Stupidweek Day 3, 4 - Whitnall Park RR, Crit

Four races, four paydays! Well, yes, the fields have been small - we had 12 old dude racers today!

The positives are this: One, I am again starting to be able to climb hills. Both days had a short climb that hurt the legs after so many repetitions, and I never struggled except for the sprint.

Two, I've now done four races in six days. I'm tired now, but felt good during the race. I made a couple of efforts off the front today, and closed down a couple of break attempts. I did quite a bit of work today.  So I am perhaps getting some recovery finally. Two efforts in races a month ago wiped me out. Now, I'm okay.

Progress. Cross season is getting close.

The part I need to keep working on is the closing sprint speed. I haven't done any minute-long interval sessions yet that will bring me to that kind of fitness. That speed will come.

Two races left to go in Stupidweek: Kenosha and Bay View, both completely flat. I'll try to get into a better position in the last lap and try to get the W. Kenosha is always a good time. I'm not sure about the Bay View course, though. There is one very sketchy corner and some construction at one of the corners.

But the racing's been fun in that challenging, what kind of legs do you have kind of way. Whitnall Park RR was very high on the WFQ points. Even today, a cit I've done a lot before, was pretty fun.

Two more races, and we'll shut down the road racing and start preparing for cross. And that is, after all, what matters...

Stupidweek Day 2: Brookfield

I had some serious doubts about racing partially in a parking lot around the police station in Brookfield.

It turned out to be pretty fun! I raced boringly. The first five in the race, including me, did the majority of attacks and covers and work. The race came down to a field sprint. I missed a bit of top-end speed and couldn't move up for the sprint. Still finished 9th and in the money!

Next races are Monday and Tuesday at Whitnall Park. Mike and Patrick may have convinced me to race the youthful 4s at the Whitnall RR. Since it will be 91 Monday, an early morning race might be better!

StupidWeek Race Report-Cudahy

I started the first of a few StupidWeek races today in Cudahy. It was a flat, pretty nice course by the lake. As with most StupidWeek races this year, there weren't many of us today, maybe 20-25 guys.

The racing in the masters 4/5 was pretty boring. In the first two laps, we just rolled around, so I got impatient and attacked. After a lap solo, when I realized no one was coming with me, I sat up and got back into the group. With 10 to go, I was really getting antsy and took off again. I was also solo again. The pack let me go but were letting me dangle a bit so with 5 to go, I sat up and tried to recover before the sprint.

I thought one guy was the sprinter so I sat in behind him. But by turn 3, when I was sitting 10 wheels back, I realized he was not going to sprint! So I gassed it and ended up 8th.

I am going to race boring tomorrow, follow any groups that go off the front, and wait for the sprint.

The best part of the race today is that I got PAID! First race check in four years!!

karl's jr. - winning(s)!

While my team mates have been doing some racing and more racing and blogging in famous places, I've been hitting the road training for 'cross season, and winning, or at least riding to the mailbox to collect my winning(s).

Twice during the Giro, I hit the jackpot. First, at least in reverse chronological order, was racejunkie's contest, where I placed second in the Week 3 contest, where I won a mess of stickers, but being the shrewd barterer, I traded a jar of our world famous MWI Embrocation for one of racejunkie's custom embroidered moisture wicking Walz cycling caps. The fit is great, and I can't wait to get it sweaty and dirty once the weather turns cooler.

Before that, I cashed-in during the Pave blog's Cima Coppi Contest, by correctly guessing that Stefano Garzelli would be the first to cross the Passo Giau, the Giro's highest point. For that brilliant guess, I was the lucky winner of a Laekhouse t-shirt, and appropriately enough, I picked the Fausto Coppi.

So, thanks to all my new friends at the Pave Blog, Laekhouse, the racejunkie blog, and Walz caps. I personally invite you all to come out to Kansas City, Milwaukee, or any other stop on the MWI 2011-2012 cyclocross season barnstorming tour - we'll bring the cupcakes and beer.