Virginia Beach Velo

Motivation...

2010-04-20T07:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes sources of motivation will just hit you when you least expect it... like in the Sunday paper. Crusing through the Sunday paper I see one of the magazine inserts and wham - there it is. A great layout and photos of local cycling heros like Keith Johnson and Mike Stoop (see picture above) .... so I thought, you know what... I think I want to get out and ride (didn't hurt Emily Joyner had also texted me asking if I wanted to meet her to ride....). So Jeff, Emily and I headed out....

Of course after weeks of great, dry, warm weather, it drizzled on us for the first 90 minutes out and we fought a steady headwind back. But I hadn't trained outside since mid-March and only 5 hours a week on the trainer left me ready for a good ride regardless. We knocked out 70 at a steady 25 so it didn't turn out as bad as I'd been bracing myself for....

So will it be another 4 weeks before I get out again? Will I start actually training? Will I race in the near future? Will I make it in the next edition of the cycling"IT" crowd in Tidewater?

As my daughter says to me (often) - "Daddy, that's crazy talk".....

The Economics of New Sponsorship

2010-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

New season means new sponsors and teams sporting new uniforms (sorry - I just have trouble saying "kits"). And obviously the new uniforms often are a result of new sponsors. This always makes me question the economic model for a lot of teams and riders. So you bring on new sponsors and as a result make each team member purchase new clothing to display the new sponsor logos. For most team riders this new sponsorship will end up in an expediture of $150 to $500 for new clothing when most have plenty of jerseys, arm warmers, skinsuits, etc. Riders paying to become billboards.... and perhaps get some reimbursement back at the end of the season (very rarely exceeding the clothing costs).

And then there's the JERSEY REDESIGN so people are forced to get new clothing or race in completely different looking clothing from their teammates. The economics of "we picked up 5 new sponsors who contributed $3,500 to the team" so we had to go out and purchase $5,000 worth of uniforms, just doesn't make sense to me. Particularly when it involves an entirely new design. Reminds me of the story Jeff Parker told me about a co-worker when the scratch tickets first game out from VA Lottery. This guy would go out and spend $100 on scratch tickets.... go into the shop and scratch them all off. When he was done he'd throw his hands up and yell "yeah... I won $35!!!".

For our part - we only look for new sponsors when it's time to refresh our jerseys (for new team riders, crash replacement or just can't get wash the funk out any longer) to help offset some of the cost (every 2 - 3 years). And we've kept the same basic design for 15 years - I can race in a new jersey and a teammate can race in a 10 year old jersey and you'd still be able to pick us out as teammates. Better yet - we can order vests and arm warmers one year, jackets another and jerseys and skinsuits yet another and they all match. Yes, retro for sure. But inexpensive too.... and inexpensive is good.....

Snowball # 1 In the Books...

2010-02-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well not quite yet - results are just about done and soon to be posted. Amazing what good weather, plenty of help (thanks to all our team, Dire Wolf Racing, Tradewinds, Celerity and a few others PLUS the Chesapeake Police who were great), good weather and a good turnout will do for motivation. With so much that's been going on with me personally - I was OVER promoting this race before it started but it turned out well (for a training race in Hampton Roads as Braden pointed out to everyone on the VA Cycling list earlier this month...).

With only 5 to 8 hours a week of indoor trainer time in my legs since Dec I was prepared for the worst - and expecting it (nothing like running registration until the last minute, changing and rolling up to the start line) but I guess there really is something to be said for being rested, REALLY rested. Of course - rested in April will be an entirely different story.

Like the Movie Ground Hog Day....

2010-02-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Another Snowball, another season. Scary how fast the time is flying by..... but it's like the movie Ground Hog Day.... basically the same thing repeating itself year after year. Of course the faces change - in the 20+ years of racing I've seen a lot of riders come and go.... it would be funny to compare a start list at the first Snowball 11 years ago to the start list Sunday - there probably wouldn't be 10 names that over lap.

VA Masters State Championship Crit.... 45 Minutes?

2009-06-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

And 80 minutes for the non championship 1,2 race?

Of course with my fitness and training this season 45 minutes might be a blessing.

Balance... Juggling... Multi-tasking

2009-05-04T17:41:00.001-07:00

Balance... juggling... multi-tasking - whatever you want to call it. I've raced for over 20 years and it's always been a tight rope act to balance family, work, home (and all the associated upkeep) and training / racing. Essentially in that order although my wife would argue the house comes in behind training / racing. I could sacrifice one to the benefit of another but instead just try and juggle each the best I can.... always accepting that you can't be the best at all 4 (I'll never win the "lawn of month" in my neighborhood, there really is an award....)

So, "this economy".... and one vacation/sick day off since July, ten to twelve hour work days and stress to help keep a small (50 employee) IT company afloat and wham.... the balance is gone. Training and racing.... gone this early season. Family.... they went on a weeklong vacation to Florida.... without me!

