2009 to 2012...

At the risk of losing oh-so-valuable readership, I'll skim of '09 to '12... New sports, big challenges, and memorable races (some for perhaps all the wrong reasons)...

2009

Yes, I've mountain-biked, too. My first mountain bike (which I had to do some serious research to remember what it actually was: an Iron Horse Warrior 4.0). I bought it on a whim at only $600 and quickly realized it wasn't the mountain bike I should have bought. I was what you would call "MB-illiterate," and
bought what turned out to be called something like an "all mountain bike." In Kansas. Let me explain...

The Iron Horse Warrior 4.0. Not an actual picture
of the bike I had -- had to dig in to Google Image search
for this one. Look at them cushy rear springs!

All-mountain refers to a specific type of mountain bikes (to which there are many - holy crap). This particular type has a very cushy front an rear suspension, intended for riding really fast down mountains (as opposed to "up" or "across" them). Now, Kansas isn't as flat as most people think, but we sure as hell don't have any mountains to ride down. That said, we have some pretty killer trails (some of the best prairie trails in the country, actually -- I'm looking at you Kanza), but nothing suitable for an all-mountain style bike. The extra-soft suspension is meant to soften the hard landings so-common on down-hill riding, whilst it makes hard pedaling extremely inefficient (all of your effort is cushioned by the suspension). That plus the knobby tires found on every type of mountain bike, and you have a seriously inefficient bike (plus it weighed 33 pounds -- seriously!!). Though it wasn't these features that caused me to sell the bike (injuries pursued -- see later), I quickly sold it for only $120 to a second-hand bike shop that doesn't even exist anymore. Huge loss. Bummer. Lesson learned.

My first cycling injury is what actually caused me to sell my mountain bike. I decided to go on a long ride along the western K-10 trail in Lawrence during a 40-50mph wind storm (like we have in the springtime). Bad idea. Even though Allie weighs in at a not-so-subtle 22-or-so pounds, the weight differential between road bike and mountain bike proved to be too much (I'd mountain biked the day previous). Cresting a small climb, a burst of wind pushed my bike out from underneath me, landing on my left hand, thus bending my arm backwards at the elbow, and fracturing my left radial head (the top of the bone of your forearm at the elbow). There was very minor displacement, which meant no surgery, but recovery would be very painful.

I was off outdoor-riding for months, and had to succumb to boring stationary bikes at KU's recreation center. Upon recovery about 6 weeks later, I realized I could not hold my hands at horizontal angles for long periods of time. What does this mean? Mountain biking was horrifically painful (still is, actually). So that crappy all-mountain bike? Sold. At a $450 loss less than a year after purchase.

On the plus-side, 2009 also showed me my first true competition (I was ready to roll with those Tour of Lawrence blokes -- a solo effort seemed more appropriate): the Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon in Gardner, Kansas. This particular duathlon is a yearly 5k-run, 25-mile-bike, 5k-run duathlon (again, like a triathlon but no gross swimming) -- essentially a 25-mile time trial sandwiched between two 5k's. My sig-other-at-the-time did the running. We finished near the end of the pack, but I was hooked. I would make racing my goal for 2010.

My 2009 Race Resume:

• *7/29/2009, Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon, Gardner, KS; Co-Ed Relay Division; 18.33mi @ 57:13 (19.2mph), placing unknown

2010

I started taking training seriously. I logged every mile in a customized excel worksheet that I myself made (that I still use to this day! albeit quite re-formatted since then). I would finally take my first stab at criterium racing.

