The Fastest Ice in the World

Headed west to Salt Lake City for 2 days of ice time on the Olympic Oval (400 meters) with son and grandson. This facility is awesome, two hockey rinks in the center of the big oval. One for short track speed skating and the other for hockey, plus a running track on the perimeter of the long track. The inside temperature of 65F.

Short track club members (30 skaters) from Denver, COS and Fort Collins all attended with ages ranging from 8 to 65.

The first session was on the big oval working on skills and finishing with time trials. We had to choose either the 500m or 1000m. I picked the 1000m and finished in under 2 minutes, just a few seconds behind Glen Winkel from the COS short track club. After we finished our event the big boys (USA, KAZ, Austria, Swiss) showed us some real speed!

After the long track session we moved over to short tracking skill sessions in the afternoon and raced in groups of 6 arranged by skill and speed. What a blast!

The Sunday am session was "speed skating scratch racing" on the Long Track Oval with distances from 500m, 1000m, 3000m and 5000m with groups of 6 - 10 by skill. I did them all and managed to stay upright and win a few heats.

I can't wait to go back and GO LEFT on the ice again

Lars

Warming up for a race

Here I am warming up for Master's Nationals at 3 years of age

BOULDER BICYCLE RACE HISTORY - WHAT CAN YOU ADD?

This Cycling Race History piece is especially fun because it prominently features the Vic's Espresso/Peerless Tires team, (thanks to the ubiquitous Marc Bekoff). Among familiar names, note the Riders of Rohan competitor, Raging Doug Emerson.

Boulder Cycling History - Fill in the blanks!

From Don Hobbs dmhobbs53@gmail.com

We mention Boulder's old local racing teams and a few names popped up, but I'm sure there are more. Any additional bio information would be great (including racer names on those teams), and if my facts are off please correct me ....

• Boulder Riders of Rohan: Spoke on Hill - Steve Brown, Scott Havlick, Doug Emerson
• Ride 'Em Cowboys: Pedal Pushers - George Knaggs, Mark Southard, Bruce Whitesel, Dave Zimbleman, Fritz Johnston, John Budko, Charlie Hanson
  Dick's Schwinn: Peter Thron, Tim Draeger, Jeff Cloud, Rachel Ames, Mark Taylor, Jeff Lord, Kenny Leader
• Team Monger/CycleLogic
• Vic's Espresso - The team made its debut in 1984 and was founded by Marc Bekoff, Lawrence Bosch, Andy Pruitt, and Brad Wallace. The four of us are still around and 3 of us are still racing, believe it or not. Pedal Pushers was a long-time sponsor and the Le Peep team emerged from "Team Pink" sponsored by Pedal Pushers (a la George Knaggs). Over the years the original Le Peep team has had a number of different sponsors including Ben Serotta/Davis Phinney Bicycles, Specialized, Shimano, Celestial Seasonings, the Morgul Bismarck bike shop, Cycle Logic, University Bicycles, Pearl Izumi, and Sugoi. Now the four original founders and many others are part of the Boulder Master's Cycling Team sponsored by Vic's Coffee Shop (not all of them), University Bicycles, Peerless Tires, Specialized, Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, Shimano, Sugoi, and yes, Le Peep -- http://bmct-main.blogspot.com/. Over the past 26 years members of the team have won many state and national championship and one world championship (thanks to Marc Bekoff for bio information).

BMCT Women Take To The Track

Yesterday the women took to the Track with the encouragement of teammate Karen Fienberg who recently received her Certification to ride on Boulder Indoor Cycling's (BIC) 142 meter velodrome. 

(Note: Appropriate to replace with plural "we" to first person singular "I" in emotional descriptions.)

Karen, Christy Orris, Shawn Heidgen (a former track racer) and I geared up for a 1.5 hour session with BIC coach Steven Herzfeld. Our training started with a lecture on the track's architecture, terms and rules then moved quickly to our first exercise which involved clicking into the fixed gear contraption (definition: "mechanical trap") while holding on to the wall.  Once we felt brave enough to release our sweaty grip we followed our leader around the infield before crossing the cote d zur and getting ON! the track.  We move gradually up and around multiple times until we'd covered each lane then we moved back down the track slowing our cadence in order to gracefully get OFF! the track. Whew!  

Next, we did a pace-line with the first person sprinting off the front, down to the sprinter's lane until they arrived at the back which triggered the next person to launch. Once everyone had completed this drill we set up for a little  2 x 2 TT competition with a "rail start". Let me just say, we were all winners (albeit a little post track hack)!  

The final two exercise were Follow The Leader-Steven, and an individual lap sprint. Follow The Leader is pretty much a free-for-all with no rules other than staying in control of you and your bike, and the lap sprint gave each of us the opportunity to give it our all = somewhere around 40 mph and up to 45 on the turns. That seems about right, don't you think? 

 

The Land Lord

This has absolutely nothing to do with cycling but it is associated with humor. (The landlord is Will's daughter.)

I'm So Hungry & I Could Eat Anything

I found myself so hungry on last Saturday's team ride, at about 2 hours into a three and half hour ride. We had just went through Berthoud, at this point I realized that I didn't eat much that morning for breakfast and only had one bag of power bar bits, which I consumed an hour ago. I ask JT, how long before we go by a store, he said we could stop in Longmont, but where still about a half hour out. Man, I'm so hungry.
As we approached Longmont, I could smell KFC, it was a great smell, sorry Marc and Randy, it was a chicken smell, not for you guys. When we went through the light to turn into a gas station for food, I saw the Yellow Arches on the left, that place good fill me up, I thought.
Well, what I'm trying to say, if you team members were not with me on that day, I would have darted to one of them, and stuffed myself. But, instead I bought a LARGE snickers bar at the gas station.
Thanks to all the team members on the ride for saving me from something that would have been GREAT at the time.

Certified!

After 8 hours of instruction, I am happy to be certified to ride at Boulder Indoor Cycling! Kudos to our instructors, Nick, Tim and Steve - they had us doing various drills on the track and the two hour sessions went quickly. Last night we did some intervals as well as open riding where we could experiment with various skills. I focused on strength (speed) and grace (smoothness), and once my lungs caught up with my legs I jumped into a paceline for several laps behind two fast guys in the sprinter's lane - that was a blast.

I no longer look at the track with trepidation but rather with excitement. Of course, this means another bike will soon grace our garage (Paul, make room now)! I'd be happy to organize a group instructional session for the Vic's women - Steve and Tim at BIC would be thrilled to see more of us out there. And riding on the track beats riding on the trainer any day (snowy or otherwise).

Hooked!

Last September, while at track nationals with Paul and some of the other BMCT men, I took a keen interest in watching and learning about track riding/racing. By the end of the weekend I decided I needed to get on a track bike. I borrowed one from Dennis (thanks again, Dennis) and Paul and I rode around the parking lot for a while and I practiced slowing down/stopping without brakes. I was really happy to hear that BIC was offering a "crash" course (I prefer the term immersion) - four 2 hour sessions over the holidays. The good news was I only found out about this on Saturday, so I didn't have too much time to be nervous (and I was nervous, so much so that when we walked in last night the guy at the desk said, "Don't be so nervous. I can see it on your face. You're going to have fun!"). I even called Julia yesterday to tell her that I was excited, nervous, and scared yet happy to be stepping out of my comfort zone (always a healthy thing to do, especially on the eve of the winter solstice, full moon, and lunar eclipse).

There were eight of us (6 men, 2 women) and only two of us had never ridden on the track (so much for the beginner part of the beginner/intermediate level). The instructor got us on the track pretty quickly, which sort of felt like being thrown in the pool. I felt pretty comfortable until I had to come down off the track and wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to do that from the blue line, especially since people were passing by me in the sprinter's lane yelling, "Stay!" So I kept going in circles which was a good thing as I became more and more comfortable on the bike. Obviously I learned how to drop down into the sprinter's lane and then on to the apron of the track.

We did various drills (I loved dropping from the rail to the sprinter's lane - felt like a diving bird!) and for the last 15 minutes of class (whew, 2 hours on the track is quite a workout!) we rode a paceline in the sprinter's lane with one lap pulls - after one rotation the speed picked up a lot and we were having a lot of fun (insert "hooting and hollering" sound effect here). I was pretty maxed out by the end.

Riding on the track is like riding a wooden rollercoaster but you get to steer. The sprinter's lane is really fun!

Note: Paul said he only turned away once when he thought I was going a bit slow in a turn toward the end of the night - and I knew exactly which turn he was talking about - but I made it through without incident.

From Road to Track - Karen Fienberg Expands Her Skills

BMCT member, Karen Fienberg, is literally going outside her comfort zone tonight at 7PM when she embarks on 4 - 2 hour indoor cycling sessions at the Boulder Indoor Cycling facility.

Three Cheers for Karen!

DNS track rider

What do you do if you DNS at track nationals? Of course, ride 100 miles with 10K of climbing in 6:30 hours. Go figure! A retired team and I rode Boulder to Grand Lake via Allens Park and Trail Ridge Road. The last hour was arduous with twice over 12K feet. Would have much rather joined the track boys in the hunt for medals in Fricso - congrats to the real riders. (photo Bob Hughes and sJw in Grand Lake after high altitude journey)

Team Pursuit Gold

On our final day in Texas, the 60+ men contested the 3000 meter team pursuit. The Vic's Espresso/Peerless Tire team of Dennis Hastings, Barry Messmer, Jim Kinsinger and Paul Mack were the last team to go in our category and on the day. A mixed team calling themselves Wall-E went first and posted a time of 4:27.435. We were confident we could beat that time but next came the Alto Velo/Webcor men. They were led by Larry Wolff the gold medal winner from both the 2K and the points race with some real horsepower in Mark Rodamaker and two others. They rode well at 4:09.671 nearly 20 seconds better than Wall-E. That was our time to beat.


We lined up resplendent in our matching Vic's Espresso/Peerless Tire kits and off we went. Many teams had mixed kits as they we're put together just for the event. We rode our hearts out and were ahead at every check.
Our final time of 4:00.615 took the gold and smashed the national record.







As the racing came to a close, it was a proud moment for all of us on the Vic's Espresso/Peerless Tire team. Our team had performed well with every one of us going home with a medal.








Note the Specialized "podium shoes" worn by Barry in the photo. They were quite the item with Joe even slipping into them for his Points Race podium appearance.


Perhaps it was the two hour warm-up in the afternoon Texas heat. It's so hard to judge when to start your warm-up at track events.
We're all happy to be back on the Front Range but our thoughts go to all those affected by the tragic Four Mile fire. Now would be a good time for the rain we had in Texas to appear in Boulder County.

Track National 40 – 44 week recap

I left work Monday dreading the long drive to Frisco. In order to get on the track Tuesday, I had to leave Littleton Monday after work. It was a nice drive and only took 11 hours to get there. The longest part of the drive seemed to be from 287 across 380 through Denton to Frisco. Traffic was a nightmare. I arrived safe but tired at the Superdrome and picked up my packet.
I could hardly wait to get on the track. I did a couple blow outs and picked my 200 line, but decided it was time to get to the hotel and get some sleep. When I arrived at my hotel I was glad my wife was not with me. This place was not a family hotel and I was rather worried about getting some rest here. I talked to the manager about needing peace and quiet and he assured me that it would be quiet. He then placed me on the far end of the building near an exit with no one in the wing with me. My time at the hotel turned out to be surprisingly quiet. I did, however, see some things that I had never seen before, but I will save those things for group rides.
I woke Wednesday excited and ready to race. Unfortunately, the weather would not cooperate and the evening races were cancelled. I went back to my hotel and tried to keep mentally prepared for the next day. My alarm went off Thursday morning but it was still dark out. I got up, opened the window and found nothing but darkness and rain. I was really bummed; this killed my motivation. I had planned my events knowing I would have a full day of recovery between the points race and my 3k time trial. This really had me on the fence. There were many times I was going to go and scratch. In the end I was there and already registered, so what the heck.
This was my first year competing in a points race at nationals. Honestly, this is the first year I have actually even tried to race points. There were many people talking about helmets and some being illegal. I knew right away my helmet was illegal. In the ACA it’s not a big deal but USA Cycling has had it on the website since January. I went up to the official and confirmed it. This was not a huge deal since I brought a spare.
I like to start on the rail towards mid track. As I tightened my toe straps I felt someone pat my back. I looked up and saw Jet and Vic Williams. This really helped me to calm down. I held up my hand and it was visibly shaking. Jet told me something that instantly calmed me down. He said to relax and that I deserved to be in the field. He told me to watch riders and that there is some pack fodder in the field. He also recommended that I watch whose wheel I get and if there is a gap, jump to the next wheel. The whistle blew and I rolled off thinking, “I am not pack fodder!”
The race seemed to start slowly and I didn’t like the pace. I jumped a little to let everyone know I was there to play. All I know is that inside I continually told myself, “Keep attacking and stay up front!” I got 5 points then 2 the next round. Over the loud speaker I heard some riders got a lap. I didn’t even see them go. Now I was angry at myself for not seeing this. I felt tired. I wanted to quit. My entire body was screaming at me to stop this madness. My brain told me to attack hard in the corner and I did. I hit it hard and when I looked, I could see a huge gap. I kept on the gas and I could see the group sitting up. This made me go harder. All of a sudden I saw the whole group in single file again. This scared me but I told myself to go hard as I knew that rest would welcome me at the hotel.
Once again I saw the group go up track and then the riders were about 20 meters in front of me. I was in the group listening to the announcer and planning my next move. Then I heard, “Robert Kelly has got a lap!” I knew right then they have scored me. Now I needed just a few more points to climb up.
I moved to the front and tried again for more points. Now, in the beginning, I got 5 points and 2 points + the 20 for the lap. While lapping the field I wasn’t sure if I got points or not. Tallying all this while riding in the red is not easy. In the end I was 5th with only 1 point between me and 4th.
Friday was a nice day for track racing. I got to the track way too early because for some reason I woke up at exactly 3:36 am and could not get back to sleep. During that time I rode probably 2,000 pursuits as I tried to sleep. So I decided that I would just go to the track and wait for my race. The 3k is one of my favorite races. I had a strong warm-up and laid it all out on the track. My legs felt heavy but that was no excuse. I gave it my all and left nothing on the track. With my effort I ended up 7th.
Saturday again I woke up at 3:30 and stared at the ceiling for hours. I had to be at the track early so I headed to the Superdrome. This was my third attempt at sprinting in my life. I was warm, ready and had a good line. During the pre-race warm-up there was a little commotion about a Casco helmet being illegal. I just minded my own business and kept warming up. Finally my heat was up and the rider before me was not there. They called him up and it was the same rider complaining about the helmet. Now this guy was a muscle builder type and was extremely upset. In fact this was probably the biggest display of unsportsmanlike behavior I had ever seen. The official warned him twice and then said, “One more word and you are going home!” The whole flash anger had me shocked. But, this was no time to dwell on that confrontation; I had a race coming up.
I went around the top as close to the rail as I could get and then hammered it down my line. I feel good and fast and then it happened. In the last corner at around 40MPH, my front tubular popped. It sent me down to the blue band and I had to let off the power a bit to regain control. I forced it through the line and actually qualified 16th. When I got back to the tent I was a little upset with the tire situation since I had just had a flat on that same rim two weeks earlier. Again, there was no time to worry about it now. I borrowed a 404 and changed gears for my sprint.
Being 16th, I had to go against the #1 seed. I figured if I drew a 1, I would attack from the gun. A 2 and I would attack with 1 and a half to go. I drew a 1 and attacked from the gun. I caught him totally off guard but still lost and was eliminated. My goal for the sprints was to qualify and I met that goal.
My next race was the Kilo. Now I really love this race but at times it’s a love/hate relationship. I was tired, sore and now the plica in my knee was giving me fits. I warmed up and my legs returned to normal. I don’t have my tri-spoke but Jet loaned me his 808. I was pumped and ready to go. I started out fast but when I got to the first corner I went really high. I got to the next corner and tried to get in the aero bars and went high again. Now you may think I am crazy but the way the 808 handles is far different than the tri-spoke. I finished in 7th but I felt like I did leave some in the tank. I typically get serious track hack after pursuits but didn’t have it after my kilo. I have a full year to practice this.
Finally, the race I had grown to love arrived- the team pursuit. I have been riding this with Vic Williams and really found a good partner for this event. Vic stayed late on Sunday just to ride this with me. His wife had to be to work Monday morning and they all stayed just so I could complete the ride. At the last minute I talked Pat Larabee into doing it with us. So in the end Vic and I rode with two guys with whom we had never done exchanges and one of them was a dedicated sprinter. We talked about this before the race and decided that Vic and I would do full lap pulls and the other riders doing half lap pulls. Pat and David Gray really kicked butt for us and we ended up 4th. Not bad for a toss together team.
Last but not least, the BAR competition. I finished 9th with a goal of top ten.
It was a pleasure to ride with the Vic’s team this year and I can’t wait to get back in the group ride mode again. Last year I was really on the fence about racing. I was talking to Paul about this and wanted to tell everyone here that it is because of you and this team that made me fall back in love with cycling. It is such a great honor to ride with National Champions, National record holders and people who are the best in the world at what they do. The advice I have received by so many of you has been priceless.

