Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross - Wasted Call-up

Sunday I ventured out to Buckeystown Md for the Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross race, the second MABRA series race. Normally this is further than I would travel for a cyclocross race (2+ hours), but this is the race that got me started in cross a few years ago so there is just something that I really like about it - I just keep coming back. I have been showing up very early at races this season trying to get in a few warm up laps prior to the "C" race and to be able to check out the course. I photograph about 1/2 of the "C" race and then get kitted up and ready for the Masters 3/4 race. Due to shooting the prior race, my warm ups have been very short.

The race is held at LilyPon which is a landscapers/retail area full of ponds next to more ponds..all full of lilys. A portion of the race zig zags thru, in and around a section of the network of ponds. This is a course that is not really all that well suited for me as it has a lot of flat gravel road section which are great for power type riders (which I am not) - I am better suited on technical and hilly courses.

Today's race waiting in the line for call ups and the scrum I am chatting with a few racers about how I prefer starting in the back - at least this way you are passing people, when you start in the front you get passed which is discouraging - all in god humor, but I end up getting my wish so to speak. Announcers are making the call ups and then I hear my name??? Me, a call up?

So now I am lined up in the second row - must be a photographers call up as shortly Dennis Smith (another photographer) gets a call up. WOW, pretty excited to be so close to the front row.

And the race is off..........into the short pre lap and over the barriers and out into the pond area. I am hanging with the lead group in around 10th or so - feeling excited and good about my current situation. Into the first sharp right the pace immediately drops and everyone is getting congested - then 1/2 way into my turn I get T-boned and end up going down, quick up and looking down I have dropped my chain - no problem (so I think) I quickly remount and shift my front derailleur up and start spinning....and the chain should have came back on, it should of really! Must be an issue with the Ultegra compact crank/rings - 34/50. I thing the 50 is too large a ring. So now I am off my bike putting the chain back on by hand....and everyone is flying by me at this point, everyone. Chain on and I remount - look back and there is just one rider left.....I am now 2nd from LAST! in 64th place! DAMN! What a waste of a once a year call-up.

So now I have two choices, sit back and just finish the race or try and make something out of a bad situation - I choose the latter and immediately put my head down and set to work. Immediately thru the ponds I am making some passes, but looking ahead I can see the field is way strung out in front not even able to see the leaders anymore.

Lap after lap I am passing thru the ponds and back side technical sections....but as I knew, in the flats I was just hanging on or getting dropped. Slowly but surely I am making my way up thru the ranks, riding technically sound, fast thru the corners and actually being aggressive out of the corners standing and getting in some short sprints. At this point I have no idea where I am in the field.

Last lap and I am still making some nice passes and no one is gaining or passing me back - I catch up with Mike Connair and a group of 4-5 other riders who are riding very strong. I join the group and try working ahead....now we hit the long gravel road section. I am feeling pretty cooked a this point, Mike looks over like he wants to work together on the road and I tell him to go on - I don't really have anything left. The group moves ahead and gaps me a bit so I think I'm done but still trying to keep a strong pace. Heading into the backside "Party Zone" and up to the short run-up I see the group right in front - hey! I still have a group I can battle with!

Up the run up and into the switchback section I catch the group, take Mike on an inside corner and two other shortly there after. Up the last hill I surge forward and make another pass. So now its just me and one left from the group. Down hill to the "endo gravel pit" and to the finish.

I make a pass right before heading into the endo pit and he would have nothing to do with it and surged to stay even, into a quick right and left we are riding side by sis and not giving up an inch to each other. Now I see the "endo pit" - I had dismounted and run this section throughout the race just as everyone else had done as it was not really ridable, but this lap - the finishing lap I see a potentially rideable section and go for it...make it thru the corner to the finish and looking back - no one in sight.

I ended up crossing the line in 17th place (35/45 combined). Not a great placing result, but I had to pass 47 other racers to get there which in itself I am very proud of. Plus when I thought I was ready to roll over for dead, I managed to dig deep enough and pass a group of 5 strong riders in the last 1/4 lap. This was a race that brought out the pure enjoyment of cyclocross racing and why I love this sport so much.

Cleaned up and finished the day off by photographing the remaining races.