A quick run-down of the types of cycling-specific races...
*Road Race: What you typically think of when you think of bike racing. A-to-B (or long, one-lap loops) racing of long distances, usually more than 50 miles, though the pros often see 100-150 miles. Team tactics are key. Usually you have multiple teammates riding together to help take one teammate to the finish line. There are often a mix of road race types, such as the Mountain Stage, which is best suited for climbers, and the Sprinter's Stage, which is best suited for last-minute sprints to the line.
*Individual Time Trial (or "ITT" or simply "TT"): My favorite. This is a long solo effort. No teammates around you. Just you against the clock. Generally A-to-B or out-and-back courses, though that isn't necessarily always true. You must race a specific distance, and are given a time as you cross the line. You are ranked by your time against your rivals. Everyone starts and finishes alone.
*Team Time Trial (or "TTT"): One of my favorite to watch, although I have yet to actually race one myself (not many in the area). Same format as the ITT, but you have your teammates around you (and no one else). Involves riding in a straight line with each other and "slipstreaming" off each other. Generally you have to have a certain number of teammates cross the line before you get an official team time (usually 4 or 5).
*Criterium Race: Easily the most intense of the individual styles. This involves multiple laps around a short (usually 1-mile or so) course. These races are always classified by how long the race will go time-wise. So, for example, a 30+2 criterium will be 30 minutes of racing (no matter how many laps), plus 2 additional laps after the 30 minute mark. Sometime it will just be classified as a strict number of laps, but the former format is most common. Speed is ridiculously high, and you almost always see a crash due to the tight course, and aggressive style of this race.
*Circuit Race: Similar to the criterium, but the course is generally longer in length (about 3 or more miles). At least, that's about all the difference I can figure out. But even then longer courses of 20 or so miles will be referred to criteriums in the pro rankings. So I suppose I have no clue what the difference is.
*Stage Race: Any combination of any (or all) of the above, strung together in to a few consecutive days (such as a weekend, like the Sunflower State Games, Tour of Lawrence, or Tour of KC), or 7/8 consecutive days (over a whole week, such as the Tour of California), or even 21 days (called a "Grand Tour," such as the Tour de France -- usually has two or three rest days sprinked throughout). For shorter distance stage races, points are sometimes given depending on finishing place (for ex., 8 points to first place in the first race, and 7 points for 2nd place, and so on), and the winner of the stage race has the most points. For longer races, this format is replaced by finishing time.

Look at that beautiful beauty!

To achieve my 2010 competition goals, I had to look past Allie to a more racing-specific bike. Sure, she's my first, and I'll never (I think) part with her, but if I was to actually compete, I needed a pure-bred racer. Enter Brax. Just in time for 2009 model close-outs, I was lucky enough to stumble across a Cervelo S1, the all-aluminum version of their famous S-series race bike (formerly called the "Soloist," this was the last year they made the S1 - so I got doubly
lucky). She was built with all the best components (except the rolling bricks they called the wheels -- but they would soon be replaced), all on a bomb-proof racing frame. The second I clipped in, I had to go fast.

I actually remember my exact thought in this picture:
"Holy shit, I'm tired."

My very first criterium (although maybe technically a circuit race??) was the That Damn Race Again, and Again, and Again at Perry Lake northwest of Lawrence. The race still exists, but now it's called the Perry Road Race Series (see?? now they're calling it a road race...weird). Involves several laps around a 3-or-so mile course, with the start/finish line on Lake Perry's dam road (hence the former name) after a nasty climb. The first "stage" of this race series used to be the first weekend in March (which, in Kansas, means likely blizzard-like conditions). I didn't finish. I made the rookie mistake of pacing off the front of the pack (aka going out too fast) and blowing up after only the second lap. Along with the 28 degree weather, my lungs were searing, my legs were screaming, and I couldn't hold on. My very first race would be a big fat DNF. Once again, lesson learned.

If 2010 was the year for anything (beyond the first forays in to competition), it was the time trial. In the following months I competed in four time trials, though technically one was a duathlon. Though the actual time trials didn't show much success beyond having a damn good time (although I did finish 4th in-category for the CGSC 10k Time Trial), with the duathlon came my first taste of victory: 1st place in-category (co-ed relay), this time my sister, Lizzie, completing the run legs. Sure, the category was only 12-large, but still not bad. Brax was working.

My 2010 Race Resume...

