Niagara Classic

Niagara Classic is a great course. This is the second year I have done the race and both times it has been amazing, sunny weather. This year the start/finish changed to make things more interesting. We started with a neutral start on Metler Road down to Effingham. The race starts at the bottom of Effingham hill to make sure you get warmed up right away. At the top you turn right (if you made it up) and go down hill. This section is fast for a few km then you turn another right to a flat section of the course. Go down half way then make a quick left-right and keep going. At the end of this you turn right again onto another flat section where the pace slows down as people prep their legs to start climbing again. At the end of this section there is a fast downhill to uphill. You can do this easily without touching your brakes but it seems many people do not feel comfortable with their descending skills. After this you take a fast right and your are off to the races uphill on Effingham once again. Its a false flat basically up to the real hill just because they do not want it to be easy for you. This makes for a 12km course. On the last lap we turned left at the base of the hill, back onto Metler. This was about 500m stretch around 3% grade to the finish. Made for a good sprint!
For our race I started mid pack, but somehow found myself slip towards the back. I knew from last year to try and conserve as much energy as I could because the hill takes its toll after the 4+ times going up. Over the first few laps I worked to move up to the front. A break had already formed but I didnt want to do work yet to catch it. On the third lap on top of Effingham I reached for my gel tube, dropped it and it was gone. Had no food for the race so I was kind of scared. Luckily I had some gatorade in one of my bottles, at least it was a source of carbs.
At the end of the fourth lap two guys broke off the front to try and bridge the gap the break. I made a half attempt to go with them then decided against it. Just dropped back into the peloton and conserved energy. Towards the end of the 5th lap I think, we caught the two riders so I was happy with my decision because I was where I would have been but with fresh legs. At this point I have no idea when we caught the break I just know it happened before the end of the race. After the last climb up Effingham I pushed to get about midpack. Going downhill I was behind someone who was heavy on their brakes and ended up back at the back. Held this spot until the valley before Effingham. Kept my speed up and made up a few spots. Once we turned onto Metler rd the left side of the road was open and I heard my step dad yell at me to giver hell. I opened up and made my way up to near the front. Overall I finished 5th and 3rd in Elite 3 group. I was pretty happy with the result and it was my first podium in Elite 3!
Things to work on: I kept finding myself fall backwards in the peloton. Need to hold my position better especially at the beginning and ends. (the middle of the race I am pretty good at I guess). I need to work on my positioning coming into the end. I feel like I have the power, just not in a good spot to take the win.
Notes: a 39-28 gear ratio is money for getting up Effingham. I wouldnt have it any other way.
Now I look forward to a week off then KW Classic!
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/315241685
Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130519-211827-ncresults.htm

Elite 3 Podium!
EDIT-- Looked at some photos uploaded, looks like that break wasnt completely caught. the 2 guys that won (junior and elite 3) were in the break and managed to stay a bit out front

Lake of Bays OCUP

Today we had the worst weather possible. Hovering just over 0 degrees, we experienced snow, rain and hail all with nice strong gusts of wind. Everyone was asking themselves why there were putting themselves through this, and one of the commissaries said: So you can tell your kids about this in 20 years! Everyone that came out and raced today proved that they are tough as nails!
The race was 94km around the beautiful Lake of Bays. This race would be much more enjoyable with better weather. I feel sorry for the elite 1-2 riders that were out there for 170km today, it would have been brutal (although fellow coachchris.ca team mate, Andrew House pulled away with a sweet solo win!).
I was hoping to do pretty good today with the form I have built up. I was feeling good, rode with pack and moved around a bit, making sure to stay clear of any crashes (luckily there were none). I went up and stayed at my uncles on saturday so when I checked the weather it said 6 degrees with a 40% chance of precipitation. Definitely should have brought my booties, although i dont think any of my gloves would have kept my hands warm. I definitely should have brought more. I was having problems shifting during the race, especially down shifts. The combination of numb fingers and the small trigger on the shimano shifters made it tough to shift. This ended up being my down fall. Just after the feed zone as we started to head back we were about 75km in, the peloton surged ahead to cover an attack going downhill. I wasnt able to get a shift for what felt like forever. Once it finally shifted I lost my spot in the peloton and was spit out the back. Enough of a gap had formed that I couldnt catch them. I chased hard for 5km then I saw someone else drop off. I thought this would be great for me to catch back on with help. Unfortunately this guy didn't have it in him and we both lost sight of the peloton. I ended up dropping him and riding the last 10km in solo.
What I have learned is that weather is unpredictable, and it is better to pack too much than not enough. Also after my shifting dilemma it has reinforced my preference for sram shifters as the shifting tap is bigger, it will be something I will look for whenever I get a new bike.
Heres to hoping the weather is better for Niagara Classic next weekend. Really excited for this race and im curious to see how the new finish will work out!