Pedal Hard! Rob

Masters Track National Championships

Here we are on Saturday morning, day four of the Masters Track National Championships in Frisco, Texas!
We have a great contingent of Vic's Espresso/Peerless Tire riders contesting the various events. The Frisco track is a beautiful 250 meter with 44 degree banking. The surface is plywood with a sanded paint finish. We're hoping the Erie Track can be something like this!

The morning of day one saw the 2K Pursuit/TT for Barry, Dennis and Paul in the 60-64 group. Barry rode well, missing the gold by .06 seconds! Paul held on to 3rd with Dennis in 4th. The clouds and thick air turned nasty with pouring rain causing the canceling of the evening program where Steve was poised to defend his title in the 55-59 group.

Unfortunately, we awoke to more rain and black clouds in all directions. The Thursday morning session never started and Steve with prior commitments (work really can cut in our enjoyment of this sport!) had to scratch and head for DFW airport.

Finally, late Thursday afternoon, as the clouds thinned, we resumed racing.

Joe and Jerry rode well in their 2K event but were edged out of podium positions.

Rob Kelly rode valiantly in the 40 -44 points race, lapping the field solo to join others having lapped earlier - in fact all podium places had lapped the field. Rob held on for fifth in the hotly contested event.
Rob, care to add a comment?

Thursday was sunny and not too warm or humid.

I'll let Joe and Jerry fill you in on the matched sprints. Comments men?

Jim Kinsinger showed his fast twitch in the 65-69 points race last night by taking enough points to best the other sprinters. One rider had lapped the field securing first leaving Jim with the silver!

More to come - Points races tonight for Paul, Barry, Joe and Jerry!!

Home Safe From Nationals

By paying close attention to aerodynamics, Mike and Joe were able to maintain sufficient speed to make the drive back to Boulder in a grueling 15 hour run, with "Iron Mike" handling the vast majority of the piloting. During the long night's drive, the two reflected on their trip to Nationals, and recognized how much of their success was due to the support of their Vic's Espresso/Peerless team. In particular, they are greatful for the continued excellent coaching and guidance from their teammate and friend Neal "Real Deal" Henderson of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Their "Neal Plans" made it possible for them to reach their goals of their best rides ever at Nationals, for which they offer their profound thanks.