• 4/24/2010, CGSC Time Trial, Easton, Kansas; Cat. 5 10k TT Division; 6.21mi @ 17:05 (21.8mph); 4th place of 11 in-division.
• 5/15/2010, Auburn Time Trial, Auburn, Kansas; Cat. 5 20k TT Division; 12.24mi @ 35:48 (20m5mph); 12th place of 15 in-divison.
• 5/23/2010, Kansas City Triathlon, Longview Lake, Missouri; Co-Ed Relay Team Division (Bike Leg); unknown time/distance (couldn't find it); unknown placing.
• 7/16/2010, Sunflower State Games Time Trial, Auburn, Kansas; Cat. 5 10k TT Division; 6.21mi @ 15:54 (23.5mph); 14th place of 20 in-division.
• 7/17/2010, Sunflower State Games Criterium, Topeka, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 7mi @ 17:31 (24.0mph); 10th place of 16 in-division.
• 7/24/2010, Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon, Gardner, Kansas; Co-Ed Relay Team Division (Bike Leg); 21.57mi @ 1:03:23 (20.4mph); 1st place of 12 in-division.

2011

2011 was a short year, competitively-speaking. I joined Lawrence Bicycle club and did multiple charity cycling events, including coordinating and organizing my own for Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, Kansas. The one thing I did notice throughout competition was all other riders had teams listed next to their names; mine always said "Unattached." My goal for 2012? Get on a team!

My 2011 Race Resume...

• 6/24/2011; Tour of KC New Longview Criterium, New Longview, Missouri; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 14.15mi @ 35:00 (24.3mph); 8th of 17 in-division.
• 6/25/2011; Tour of KC PA Criterium A, Blue Springs, Missouri; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 13.39mi @ 35:00 (23.0mph); 16th of 25 in-division.
• 7/23/2011; Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon, Gardner, Kansas; Co-Ed Relay Team Division (Bike Leg); 21.48mi @ 59:49 (21.6mph); 1st of 4 in-division.

2012

Look at that fool go (I'm in the middle, white/black jersey,
white/red bike) (Photo courtesy of Roger Harrison)

I started 2012 again "Unattached," but this time I had trained specifically for criteriums. I targeted a new spring criterium, affectionately called the Spring Fling Criterium Series. Spring Fling essentially marks the start of everyone's racing season...in February; criterium #1 is the last weekend in February, which, for Kansas, means either 80 degrees or below-freezing. Unfortunately it was the latter (and it remained as such through the #4 the last weekend of March). Despite the cold "early spring" winds, I lasted through each race until Spring Fling #4, after which (like, just after -- just after crossing the finish line) I slammed in to the back of a rider not paying attention, fell, and fractured my elbow (again). I was out for weeks (again).

The silver-lining with this one was how I compensated in my training: unable to bike, I had to keep my fitness up. Thus, I started to run...for the first time since cross country in middle school. I hit the pavement, and like my first miles on the bike in 2008, I fell [back] in love. I immediately went out and bought running shoes (Asics Kayano 10's). Cycling was still my #1, but I could do this too. Maybe even do a duathlon on my own someday.

I started my counseling internship in January. In April, I was approached by one of the clinicians about a 5k run that they do every year: Rock the Parkway. I'd never run 5k before (I believe the longest I'd run in cross-country was maybe 2 miles. Maybe.). But I had new kicks. Sure. I'll do it. Rock the Parkway was the second week of April. I went, I conquered. 27 minutes flat, or about 8:15min/mile. Two months later I entered my very first 10k run (Jazz in the Woods -- when they still had a 10k): 57:16 -- still under 9-minute-miles. Apparently...I was good at running.

I'm not in this picture. I took this whilst waiting for
my criterium start time. What a blast.

In the meantime, in March, I finally joined Big D Cycling. A team that was built around racing as much as recreation. I put on my first racing jersey just in time for one of my biggest cycling goals since I'd started: The Tour of Lawrence.

The Tour of Lawrence is a three-day stage race: Friday night involves a heat-style (aka, two winning riders advance to heat two; two riders to heat three; one to heat four; etc) 200 meter sprint against three other riders. Day two is the dreaded Campus Circuit race, a half-hour (for Category-5 racers, at least) race around the 3-mile perimeter of the University of Kansas' main campus (Now, for those that aren't familiar with the Lawrence campus, it's built atop of very large hill, lovingly known as "Mount Oread." One lap of the campus circuit includes two climbs up -- and descents down -- Mount Oread). Finally, the bread-and-butter race is Sunday's downtown criterium. This is your run-of-the-mill criterium (about 3/4mile) around the heart of gorgeous downtown Lawrence. It is very high-energy, and immensely fun. I fell in love with the ToL, and would be back for years to come...so I thought...