Garmin data (HR wasnt set up right): http://connect.garmin.com/activity/312015742
Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130512-202508-lobresults.htm

 Beauty photos courtesy of my brother who gave away his weekend to come with me. Cut my head off in the one above as I came into the finish. The next picture is just trying to stay warm at the beginning!

Springbank Will be the Death of Me

Springbank Road Race- OCUP #3

It has been a bit since I last checked in, and I have been busy training to improve my form. Last year at Springbank I was taken out with about 500m or so left in the race, so this year I knew I would have confidence issues. The course is amazing, completely closed, and scenic if you have the chance to look around. Starts with a fast left into a downhill where speeds pick up and the path gets narrow. It slightly banks left again as you ride along some water with canada geese enjoying the race. It is always fast through here as you lead up to a little hill. At the hill the road curves a bit, nerves come out here and all too often you hear someone yell to someone else, "HOLD YOUR LINE!" After this there is another left where the pack tends to slow down a bit and people are waiting for a move. A little bit further along there is a little chicane with curbs so again people get nervous about others keeping their line. From here its <500m straight off to the finish.
Race started and the pace picked up because the Master 2 riders would have been a minute behind us. I started at the back (i haven't learned my lesson) and coming into the first corner as far as I can remember a CHCH rider went down, and then an independent rider, Niles, went down and with me right behind them I followed suit. Got up shakily, uttered a few hateful words about how I knew this would happen and made my way around the course to the wheel pit. I got my free lap and was added back to the pack. I was sure to stay near the front to avoid other mishaps. My knee and back were a little sore but I'd look after those later. There were a few attacks none stayed away for very long, and I left the primes for others as I wanted to be fresh for the final sprint.
Right near the end we ended up taking over the master 2 group in the first corner which was pretty sketchy. It was bad enough with just one group going through it. As far as I know everyone made it through, small gaps may have formed though.
About 2 laps left coming through the finish line (18 laps total for our race), there was a big pile up right ahead of me. A rider I was following slowed down just after the hill so I was back further than I wanted. I was on the left side of the road, I have no idea what caused it but people looked a bit nervous so my bet was some wheel rub started it. I have no clue how I got around it, I thought I was done for. Maybe I rode around a bike, maybe over top, I think my brain went 'HOLY SHIT!' and shut down for a second. Either way I am glad I got around it. I heard someone yell "common Chris catch them!" A small gap formed when I slowed for the crash and I was easily able to cross it. I held a good position coming in through the chicane. I stayed behind a train of INVITA junior riders hoping they were up to something. Then a couple of them threw in the towel and boxed me in. Lost some ground but was eventually able to get through some people and put in a little sprint to claim some places.
Overall I finished 9th, and 5th in Elite 3 which was a lot better than my showing at Good Friday. As I grow stronger I hope to see even better results in the next two weekends at Lake of Bays, and Niagara.
As I said Springbank is an awesome course, just in my two showings I have had bad luck.

Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130505-202558-sbresults.htm
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/308287276
OCUP Points: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130505-232702-Ontario%20Cup%20Road%20Standings%202013.pdf

Sprinting into the finish (form wasn't great I know, was more concerned about getting around people than aero)

Some of the scrapes post race. They didnt hurt too bad, there were people much worse. My main issue is my swollen knee.
Thanks for checking in, ill post up again next weekend!