With the MAIN EVENT of the day being the Pro 1/2/3 race. Guest appearance by Trek Factory rider Jeremiah Bishop vs Local hero Weston Schempf. Great race with Wes leading most of the race and Jeremiah right in tow - giving you the feeling that Mr Bishop was just letting Wes do all the work and would make a strong move on the last lap. With 3 laps to go Wes got tripped up on the barriers and Jeremiah made an immediate attack, Wes was able to recover, attack and get back on Jeremiah wheel. Jeremiah then caught a pedal thru a corner and almost crashed, Wes got a small gap but did not notice what had happened so Bishop was right back on.

Then right at the end of the lap into the bell lap, Jeremiah had a flat and did not have a pit bike so he had to change his wheel. Wes would take full advantage of this and go on to wing the race.

Great race for Wes who I am sure will be a soon to be Sponsored Pro.

Can't wait for Granogue Cyclocross when Wes will be racing against Nationally ranked Pro's.

MLK

Charm City Cyclocross - 1st cross race of the year!

Sunday was the first cross race of the year - Charm City Cross in Baltimore Maryland.

Thought I would put my best foot forward and attempt another year at a handfull of cyclocross racing. Prior to Sundays race I had made it out to two practice sessions with the DCCoD and hoped it would be enought to help lower the ensuing pain I know I was in my future.


For Sundays race I set a realistic goal of a mid pack finish in the Masters Cat 3/4 35/45+ race. Sorry - no top 5's, top 10's or anything link that - I just do not ride enough or for that matter do any sort of interval work that would allow me to have anything resembling a top finish.

Charm City...and my race almost did not happen - I am out riding the starting section heading down to the start line and some idiot in front of me decides he wants to get off the course by cutting across the course right in front of me on an off camber hill. I have to swerve and lock up my brakes to keep from T-boning him and in doing so I rolled my front tire (tubular/clincher). I run back to the car and get the tire remounted....race back to the start and line up almost in the last row. Thank goodness they rearranged the line up by numbers and I end up in the 6th row out of about 10. Super large turnout with around 100 racers line up on the Masters Race.

Race starts and I get held up a bit by some riders who just don't know much about riding a bike. It's really as easy as jumping on and turning the pedals around in circles! I start moving up a bit and my race prodeeds as follows - I handled the bike, technical corners and barriers very well and probably made 95% of my passes in these areas - Flats are where I struggled for the most part, plus I had no real accellerations out of the corners. I'd really have to say my favorite sections where the tight switchbacks - I was pimping everyone in these sections, everyone was swinging wide to cut into the turns while I was taking the inside lines faster and more aggressively. I think there was one corner right before exiting the field section and back across the road where I passed a group of 4 racers in one corner! Pimp-o-mania!

Two laps to go and Henry's teamate Tom M. was gaining ground on me. I did my best to hold him off, but my fitness just is not there and I was starting to struggle.....one lap to go and Tom pulls on my wheel. I try and tell him to grab my wheel and I'll pull him thru on the road section, but it was too late as Tom had already pull along and past me. I was able to keep from loosing ground on Tom on the last lap, but just did not have the energy to close the gap. At the finish I was right behind Tom(with 2 racers inbetween).

I finished in 24th place which was much better than I expected so I guess I am satisfied. I really need to do some work on accelerating out of corners - here I'm slow as a pig.

Michael

1st Place! - Kennett Mushroom Festival Art Show

Kennett Square has it's annual Mushroom Festival in early September and with it is an Arts Festival which I had no idea about. I had no intention of entering especially since I did not know it was there, but my neighbor (who is an artist) told me about it and after some pushing and encouragement from her I decided to enter 4 photos. Now this was a last minute thing for me as we were heading on vacation the week of the art show, I only had two photos printed (which were in my sons bedroom framed in a inexpensive poster frame from Walmart). So I quickly ordered two additional prints, bought some frames and matting, did my own mat cutting which in itself is a bad experience. I did not want to put too much $$ into this because having someone inexpensively frame a print is easily over $100 x 4 and I seriously did not think much would come of it. I then handed off my framed photos to my neighbor who while I was on vacation dropped them off at the art show.

