Modifying my balaclava

Balaclavas all seem to have the same problem. It doesn't matter how well vented they are, your exhaled breath has nowhere to go but up into your sunglasses, fogging them up. Recently, I got a new balaclava from Cannondale. It's brand new, and not even available on their website yet. I got it from a rep, and it retails for either $40 or $50. So I thought "It must be good".  The big difference, mainly, is that the part that covers your face is a flap of sorts, so you can easily tuck it under your chin if you want some fresh air on your face, etc. The flap looks to be well vented, and everything fits my face well. HOWEVER...just like the $10 balaclava that I have from Target...it fogs my glasses.

If you've ever watched a surgeon, or a doctor performing a procedure, even though they are wearing masks their glasses are fog-free. I get a new N95 mask from work every year at my annual physical, so I've got a few lying around. They have a thin metal strip covered by a piece of foam padding that you "mold" around the bridge of your nose that prevents your exhalation from going up into your eyes. I figured that was the answer to my problems.

So here's what I did: I cut the metal strip out of the N95 mask (along with the foam padding), and glued it to my brand new (expensive) balaclava using a hot glue gun. You'll see in the last picture how well the mask part molds to my nose/face now. I rode for 2.5 hrs today in 35 degrees, and had no problems with fogging. I actually had to move the flap down for portions of the ride because my face was getting hot! What a change that was!

^ There's the metal strip that I cut out of the N95 mask

^ There it is sitting on the nose area of my balaclava, before I glued it

^ And with the foam glued over top of it now

^ The finished product.

It's December already?

Here we are, with Christmas right around the corner. The weather has finally changed from the mild temperatures of Fall to the bone chilling winds of Winter.
Ugh.
Winter.
My least favorite season of the year. There's no color in the landscape, the sun rarely comes out, and it's windy every day. That means it's trainer time. I've needed a new trainer for a while now, and finally, the finances lined up so that I could splurge for something nice. At the shop, we carry Kurt and Cyclops trainers, so I picked up the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine (fluid) trainer. What a difference from my old, $88 magnetic trainer. I knew it would be quieter (which is nice for watching movies), but I had no idea how much nicer a trainer with a big flywheel would be. For fear of getting too nerdy about it, I'll just say that it definitely feels more "road-realistic". I've managed a couple workouts on it, when I've either been too busy to get out and ride outside, or if it's just been too cold or windy. Next, I'll need to find one of my old tires that works well with it. The tire that I used today has about 3,000 miles on it, and is totally flat in the middle from last year's indoor sessions. It kept slipping, and was pretty annoying.

So far, looking forward to next year, it looks like I'll be racing most (if not, all) of Pro-Am's events in Pennsylvania. Currently, they're running a package deal on their races. Here's a link to the .pdf file that contains the mail-in form. I did a couple of their races last year and had a good time.

With that said, I'll leave you with a Jens Voight fact: (once you click on the link, keep clicking the picture to get additional facts about the toughest man in the peloton)
"Jens Voight no longer has a shadow, because he attacked it repeatedly until it climbed into the Saxo Bank team car, claiming a stomach ailment and retired."

Looking back on this year

Ahhhhhhhhh. Here I sit, after a 2 month "off season", thinking back about how this year went. My first year in competitive cycling, and I feel like so much has happened. I went from finishing OFF THE BACK, dead last...to dominating my class at the Can-Am Police and Fire Games for 4 days. I raced everything from long, hilly road races, criteriums, circuit races, time trials, and sprints. I've learned that solo efforts rarely work, and I don't like assholes that don't do any work in a break away group. I also learned that I don't make excuses, and I can't stand the guys that do. Here's a news flash: if you didn't win, it's because the other guy was stronger, smarter, or his tactics worked better than yours that day. 'Nuff said. I love the feel and sound of carbon fiber, and I'm not much for "old school" or nostalgia. I also love the sound of a cowbell as I race past.

Most of July and August were spent in a great deal of pain in my hips. Many people called it an IT band issue. However, IT stretches didn't help. I discovered the magic of an ice bath late in the season, thanks to a friend at work, which brought a lot of relief after workouts, but I was still having problems sitting for long periods. For a while, I even thought I was having problems with my glutes.One night, my wife was giving me a deep tissue massage to the back of my legs, and she hit the painful spot precisely. She made the comment, "Y'know, that muscle is right next to your sacrum." That night, I Google'd "Sacrum muscle cycling pain" and found something called the Piriformis muscle, and Piriformis syndrome. To make a long story short, it is a very common issue in cycling, and there's some great stretches to fix it, which helped immediately. So now that I have it under control, I'm ready to start laying down some base miles for the winter.

Recently, I've been riding very lightly on the road, doing a little mountain biking, and even some work at the BMX track. Riding bikes is so much fun, that it gets hard to limit it to just one discipline sometimes. I'm looking forward to racing next season, and I'll probably focus on crit's, as it seemed to be what I did the best in.