A Paris to Ancaster to Forget

The weather was the best it had been in years. Legs felt great and I was aiming for a top 100 spot to make the elite wave next year. The course was shortened due to the heavy rain during the week leading up to the event. My brother decided to do the half St George to Ancaster 40km race.
I started a bit back in wave one. I figured showing up to the line 20 mins in advance would be enough time, turns out it wasn't. Worked hard to catch up, and get by the slower people. Mechanical #1: turns out I didn't tighten my seat post enough and over the first 10km, it slowly dropped with every bump I hit. Forgot my CO2 and multi-tool at my student house, so I had to find someone that had one. Got one, took the guy's number, fixed it and had lost about a minute. Fresh legs now, sprinting to catch back up, got into a farmer's field and did one too many shifts up. Mechanical #2: chain jammed between the cassette and the spokes. Lost the group I was with and a couple minutes trying to get it out. Fresh legs again, caught up to the guys, and passed them in the next farmer's field section. Killed it along the rail trail from Jerseyville Road, on route to Powerline East. Passed quite a few people here, riding mainly solo. As soon as the course turned off it went onto an uphill, loose gravel section. Mechanical #3: Shift up and chain really got jammed between the spokes and cassette. Lots caught me here, probably took about 5mins to fix. Again fresh legs now, and sprinted onwards. Nailed the two mudslides passing a few people along the way. Met the kind gentleman that gave me the multi-tool and returned it. Bike felt weird coming out of the second mudslide. Mechanical #4: Rear flat tire. I forgot my C02 dispenser but had a canister. I prepped the tire with a fresh tube and started asking for help. Someone stopped and offered up a C02 and said to keep it. (if you were the one that gave me it and want it back let me know!! I never got your number or anything) I inflated it, and my stupidity, I forgot to check if the bead caught the rim. It didn't on one section so had to get someone else to stop with a pump. Needless to say I lost a few minutes again. This was about 5km from the finish. Was able to catch a few people by the top of the climb. The course was surprising dry in most areas such as the rail trail, so it made for a fast course.
I wasn't able to put up a great result for the CoachChris.ca team, but many others did great! I finished 278ish, and 29th in my age group.
What I really love about this race is the camaraderie. When people are at the side of the road, anyone that goes by checks to see if you are ok. After I finished, I waited for my brother at the bottom of the hill and cheered on the people that were preparing for a sweet climb. I was changed into my regular clothes and rinsed my face off so it didn't look like I rode. People gave me the "go screw yourself" look, or the "lets see you do this" look. The people that were coming through by this time were just trying to make it to the finish. They all did great work pushing themselves.
Legs felt great today, feel the power coming back which is a great sign. The additional riding outside is a lot better at building up the power than on the spin bike.
Next race will be Springbank crit on May 5th.

Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/298123864
Results (both 70km and 45km): http://www.parisancaster.com/results.html
Hopefully post some nice pictures in the picture section if I find some posted.

Tour de Bronte

Hey!
I probably should have got this up a bit earlier but i'm sure you've been busy riding and racing yourselves! Anyways, Saturday was the tour de Bronte, and my coach Jeff Kehler said I should try the elite race to get used to the 80km distance of the elite 3, and to see how I fair against the top guns. It was the same great course as last year, plus a couple of extra pot holes here and there to add to the fun and keep your mind sharp. I was sure this time to start at the front having learned my lesson from the Good friday race.
As soon as the race started I could sense the power these guys had behind them. First time I had raced with a mainly cat1/2 field, and they are on a whole other level. I am still getting used to the big jump from elite 4 to 3. These guys are crazy fast, but I feel like I should be able to hang in with them a bit further into this season (we will find out come provincials).  Back to the race. I was able to hang on for 1 of 10, 8km laps. About half way through the 2nd lap I was shelled off the back. I had already seen that a chase group had formed as we came around in the second lap so I slowed my pace and waited up for them. This group was more the pace/skill level I was used to, and just what I think I needed to get back into things. Gave me the chance to get used to rotating through, feeling strong enough to take pulls again and not care that others are skipping turns. Through the remainder of the race there was two bad crashes ahead of us, with an ambulance being called for on CHCH rider I believe, and I cannot remember if they other crash had an ambulance as well.
With about 2 laps to go there was about 10 in our group. A m1 rider from Wheels of Bloor attacked with one guy on his wheel and they stayed away for about half a lap then I bridged the gap. Once that happened he decided there was too many and eased off back into the group. Once we were all back together he attacked again, and he was able to stay away. Going into the last lap there were only 4 of us left as the rest fell off from the increased pace. I wanted to work on my finishing strategy so I tried to limit my turns on the front, and seem as tired as I could. Coming into the final 2 kilometre there were 3 of us in contention for whatever place was next. That didn't matter to us as we raced our own race and wanted the fun of a good finish. Coming in I was sitting in the middle of the train. The front guy attacked and I was able to cover his move. He cleverly slowed right up, pushing me to be in the front. I kept my pace low with an easy gearing so I would be ready to jump on the next attack. The same guy jumped again, the other guy had his wheel then I got his. Now I was back to where I wanted to be. The guy in the middle thought the end was where the turn around was but it was further down the road. He attacked and sprinted just past that point only to realize his mistake. I was on his wheel and this brought me close enough to open up my sprint to the finish. I didn't know the other guy was still on my wheel until I saw the shadow in the picture, but he didn't have enough to get by me after all his attacks. I felt confident with my sprint because I have done quite a bit of training for it so I rode conservatively into the finish and it worked! It felt like I was riding the final kilometres of a spring classic with all the attacks which was awesome.
Now I feel like my head is back in the game and i'm ready to race. Going in to get checked for bronchitis so that might help give me some more oxygen. But ill be in full action this weekend at the Paris to Ancaster! Hopefully some of you will be out there!

Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130406-224451-tbresults.htm
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/294046140

I leave you with my sprint finish. If you look at the shadow you can see there was someone hiding behind me. Forgot my coachchris.ca kit in my closet! Good thing I packed enough to wear just incase I thought it would be overly cold. Ill be sure not to mess that up again! I did however remember the bright yellow team socks ;)

Good Friday Road Race

I had much higher expectations for myself than what came out today. Recently i've seen my numbers on the spin bike increase from the increased training load and z4 intervals so I thought I would be in great shape today. Nope!
I started towards the back of the pack and spent a good portion of the first lap trying to move up. Got somewhere near the top 1/3 but at the expense of my legs. The second half of the lap had a strong wind which kept riders away from the yellow line. I saw this as an opportunity to move up. Adding the extra power while taking on the wind did wonders to my legs.
Going into the second lap I dropped off the back as the peloton got strung out (I fell back some positions by this point). The people ahead of me started to fall off as well. I managed to work with a guy that I worked with at Terra Cotta, Greg, and we got back on. All of this was in vain as the same strung out peloton with people dropping off ahead of me happened again. Greg and I were too tired to be able to move up when we first got back on, and again we were both off the back. We tried to chase hard during the third of five laps. We had the peloton max 200m away up until we got back to Trinity road. The wind again did wonders and pulled us further away. As we started the fourth lap we saw that they were gone so we gave up hope. I finished the fourth lap and called it a day.

Things to take from this:
1. Start near the front!
2. Don't sacrifice yourself in the wind in order to gain better position that early in race. Not worth it.
3. No pain no gain. Make sure you do the work to stay on the pack, if you drop off you will be doing more work.

I'll be skipping Calabogie as my funds are looking a little low until I start work again, but ill be racing Bronte and P2A over the next two weekends.

Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130329-230911-gfresults.htm
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/290344220

Steaming Nostril Race Report

Sunday, March 24 was when it all went down. Cold but sunny, and a nice little wind that came from the north. Just to meant to be a fun race for me to get back into the mix of things, and relearn what its like to suffer after a long winter. The race started and ended in Elmira, had a 6km section of rail trail from hell (that we rode out and then coming back in) and then the rest of the 68km route was mainly gravel road.

The rail trail was tough! We hit it just over 1km in. It was mostly covered in snow and ice that made it hard to keep your bike under you let alone in a straight line!  It also zapped all energy you had trying to keep the pace up, especially where the snow had melted from the sun and you were forced to ride the soggy gravel trail. I nearly blew up trying not to lose everyone in this section. Maybe I didn’t have the right tire pressure, or not warmed up enough but I lost most of the main guys here.

Once we got out of the rail trail it was a long time on mainly flat gravel roads. Here I worked really hard to catch someone to make it easier and take turns cutting the wind. As the race continued our group grew as people were popped off of the lead group. I didn’t mind it as it gave me more time to rest after the rail trail extravaganza.

With about 5km to go to the ride back in to the rail trail my legs were feeling the effects of a hard fought ride, and a long road section into the wind. Might not have helped that I couldn’t get my meaty gloves into my jersey pocket to grab my gel. With the help of fellow CoachChris.ca/TedVelikonja rider Jeff Landry, I was able and motivated to stay with the group at least until the rail trail. The pace picked up a bit here and some of the riders started to drop off. The group was maybe cut in half by the time we hit the rail trail.

This time through it was even worse. More snow melted and less hard pack which was easier to ride on. A lot of sluggish, soggy rail trail that you had to grind through. The mud built up on my crank set and I had no access to my bottom chain ring. The only way I could think of describing it was that it felt like you were riding up a 12% grade, but mentally tougher because you could tell the ground was flat. I pushed through knowing the finish line was on the other side.

Overall finished 44^th, and 6^th in my age group. Was 4^th going into the rail trail section but feeling the effects of a bad start, the legs were quitting on me. Maybe some food would have helped, but it definitely felt like an accomplishment finishing. One of the hardest finishes I think I have ever done, and it was great to sit around after and talk with everyone about how bad the rail trail section was. It made you feel better that you didn’t suffer alone!

Racing resumes this Friday for the Good Friday RR. Second weekend of 4 weekends straight of racing goodness!

Results: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20130324-214531-snresults.htm

Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/288516926

Hopefully Pics to come if I find any, but heres this gem someone made: