HPT Grand Prix

Hey Gang,

Last Saturday i raced cross in Topeka, it was at night, it was pretty cool.

The 3/4 field was a decent size (25) but in general the turnout seemed small. People missed out.

I started front row thanks to my 360 series points. When we hit the track i was probably sitting 6th. Passed a few guys but then got passed by Nick V, he encouraged me to jump on his wheel and help him catch the lead group, i was all about it, but couldn't hold his wheel. I was laboring. Maybe Joe Fashions wicked fast start winded me. Pretty soon i was riding in no mans land. Nick V was always pretty close and i kept riding as hard as i could hoping to catch him. He was a good carrot. I got pretty dang close on the last lap but never made contact. Finished 5th.

For the first time all year the ground was soft, not muddy, but soft. That's a step in the right direction!

For whatever reason i had a pretty casual attitude towards this race, so im not upset with that result. The course is really fun and i cant wait to go back next year. Now it's time to get ready for the next two weekends. They're going to be big. Were going to Lincoln this weekend for the Saturday / Sunday races. They're supposed to be waaay fun. Live music and everything.

Then the next weekend is Jingle Cross, the one event Ive been looking forward to the most for 2011.

Pow!

p.s.

The Kansas City Roller Warriors had a great tournament... but didn't' make the finals. They won their first game, which i told you about, then won their second game (both upsets!) and were playing for a change to go to the finals but lost a close game to Oly City (Olympia, WA). Personally i think they got hosed because Oly City seems to be a team of mercenaries from around the country while KC is entirely home grown, but cest la vie. It was a close game so KC can hold their heads high.

And... Remember me telling you about Snot Rocket? Well, Snot Rocket, who actually now goes by hear real name, Kelly Young (because she's cool like that), won MVP for the tournament!!! More info here.

How about that!!!!

I love derby girls.

Xcelerator

So it turns out that my girlfriend is a total bad ass.

(I promised this post a while back and im finally getting to it.)

You may know that i refer to my girlfriend as 'X'. This stands for Xcelerator. Why Xcelerator?Because she used to play Roller Derby and that was her Roller Derby name. Are you familiar with Roller Derby? Were you aware that Kansas City has a Roller Derby league? Were you aware that America has a roller derby league and that every year there is a National Championship?

Well its time for you to get in the know.

Kansas City Roller Warriors!!!

So the inspiration for this post happened a few weeks ago when X and i attended the Roller Derby regionals which were being held at Municipal Hall in downtown KC. X doesn't play anymore, she's too busy riding her bicycle i guess, but she loves to go back and cheer on her old teammates. P.S. If you haven't been to a game i highly suggest you go. Lots of fun.

So i've been to several games with X but it wasent until this regional match that i fully realized just how good she used to be. Were standing there watcing and people are coming up to her just to say how awesome they think she is. It's crazy! I'd witnessed a little of this before. My favorite moment was after a game last year, we were standing outside Municipal and an older couple, in their 60's and total hippies, walk up to us. "Excuse me" says the guy, "are you Xcelerator?"

Holy moly!

My girlfriend is a celebrity!

So like i said i knew she was kind of a big deal, but it really hit home at this regional match. People have a lot of respect for her. When strangers find out she used to skate and she tells them her derby name was Xcelerator, well, peoples eyes get a little wider. It's wild and really fun to be standing next to her during all this.

Let's do a quick history of Xcelerator on roller skates.

She was a rink rat growing up in Springfield, MO. That means she hung out at the roller skating rink a lot. Soon she got into speed skating. Not on ice skates but on roller skates. She's a competitive person so she took this seriously, flying around the country to participate in events and trying to be the best she could be. Quick side note, there are some pretty fast cyclists who used to be speed skaters. The guy who won Snake alley this year, Chad Burdsilaukas, and local fast man Adam Miller were both speedskaters who skated with X.

So, she did the speed skating thing for about 12 years and got really good at it, but not great like she wanted. She never won any national championships. Now that fact that im even mentioning national championships should tell you how seriously she took it.

She trained hard.

Then college started and she stopped skating competitively. After college she moved to Kansas City and found out about Roller Derby. The KC league was going in to it's fourth year so she decided to go and try out. Before she even skated a tryout she mentioned that she had over 10 years experience as a competative speed skater, the other girls ears perked up. Specifically Snot Rocket. Shot is a bad ass and realized what she had on her hands, she pulled some strings to get X on the team. Apparently X showed up after official tryouts were over and therefore technically couldn't join the team till next year (Derby seems to have a lot of red tape), but Snot knew they needed this girl and Snot had the clout to get her on the team so she made it happen. This was the beginning of the Snot Rocket / Xcelerator one two punch.

So X makes the team and quickly became a big contributor.

The way roller derby works is that each participating city has their own small league. KC has 4 teams. These 4 teams play each other throughout the season but then the best players from those 4 teams form one All Star team and then all the All Star teams from around the country play each other and ultimately compete for the National Championship.

So the local games are fun but the All Star games are really where it's at.

X makes the all-star team.

Which brings us to the Roller Derby National Championship, 2007. Xcelerators first year and the pinnacle of her short but outstanding Roller Derby Career.

Now keep in mind that i didnt know X during all this but in the almost two years that we've been together i've slowly learned about all the awesomeness that is the history Kansas City roller derby. Like the fact that KC was the 4th team in the country and now there are over 500. These girls were way ahead of the curve. KC represent!

Anyway, back to 2007 and the Roller Derby National Championship...

So it's 2007 and The Kansas City roller warriors have made the playoffs but are major underdogs. But, they do have Xcelerator and Snot Rocket, which means they're dangerous. Xcelerator, who is new on the scene and flying under the radar, is about to come out of nowhere and show these derby girls what 15 years of competitive speed skating can do. Snot Rocket is already well established and a major force to be reckoned with. If Xcelerator is Lou Gherig then Snot Rocket is the Babe Ruth of Roller Derby. Even X would admit this. Snot Rocket is a legend in the derby world.

With these two weapons, plus and entire team thats hungry and has nothing to lose, the team goes on and somehow, against all odds, makes the finals. They play Rat City (Seattle) for the Championship. It's a back and forth game that comes down to the final jam, and amazingly, KC wins it!

Here's an article.

I've looked at pictures and talked to X and her derby friends about it, it was an amazing moment. Like winning the superbowl. To this day that National Championship game between The Kansas City Roller Warriors and Rat City is remembered as one of the most exciting championship games ever! I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it. If you've been to a game than you know how seriouisly these girls take it. they're sweating and yelling the whole time, shoot, they practice like 4 times a week for at least 2 hours. These girls are for real.

So to put in that kind of work, and then win it all, well, i'm sure it was a powerful moment that none of them will ever forget.

And to top it off, Xcelerator is named MVP of the tournament!

POW!

So, no wonder people remember her.

She only played one more season after that and then she got into cycling. Honestly, I think she regrets retiring when she did. There is a real comradery between the girls and i know she misses that. As well as the thrill of competition. It's a little like amateur bicycle racing in that sense. Actually, there are a lot of parallels between the two.

Both are niche sports, both are filled with characters that are looking for a little something more out of life, and both seem to have an underlying goodness to them. Cycling, like derby, takes people with passion to make it happen. Not just riding and racing, but putting on races and events and bringing people together. Not for money or recognition (although both are available) but because they love to do it. Derby girls who just finished a bout are staying after to clean up the venue, bike racers who just finished are staying after to clean up a venue. People are donating their time, making things happen.

I dont want to get to cheesy here, but people are doing this because they believe in it. Because the want to create something. Because they want to be a part of something. Because they love it. Thats a great foundation, for anything.

*The timing of this post is perfect (on purpose) because the 2011 National Championship final tournament actually started tonight, and about 30 minutes ago KC won it's first game... they're advancing! The Championship game is on Sunday, Let's go KC!!!

Click here to follow the action this weekend.

So how about it Xcelerator, time for a comeback?

My Helmet Cam Video from 360 cup

Technically the camera is mounted on my stem.

360 Cup was a great course which i thought would really suit me, and i did okay, but it really wasn't my day. Chuong hooked me up with his video camera right before the race and i think the footage is pretty good. It was fortunate that i lined up in the very back because it makes for a much more exciting perspective.

Enjoy the show!!!

(i'm not sure why only half of it is showing, click the 'full screen' buttom on the bottom to go full screen.)

View on ExposureRoom

Boulevard Cup

i had so much fun at the Boulevard Cup on Sunday it's been hard to think about anything else since. The weather was amazing, the course was great, the crowds were big and the racing was hot.

Lets relive the glorious day that was last Sunday.

the 3/4 race (my race) had 48 starters! That's equal to the fields at Jinglecross last year. At Saturdays 360 cup i started last row so i was determined not to let that happen again. ps, i had a video camera strapped to my stem for the 360 cup, hopefully i get the footage and can post it soon, it should be pretty entertaining.

Anyway...