Can-Am Games: Road Race

The 43 mile Road Race was held on the last day of competition for us. I figured it was going to be tough. I was really starting to get stiff from the 3 previous days of competing, and this was going to be the most grueling. Not only that, some of the competitors had skipped the Street Sprints the day before, so I figured they were going to be more rested. The course was on a loop that was about 14 miles or so long, with mostly rolling hills. Except for one hill...it climbed about 200 feet within about a half mile. Even before the race started, there were talks throughout the parking lot of people setting up their attacks for that hill. There were also a couple of nice, long straight-aways, so I was hopeful that the wind wasn't too strong.

Once we got started, the first lap went by about how I figured. There were a few early "moves" to try to separate the group, and some trial-and-error tactics that people were doing to see what the field was going to respond to, etc. I have to admit that the big hill didn't pose nearly as much of a problem as I thought it was going to for me. Dennis and I worked together off and on, and positioned ourselves in the front group. On the second lap, the hill still wasn't much of a problem, but Dennis and I knew that one of the other groups were saving an attack for the final lap on that hill. We stayed in the front group, but then there was a solo breakaway that went up the road. Luckily, that rider wasn't in our category, so we didn't even bother to try to organize a chase. At the beginning of lap 3, we approached "The Big Hill". We knew this was when the big attack from one of the other riders was going to happen. Dennis looked at me and said, "This is gonna hurt". I chuckled, and agreed...but I had no idea how right he was. Halfway up the hill, the attack came, and a few riders accelerated to stay with it. At the time, my heart rate was low, and I was feeling good, so I pressed hard on the pedals to try to go with them. When I did, it felt like a lightning bolt struck my left leg and went from my groin, all the way to my ankle!! It was the worst pain I'd ever felt on the bike. I almost came to a stand-still halfway up the hill. I thought I was going to have to get off my bike, as the entire group passed me. As Dennis came by, he asked if I was alright, but there was nothing he could do to help. I thought I was done, for sure. I looked back, and saw the support van coming up the hill. I knew that if I wanted to stay with the leaders, I'd have to make it up the hill before the van did. I slowly moved my leg around with the pedals, and the pain slowly subsided. I managed to catch back up to the group by the top of the hill, where I could draft and take a little break for a while. Thankfully, it was just a temporary problem!

As we came into the final few miles, I looked around the group and began to calculate my final strategy. I knew that in an all-out sprint for the line, there weren't many riders in the group that I could beat.  I also knew that most (if not all) of the other riders in my group were NOT in my class, which meant that I already had a good chance at placing well in the standings. Since most of the guys in the group were in Dennis' class, I knew I had an opportunity to be a good teammate and support him and try to launch him for the sprint. With about a mile and a half or so to go, I positioned myself at second wheel, letting the guy in front of me pull me along for a few minutes. With a little less than a mile left to go, I looked back and locked eyes with Dennis. Then, I put my head down and rocketed to the front. Once I was sure that Dennis had come with me, I just kept hammering. I was now committed, to go 100% and lead him out for the sprint. My legs were numb, and I couldn't breathe! I glanced down at my computer, and I was pulling at almost 32mph, and 188bpm!!! Just as I was ready to sit up, Dennis took off around me..in an all-out sprint for the line. I yelled as loud as I could, "GO DENNIS!! GO! GO! GO!" As I fell back through the group, I looked up and noticed that he had a few bike lengths lead over the rest of the bunch. Once I realized that he was going to cross the finish line first, I began to celebrate with my arms in the air, yelling at the top of my lungs! It was a perfectly executed team move, and it worked flawlessly. We had both done our jobs, and it payed off BIGTIME! We both earned gold medals in our classes for our performances, and so had Ramon earlier. It was a great ending to a great week of racing!

