Dan Action

Florida Cyclocross!?! January 21, 2008

Well, the rumors are true and the ads in Velo News were not the elaborate hoaxes some may of thought they were. Florida has a ‘cross series, and it’s fun as hell.

I went down to the second to last race in the Florida series on Sunday the 20th to try my hand at racing down here. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. Would it be a crit on the beach? A flat sandy scrub pine course? Who knows.

I was pleasantly rewarded with a course that could of been any race of the ones I’ve known from New England. The course wound around the park outlying the Largo tow library and went from grass switchbacks to trails meandering through the woods to a sand pit, more grass switchbacks with some sharp little repetitive climbs to more woods sections, and to top it all off, through a retention pond mud-pit. Laps were somewhere around 6:30 min., so they were nice and long.

We had had a fair amount of rain in the preceding week and the course was soft and sluggish through many parts. My month long hiatus from racing was apparent through these sections as my recovery time was all but inexistent. A friend from Gainesville, Gary Yates, the Florida points leader in the ‘cross series and all around fantastic rider, led it all through the first half of the lap with me right on his wheel leaving the rest of the field to chase. Gary had a bobble coming out of the sand and I took over the lead, picking the best lines I could on the muddy course. Gary took over the lead, I kept on his wheel for as long as I could but the aforementioned lack of recovery, I could not hold it, within the next two or three laps, Gary had opened up thirty seconds on me, which I could already tell would be insurmountable. The gap between me and third place was even more substantial, leaving me to settle in and make a day of the racing. I became more cautious of my lines and also more attentive to the crowds. I got to sat hi to a few spectators and dogs, respond wittily to a few well meaning heckles. All the friendly stuff you want to do at a cross race.

Speaking of the crowd, maybe the race was sparsely attended compared to a N.E. race, but the all too familiar vibe was in the air. That of fun and camaraderie, and competition mixed with accolades towards your competitors. Cross is pretty much the same here. When I needed the tools of the neutral support offered by Chainwheel Drive, to which I repaid by a few bottles of Harp, Brian and Bruce just kind of looked at each other and as I rode away I heard the remark “That’s cyclocross!”, indeed it is, even in Florida.

Check out these links too: Floridacross.blogspot.com, blogs.tampabay.com/biking

The other side of Winter… January 10, 2008

…Is exactly where I feel like I am. To attest to this, the weather factory of this peninsula is showing me again what riding in eighty degree weather is like. Last week I began training again in earnest. I’ve been getting out for consecutive 60 mile rides coupled with some intervals or running stairs at the UF stadium for good measure. The sharply increased workload on the bike together with an increase in my employment hours has me at a low point tonight.

I am pulling myself together for the two ‘cross races here in Largo and the Downtown crit here in Gainesville. I truly feel like I am out on a limb as far as training goes. I really want to not only race these races, but go there to win. Every part of my internal coach says I should be focusing on base miles now or in the gym, but the internal enthusiastic racer in me is giddy and at the moment shunning the coach. It’s no secret to my peers that I am focusing whatever talent I have on cyclocross. I will make my appearances on the road, but all things racing tailor towards Fall.

This winter here in Florida will be the last of my extended stays down here for the foreseeable future. Finacially and emotionally, it has become a burden. While I am very understatedly content to be here now and hold down a job or two, train, and get deeper involved with Nathalie, A firmer ground has to be sought.

Here I will announce my intentions on moving to Philadelphia in May of 2008. There, it’s in writing now. I suppose I should start figuring out the logistics, huh? Should, one forbids, all attempts fall through, my back-up plan is a move to the city of Boston. The idea of a move to Boston after growing up in a satellite city of it, thus spending much time there, admittedly, i feel a bit non-plussed about. But hey, I have a wonderful ob there (Bikes Not Bombs), many a wonderful friend, and the racing/ riding scene is one that I’m incredibly familiar with.

In regards to the USAC’s ideas to move back Nationals past Ney Year’s, I am not for it. I await covincing arguments for the change that, as we all know, are yet to come in the flood of debate. A longer season means racer burn-out, promoter burn-out, and travel hardships for those racing in Europe readying themselves for worlds. I feel like the short and concentrated season in conducive to the fans who’s attention may be short and not prepared to follow an elongated season. Let the scene and sport of ‘cross in the U.S. grow until there is a need for the increased season length. ‘Cross is by nature a euro-centric discipline within the Euro-centric sport of cycling.

What do you know; it’s a new year. January 1, 2008

Well it’s gonna drop down to freezing tonight here in Gainesville, FL. The town is completely dead on this first day of the new year, not that I see that much of it anyway. My ride out on the back roads today was pretty much me on the road and that’s it.

While I’m on the subject of riding, there are a bunch of events coming up here that I’m pretty pumped about. First, the Tour of San Felasco is coming up on the 14th. San Felasco is an incredible nature preserve about 10 miles outside Gainesville that boasts 50 miles or more of continuous trails. The tour there is a well attended event, filling all 450 spots within a week of registration. A guy who works at the shop with me has an entrance form, but is not sure if he’s going to use it. If not I’m hoping to be able to volunteer or something to ride it.

Next are the two ‘cross races in Largo, FL. about two hours south of where I am. I have no idea what to expect from cyclocross in Florida, and I will demur speculations. There are two of them in the same town one on the 20th and another on the 27th. The latter is apparently going to be the Florida state championships. Who Knows?

Other cycling events of note are the training crits that are starting up as early as next Saturday and running for three weeks. Unfortunately for me I work all day on Saturdays and it makes up a big chunk of my paycheck, so You can’t race them all.

Early February there will be the perennial Gainesville Downtown Criterium. I look forward to this one and in preparation, I am going to make myself a new skinsuit. Since I race unattached on the road, I feel I should take advantage of the freedom of choice I have as to what kit I can wear. Look for it.

There’s a lot more I want to add to this post, but I guess it can wait and this one can suffice as a small update. I hope a good number of you were close to a bottle of champagne last night and were able to hear some version of Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne. New Years may be the only holiday that has gotten me consistently choked up. Get right with those you love, make sure they know it.