Over the last few weeks I've decided to bring the balance back - even traveled to do a few races (after some appreciated emails asking me what was up and if everything was alright) and planning some camping trips with the family.

Balance restored, I hope ....

Some Observations.....

2009-03-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

1. In order to upgrade to Cat 3 or above, the requirements should include promoting atleast one Category E or above race (and know what a Cat. E event is).

2. If you plan on competing for the BAR review the current rules.

3. If you are trying to upgrade your racing category, avoid falling within the USAC description of a "marginally qualified rider". That way you don't end up arguing the merits of upgrade points from a Tues. night Bryan Park Crit.

4. If you're training like you're preparing for the tour - race like you're preparing for the tour, or atleast impress us.

5. Being a Cat 5, 4, 3 or 2 doesn't mean you rate a free bike, components or entry fees. And if you're lucky enough to be on a team that provides some of these, provide something in return.

6. What qualifies as a "pro" cyclist? I hear that term thrown out a lot. Do you quit your job, get piercings and tattos, train during the day, drink coffee and hang out in bike shops talking about how your quit your job, got a tatto and trained all day? In most of the 50 states (and a few of the territories) that's just referred to as unemployed.....

fork shoals road race

2009-03-01T18:49:00.001-08:00

It was extremely tempting to stay in my warm, dry, and inviting bed Saturday morning, but I was having none of that! Rain, who are you? I was racing, but maybe I wasn’t so gung ho at that time. Especially driving down the interstate watching the rain becoming more intense.

The race was supposed to be sixty miles, but the officials cut the race down to forty-five miles, three fifteen mile loops. I started in the back, and I was able to move with minimal effort. The course was mostly flat with a few rolling hills. At a certain area it was always raining harder and it fogged up my glasses more. It was difficult to see anyhow, which made things nerve racking. However, at times the rain nearly subsided only to make it more painful when it picked up again.

As it turned out there were about ten guys who wanted to do anything in the race, and the same guys attacked. None of the attacks were consequential until the end of the race when a guy was dangling out front going into the last kilometer.

The sprint took longer to start than I thought it would, so I figured I’d just put my head down and go! It seemed tight, and I could not tell how many people were around. Several of us finished in a cluster. I knew I got a top five, but didn’t realize I had won the field sprint for second until the results were posted. The suffering in the rain paid off.

-david

Every Year.....

2009-02-22T20:03:00.001-08:00

10th year for the Snowball Crit - with a small team promoting a race is always a pain but being one of the first, if not the first, races of the years is even more challenging. Just getting the whole permitting process going early season (USAC, City of Va Beach, etc) and all the new riders (read that as tons of emails and phone calls asking pretty basic racing questions). Every year I say this is the last year and every year my wife laughs at me....

So this year things really started looking like a complete train wreck. Forecast calling for cold, wind, rain or possibly even snow. AND Bikereg goes off line early Saturday morning. We'd closed out registration at 9:00 the previous night and my plan had been to download all the rider information following the girls basketball game I coached Saturday morning (yes... I coach a GIRLS basketball team and NO, I'm not as hard on them as you'd think - although after raising 3 boys my daughter is finally the basketball player I never had but that's another post...). So Saturday around 2 I go to get the information off Bikereg and wham, site is down. Several phone calls and emails and I get nothing. Oh, and one of the fairly expensive statues / trophies we'd ordered for the C race was crushed in shipping and I hadn't bothered to open the box until Saturday afternoon.

Well the point of this post is that riders were amazingly understanding - waiting in the cold rain to register and racing in those conditions. We had more people say "thanks" than I've ever recalled during a 75 degree spring race day. I suppose it could be because we all looked so cold and miserable running the race.Either way, I guess Snowball 2010 is on, although I'm considering a new name. The whole "Snowball" thing just seems to jinx us....

Thanks to everyone who showed up....

nc state road race and crit

2009-02-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

I went down to North Carolina last weekend for the Wolfpack Cycling Classic weekend. This was my first race last year, so maybe it’s becoming a tradition. It hurt much more this year. The race was fifty-four miles of flat with some rolling terrain with two kicker hills, briefly put. Everything started out casual with conversation with familiar folks the first part of the race. A few attacks went off, and I covered a few that were probably going nowhere anyhow. It seemed like wasted energy in reflection. A few danglers were out from nearing the end, and the pack quickly approached them before the end of the sprint finish. I ended tenth in the sprint.

The crit the next day was quicker than I was hoping for, but it seemed it like a good idea on the start line when the official told us they were shortening the race by a few minutes. I had a great starting spot, and went with an attack early only to pull the group back. I had trouble getting off the front at that point, which made the recovery seem harder. I was a bit more cautious in the cornering than I would have preferred to have been, but with the way last year ended I was a little gun shy. Once again, there was a dangler out front nearing the last lap, and we were slowly catching him. A recognizably strong guy went to the front. He appeared to be pulling us back when in fact he was slowing us down, but this was on comprehendible after the fact. At any rate, I came in tenth again in the sprint. Sort of frustrating, but it’s only February after all, right?