With 25 minutes to go i was lingering near the start. With 17 minutes to go i was lined up on the second row and very happy about that. Right beside me was J Doug. I believe he said his racing philosophy was 'fly and die', meaning pacing yourself is for wimps. I have a friend who has the same philosophy when it comes to drinking, but thats another story.

The whistle blows and J Doug is true to his word and takes off fast. I'm sitting about 8th after a few turns. Then we hit a tight s turn and the field is basically stopped. Dave can sense everyone coming in too hot and says 'were bottled up guys'. He said it so casually but people seemed to listen, like he was the boss, Dave is the bomb.

Anyway...

Dave and i get thru pretty quickly but we were the lucky few. I'm sure this helped open a gap to a lot of folks behind us. By the end of the first lap Wichita Bob is riding off into the sunset never to be seen again, but i'm in the first chase group. There are 4 of us. The course was totally awesome and had lots of long fast sections so it was conducive to working together and drafting. Dave pulled most of the first lap or two so i eventually moved to the front to do my part. I was feeling good. Pretty soon we lost Dave. He had a great race the day before, taking 3rd to Wichita Bob despite several crahes, and the day before that he did some sort of threshold test so he was pretty pooped come Sunday.

Soon after that Carl was yo-yo'ing off the back. Carl is strong but he would run the sand while we would ride it, so i think that's what hurt him. It was quickly down to James and I. All these names have become pretty familiar over the past month or so. It's been a lot of fun.

James and i were in cruse control and worked well together for the rest of the race. It was awesome. One thing that was not awesome was my less then stellar performance on the technical stuff (minus the sand, which we both rocked), maybe i had too much air in my tires or maybe i just suck at tech, it was disappointing but it was never a game changer.

Anyway...

I was completely focused on what was going on but i also couldn't stop thinking to myself, "this is awesome, this is awesome, this is awesome." I mean, im in a two man chase, fighting for 2nd place at one of the biggest local races of the year. Maybe the biggest. There's an announcer calling out the race action. The course is packed with spectators drunk on free boulevard been and cheering wildly. I was living my dream. When i first started to read about Cyclocross and guys like Ryan Trebon and Sven Nys, well, i was fascinated. Now here i was, having my own little moment.

Getty up!

Anyway...

The race goes on and even though James makes several comments about trying to catch Wichita Bob i know we are riding for 2nd. We keep the pace high and work together till the very end. This one was going to come down to a sprint finish and this course was set up to have a great sprint. The final stretch was about 100 yards of pavement followed by about 20 yards of grass, then the finish line. It was all relatively strait so you could totally haul a**. I lead into the pavement but kept the speed medium. I'm not sure if this was the right strategy (ive done very few sprint finishes that counted for anything significant) but i didn't want to be to tired when he made his eventual move to try and come around me. So i rode medium and tried to spot his move. I looked underneath, listened, tried to anticipatet. Nothing came. He was still right behind me.

So with about 20 yards of pavement left i down shifted and poured my life into the pedals. It was liberating. it felt like i was going fast. We hit the grass and i started to feel over-geared. i glance back (X was quick to point that out after the finish, i guess looking back is bad) i can tell it's going to be close. He moving up my right side. Keep mashing, keep mashing, keep mashing. The finish line is close, but so is James, he's basically even with me now. Here comes the line! BIKE THROW!!!........ he beat me.

I knew it immediately.

I'd love to see a picture of the finish because i think i had a great bike throw and i think he did to, but i knew he beat me. Couldn't have been by more than 6 inches.

Cest la vie.

Despite losing the sprint i was all smiles. I just took 3rd out of about 48 dudes!!! and on top of that it was a ridiculously fun race to be a part of and hopefully a lot of fun to watch as well.

After that we hung out, watched the open race, drank lots of great beer, played some Dungeons and Dragons and enjoyed the awesomeness that is Boulevard Cup. Seriously, Boulevard Cup, bad ass.

Boss Cross 3... BMX style

Yo,

First of all, im sitting on the couch getting ready to watch Chiefs / Chargers Monday night game, it's Halloween, pumpkins are carved, Beer is near by, so is the candy... life is good.

Now, on to Yesterdays boss cross race...

The location was the Raytown BMX course and a portion of the course was actually on the bmxtrack. So cool. The carnage that followed, not so cool.

