Jeff Cospolich

Alina's painting from the painting party

2012-01-29T20:18:00.001-07:00

More snow sculptures!

2012-01-29T20:17:00.001-07:00

2012-01-29T20:16:00.003-07:00

Snow Sculptures

2012-01-29T20:16:00.001-07:00

dancing with Summit Junior Cheer clinic

2012-01-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Alina and Helen enjoying a spinach, strawberry, kiwi & chia seed smoothie! Yum!

2012-01-21T20:30:00.001-07:00

2012-01-14T19:10:00.002-07:00

Copper Mtn winter Mtn bike race

2012-01-14T19:10:00.001-07:00

jeffcospolich shared an Instagram photo with you

2012-01-08T19:43:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

jeffcospolich just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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"doubting the EasyBake"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

New Years Day 5k

2012-01-07T17:40:00.001-07:00

Headed to Bombers Snowboard School

2012-01-07T09:05:00.001-07:00

2011 Leadville Silver Rush 50M

2011-12-31T16:52:00.001-07:00

a pic of Helen from CO Runner magazine

exposure on a mtb

2011-12-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

this vid has spread across the social media world. i like the beats too.

some early Xmas gifts for Alina

2011-12-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

thank you everyone!

hanging in Vail

2011-12-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

cross racing week 15 - states & the end

2011-12-21T01:39:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks of the CO cross season provided plenty of snowy and muddy courses. After the Louisville Snow Bowl on Dec 3, we ventured north to Lyons on Dec 11 for the last race in the Boulder series. I held on for 7th that day, which somehow put me 2nd overall for the 35+ Boulder Racing series. And then it's the last race, state champs on Dec 17.

The state championship course was originally scheduled to be in Aurora. I wasn't exactly sure where, but was happy to be racing somewhere new to me. Just a few days prior to the state champ weekend, ACA announced that the venue had changed back to Castle Rock. This was good news, as I really liked the Castle Cross course we raced in the fast & dry back in mid November. The course was at Rhyolite Park, located adjacent to Quarry Mesa in Douglas County open space. I like the fast and dry courses, but can hold my own in the mud & snow. With the recent cold temps and decent snowcover along the Front Range, despite the warming temps, we all knew we'd be in for a mudfest. One big difference was that our race was 3:15p, and we normally go off at the old man hour of 10:15a. The late afternoon start guaranteed a super sloppy course, previously beat down by several other categories. As always, I just hoped the mud would shed enough to allow me to be competitive without taking a bike change. Perhaps next year a 29er HT will suffice in the pit.

I had a good week of riding, and an even better executed taper. One upside to the poor start to our snow season is that good weather has allowed me to get outside at least once a week, which is the minimum needed to get some leg speed and to keep indoor-riding insanity at bay. I took Josh down for the 3s race prior to mine, so it was great to be down at the venue early. Felt pretty good in warm-up, tailing Keller on a lap to see his line selection, and we both knew the course would change some during our race. The Cubus were once again providing plenty of bite at 25/26psi. One of the reasons I like the CastleCross venue so much is they have a proper start straight...nice, long, wide and uphill. I slotted in with the 4th call-up and soon enough the whistle set us off. I found my pedal and was able to get in the top 5 before the turn onto dirt pretty comfortably. After about 100m of pedaling through the first uphill mud bog, I knew we'd be up for some tough power sections. I rode a great first couple laps and was hovering behind Tim Faia in 4th, a good place for me to be. Tim went down briefly and I found myself riding in 3rd place for a 1/2 lap or so. I have to admit there were about 10 seconds during which I dreamt about finishing on the podium. But reality set in when Tim came by me to reclaim his spot in 3rd. By then, Robson and Cariveau were gone. I was set to do a lot of work in 4th-6th places for the duration of the race. Damn it was a fun course! Had some dry grass, snowpack, lots of mud, and a cool flyover with an abrupt transition. During the 2nd to last lap Taylor and Travis Brown passed me to sneak into the top 5. Hludzinski was eyeing me but I rode pretty cleanly on the last lap and had a good gap across the line for 6th.

Big thanks to Shawn Lortie (45+ strongman) and Mountain Flyer for the great image above and cool articles about CO CX State Championships.

I really wanted a top 5 at states, but considering the conditions and the quality of our field, I am happy with 6th. My goal back in September was top 5 overall for the CO Cross Cup, and I finished 4th, so it has been a very good season. And my blue collar equipment continues to serve me well. Giant TCX 0, Force drivetrain (now in it's 3rd year), TRP Euro X brakes, Easton EA70x wheelsets, and both the Specialized Tracer and Tufo Cubus tubulars. Was seriously considering a new cx bike for the 2012 season, but am thinking of waiting for technology to progress...hydraulic discs integrated into STI levers. Interbike 2012, hopefully?

I'm not normally fit so late into December, so a part of me wishes I could keep pushing the training and go out to Nats in Madison. But I just can't see any January cross races working out for me, work and family have been more than generous, and it's time I return more energy to them. Big thanks to Helen and Alina for putting up with my racing, the time requirements definitely border on selfish at times. And thanks also to all of my great competitors in the 35+ field. Proud to race with you guys, and looking fwd to doing it again in 2012. Now it's time to ski some powder! Just need it to snow first.

Dew Tour half pipe

2011-12-17T15:35:00.002-07:00

2011-12-17T15:35:00.001-07:00

Alina and Kevin Pearce

2011-12-17T15:34:00.001-07:00

View from the box

2011-12-17T15:33:00.003-07:00

2011-12-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

VIP passes at the Dew Tour!!

2011-12-17T15:32:00.001-07:00

Alina's gingerbread house

2011-12-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

more snowboarding

2011-12-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

cross racing week 13 - grin & bear it

2011-12-06T19:32:00.001-07:00

Well the rubber hit the road up here in Summit Co a week or so back with the weather. Riding outside on my schedule has become super hard. I prefer to just get up at 5:30 to get in an hour of something structured, not knowing if my afternoon will unravel or not. Getting the work done early, then being able to focus more at work has been better. But, I feel like the top end needs to be stoked outdoors at least once a week.