-david

KJ Lap Down....

2009-02-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

Keith emailed from Florida to let us know he's starting a lap down (see Tan line comments from previous post) and still will kick everyone's ass next weekend (ok, I added that for effect)..... meanwhile I'm taking kids to a weekend after hour medical clinic for strep.... and the garage is 55 degrees this morning....

Quote of the Week: "No Blood's Leaking Through...."

2009-02-08T13:53:00.001-08:00

Jeff and I headed out today - decided to just go as far as we felt up to; no predetermined distance. I'd been sick the last few days but nothing compared to Jeff - he had his appendix removed Tues evening. Doctor told him to take it easy for 2 to 3 weeks....yeah, right. We'd both just ridden the trainer yesterday so with the prospect of another unseasonably warm day we were both determined to get out regardless of how bad either of us felt. When we stopped at Blue Pete's to take off a layer I asked Jeff if he was doing ok.... he pulled up his jersey revealing 3 fairly large bandages (I later learned the 3 incisions were for the tube that pumped air in the cavity around his appendix; the camera and the scalpel). He looked for a few seconds and said "there's no blood leaking through the bandages, I should be alright" although he obviously was alittle uncomfortable. So we continued on for 80 miles.... 4 days after he had surgery. I tried not to complain too much about my cold.

There were a lot riders out; we passed Gene R and his litter on their way back, a Tripower group, Sean Neely by himself, Rick Young and another JRVS rider and a bunch of others in groups of 5 or less who we didn't recognize. Have to remind myself there are still plenty cold days to come - it's only early Feb.

friday

2009-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Friday was a free day. I determined early in the week I would ride four hours, because the forecast was looking promising. Plus, what better way to end a week. I headed indirectly to Buena Vista figuring it would be a kicker route, and it would better assure me of my fitness inching up to the beginning of race season.

Cycling is more of lifestyle than people realize. I’ve found it’s difficult to truly share with someone what it’s like to ride or race or what it’s like to always have a thought of when the next ride will take place. Non-cyclist don’t get it. When you tell someone you rode your bike for five hours they can’t relate, and then it just turns to an awkward conversation about the weather or the stimulus bill. I find myself choosing to skip things so I can squeeze another ride in before dark, because let’s face it you just can’t do it all.

Thursday night I decided I would make a four-hour play list for the ride, but when I got done with the list it was closer to five hours. I was glad I didn’t skim it down. I was keeping a solid average going out, but I was looking forward to stopping at the store in Buena Vista. I bought my typical, only over three-hour bike ride, Coke. I chugged it, and scurried back up the ascent out of town. My legs never felt right after that, and the highest temperature had already come and gone much to my disappointment. I made a mental note that I would try to be back at the end of 501 in an hour.

I climbed back up the mountain into Amherst County, and descended back down by the James making in back in fifty-five minutes. Moreover, River Road was the next goal, and it could not come quick enough. I was getting coffee at five with a friend, but that was looking dreadfully soon. It was motivation not to just stop and pass out in the grass for a half hour.

Alas, I finally made it back into town climbing the hill by the Tea Room with my computer telling my I was nearing five hours. Rivermont Avenue never looked so sweet. I had buzz from the ride. The kind where you know your body was not pleased with what you did to it, but with suffering comes great things.

david

Tan Line Handicap....

2009-01-31T11:50:00.001-08:00

Whenever the temps push up to towards the 70 degree mark during the winter I can count on seeing all kinds of people out training during the normal workday.... and I always have to ask myself, "how do I get that job"? Of course in this economy, for all I know, those people maybe out of work - or work night shifts but the envy is still there.

So I'll check in with my teammates and none of them are taking advantage of the unusually warm winter day either ... well except occassionally David but he's young and care free (read that as no mouths to feed except his own - but I've seen David eat and it's can't be cheap to support that appetite)....

75% of my winter riding is spent on a trainer, more due to schedule than weather. So I find myself hoping for cold, inclimate weather. Colder and nastier outside the better because it's always 50 degrees in the garage.... a very charitable attitude I know. But I figure that just levels the playing field some (I realize I picked the wrong sport if I wanted a level playing field...)

We've decided to conduct tan line checks for the first snowball crit - if you have cycling tan lines (and we all know what those look like) you start a lap down....

race anticipation

2009-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

With racing just over a month away the training ante has been amped up. The guys at the beach are getting some solid rides in while the guys in the mountains had a cold long ride last weekend. The race anticipation is getting thick; but don’t forget about the Snowball Crits on February 22nd and March 8th.