I got there early with X, she rocked the open race and had an exciting 3rd place finish after riding in 4th for most of the race. Even won a little money. there was still a few hours until my race so i was enjoying checking out the venue and snapping some pics when i see my good friend and teammate Brett being carried thru the parking lot. he's favoring his ankle. Apparently he was warming up, crashed, and rolled his ankle something awful. It quickly became obvious he was in major pain. Now, Brett is a tough guy, mountain biker, rides a ton, has been known to live is places without basic utilities. Plus he's had a tough hand dealt to him growing up. So seeing him react the way he did told me it was bad. After 20-30 minutes of filling out forms, changing positions, assessing the situation, it's decided he needs to go to the hospital. It was probably obvious all along but i guess nobody wanted to accept how bad it was. At least i didnt.

i was prepared to drive him to the hospital but X stepped up big time and said she would do it, allowing me to stay and race. She rocks.

After some x-rays it turned out he broke his ankle and i think he needs surgery. Major bummer.

Keep your head up brother, you'll be back soon!

At this point i still have about 2 hours till my race so im on the bmx track watching the racing. I pick a spot which should allow for some great photos. Right beside all the 'waves'. i call them waves, it was a series of close little humps. The next race is the Singlespeed / mens cat 4. The race starts and, predictably, Kent Woermann is the first singlespeeder to come thru (this dude is unstoppable) followed closely by Britton. Next up are two more Colavita dudes, Andrew and Michael. But neither of them make it to far. Andrew comes into the 'waves' to fast, loses control, and crashes hard, real hard, right on his head. he basically slammed the hard pack dirt surface of the bmx track with his face and helmet. This happened right in front of me and it was immediately clear it was a bad crash.

Micheal did basically the exact same thing but must have done a better job of falling because he was up and racing again before i even noticed. Andrew was not getting up so quickly.

Luckily Mark Horn was also standing right there so we both rushed over to him. At this point the tail end of the ss race is rolling thru followed closely by the entire cat 4 field. Andrew is still lying on the course but hidden behind the waves so we had to make sure he didn't get run over. Mark and i try to attend to him while also waving riders around us. We tell Andrew to stay on the ground and catch his breath. It looks iffy for a bit but after a few minutes he sits up and does not appear to have any major damage. Thank god for helmets. I saw first hand how important they are.

In the end he had a gash in his chin that required a few stitches and got his bell rung big time, but appears to be fine besides that. It's a good thing hes young and strong. I'd hate to see the result of that crash on an older dude.

So after attending to a second teammate and getting him all squared away i look at the watch and my race starts in 45 minutes. racing is kind of an afterthought at this point but im already registered so it's time to roll.

This post is already really long so lets make it even longer with a detailed race report.

The cat 3 race has about 20 starters and im on the front row. They say go and i feel good. probably 5th after about 30 seconds. caution is my key word over the bmx sections but it doesn't really hurt my position. Then, After the first lap or so, that familiar scenarios begins where people in front of you start riding away. They're right there, but 'right there' keeps getting farther and farther away. After about 3 0r 4 laps a lead group of 4 is established. Carl, who finished 2nd to me last weekend, James, whose been getting faster and faster, some dude i dont recognize, and my teammate David are all there. David was behind me for the first lap, then passed me and rode right into the lead.

I find myself about 15 seconds behind the lead 4. Scott from trek is with me and maybe somebody else.

i get a gap on them and am chasing solo. then, very unlike me, i trip on the barriers and fall to the ground. i get up, re-tighten the real wheel, scott catches back up, and off we go. We kind of work together but i also kind of attack him, we probably should have worked together because the course lent itself to drafting, but i'm an scatter-brain and couldn't think strait.

Its funny, i won last week and didn't feel nearly as fatigued during that race as i did yesterday. i dug deep yesterday but it just wasn't getting me that far. Plus yesterday i was in scampering hamster mode almost the entire race. Meaning i never got in a grove. Constantly shifting, changing positions on the bike, looking around, no flow.

In the end Scott opened up a gap on me and i finished 6th. Not happy but not mad either. I think the power and fitness is there, just need to put it all together.

After crossing the line i found out David won, very cool.

okay, time to end this novel, the chiefs are up 10 but the second half just started.

Halloween Party's

What a great holiday.

Getting dressed up and hanging out with your friends is great but hitting up McDonalds at 1am and having the teenage gal whose working the drive thru take one look at us and, without hesitating say, 'zombie nurese'... well, thats awesome.

Yes, we are zombie nurses!

Critical Mass.... Halloween Version

Being that Halloween is on Monday i had to stop by and check out the critical mass ride tonight since i knew would be a festive one.

There was a short period of my life where i was a regular at Critical Mass but i haven't been for a while, actually, the last one may have been Halloween last year. It was good to go back. Plus negotiating a slow moving peloton of casual drunken cyclists on bikes in various stages of fully operational is great practice. People are weaving, ducking and diving everywhere!

Enjoy the photos.