Can-Am Police and Fire Games 2010: Street Sprints

I had no idea what to expect for the street sprints. I'd never done it before, and I'm not usually much of a sprinter. The event consisted of a 500m section of road that had "lanes" set up for 300m. After that, the entire road was open for you to use for the final 200m, which meant that you were pretty much getting up to speed for the first section, then using strategy for the second part where you could draft, or try to breakaway, etc. There would be 3 heats for points for the overall win.
It was hot. The temp gauge on my truck said 96 degrees, and there were reports of 85% humidity. I was disappointed to learn that we had several "no shows" in my category, which meant that there was only 2 of us competing against each other. However my competitor just happened to mention during conversation that he was a Cat 2 USAC racer! Psychological warfare, maybe, but it may have worked to his disadvantage. I told myself that I would have to work my hardest and exert 110% effort to stay competitive against him. Which is exactly what I did.
Lining up in the starting gates, we were side-by-side when the first whistle blew. Off we went! At the end of the lanes, I purposely hesitated for a moment, letting him pull ahead of me. I tucked in behind him, drafting for about 100m. on the final 100m, I launched around him and sprinted hard for the win. I was excited...I had just out sprinted a Cat 2 in an event that I'd never done before! On the way back to the starting gates, he stated that he was disappointed because he didn't realize that we could draft each other, etc. I thought, "It's not my fault that you didn't take advantage of the same race strategy that I did..." however, when we lined up for our second heat, I figured that I didn't want him to say that I only won because I was sneaky. So, I figured that I would pace myself coming down the lanes, and then stay beside him until he was ready to turn up the heat, and try to out-sprint him man-to-man. At the whistle, down the lanes we went again. I did exactly what I wanted to do; I stayed beside him, and when he stood up to sprint, I hammered for the finish line beat him again!!! My heart rate went into the 180's as I crossed the finish line. This time, on the way back to the starting gates, my competitor was complaining again. "That sucked" he said, "I dropped my chain when we stood up to sprint." I could see where this was going. I'd beaten him twice and he'd complained, and had an excuse each time. Okay, I thought, we're going to settle this man-to-man. When we got back to the starting gates, he was loudly chatting with a friend of his, complaining about his supposed mechanical problem (which I never saw or heard, by the way). When he was finished with his conversation, I quietly said, "I'll tell you what...this time, when they blow the whistle, you and me go at it...100% drag race. No drafting, or bullshit. We'll just go ALL OUT for the finish line." "OK", he said. We lined back up in the gates, and I knew that this was it...I'd have to throw everything I have left into the pedals, because this time he's coming with it. The whistle blew. I slammed my strength into the pedals and down the lane I went. I had tunnel vision: all I could focus on was the end of my lane, and beyond that: the finish line. At the end of the lane, he was about a half bike length ahead of me. With about 150m to go, I stood up and went as hard as I could, holding NOTHING back. I saw myself start to pass him, so I tried EVEN HARDER! As I approached the finish line, I was a few lengths in front of him, and I saw him sit up...but I just kept hammering!! I had  beaten him fair-and-square...head to head. Another Gold medal!
Dennis and Ramon both earned silver in their events, keeping the ball rolling for CRFP Cycling, with medals in every event!

Can-Am Police and Fire games 2010: Criterium

I was excited and nervous for the criterium race. All year, I've been racing crits well, but I knew there would be some strong guys at the Can-Am games. My best finish prior to the games was a 3rd place podium at the Grandview Grand Prix a few week prior. The good part about the crit at the games was that we'd gotten word that the organizers were combining some of the fields, but would still grade the finishers separately. This meant that Dennis and I could work together, but not compete against each other for medals, since we were in different categories.
The course was tight. It was a 1 mile loop, but turn 3 was a nasty little turn into a small alley, which also went up hill. If that wasn't bad enough, there was a concrete curb on one side and a concrete water drain on the other side! Dennis' advice was for us to be in front of the pack going into that turn, so we wouldn't get caught in the confusion of the group going into that turn. When the start whistle was blown, I went straight to the front of the race! (Dennis told me to go up front, but he didn't say how far , so I went as far as I could!!) We navigated all the turns well, learning our lines along the way. On lap 2, Dennis moved around me and let me draft a little. I think this was also his way of reeling me back in so that I didn't stay out front and blow up too early. On the third lap, we starting letting some of the other racers/teams do some of the work up front. Over the course of the entire race, Dennis and I stayed at the front of the race, taking our turns pulling, and not letting anybody get away. On the final lap, going into turn 3 (the nasty one), Dennis pulled off the perfect move, and put himself into first place going up the hill. At the final turn, he hit the gas and sprinted away for the win. Coming around turn 4, I had a few guys around me, so I did the same and sprinted hard for the line, beating them out for a Gold as well. Earlier in the evening, Ramon had earned silver in his class. It was another successful day for CRFP Cycling!

Can-Am Police and Fire Games 2010: TT

I'd never TT'd before, so I didn't really know what to expect. The day before the race, I had gone to preview the 9 mile course with my teammate Ramon. The course was mostly flat with a few rolling hill thrown in. My bike was prepped with clip-on style aero bars, and my seat was moved to the forward position. Instead of "holders" (somebody holding your bike, while you clipped into the pedals), we had metal gates to lean on. I entered the gate, got a few last minute words of advice from Ramon, and off I went! The last thing that Ramon said to me (in his Puerto Rican accent) was, "Remember...leave it all out on the course. Don't save ANYTHING for tomorrow, just concentrate on TODAY." Hammering down the first straightaway, I managed to keep the bike around 27mph for the first couple miles. After a few quick turns, it was onto the back side of the course, where the hills were. I was breathing heavy, and my heart rate was in the 170's, BUT my legs weren't going numb yet, so I kept pushing. I turned onto the final stretch, which was about a 1.5 mile long straightaway, where I dialed it up a little further. This is when I started to really feel the effort in my legs. I considered backing off the power a bit, when I remembered what Ramon said to me: "Don't save ANYTHING for tomorrow...", so I kicked it up even further! When I saw the finish line, I pushed my legs until I couldn't see straight anymore! After crossing the finish line, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at how much fun the TT was! I was laughing, hurting, and struggling to breath; all at the same time! It was incredibly enjoyable! I knew my time, but didn't get the results until the following day at the criterium. My effort had earned a Silver medal! My teammates, Ramon and Dennis, both earned Gold!