Har-Ber Meadows criterium and the Streak

The team (Jeremy, Parks, Judson, and Brad) and I got together for a late season criterium in Arkansas this past Saturday. I wasn't really sure how things would go, at least for me anyway, because I haven't raced sine July. I've been trying to ramp up the training intensity to simulate cyclocross conditions, so worse case, I figured the race would be a good hard training effort.


Jeremy, Parks and I decided to do the 35+ masters race and the P123 race also. The 123 race was being hyped up in the flyer as having a large "pass the hat" cash prime lap. We were pushing it pretty close time wise to make it in time for the 35+ race, but we made it with about 15 minutes to warm up. We knew the day was going to be fun when we were pulling up to the course and we see Brad Huff riding around.

The 35+ race went pretty well. Jeremy, Parks and I were the only guys on the team in the race, and it looked early on like we could possibly get a 1-2-3 finish. Parks and Jeremy got up the road and had a pretty good gap on the field, but Brian rolled his tubular tire in the last corner and crashed pretty good. I got in a 6 man break a little later after a prime lap and it stuck to the end.

We had about 30 seconds on the field going into the last lap. I tried to stick with the guy I thought was the best sprinter. As we approached the last corner, a guy attacked on the opposite side of the road and got a little gap on me and the guy I was watching. I passed the guy I had been watching, but I needed about 20 more yards to catch the guy that took off early. The 35+ and the 45+ were scored separately, so I ended up with the win in the 35+ as the guy that beat me was in the 45+ race.

We had about 4 hours to burn before the 123 race, but the race venue was a nice park setting with plenty of places to eat nearby. As we were getting staged for the 123 race, the promoters said the big cash prime would be at the 40 minute point. I think the prime ended up being $430.00 or something. Neither race seemed super hard. Brad Huff attacked the field at around 30 minutes in and stayed off the rest of the race.

The end of the race came down to a field sprint for 2nd place. I think the biggest weakness our team has right now is finishing strong in a big field sprint. We've discussed it but never really done any practice drills or had a solid plan thought out before the race even starts when it comes down to the last part of the race. I was sitting pretty good in the top five with 3 laps to go, but I made a bad decision and chased down an attack and got winded. I started to work my way back up with 1 lap to go, but the best I could move up was 16th. Brian finished the highest with the last money spot in 12th.

I don't see any reason why we couldn't have had 3 or 4 of us in the money as all the guys were riding well all race. I think the rest of the guys are going to do 1 or 2 more road races, but I'm pretty much done for the road season.

The OBS Streak was the following Sunday and I felt pretty good after Saturday, so I got up early again and made it by the 7:30 start time by about 5 minutes. Pretty fun ride with lots of people. Rode with my brother for a bit in the beginning. Gil and Helen were there on their tandem, so I knew they would be throwing down some pain around the halfway point. Sure enough, they punched it, but I was ready and jumped on their wheel with Steve Colton. We were ripping along at 40+ MPH for at least 2 or 3 miles. I could see a small group of riders chasing, and they eventually bridged up to us when we got caught at a busy intersection.

The break a way group grew to the tandem, myself and 7 other riders: 3 OKC Velo guys, my buddy Andy Chasteen, my teamate Little Ryan, and the infamous Jason Waddel. We just got into a solid rotation the rest of the way. We got rained on pretty good for a few miles towards the end, but nothing like it rained on my way driving home.

Pretty good end to a recovery week. Monday the 13th will not be a rest day. I'm starting a peak period cyclocross month before the real racing starts in early October. I'm pretty stoked for the CX practice race on Wednesday.