When we got back from vacation we heading into town on the following Monday to pick up my photos. Low and behold - I took the Blue Ribbon - 1st place - The Grand Pubah - in the photography division...and as a bonus I sold two of the four framed prints I dropped off. I seriously did not think I had a chance especially due to the number of artist entered in the event. Not a bad week for not even being there!

So now I think I may even stop by our towns art shop/gallery and talk to them about how to get some photos placed on display in the gallery.

Here are the prints I entered in the show:
This first one took the Blue Ribbon and top honors:































and these are the two prints that sold:

Proud Dad!

...so my two daughters have been doing some modeling for a gymnastics catalog.

Actually they have been doing it for quite a while now - Maeve and Ella both started when they were five (Maeve's now 10 and Ella's 7). Looking thru my keepsakes I count seven different catalogs - they have not been in evey single one, but generally they have been doing 1 or 2 a year. Both kids just love doing it and have a ton of fun at the shoot. I guess watching Americas Next Top Model has been paying off as both just seem to have that natural ability to strike poses.

My wife and I have been contemplating about trying to get the kids involved in some more modeling, but there just seem to be so many "money makers" and scams out there that we have not really been pushing to see what the next step would be to get them involved in other "projects". It's one of those things that they seem to have the talent and really love doing it - it's almost a shame to not try and help them get more involved in modeling. Not that anyone really reads my blogs, but if anyone does and is, works for a company that does or knows of anyone that is looking for beautiful child models - drop me a line!

Hey, even dad was pulled into one of the catalogs as a last minute desperation model.

been too long

since I last posted -getting side tracked so much and busy with photography and family life.

I have photographed only two races since my last post and both have been road races. These are a nice change of pace but very different...almost would say I like shooting these better. But they have their problems.....usually called FULL SUN! Which plays havic on obtaining proper exposures.

First was the Robert Fulton PA State Championship race back in July - great event but the course scenery was not very appealling - just lots of telephone poles, houses and general background crap to deal with. You would think that being in tne country that would not be a problem, it it was. Full gallery can be viewed here:

http://mlkimages.smugmug.com/2007%20Sports/350907

Second race was the Tour de Christiana - Two days of racing. Saturday Road Race and a Sunday morning Time Trial and afternoon Criterium. I decided to drive around the courses as much as possible (I usually ride my bike) since I just threw my back out (again). I like geting around this way - may have to keep moving aeround in this manner. People probably do not realize how hard it is to photography a race (at least the way I do it). After each day my tee shirt was soken wet, food is usually just snacking on some peanuts or something and I can only carry so much water with me. After some events I am more sore the next day then after a race - go figure.

Full gallery can be viewed here:

http://mlkimages.smugmug.com/2007%20Sports/360481

My sister from Florida and her husband were up this past weekend so we had a nice family get together - this does not happen much in my family so it was nice to have everyone together for the weekend. We all met up at my moms house on the Chesapeake Bay. We did not bring our dog down so Karen and myself drove home Friday and Saturday nights. Some drinking, crabs, nice boat ride, etc - all for a nice family weekend.

and me with the cronic back problems - getting all excited for cyclocross season. I was planning on racing and photographing the rest of the day. Even bought a new cross bike with carbon tubulars. But, I threw my back out over two weeks ago - No big deal as it usually only takes a week to get back to nornmal. Unfortunately this time I am going on three weeks and still not better. Plus I have been having some weakness in my left leg - had an ultrasoud done and it came back normal so now I am off to the Christiana Spine Center for a check. My wife working in the medical industry checks on line for some info and had diagnosed me with a pinched nerve in my back - caused by the degenerative problem I have which has been what has been causing my back pain....just now it has worked its way into my leg :( Unfortunately I think this could be the end to my cross season as it is difficult to race with one leg at 40%. Hopfully there is is a fix.

....also almost forgot - although I mostly photograph sports - I had a friend contact me to shoot some family pictures. I set the time to catch the evening sun but when I got to his house it was set in a valley surrounded by all trees. Caught me off guard as it was going to be much darker than I had planned and I was unable to use the sun for lighting. Still I made out ok and I think they parents were satisfied - which is what matters.