The T-gvg weekend CO Cross Cup race was a really cool, but hard (when was your last easy cross course?!) Westminster course. I goon'd the start with a missed pedal. Rode pretty well after that but the starts are usually a big advantage for me. Now I know the Grand Staircase is not just in Escalante in Utah! So the following week I did 8-10 starts and nailed each one. Thinking the missed pedal from the Westminster race was just a case of nerves and bad luck.

This past weekend was the infamous Louisville Rec Center Bowl of Death course. I've raced there off and on for years. I remember back prob 7yrs ago, a day the Louisville course greeted us with a good amount of melting snow & mud. A young Danny Summerhill was racing with us, and he crashed out or had a tough race or something...afterward he was crying to his mom in the parking lot. I distinctly remember my mother-in-law Mary wondering why this young kid was crying so much just about a bike race! Anyway...the weather has been pretty volatile as usual in Colorado. Some nominal mid-week snows made things muddy prior to the Boulder UCI wknd and then for Schoolyard Cross, but the weather was pretty dry in mid & late November. I was lucky enough to rail the new-this-season Benjamin Tr down at Betasso on Thanksgiving morning. Sunshine and shorts, man that felt great! And what a roller coaster of a singletrack! Hope it melts out there sometime again this winter. But late last week, mother nature cranked out a good ole upslope and most all of the Front Range received a good 6-10" of snow. And it wasn't the kind of storm that is followed by sunshine and mild temps. Louisiville received prob 8" or so, and temps stayed in the low 20s for race day. The harsh irony was that the highcountry didn't get any snow really, dry roads all the way down I-70 til about Genessee or so. So I suit up and hop on course. Very technical, hardpacked snow singletrack in spots, veering off on either side was risky with chance of augering in or sliding out. And some sidewalk sections were super slick and would cause many a crash. A couple of tough run-ups that are usually integral to the courses at the bowl, and one long switchback climb that turned into a decent run.

All in all I felt really good during warm-up, legs were good and the Cubus at 26/27 were hooking up very nicely. I've again hung on to my #2 call-up, and line up next to Robson in the 5" or so of loose new snow. In hindsight, lining up behind him on the hardpacked trail would've been the wise move. The whistle blows and we're off, or more so, most of the field is off. I clip in right away, but kind of auger down into the snow, then get on it again only to pile into the guy in front of me as I am desperately burning energy (and yelling) to get my ass in gear. Well in a matter of seconds I am near the back of the pack once again. Ah well, time to race smart and pick off a few guys. I hit the deck a few times, but no worse for the wear, and stay focused while trying to go smoother and faster each lap. I really like the chip timing this year, bc even if my race is toast early on, I can focus on busting out fast laps and then check the lap times after to see if I kept my cool and was able to ride smart til the end. Looking at the lap times from Louisville, my 3rd-to-last and 2nd-to-last laps were pretty good, but the wheels fell off on the last lap and I hit the deck again, trying to claw back on to masters road machine Eddy Gragus.

The usually bumpy and brutal Bowl of Death was this year pretty smooth and slippery and white! I felt like my skills were up to the task, just need to nail my start next weekend at Lyons and I think everything else will be fine! Forecast looks like cold but no new snow, so my guess is it will be muddy. One more chance before States to get in the top 5 and improve my overall Cross Cup standing! So an early Christmas present would be to nail my start at Lyons and get my head back in the game of racing near the front of the group again.

2011-12-04T18:37:00.001-07:00

2011-12-04T18:36:00.001-07:00

2011-12-04T18:34:00.001-07:00

Alina's winter violin recital

2011-12-04T18:32:00.001-07:00

Le Petit Paris

2011-12-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

Alina and I had date night. We celebrated a fun evening, incl my top 10 placing in the inaugural town Running of the Santas. about 1K, but I was working hard!

and lighting the tree!

2011-12-03T20:46:00.001-07:00

carriage ride with Santa!

2011-12-03T20:45:00.001-07:00

and a parade down Main Street to light the town tree at Blue River Plaza

Alina's Xmas list

2011-11-30T19:43:00.001-07:00

$10 to anyone who can de-code this. :)

Fun at the Turkey Trot 5k

2011-11-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

At the Nutcracker in Boulder

2011-11-25T21:38:00.002-07:00

Santa!

2011-11-25T21:38:00.001-07:00

Reindeer at 29th Street

2011-11-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

A Black Friday purchase at Macy's

2011-11-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

T-gvg at Breck Elementary

2011-11-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

fun day for the parents too. and wow the parents can really cook!

Alina's become a Broncos fan overnight, asked to go to Target for this shirt

2011-11-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

Dear Santa

2011-11-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

Alina doesn't need any more very large toys. nowhere to put them in our tiny house!

Sent from my iPhone

my 2 girls

2011-11-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

first day of the season on the mtn!

First day of the season!

2011-11-13T13:19:00.001-07:00

purple girls

2011-11-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

women's European CX championships

2011-11-12T08:24:00.001-07:00

Keller posted this great video on his site. Looks like it came from a French friend.

Championnat d'Europe cyclo-cross 2011 from Petitesreines on Vimeo.

time to see how how much discipline i have

2011-11-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

Taking off from racing this weekend. Guess it's time for a break. Thanks to my wonderful wife, I've done 12 races over 9 straight weekends. Hoping to toe the line for 5 more. Was out of town for work a few days this past week, so haven't had much time on the bike. I'm writing this as the wind is absolutely howling outside, due to an approaching winter storm that is supposed to drop over a foot of snow here in Breck. And of course my wife is out in this weather now, she has a 5 HOUR training run on tap. And to think I am struggling with the idea of my 90min trainer workout later today...pathetic. She is truly an amazing person and quite often a large part of my motivation.

