'mon Em! Get on your bike some more!), she may well have won the whole thing. Awesome to see the athletes with kids killing it out there. Emily, Bob, and Martin.

Aaron Schooler. The guy is racing in 3rd, has a mech when his disc brake pads fall out, drops back beyond 8th, chases hard and earns fifth and a spot at worlds. Wow. Gutsy performance. He wanted it so badly. I should take note about his heart and his perseverance. Great job Aaron!!

Frank the Tank/the Streaker AKA Geoff Kabush. Superstar. He rode away from everyone. He showed everyone why he is 2011 2nd overall USGP, and one of the best rider all around. His performance was epic as he shattered the field.

Positive: Beer at a Cyclocross Race. And neutral support.

Dale Thiessen and me with the Red Racer girl.

I am officially a fan of Red Racer Brewing. This stuff was sooo good on a chilly day. Flavorful, cold--A great drinking beer. Super great of them to sponsor this race. Thanks so much again! Next purchase at the CBWS will be for some Red Racer. It is important to have local sponsors like you (and the Bike Gallery providing the wrenching) to help make this a budding pro event. If we could only get some media exposure, things would be even better.

Positive: The prize money for women.

Thanks to a last minute change, CBC wised up and became a progressive cycling body--one of the cycling worlds first--something that all others should take note of. Elite Females were paid out prize money on par with Elite Males. Well done! Thanks to Daryl Evans Mechanical Ltd. for kicking in the money for the purse prizes as well.

Negative: Crashing out my arch rival and all around good guy, Tyler Dumont, in the mud.

Tyler. Oh Tyler. I was tired. I was spent. I would never do anything to crash you out. Too much respect for you. We have had some good battles, but I was worried about your well being. I am glad to have had a bit of a sprint with you for the finish, but truth be told, my heart was not in the BC GP of CX race. The weekend took it's toll on me. We have next year to punch each other in the face with our bike rides. And all winter. I'm sorry for the mishap. Perhaps I may avoid your physiotherapy for the near future, so you don't sabotage my legs or something.....You are the best.

Negative: Racing with the dude who was wayyyy to uptight in the battle for 20th or something. 

He got all cuss mouth all the time on everyone he attempted to pass. This guy must be a wannabe pro roadie, wearing the green kit and 1999 Jan Ulrich Rudy's from Calgary, or someplace not in BC. I had never seen the guy, and don't care to. A simple internet search solves the problem of who his is, and he probably kisses his mom with that mouth. I got tired of his tongue lashing and rode away from him. Until my chain broke.....So much for former Provincial Road champions from Alberta.

Listen man when racing remember: in the Masters Category, we are not getting paid to do this, and 22nd place doesn't look that good at all in the grand scheme of things. Save your F-Bombs for work, for when the Flames lose to the Canucks (I totally can't use the Stamps losing to the Lions, not after yesterday) and your own family. Don't curse out on course, especially around kids and family. Especially when I pass way wide left and cut back to the yellow line, giving you tonnes of room to NOT DRAFT. Grow up, grow some, have fun, and learn how to race with class. The world has enough Mike Sayers. You have been racing long enough. Perhaps it brings out the worst in you. Take a page out of the aforementioned athletes. You make your Synergy Racing club look bad, and it makes for poor sportsmanship, JJ.

I will buy you a beer if we can talk about staying positive. And anger management.

It is, after all, just a bike race.


Results: Cycling BC

The 2012 BC Cross Country Championships Race Report

Saturday October 24th was the BC Cross Country Championships at Clearbrook park, Abbotsford. Being a Master catagory racer in XC running meant that our championship was the first one of the day, before the course was all chewed up and before the rains had a chance to unleash hell, as they did later in the morning.

Since I last checked in, I have done zero workouts on the bike or in my running shoes. That is a first for me, as this week showed a goose egg for any physical activity, and much sleeping and as my kids at school say, "chilling". I think that "chilling" actually translates to being lazy, drinking beer, and losing fitness. At least that is what it is from my experience. I really don't like chilling. I would rather have been "killing" it out there, but life took prescedence this week, and the weather and lack of sunlight has kept me indoors.

Racing back to back Championship weekends, this time fully rested, was something I committed to a few weeks back as part of a grand plan to sadly, not do Pumpkin Cross due to the fact that I will be away from my family for three days this November as Daryl Evans Racing helps organize the National CX Championships. I have to get some credit somewhere, and these autumn days I could do an event on both the Saturday and Sunday. If not in the Canada, then in the States. I wonder what the hell I did when I did not have children, and how come I was not doing races like this when I had all the time in the world.

Clearbrook Park hosted our course today, and Valley Royals Track and Field club, along with BC Athletics hosted the race. The course was a relatively flat 2.08 km loop, with a few key features: The long opening straight into a paved-cracked path slope that was composed of many foot soaking puddles. That lead us along the powerline cut east over the first cut-grass knoll, around a 180 to head west, back to a 15m hill under the poweline stands, into a quick downhill, right turn. The last third of the course was a false flat grass downhill loop that lead us back to the start finish area. Fast, save for the climbs, but also a somewhat tough course to maintain such high pace.

I met up with Dharbara Ghuman and Mike Murphy at the start. Mike informed me that he had been sick all week with a stomach flu, and he was coming off a number of days that he could not eat nor hold down food. He said he was working at an 8th of a tank, and I told him his 8th is me at full gas. I was absolutely correct with that comparison.

Picking up my race bib late, and taking a short 15 minute warmup in my jogging pants and jacket, I returned to my car to drop off my clothes and run back to toe the line. The gun went off, I went off. Right into running in second position, then first in the first 200meters. Waayyy too fast for this race. I decided to back off to mortal/Josh speed, and calm things down. In doing so, the front of the race went by me, 5 people, then 6, then a group of 4. I ran the first two laps at a quick pace then backed off on the third.

I was around 10th place by lap three, trying to catch the group of four which contained the first female, who I assume was the very quick Rachel Ruus. On the back side of the course after the hill climb, I managed to take advantage of the quick grass and increase my speed after a short recovery from the climb each lap. At one point I looked at my HRM and it read 186 bpm. That was a good thing, as it has been tough for me to get the heart rate up really high as of late. The two weeks of rest have helped.

Getting back to normal. I have not hit 195 bpm since 2009. 

My race came down to a late sprint to the line against Gary Duncan, a man in hte 55-59 age cat. whom I only knew from the sound of his feet. In the finishing stretch, I could hear him charging behind me, so I kicked. I thought that was good enough, but no. He kicked again. Then again. This was one long 100m finishing stretch, so it seemed. Crossing the finish line, we were tied, passing over it at exactly the same time as far as I could tell. He is a very, very quick older gentleman.

We could not talk except to shake hands due to the effort, both of us spent from our surge to the line. I told him good job and he did the same. To see the results after I had changed, it turns out I had a finish time of 32:11.39. Not bad for taking two weeks off and running as hard as I can go. My sprint competitor's time was 32:11.40. I pipped him by 1/10th of a second. As far as I was concerned, he got me. The scoring and timing of BC Athletics knows best, I guess....Former Olympian Arthur Boileau took the 55-59 age cat. with a time of 31:32.

Reviewing my move, that finishing sprint had me running at 25 kph, and it jacked my heart rate up to 197 bpm! I have not seen a number that high since 2008, when I first started cyclocross racing. Things are returning to normal with my body, but I am still dealing with the ankle/achilles pains.

2nd in my age cat... only four of us running.

I think my official finish in the race was 14th place. I managed to fend off Darbara, who beat me at Bear Creek by 4 seconds. He was very fast a month ago, but perhaps my rest along with his racing the Whistler Relay last week combines for a bit of fatigue. We chatted and I found out he is going to Boston this coming year, again, as he has done it in the past. He qualified this year with a time just a shade under 3 hours. That is very cool! I want to be in his shoes! That is the goal for the BMO Vancouver. It was great meeting him, as we are evenly matched competitors. I still have more to give, and the two weeks off may not have helped in having the fastest race I could have.

One of the best parts of the race is that the results were ready within a half hour of the finish, something that Cycling BC needs to take a look at. CBC needs to follow the lead of the athletics governing body in BC and computerize everything, and bring timing equipment, software, and cameras to CX events, and have the results posted with a half hour of the race, and posted to the web within a few hours. This would make racers very, very happy.

BC Cyclocross Championships 2012: CX at it's finest!

Doug captures me looking like a giant on a children's bike.
2012 BC CX Champs, Mahon Park. Photo: Doug Brons

Yesterday was the 2012 BC Cyclocross Championships presented by Atomic Racing at Mahon Park in North Vancouver. Much like last year, the course was nearly the same, save for some minor changes. Key features remained: the infamous mud pit, the three sets of stairs, the gravel soccer infield. Jeff Van Mulligan and Atomic racing put on a fabulous race, again, one that lives up to being a true cyclocross event, and not the smokin' fast dirt crits that we have seen at all the races to this point in the lower mainland.

The Flanders CX gods have not been particularly warm to me this cyclocross race season. A sub par dismal showing yesterday has me re-assessing my situation to this point, halfway into the race calendar. Perhaps I am tempting them with my adulterous ways, always flirting with distance running and neglecting to get on my bike. Perhaps they are trying to teach me a lesson about my late night ways, and lack of early weeknight bedtimes and before the crack of dawn trail runs. Or maybe I am being punished for buying a second bike, and not keeping my bikefit an exact replica of my old steed from last season. Whatever the case, this season is going down as a forgettable racing year, and I am only 4 races into it, and have another 4 to go. Maybe I am being to hard on myself. Things can turn around, right? I suppose I can fool myself into believing that, but at this point, it is all I have to hold on to.

Those same cyclocross gods whom have bestowed the bad karma on my race season gifted us a very cold wet raceday to behold. One where the winner would more than earning their victory and be crowned with the title of provincial champion after coming out on top of the field in sloppy, mucky conditions.

Somehow, I managed to earn myself a front row call up based on my early registration--I think I was one of the first people on the confirmation list. I looked around for Matt Drown who has had a much better season than me to see where he was, and I thought why wasn't he in front of me? This call up was a blessing and a curse--happy to line up with Jason Fluckiger, my brother Aaron, team manager Jeff Hanninen, Martin Bojesen* (--MB started third row), Mike McArthur, and Jamie Cameron, yet nervous to keep things together in the opening laps of the race. This race would also prove to be the first time that Aaron and I would go head to head in years. This race was a proving ground to show which brother would be the finer CX racer of the both of us.

Called up for the start, but it would not matter....

At the gun, again, like the last 3 races, my legs had no jam in them. My 6th place going into the first corner transformed into 10th, 14th, and 16th in the opening 18 minutes of the race. The huge mud puddles, slippery off camber grass turns and climbs, the sloppy mud hole on the backside of the course, along with the small amount of climbing that this course offered was enough to make me suck. I was ahead of Aaron for the first two laps, when he caught me and we stuck together for a while, until I had a slight mechanical coming out to the mud pit. My shoe ratchet came loose, forcing me to stop in the mud, tighten it a bit too much, then I had to loosen it off after a few pedal strokes. At this time, Aaron took off from me, calling for me to stay on his wheel. I dropped all the way back to 23nd place, into a battle with all around good guy and my former UBC team member from 1999, Niels Steiner. We traded punches in our own little provincial championship's race-within-a-race. Somewhere during my chase of Niels I took a bacon handup. WOW!! Highlight of the race. That was amazing. The taste of breakfast during a CX race lingered in my mouth for a few laps. It wasn't my own breakfast coming back up on me. Magical.

Aaron and Niels battling just in front of me.

Aaron making the catch, then subsequently passing me. 

Niels and I hung out together for the last 3 laps of 6. By lap 5, after the bacon, I ran out of brakes and had a tough time on any of the downhill sections of the course. With Salomon Flight Crew member Tom Craik quid pro quo-íng the heckling I dished out to him earlier in the day, and in front of other mud pit spectators, I careened into the left side fence post while letting out an "Oh S#it" howl, narrowly avoiding ending my day by slamming into it with my bike and body. I opted the next two laps to run it. It really came down to the last straight onto the finishing track stretch to the finish line. I managed to swing around him before the track, and sprint up to claim 22nd. A disappointing 22nd, after last years 12th place. Niels had a considerably higher placing last year, 10th place in 2011.

Martin, Chris, and Jason after the finish. Chris 1st, Martin 2nd, Jason 4th.

At the front of the race, 2011 Provincial CX Masters Champ Jamie Cameron had to settle for 3rd, behind the Kamloops crew, with Chris McNeil taking a sprint finish over Martin Bojesen. Again, that was a battle of shots with Chris hiding in wait while Martin and Jamie traded blows. Chris capitalized on a couple of timely mistakes, and rode a clean  (although this was a mudbath/mudwrestling) race to the win. My teammate Jason Fluckiger came 4th for the second year in a row. Great ride Jason!!

My number was not visible due to a crash and a the pins coming off of my jersey and my number flapping in the wind, so no lap times for me.

Post race, I met up with Dale Ewenchook and Rick Rodland, both very nice guys. Dale mentioned to me about his ride on Lummi island with one of my solid Saturday morning riding partners, Marko Diotte. Both Dale and Rick ride for Alliance, and bringing up Tyler Dumont was my way of meeting some more powerhouse riders. Dale managed to take the 50+ Championship race, gracefully, I might add. Thanks to Jeff Hanninen and the support of Daryl Evans Mechanical for making things go, huge ups to Jeff Van Mulligan and Atomic Racing for putting on a helluva race--hot showers and food = Respect! You guys did an awesome job, and thanks to the District of North Vancouver for letting us make some fun in your park--This is the best sport around, and without support from the municipalities, we do not have venues to race in like this.

What was left after the race. A thing of beauty. Photo: Jamie Cameron

So goes the CX season....

Some data from the race:

Things still are not where they should be. I can push my average higher....or I used to be able to.

So, after a bike wash, warm shower, and sandwich at Mahon Park, I came home to disassemble my crankset and BB to check out how much water had gotten into my frame. Pulling the cups out of the shell, a stream of chocolate-milk colored water poured out. I am pretty happy to have done that little bit of maintenance, and not at the end of the season, after riding in all the cold, wet weather we can expect to come. It would be a bit of a shock to have 400ml of dirtwater come out of the BB shell in a months time. I suppose that is what the drain holes are for, but they don't drain out everything.

Trying to find some mojo for me legs at the next race, I have already devised the perfect plan:

I have pushed my saddle forward 1cm.

Brilliant, eh?

I think that perhaps coming back to a more traditional fit that I had last year will help me feel more comfortable over the top tube, make me more efficient with my pedal stroke, bring me closer to the bars so that I am not hanging out so much over my rear wheel, and improve bike handling.

Balance over the bike. Time, and rides, will tell.

For now I have to ride.

Congrats to all the champions! Much deserved on this day. For the record:

Dale Ewenchook                50-59 Champion
Bob Welbourn                    40-49 Champion
Tyler Trace                         Elite Men's Champion
Sandra Walter                     Elite Women's Champion

Check out these beauty pics: Doug, Amir,

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Vanier

Crossing the barriers. Photo Credit: janheuninck