Michael

Fair Hill Classic Mountain Bike Race

The Fair Hill Classic Mountain bike race was on Sunday 7/15/07. After my problems at Nesamniny a few weeks ago, I was not sure I even wanted to attempt this race, plus last Sundays pre-ride really put a hurting on my legs. The course is also one long lap so it was not really worth my time (an entire day) to photograph this race due to the layout. I had a million and one reasons or excuses not to race....but in the end I knew this would be my last (and first) chance to race on a mountain bike this year and would probably regret it if I missed it.

I have been racing the Fair Hill Classic since 1995, back when it was the C&D Canal Classic and moved to Fair Hill in 1996 (dates are from what I recall). I have raced every year except one (last year). Fair Hill is a race that I always see to do fairly well at - my best race was 2 years ago where I came in 3rd (Expert Vet I), 20 seconds behind Rick Mihills (Super Fast Cross racer - 2006 MAC Masters Champion) and 6 minutes behind Blair Saunders (Ex Canadian Olympian) who won our class.

This year I have not done any racing due to an ongoing back problem that locks up when racing making it impossible to breath and I loose all the strength in my legs putting my riding to a slow crawl. Recently my wife has been encouraging me to try some Yoga so 2 weeks ago I started doing Yoga twice a week hoping the excessive stretching and strengthening posses would help with my back. I seriously thing it has been helping - I still have some ongoing soreness, but I really think I am making some progress in reducing the severity of the pain. Hopefully with time Yoga will progressively help my back and be ready for cross season.

Fair Hill this year, learning from my mistake at Neshaminy, I decided to make sure I had a plan since the course was a 29 mile single loop with a lot of climbing...as well as there were no really good areas to drop out if necessary. My main goal was just to make sure I finished the race with a secondary goal of being in the top 10 even though in all reality this was my 1st mountain bike race of the year (2nd if counting my 1.5 laps at Nesamniny). Looking at the previous MASS race results I notice Robert Dudas (Wild Blues) was racing well this year and had a similar racing style as myself - starting off reasonable, pacing and keeping consistent lap times and finishing strong - I decided I would ride Rob's wheel at Fairhill to make sure I did not head out too fast and blow up my legs - kind of keeping me in check.

Expert Vet II's race starts and I found myself at the front 4th position. around the soft corner safely and up a short climb......THERE! right in front of me was Rob.....now normally I would have pass right by him as I was going faster, but I really thought the best thing was for me to stick with my plan - so I dropped right behind Rob and set out to race. Rob kept a nice pace, we got passed by a few riders at the very beginning once we entered the woods....but it was going to be a LONG and hard race so I just sat in and did not chase anyone.

Problems set in descending down the first rocky downhill....water bottle fell out of it's cage - no biggie as I had an extra on me and prior to the race I dropped 2 bottles off at the 273 bridge crossing :). Drop my 2nd bottle in the cage and notice my bottle cage was broken - now that's a problem. I now was going to have to drink the entire race from a bottle in my jersey pocket - ouch! Nothing I could do so just had to make due. Once everyone settled in, Rob and I started to slowly pass a lot of riders. Felling bad about being a wheel sucker I needed to help out Rob as much as I could and fed him all the course info, when we would be climbing, how long the climbs were, when we needed to pass, when not to pass, ect. Knowing the race course as much as I did, it was often tough to sit on his wheel as I know I could flow through many of the section a lot faster and smoother, but I kept telling myself to sit back for a while...it still a long way to go and I wanted to make sure I finished.

Crossing under the 273 bridge I went to grab my 2 extra bottles....Damn, missed the 1st one but was able to grab the 2nd. Now I had one full and one almost empty bottle with still 2/3rds of the race to go and having to drink from my jersey. Gonna be some trouble.

After crossing under the 273 bridge, sharp left and up the 1st major climb - The Punctured Lung, here I was felling pretty good and actually wanted to pass more than we did...getting a bit antsy siting back - to the top, downhill to the next climb. Once we started this 2nd climb I told Rob that some technical sections were coming up and I would take the lead since I know the trails (Drunken Sailor and then over to South Park). Rob said go and I moved around but he did not grab my wheel...I pass one other rider just as we were moving into Drunken Sailor and never saw Rob again. Feeling pretty good I rolled thru the Rollercoaster and Upper Ridge Trail heading into South Park.