Last Saturday was my 9th straight weekend of cyclocross racing here in Colorado. After a really fun weekend-before-Halloween down in Boulder for the big CO Cross Classic and Boulder Cup, the Schoolyard Cross (Nov 5) was challenging from a motivation perspective. I had not raced before out at the Prairie Center in Brighton, just east of Denver off of I-76. It was a welcome change though from the constant commutes to Boulder, even if it was about the same distance (just under 2hrs). Compared to the big Boulder weekend of racing, it was difficult to find any beta about the Schoolyard Cross course and potential conditions during the week prior to the race. There was nary a tweet out there, and it was apparent that some of my competitors were taking off that weekend for their mid-season break.

Driving through Denver and hopping on 76, there was not much snow on the ground and I was hoping it would not be too muddy. Pulling in to the venue I realized it was going to be super muddy, combined with some hay. Not a great mixture. I rode one lap with my PDX clinchers, then decided it best to perform the rest of my warm-up on the roads and not to trash my bike yet. I actually had a pretty solid warm-up riding the roads around the big shopping mall out there. It kind of reminded me of my days as a hack cat 4/cat 3 roadie when I used to do office park crits. Our customary mid-morning start time rolled around, and we lined up in the start chute, listening to the heckles of the great Larry Grossman. This guy means a ton to local cyclocross, and I am always stoked to see him at our races. As I mentioned earlier, many big guns were absent...Robson (he was shooting photos, racing Open later that day), Faia, Keller, Overton, Ariel, Stefko, Phenicie, Farrell. So I thought this could be a great opportunity to hop on the podium. Steamboat resident, Moots employee, and all-around good guy Jon Cariveau was there, and I rightfully picked him to tear us all apart. Since I was currently 2nd overall in the CO Cross Cup points, and with Robson not racing, I was the first call-up. Enjoy that one now for sure! The whistle sounds and we're quickly off. Cariveau tears off the line quickly, and I find my pedal and slot in right behind him in 2nd place. Perfect. But after maybe 60 secs, I would not see him again til the end of the race, as he rode away from the entire field to win by well over 2 minutes. McFarling, Wardell, Glen Light all came by me on the first lap and those guys would duke it out for the remaining podium spots. My legs didn't show up and I was not feeling it, but settled for 5th place with a pretty hard workout. The course was nothing stellar, but there were several sections of thick soupy mud that tested my skills. The Cubus were hooking up well. A Frites En Mayo rider was dangling close behind me the whole race, which worked out well to constantly push me. Afterwards, I hung out for a bit to see some other races. Mike Hogan set off a bomb and blew apart the 45+ field. I watched the first half of the Open race, and it was great to see Krughoff and Summerhill duking it out off the front.

Now that winter looks to be arriving for good this time, I seem to have arrived at the crux of my training season. I say this because there will be few opportunities to get in solid, "comfortable" training rides outside. My weekly prep will primarily consist of 2-3 sessions a week on the trainer or rollers, 2 xc ski tours a week, and 1 race per weekend. I am hoping to do some short, ride-until-my-hands-and-feet-are-numb rides on snow-packed roads on the mtb. Will this set-up allow me to continue with some solid results? Time will tell. As I said earlier, my wife and her amazing dedication to her training will probably be some of my best motivation. I've raced 'cross now for several years, and most every year I race well the first half of the season. But the second half of the season has always been a big challenge when i can no longer ride easily outside. The beauty of cx is that, due to racing into shape on the mtb all summer, I can usually maintain decent fitness with just 5-6hrs of training a week. I would love to have a good (top 7?) result at states this year. We'll see.

my first helicopter ride!

2011-11-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

one of our software providers took me on a heli ride over the strip in Vegas tonight. check that off the bucket list!

Brr!!

2011-11-09T06:03:00.001-07:00

new snowboard

2011-11-07T19:23:00.001-07:00

Alina's new snowboard!

2011-11-07T18:00:00.001-07:00

Alina and Maddy ran together

2011-11-05T14:52:00.001-07:00

Finish line!

2011-11-05T14:51:00.001-07:00

Alina with the girls

2011-11-05T14:50:00.001-07:00

Alina & Ava

2011-11-05T14:49:00.002-07:00

Girls on the Run 5k race day in Steamboat!

2011-11-05T14:49:00.001-07:00

Ruby in her ski jacket

2011-11-03T19:56:00.001-07:00

Alina the musician

2011-11-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

first xc ski of the season

2011-11-03T05:42:00.001-07:00

Ruby & I joined Scott Reid last night for our first ski tourof the season. we received about 10" last Wednesday, and another 8" yesterday, so Sallie Barber Rd, which mostly faces due north, was in pretty good condition.

it was 9F when I left the house, and 3 when I came back around 10:30. But I was nothing but toasty warm on my ski. I love xc skiing, and part of that is how it provides such a nice warm-up-your-core activity on even the coldest of days. Ruby wasn't super motivated at the trailhead, but once we got going she was having a ball, jumping through the powder off the side. Looking fwd to some longer tours this winter!

Boulder's big CX wknd, cross racing week 8

2011-11-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

For the last several years the last weekend in October has always hosted big-time cyclocross races in Boulder. UCI races which offer the pros precious points, good prize money, big crowds and lots of media exposure. For us amateurs, many of us had this weekend circled on our calendars because a lot of us wanted to represent well. After all it was one of the biggest weekends in Colorado cyclocross, right up there with the Ft. Collins USGP and state championship wknds. It offered 2 days of high quality racing on one classic course, and one new, soon-to-be classic course.

Saturday's race was held out at Boulder Reservoir. Can't even tell you how many years I've been racing out there. I remember racing there as a 4, trying to race my GT road bike with 27mm Vittoria cx tires that maybe offered 5mm of clearance under the fork. I think I flatted twice that day. I also remember in 2005 or so, I was racing the 3s, and we had Katie Compton joining us in most every race. She would start in the back, and maybe i'd hold her off for 2-3 laps, but I would almost always get chic'd. funny stuff.

Back to this year's action...Boulder had received around 8" of snow the Wednesday prior to the race. As of late I had been pretty gunshy of super muddy races, only because I only have 1 bike and seldom do I have anyone in the pits. I was hoping at least that I could race with just my 1 machine and not feel handicapped as other racers were maybe getting fresh bikes. Turns out that wasn't an issue. While there were some super muddy corners on the western part of the course, all in all my bike was working just fine that day. I rode a couple laps and decided to run the Tufo Cubus at 26/27psi. Then went back to the car, cleaned off the bike some, and then continued my warm-up on the paved and hardpacked dirt roads surrounding the reservoir. Having some consistent results this year, I was the 5th call-up in the 35 Open race, meaning I'd be on the front for the start.

Yes, that's Frank Overton, next to me in a cheetah suit at the start!

I hear the whistle but end up not clipping in right away. No worries, I roll out in maybe 10th or so as we dive into the chicanes leading to the only manmade barrier on the course. Rather predictably, Pete Webber & Brandon Dwight steam past me from their poor starting spots, and join Chris Case up at the front. Right away I knew we were all off their pace and would hopefully consolidate our losses and race our own groups.The gravel stretch heading due west was very hard for me, kinda bumpy in spots, into a slight headwind, and long. I was hoping to ride with a group during that section especially, but was in no mans land for at least 2 laps there. The course was freakin' amazing though. Lots of techy corners laced with time-release perfection of 8" of snow from a few days prior, turned into a soupy thick muddy mess. I managed to keep my bike upright, and was riding the corners really well. But I just did not have the power I needed to bridge back up to the top 5 let alone top 10. Faia was up the way trying to work on Robson. Overton was up there too. My group for the day seemed to be Keller, Quinones, John Tarkington, Christian McCarthy, Ryan McFarling & Brian Hludzinski. Tarkington has a huge engine I know. He started back and chewed through a couple groups, before resting in our group for a lap then going on the attach to finish 6th. Brian also is a great rider and I knew I'd be best off trying to hold his wheel a bit. I was able to come around Keller, Quinones & McFarling on the last lap or so, came across the line in 12th. Not a great result by any means, but considering the deeper field and the almost-epic snow & mud conditions, I was content on that effort. And there's always tomorrow!

Sunday's Boulder Cup was out at Valmont Bike Park. A truly amazing venue, I had last raced there in the fall of 2009, but missed the race there earlier this season. While many of us had hoped the course would dry out mostly overnight, we were still treated to an amazing mud bog on the south end of the course, and a few slick corners for our 1:30 start time. I had to run my Specialized Tracer tubulars, as I had picked up a goathead in my front Cubus the day prior out on the Boulder Res course. I rode a couple laps on my pit wheels, saw the accumulating mud, and decided I'd put my race wheels on and head back to the car to clean my bike one last time before our start. I rode the long sweeping street just above and adjacent to the Valmont Bike Park, so was able to get in a pretty good warm-up without thrashing my bike in the mud. Again, I was 5th position call-up in our race. We hear the whistle and put power to the petals. unlike the day prior, I find my pedals instantly and we're off. I was in about 4th or so during the first lap. No problem, considering how stacked our field was. I was in a great group near the top 5, and was super motivated hearing my name a few different times throughout the race. As we descend down towards the approach to the 5280 stairs, a red/white/black blur of Chris Case comes absolutely charging by on the bumpy, off-camber approach. At that point we all knew the pecking order was being developed.

I was riding with Wisner, Overton, McCarthy, Farrell & Tarkington. I could really ride the 180 deg muddy turns well, and also of course the muddy bog on the park's south side. With 2 to go, I play some mental games with myself but am determined to leave it all out there on the course. A good line selection through the mud bog, and a great line selection just before the finish straight...and i was all setup to hold onto my spot somewhere in the top 10. I warm down, grab some food and come back to see i had finished 5th! pretty awesome result for me, esp. for a CO Cross Cup. will not forget this one.

a "splitting headache"

2011-10-31T17:55:00.001-07:00

2011-10-31T17:51:00.003-07:00

2011-10-31T17:51:00.001-07:00

Ruby the hot dog and Nava

2011-10-31T17:33:00.001-07:00

Trick or treat!

2011-10-31T17:24:00.001-07:00

my best Jim Cantore

2011-10-31T16:43:00.001-07:00

news to add about 40lbs, some veins popping out my forehead and some higher blood pressure!

Interlocken, cross racing week 7

2011-10-25T14:39:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was the infamous grass cx venue at Interlocken. I've never really loved the course, but have had some decent results there. This year would prove to be no different. During warm-up I was struggling to find the right psi, but once settled at 27/28 and leaning forward a ton, my Tracers were hooking up fine. There was a ton of grass, but it didn't seem as thick and power-sapping as in the past. I had a call-up, but not til about 10th position (non CO Cross Cup race). The promoter did not have the typical 8 slots per row. Probably bc the start straight was a huge grassy ball field. I perhaps could have snuck in the front row as the 9th or 10th person, and perhaps I should have. Dean Crandall gives us the 2min, then 1min, then 30sec. But I don't recall the 15 sec warning. Anyways, no distraction for me, I was ready as the whistle was blown. I was slotted in right behind Faia, but unfortunately that day he missed his pedal. We were in DFL immediately. Bummer! Race for the top 5 pretty much evaporated in the blink of an eye. I was in the 20s getting to the first run-up by the v-ball courts. I was disappointed, but stayed positive and told myself to just race my own race, don't burn matches too early, and try to be patient and work my way through the field. It worked fairly well, I was bridging up to small groups after the first couple of laps. It was great to hear Larry Grossman cheering, yelling "damn dog, you must've have taken a shortcut," since I was moving up pretty well. Near the 2nd to last lap, I caught up to Gallegos, Ariel and another guy. The wind was on the increase, and several sections of course tape were coming undone. A couple guys went down, some had some tape stuck in their bikes, but otherwise I rode back up to 8th place.

Not a great result, but happy with my fitness right now, and I still feel I am racing smarter every weekend. Like every other Colorado 'cross racer, I am hoping for great feelings this weekend, out at the Colorado Cross Classic and also the Boulder Cup on Sunday out at the cool Valmont Bike Park. The first significant snowstorm of the season is barreling through Colorado as I type this. Perhaps the Cubus will again see some action! I just want to go fast on the whistle, the rest will take care of itself.

2011-10-22T14:16:00.003-07:00

Tiger spirit

2011-10-22T14:16:00.001-07:00

fun in the Grand Junction desert

2011-10-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Blue Sky Velo Cup, CO 'cross racing wk #6

2011-10-18T22:56:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was another race at Xilinx (cheers!), this one put on very professionally by the Blue Sky Velo club crew. Over the years they have often held their race at Xilinx. I recall one ultra muddy race there about 2-3yrs ago, didn't last long as I was a victim that day of a section of the infamous metal edged landscape barriers. Anyways, this year's edition was very dry, and very fast. It was also the 2nd race in the Colorado Cross Cup, and a chance for the local CO/Front Range cylocross scene to reconvene after a memorable mud/dry weekend of racing the USGP up in Ft. Collins.

We were throwing a slumber party for Alina and 6 of her girlfriends later that eve, so Helen hung out (thank you babe!) and I made the 2hr drive solo. I arrived and was happy to see the yellow Mavic neutral support crew. Always a great sight for the solo racer with no one in the pits. Fortunately I did not need their services, though it's always good to know they have tons of extra wheels, and even some neutral bikes (C'dale CAAD 9s painted in Mavic yellow). In the parking lot I started out with 25 front/26 rear in my Specialized Tracer tubulars. Not yet having the pro setup of an electric, handheld air compressor, I have been quite happy with my little Topeak SmartGauge D2. Besides my trusty go/no-go Park CC3 chain checker, this digi tire gauge has been one of my best purchases this summer.

Back to the course, a couple laps of re-con had me in love. A perfect, wide, uphill start straight that funneled out down to some singletrack that veered south down onto the fields. And out there we were treated to some really fun, flowy singletrack. Many of the corners were gradual or even bermed, so it was pretty easy to hold your speed through the turns. Only a couple turns that were a bit awkward to me. We then made a short little power climb that brought us up to some "baby barriers," maybe 6" tall, and easily hoppable every lap, even for this old guy. Then a couple 180s by the pits, a bit of pavement, some swoopy, bumpy DH grassy turns, and we were then down by the bridge and up a set of maybe 3-4 small steps. I rode them a few times in practice. They were pretty sharp edged, and I was banging my rim pretty good trying to ride over them without slowing down too much. But that was just the problem, it was simply too slow to ride them...and had I carried more speed into them i prob would have flatted and/or roached my wheels. After a quick remount, it was down the grass, and back onto the pavement near the start grid, where we slogged up the road and through the end of the lap.

After final prep, I get back to the start for staging. Our 35+ Open field was riding in circles around one of the Xilinx parking lots. It was pretty comical looking, but anything to keep the legs turning before we were at a standstill at the line. Having finished 5th at the 1st CO Cross Cup race in Frisco a couple weeks earlier, I was psyched to get my call-up and I was locked and loaded on the front row! I had my bike in the common start gear, 23x46, ensured my left pedal was perfectly parallel to the ground, and took a few deep breaths. The whistle sounds and I again find my pedal very quickly, and am soon up in the front along with Ariel.

I probably should have checked my enthusiasm and saved a match or so, but I couldn't help myself and came through the finish line with the holeshot! It was pretty cool to hear LG calling my name. I hit the singletrack first and tried not to completely explode. I ride the first couple of 180s pretty cleanly, then sure enough, big boy Robson comes right through. Having fully expected this scenario, I slot in behind him and see how long I can hold on to his pace. Come to find out it wasn't too long! i dangle off about 50yds, and soon some fast guys come through, including Tyler Carrington, someone I have not seen before in our fields. And then Jesse Swift came through on his Gates belt-driven SS. Man was he motoring on that bike! My classic 3rd lap fade started, but I didn't let it stay too long. Frank Overton and McFarling came by me on the 3rd lap going up the climb. I latched on to their train and was able to stay with this group til the end. On our last lap, I was hanging with these two and I was pretty comfy, all the while trying to see where I was going to try and pass both of these guys. There were two straightaways out in the field that I was thinking about, but they were both pretty soft on the outside if trying to pass. Just as I was ready to try and pick off at least Ryan who was directly in front, Overton washed out on a corner and was down. On the next straight I passed McFarling and somehow held my advantage up the climb. I then passed Jesse who was limping to the finish on a flat. I came across the line in 3rd place, my first 35 Open podium in a CO Cross Cup race. Needless to say I was jazzed, and it made for a nice drive back up to the mtns.

I think now I have fig'd out the race starts pretty well, assuming I'm in the 1st or 2nd row. Just need to continue riding smart, and know where to try and burn my matches. It is amazing how spent you can be after just about 45min of racing. Now that mother nature has put an inch or two of snow on many of my local trails, it will be easier to ride intervals on the dirt and pavement, with less "distracting" singletrack available for my perusal. Gonna hang with the crew for part of the annual fall man trip this Thur/Fri out in Glenwood and GJ/Fruita. The thought of railing the Boy Scout Trail has me salivating already. And hopefully the Ribbon or some other killer ride Friday morning. Planning on checking out the thick, power-sapping grass of the classic Interlocken course this coming Saturday!

Tired buddies

2011-10-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Alina and I

2011-10-18T10:22:00.002-07:00

We went hot tubbin' one night when my parents were in town. Alina loved it!

2011-10-17T11:11:00.001-07:00

Rock star b-day sleepover fun!

2011-10-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

Butterfly pavilion

2011-10-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

Butterfly Pavilion

2011-10-17T11:04:00.003-07:00

2011-10-17T11:04:00.001-07:00

Last soccer game!

2011-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

USGP New Belgium Cup, CO 'cross racing wk #5

2011-10-10T18:18:00.002-07:00

This past weekend was the biggest weekend of racing here in Colorado, thanks to the New Belgium Cup held at the same venue as last year in Ft. Collins. Last year it was a cold, thick, muddy challenge for my bike and I. This year, the USGP schedule had the Ft Collins stop moved up a month to October 8-9. I thought that was fantastic, as I am usually racing pretty well in October, and I also thought having the event in October might offer a better chance of a fast and dry course. I was very wrong, as a very cold, moist system moved into Colorado Friday night. I was up with family on Sugarloaf, and awoke to an inch of snow. Driving down the canyon into Boulder it was raining, and most of the whole drive north through Longmont, Loveland and Ft Collins it was raining as well. I was mentally prepared for a fun day of riding on a slippery course. I wouldn't call myself a mudder, but I've always believed I can ride okay in the mud.

During warm-up the heavens opened, and it was raining and blowing pretty hard. Not sure how smart my 2-lap warm-up was on the rapidly deteriorating course, but it was good to see it mentally. I had about 24/25 psi in the Cubus and they were hooking up about as well as I could hope, and I could feel the rim a couple times each lap but it wasn't a problem. Leading up to staging and the call-up process I was getting cold quickly. I decided to jog around the block a couple times, as I was downright frosty. Big mistake to not have brought my trainer to spin in a tent somewhere. I hand my jacket off to Tim Assor and we line up in the chute. It was pretty cool to get the call-up, and I was surrounded by some fast fast dudes. There were 13-14 guys from out of state who had placed well at the first USGP stop in Wisconsin in late September. I knew they would not be messing around, having made the investment of time and money to make the trip out to Ft. Collins. Thanks guys! And, since they were undoubtedly in pursuit of call-up points for their nats->masters worlds trajectory, I also lined up with Pete Webber and Brandon Dwight from the BCS Ambassador Team. Now that was bad-ass! These guys are absolute studs, and are representing Colorado in a great way! Then of course were the usual suspects of Greg Keller, Jon Cariveau, Michael Robson, and other fast dudes.

The whistle sounds, and i find my pedal right away. Unfortunately I am in the 3rd row and am ready to go quicker than the guys in front of me! I have done a good job practicing starts and can usually rocket off the line very quickly. But I was a bit caged in, and am not as sly as the wizard Pete Webber. so I just sat back a bit and found myself in about 20th hitting the dirt. No worries, plenty of time to ride smart and maybe save that start match for a finish lap match. But soon I realized my legs didn't show up to race with me. I was trying to apply the pressure on the pedals, but it didn't seem to happen. I also was in the wrong gear almost every climb. Just didn't have it. So I rode and eagerly gobbled up the mud riding practice. But I was racing no one. Prob 30 or so guys passed to maybe 2 or 3 that I did, and I wound up 50th. Ouch! Bike worked okay, but my chain was stuck in the big ring on a few occurrences. Luckily the SRAM dudes styled me out on Sunday! I only hit the deck once, and it was pretty comical as I slid down the off-camber DH corner. After the race was the huge problem of warming back up the core temperature. I was in the car, heater blasting, for about 30min shivering uncontrollably. At least I had a good view of the TRP run-up for the womens elite race. Had to get back to Boulder to try this racing thing over again the next day.

Sunday the course was an entirely different beast. The mud had dried out almost entirely by our 1:30p start. What were sketchy slow turns became high-speed corners. I was so stoked during warm-up, I knew this was a better day. The Specialized Tracers at around 28/29psi were perfect today, tons of traction with a very fast tread pattern. Guys with many tire options were running file treads. It really was what us mtb'ers call hero dirt. Same call-up procedure from the day prior had me safely tucked up in the 3rd row. Whistle goes and we're off. Again I am locked in my pedals and ready to apply some power, but I don't have a clear path in front of me. I bide my time and again hit the dirt in about 15-20th position. Not terrible. This time, as we head down the high-speed back section of the course, I hit the long climb in a really good gear and pass a few guys. This would be a pattern for the rest of the day. Maintain on the descents, a few passes on the climbs, and ride the corners smartly. I still was tapping the brakes more than I wanted in the techy corners, but i didn't appear to be losing time to the guys just in front of me. Seeing the lap times in the results docs is pretty cool, and it confirmed I was riding about my fastest lap times on the last 2 laps. I came across the line in 16th, close enough to my goal of top 15. More importantly than the result, i didn't make many mistakes, rode negative splits, and finished strong. Great day on the course with a stacked field. Just the confirmation I was looking for that I can hang up near the front of the masters field.

Not going to nationals or worlds, now my other goals remain a good showing at the Boulder Cup wknd (10/29-30), a strong ride at States, and a good showing in the overall CO Cross Cup series. We'll see!

Picture courtesy of Shawn Lortie.

FriscoCross, cross racing wknd #4

2011-10-05T21:23:00.005-07:00

I've always looked forward to the Frisco cx races, just because I like to think the Front Rangers who race must be hurting in the thin air more than I am. They are used to racing around 5,000', not the 9,200' at the Frisco Peninsula. And this year, the FriscoCross Saturday race was the first points race in the Colorado Cross Cup series. This ensured deep fields, especially since the results affect the call-up process used for the USGP races next weekend in Fort Collins.

The course was the usual wood chip fest, with some burnt in singletrack in spots, a few raked smooth sections, some grass, a decent amount of pave, and a nice set of logs to get over. And I mean wood chips. Not quite the ridiculous level seen currently at Breck Nordic Center, but still enough to have some chips flying around your tires, often into your spokes, but hopefully not into your rear mech. I can't say I'm ever a huge fan of the course. But I can say that my mountain bike skills certainly help on courses like this. From feeling comfortable in the occasional 2 wheel drift, to seeing when I can take a new line around a corner, these things apply to the Frisco course. So yeah, I can do pretty well here without really loving the course. During recon prior to the race, i discovered 28/29psi would work best in the Spec'd Tracer tubulars I have just recently been using. They definitely have a nicer, more supple feeling sidewall than the Tufos I have used for years. And the Tracer tread pattern is a tightly spaced low knobbie like a mini Small Block 8, so it rolls really fast too. But the one disappointment is that the 33mm width looks very skinny, haven't measured it but looks like a 32. As a mountain biker who likes wider tires and a cx racer who will probably never race after mid-December, I should be rolling 34s, both for dry and mud tires.

I had a call-up based on last year's overall points to get me on the 2nd row. Had a great start, and was comfortably in the top 5 entering the wood chip descent at the top of the paved start hill. I tried riding with Faia, Robson, Steven and Ariel in the front group, but popped off early and pretty much dangled about 20-40secs off the back of this group for most of the race. And since I had such a great start and didn't really fade that much, even riding in 6th or 7th I still seemed to have a little gap on a bigger chase group. But in the last lap, the always negative-split-kinda-guy Chris Phenicie comes by me in the grass by the lodge, towing along Kervin. I stick right behind these two til the last steep hill, and there Phenicie gets his bike stuck in some course tape. I get off my bike, but quickly run around him to make the pass. I maintained on the back section and held on to 6th place. Kervin was about 6secs up. After spinning around to chat with the guys, I was happy to see that Faia took the win. But a few minutes later he tells me he was DSQ for getting tangled up with a lapped rider on the grass. I didn't of course see it happen, so I can't really form an opinion. I can simply say I hate to see that happen, to both the lapped rider who hit the ground and was scraped up & DNFd, and also to Tim who races hard and with good intentions. Slightly off topic but we prob need the ACA to more concisely address racing protocol/etiquette on dealing with lapped riders. Both a general post on their site, and perhaps the officials verbally reminding racers at the start line.

So with Tim's DSQ I slotted up to 5th place on the day. My goal was top 7, so I was pretty pleased with my effort. I almost threw up at the top of the paved climb on the 2nd to last lap, so I know I was digging deep. I had a great start, found my pedal quickly, was in the perfect gear. i didn't really make any major mistakes anywhere, handled the bike pretty well. I for the most part rode within myself. But it was tough as I was riding by myself, off the back of the front group, and in front of a chase group, for the middle 20mins or so in the race. So it was a TT-like effort in spots. Bummed I couldn't get the dynamics of racing with a group for much of the race. But I did get to mix it up early, and then again right at the end, so it all worked out. Maybe I should try to race the Cherry Creek TT series on my cx bike next year. Might be good training for both the local mtb series and apparently even some cx races.

The Sunday race predictably had much smaller fields. We rolled off the line with just 14 guys in the 35+ Open field. I tucked in behind Ariel and Faia at the start, but soon realized I again was not up to task to ride at the front. So I settled down, rode my own race and again finished 5th on the day. Great weather and perfect fall colors added to a fun weekend. Hopefully next year we can get LG or Towle into some announcing, and a better food vendor. We will see if the event becomes a 1-day race or if they continue the Sat/Sun double.

Big thanks to the promoters and friends Scott Bourque & Tim Assor. Without their idea and efforts, we would not have any cyclocross racing in Summit County. And thank you to the others who lended a hand in any way: Wilderness Sports, Jen Radueg, Renee & Mike Goldberg, Josh Petrucci, Erin Pheil, David Overstreet, Dr Winfield, Mark Thompson, Holly Wade, Clay & Kristin Schwarck, Town of Frisco, and to the sponsors.

Kingdom Park

2011-10-04T13:34:00.001-07:00

Breck isn't known for it's ball fields and ball sports...but their field is pretty nice. And very scenic this time of year!

Xilinx, cross racing wknd #3

2011-09-25T05:15:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was a classic course for those of us that have been racing there for the past 5-6 years. Xilinx offers lots of mtb-y terrain, grass corners, some dirt singletrack, usually a downed tree to ride over, and a really nice start/finish straight on pavement. According to the CrossResults.com standings, my accumulated 2011 points had me somewhere in the top 16, meaning I was going to get a call-up to be on the 2nd row. I slotted right in behind Tim Faia. The ACA official then gave us the 1min warning, then 30 secs, then 15. Next, however, instead of an emphatic whistle blow or a loud "Go," he kind of started us with a hushed Go. About 10 or so guys took off, but the rest of us stopped as many had eeked off the line before he really started us. We were assuming they would re-start us, but that never happened. So instead of applying pressure to the pedals and slotting in to the top 10 safely, I found myself way back in about 15th or 20th. I applied some power and tried advancing up along the left side of the pack. I managed to get back up to maybe 10th or so before the course left the pavement and was on the grass & dirt right before the downed tree. I was okay with where I was at this point, but I was not okay with how much energy I had spent to get up there! I soon settled into a pretty good group consisting of Pat Gallegos, Mark Wisner, Greg Keller, and a few laps in joined by fellow mtb'er Rob (bodybuilder) Batey, Jeff Wardell, and stud Dennis Farrell. Meanwhile, Mike Robson & Tim Faia were off the front and gone. We all knew our group was racing for 3rd and on. I settled in knowing I didn't want to do too much work until the last couple of laps. I was riding pretty well. Not great in the corners, but ok. I had just minutes before the race threw on my wheels with the new Specialized Tracer tubular tires. Not having ridden them before, I conservatively had a bit too much psi, but they still felt great leaned over, and the rolling resistance was a dramatic improvement over the Tufo Cubus I had been running. I was sitting in, biding my time, and due to the long laps, next thing you know I see 2 to go. Wisner was having some bike issues, so he fell back some after a couple trips to the pits. Then after the twisty descent on the gravel path, Jeff Wardell and Dennis Farrell both came by me and they were going pretty well. I latched on to their train, and we soon had a tiny gap of maybe 7-8 secs on the group behind me which now had dwindled down to just Keller, Wisner and Gallegos. I knew Wardell, Farrell & I were racing for 3rd, so I was hanging tough. Too tough, however, as I tasted some vomit coming up on two diff occassions. But I rode error-free, maintained some power, and approached the last corner before the hairpin left brought us back onto the pavement for the sprint to the finish. Sprints are always a blast, and I was psyched to have a shot at the final podium step. But, I had NOTHING left in my tank, and could only watch as Rob Batey & Dennis Farrel began their sprints and left me in the dust. They rolled through the line in 3rd & 4th, a couple secs ahead of me in 5th. Behind, 6th-8th rolled in about 5secs behind me.