My 2012 Cycling Race Resume...

• 2/25/2012, Spring Fling Criterium #1, Clinton Lake, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; Time and Distance unknown; Finished 50th place of 56 in-division (HUGE field).
• 3/3/2012, Spring Fling Criterium #2, Clinton Lake, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 7.6mi @ 20:36 (22.1mph); Finished 20th place of 45 in-division.
• 3/10/2012, Spring Fling Criterium #3, Clinton Lake, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 7.8mi @ 19:44 (23.7mph); Finished 37th place of 40 in-division.
• 3/17/2012, Spring Fling Criterium #4, Clinton Lake, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 7.8mi @ 19:55 (23.5mph); Finished 31st place of 39 in-division.
• 4/28/2012, Lanterne Rouge 10k Time Trial, Easton, Kansas; Cat. 5 10k TT Division; 6.21mi @ 17:24 (21.4mph); Finished 6th place of 8 in-division.
• 6/23/2012, Tour of KC New Longview Criterium, New Longview, Missouri; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 15.11mi @ 42:13 (21.5mph); Finished 19th place of 42 in-division.
• 6/29/2012, Tour of Lawrence Laird Noller Street Sprints, Lawrence, Kansas; Open Men's Division; Out in 4th heat.
• 6/30/2012, Tour of Lawrence Campus Circuit Race, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 7.95mi @ 23:29 (20.3mph); Finished 15th place of 31 in-division.
• 7/1/2012, Tour of Lawrence Downtown Criterium, Lawrence, Kansas; Cat. 5 Crit Division; 9.28mi @ 24:15 (23.0mph); Finished 16th place of 49 in-division.
• 7/21/2012, Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon, Gardner, Kansas; Co-Ed Relay Division (Bike Leg); 21.49mi @ 57:33 (22.4mph); Finished 1st place of 3 in-division, 2nd place overall.
• 9/2/2012, Hy-Vee Triathlon, Des Moines, Iowa; Co-Ed Relay Division (Bike Leg); 23.47mi @ 1:05:56 (21.4mph); Finished 23rd place of 139 in-division.

My 2012 Running Race Resume...

• 4/14/2012, Rock the Parkway 5k, Kansas City, Missouri; 3.30mi @ 27:00 (8:15min/mi); placing unknown (lost my chip)
• 6/16/2012, Jazz in the Woods 10k, Overland Park, Kansas; 6.39mi @ 57:16 (8:58min/mi); Finished 4th place of 5 in age-group, 60th of 131 overall.
• 7/7/2012, Putting the Boots to ALS 5k, Kansas City, Missouri; 3.16mi @ 23:11 (7:20min/mi); Finished 2nd place of 9 in age-group, 17th of 211 overall.
• 7/28/2012, Rock the Crossroads 5k, Kansas City, Missouri; 3.24mi @ 25:05 (7:44min/mi); Finished 13th place of 49 in age-group, 82nd of 635 overall.
• 8/4/2012, Summer Sizzler 5k, Overland Park, Kansas; 3.12mi @ 23:38 (7:35min/mi); Finished 4th place of 5 in age-group, 31st of 78 overall.
• 8/18/2012, The Rivalry Run 5k, Kansas City, Missouri; 3.21mi @ 22:39 (7:04min/mi); Finished 6th place of 35 in age-group, 44th of 420 overall.
• 10/6/2012, The Color Run-Lawrence, Lawrence, Kansas; 2.62mi @ 19:26 (7:25min/mi); no placing
• 10/13/2012, The Mustache Dash 5k, Leawood, Kansas; 3.18mi @ 24:35 (7:44min/mi); 16th place of 60 in age-group, 83rd of 881 overall.

On to 2013...