Now about 1/2 way thru South Park (I swear it was almost the EXACT same spot at my last race here in 2005) my legs started to cramp - looked down at my computer to see 22 miles - DAMN! 7 mile to go. Time to sit back and spin a bit as it was still a long way to go with legs starting to cramp. Here I was passed for the first time by a guys rider. Water Stop #2 I grabbed a full, ice cold water bottle (Great Job to the Trail Spinners to offer full water bottles) drank as much as I could, put in in my jersey and started up the 5 bridges climb. I was able to contain my cramps by spinning up - thru Crack Head Bob I still had to spin a lot but was able to maintain a decent pace - not getting passed yet and gaining ground on a few racers in front. This is the way I road pretty much to the end of the race. Crossed over the Humpback bridge with a few riders directly in front...able to maintain without loosing much ground, but unable to gain. Now my legs were getting real bad and seriously though I was done - not going to make it to the finish. Every once in a while while pedaling one of my legs would straighten out and completely lock up and almost not be able to bend....sit and spin, sit and spin - Yoga was coming to mind - breath oxygen into the legs, breath to the legs.

Final few roller climbs to the finish some one was riding my wheel.....every rider I came up on I was still able to pass just trying to maintain a steady spinning pace. I knew this rider was just going to spring me at the final 100 yards and there was no way I could possibly sprint. Up the last climb passed another rider and another right after the climb (I was actually really surprised that I was still able to pass so may riders during the last mile to the finish being that my legs were almost completely locking up) - last 50 single track yards to the road up to the finish I just told the rider that was behind me for the last 1/4 mile to go around as I was not going to sprint them to the line.....and around comes......................Greg Ferguson - DAMN! What are the odds it was someone from my class. Fergie comes around and I just roll in the finish right behind him. In the end Fergie takes 5th bumping me to 6th. Kind of suck losing 5th in the last 30 yards of a race. Hind site I should of just kept my mouth shut and let the cards drop where they do instead of just giving my place away...not that it would have changed anything.

In the end 6th place was respectable especially since a lot of the big guns come out to race Fair Hill. Talked to Rob after the race to apologise for being a wheel sucker, but he was cool with it - actually said he liked it?

Last night I did all the post race thinking about what I could have done differently - could I have placed higher if I did not hold back so much at the first 1/3 of the race, what if I was able to drink more instead of having to drink from bottles in my jersey pocket, what if, what it....

Iron Hill is the next race which is local as well. Said immediately after FairHill I was not racing Iron Hill as I hate short lap races that do lots of laps, but I think I'll wait to see the course layout to determine if I'll race or not. Probably not as Iron Hill is a great course to photograph since there are so many access points and Iron Hill could be my last mountain bike to photographs this year.


Photos are from a few different races this year.

Later
MLK

Iron Hill Twilight Criterium and Preriding the Fair Hill race course

Saturday evening saw the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium which is part of the USA National CRIT Championship Series making a stop in local West Chester PA.

Races Consisted of Mens Cat 3/4, Pro Women's and Pro Men's
All I can say is "Wicked FAST! By the time the Pro Men hit the streets it was getting dark - 60 laps and they were flying right from the start - I really have no idea how they could keep up that tempo for the entire 60 laps, but they did.

Eventual winner Emile Abraham (Priority Health) and 2nd place Evan Fader (Battley Harley Davidson) kept away on a breakaway for 23 laps.


Womens Pro field came down to an at the line sprint where Cherrwine team rider Laura Van Gilder edged out Teresa Cliff-Ryan (Breakway Racing)


.....and a few more photographs from the race:
complete race gallery can be viewed here

http://mlkimages.smugmug.com/2007%20Sports/345674/













Sunday I ventured out to pre-ride the Fairhill race course with Todd Forrest leading the group ride. Parking lot was full with a few different groups heading out as well. Our group probably started out with close to 20 riders....and in the end whittled down to around 8. Course was just as everyone described - no flow and lots of climbing.

In the end the course measures out to just over 28 miles, our riding time was 2 hours and 41 minutes...averaging 10.5mph. For me, toward the end of the ride I was just hanging on buy a thread trying to finish. I was definately hurting and felt the effect in my legs the following day. Still not sure if I am going to race Fairhill of just be content to do some groups rides now and again...Well see come Sunday.