Had someone told me the night before the race that I was going to end up 5th place at the Boulder Racing Xilinx course, I would have been pretty happy about that. However, mostly due to the botched start (from which i recovered pretty well), I can say now that 5th place doesn't feel quite as good. Ah well, it was a great warm day, and I was ecstatic to be racing in front of Helen's parents and my parents.

Patrick Gallegos had a GoPro or something on his bars, and shot some great footage. I come in the scene around 2:37, and am right in front of the camera until about 6:40 when I decide to make a pass.

Xilinx CX 35+ 09-24-11 from Patrick Gallegos on Vimeo.

sunset

2011-09-21T18:12:00.001-07:00

Oktoberfest

2011-09-18T14:25:00.001-07:00

we had some VIP credentials. and they even gave Alina a beer ticket...I had to use it for her!

Oktoberfest stage

2011-09-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Alina on stage, dancing a jig.

bus stop

2011-09-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

she was making a funny face since her dad was embarrassing her in front of her friends.

Lookout Cross, cross race #1 of the season

2011-09-12T13:37:00.005-07:00

Went really well, due to some late race misfortune to some other guys, I finished up in 3rd place on the podium. I'll take it!

Course was the usual affair down there next to the Lookout Mtn Youth Services Center (prison). This year though I didn't get the pleasure of being heckled by inmates, as we didn't use the stretch of road that is right adjacent to the prison boundary fence! Race started out well, I got a call up from last year, ended up 4th guy to the line, front row starting spot, since many of last year's top 10 guys weren't here at this race. Whistle blew, I found my pedal quickly and got the hole shot. Score! Knowing that 100yd effort in the thick grass cost me a match or two, i eased up on the throttle and let Faia come by, since that is what would happen anyways. Wasn't riding well in the corners, grabbing tons of brake, Keller yells at me take the corners wider. I agree, I was not cornering well. So I let Keller come by me after a bit, and settle into my own group consisting of Jeff Wardell, Frank Overton and Pat Gallegos. We were riding fairly consistently. I was dangling off the back of the group but always seemed to claw back before getting dropped. Then on the second the last lap, Wardell loses his chain on the loose, steep ride-up on back side of the course. I go around him, and never see him again, apparently bc he had to stop in for a bike change. As we enter the last lap, Frank leads through, with Pat and I right on his heels. Frank took a fall about 2min from the line, and I fortuitously chose a quicker line around him and was riding in 3rd place thanks to that silver platter. Pat didn't get around Frank as quickly and had to settle for 4th, though he was right on my heels the last couple of minutes of the race. I arrived a bit late so didn't get a chance to get on course. Just got a few practice starts down and that was it. Happy with the hole shot, rode a bit hard, had my usual mid-race fade, but then recovered well to ride hard and stay with (and win) my group for the last 2 laps. Great way to start the season!

here I am, dangling dangerously off the back of my group of 3-

final podium, with Tim Faia in 1st and Greg Keller in 2nd.

this is our little group coming through the line for the bell lap. Again, you can see me at the back of this group. Luckily by now we had a decent gap on the guys in 4th and 5th.

here i am hunched over, just before (or after) a little barf action at the finish line!

When Helen isn't racing, she's doing this...

2011-09-11T18:21:00.001-07:00

soccer Saturday

2011-09-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

year-to-date ride stats

2011-09-08T11:24:00.001-07:00

according to Strava:

2,010 miles

188hrs

195K vertical feet

135 rides

2011-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Coach and player

2011-09-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Soccer fun!

2011-09-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

big weekend, big thanks

2011-08-29T13:22:00.003-07:00

wow, could go on and on about how amazing my weekend was. Emotional highs all around, esp after Alina's accident and my pathetic fainting spell. First, Helen ran an amazing race at UTMB for 6th place. this is especially cool bc she 1) wanted top 10, and 2) she duked it out with this Italian runner, and really pushed herself the last 5mi (after 37hrs of running!) to secure 6th. Big time honey! and second, Breckenridge hosted the finish to stage 5 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Nice weather, great crowds, and exciting racing. Andy Schleck broke away over Swan Mtn Road (what a treat those spectators got), and was reeled in right in front of The Village on Park Ave, about 800m from the line. The event ran smoothly. And a huge thank you to Bill & Mary, without their help I would not have been able to help out as much on race day.

two peas in a pod

2011-08-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

poor little girl. and her stupid pathetic dad. I just needed to lie down. but no, instead I lose it and bounce off the ground like a sack of rocks.

A run with a view in France

2011-08-24T03:02:00.002-07:00

Chamonix

2011-08-24T03:02:00.001-07:00

View from above Chamonix

2011-08-24T03:02:00.000-07:00

first day of 1st grade

2011-08-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

at the school playground

2011-08-22T09:30:00.001-07:00