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Dean’s Blue Hills Classic Race Report – 1st Place Cat 3 Field

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Blue Hills Classic – Cat 3 field – 1^st place

The Blue Hill Classic involved 6 laps of a 7 mile circuit. It consists of big ring 200 ft moderate climb up to the finish, and is rolling to downhill the remainder of each lap. It was my first race with in the Category 3 field, and I vowed to sit in and save my matches for the later stages.

Besides a few surges on the finishing hill the first few laps, there wasn’t much to report. Small breakaways would go off the front, and eventually get caught on the downhill stretch. My goal was to get away at some point in a move with some strong guys so the race wouldn’t come down to a sketchy bunch finish. I had about a dozen customers in the field that I’d done bike fittings with, and had made a mental note of some of the other big guns to keep an eye on.

On the 4^th lap, a few of guys made a move off the front after the climb, but it wasn’t decisive enough to cause separation from the peleton. I rotated with a handful of guys hammering on the backstretch and downhill, but after a few looks back it was clear the field was hanging on. The guys on the front kept working, so I did my turns helping out with pulls hoping to at least weaken the field behind us for the final couple laps. By the time we turned the corner toward the finishing climb the group was back together and I took it easy to prepare for the final lap.

I positioned myself toward the front of the field as we climbed the hill before the final lap. There was a break about 15 seconds up the road at that point, and the main group was starting to bunch up as it always did on the climb. I made a surge up the right side of the road, and then sensing the slight hesitation of the riders on the front of the group I decided it was time to go. I stood up and hammered up the rest of the climb – fueled by the sounds of yelling and gear shifting just behind me – and quickly bridged up to the 3 breakaway riders. A quick look behind me revealed 2-3 guys bridging up and then a gap behind them. I yelled to the break that I was coming through and the breakaway guys jumped in behind me with the other guys that had bridged up. I continued to push the pace on the descent to make sure we had separation from the field, and eventually pulled off to the delightful sight of the other guys pulling through at a fast pace. There were 6 of us in the break, but after we turned onto 138 to start the long downhill and there were only 5 of us left with a big gap to the main field. One of the guys that followed my attack and made it to the breakaway group was Tim Ahearn – who I knew from the Mt Washington hill climb last summer. (He was 3^rd overall at 58 minutes – I made a mental note that I might want to keep an eye on him). He was a great guy to have in the break, and of course it was comforting to know he wasn’t in the main group chasing us. I was on the front of the group most of the time on the downhill section where I was fastest, and Tim and a couple of the other guys took some pulls as well. At this point we had a big enough gap where the top 5 places seemed locked up, but this was not going to be an ordinary finish…

We ran into a surprise on the final descent before turning toward the finish – suddenly the Masters 40+ field is in front of us and we need to overtake them. While this was only my 5^th bike race, I knew the rules stated the overtaken group is supposed to be neutralized. Well, let’s just say that wasn’t happening or there wasn’t ample time for it to happen and next thing we know we’re forced to ride around the 40+ group – plenty of yelling and cursing filled the air – and we get back to the right side of the road ahead of the 40+ group before the final turn to the finish. I believe they were somewhat neutralized because we took the final turn and our 5-man break looked to have a good 20 second gap on them.

The finishing portion of the race consisted of a flat section for a couple minutes, and then the steady 2-minute big ring climb to the finish line. Despite the terrific work as a breakaway group up to that point, we nearly flushed it all away. We still had another 1-2 minutes of this flat road to cover before the climb and suddenly 3 guys in our group decided it was time to sit up and play cat and mouse refusing to pull through. I was left at the front trying to encourage anybody else to take a pull as I looked back and saw the main field (Masters 40+ or Cat 3? I didn’t know at this point) closing fast. I completely understand the gambles, risk, and tactics at this point of a bike race, but this was simply too early for this. All we needed was to keep the steady pace rotating for another minute and then we’d be on the finishing hill. I was still on the front when the climb finally started and I started to pick up the intensity. I was done asking for help as the field was only 5-10 seconds behind us and it was clear this was turning into a bunch finish. A rider passed us on my left side, and at that point I went into all-out mode giving it everything I had left trying to chase him down. My anger from the negative tactics in our group helped fuel my final surge and I crossed the line 2^nd, but then learned the rider in front of me was a 40+ rider in the other race. I was the Cat 3 winner! Dave Warner was 2^nd and Tim Ahearn third. Karma may have seen to it that 1 or 2 of the guys in our breakaway – who five minutes from the finish were guaranteed a top 5 finish – ended up dropping out of the top 5 at the finish as the combined Cat 3 / 40+ field caught us.

Congrats to the other guys in the race and those guys in the final breakaway with me for all the hard work. Let’s just finish it right next time! J

Results are posted here: http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2012/05/06-Blue-Hills-Classic.asp

Strava race file reveals all here: http://app.strava.com/rides/7985075

Posted in News & Events, Race Reports |

Tour of the Battenkill Race Report by Mike Burris

Friday, April 20th, 2012

I have never been so anxious for a bicycle race as I was last week. It made for a few sleepless nights, intestinal distress, and an inability to focus on anything important. The Tour of the Battenkill will do that to you. I consider this race to be one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, one day races in New England. It is 62 miles long with 25% dirt roads, steep punchy climbs, and gigantic fields of 150 riders each. It is as much mentally taxing as it is physically (See the course profile here: http://app.strava.com/activities/6773431). Getting to the finish in one piece is an accomplishment in itself.

Four members of the Burris Logistics-Fit Werx squad attended the 1012 edition of The Tour of the Battenkill: Tim Noel, John Painter, Christian Verry, and myself. John and Christian raced in the 30+ field, while Tim and I raced in the 40+ field.

The characteristics of the TOB make it very unpredictable. The chances of flatting or crashing are quite high. It is best to stay at or near the front as much as you can. In a field of 150 guys, this can be quite difficult. I managed to do this for the first part of the race, but I had difficulty holding my position as the race progressed. I ended it up mid-pack for most of the race.

The first major punch in the face came when we hit Juniper Swamp Road. It is a short climb, but it is steep. I felt pretty good on it and managed to regain my position at the front as we crested the hill. I was hoping the pace would stay high to thin out the field, but instead we slowed way down. All that work was for nothing as those that were dropped were able to catch back on with no problem. This would be the routine until Meeting House Road: hit it hard on the steeps and dirt, then slow down.

I was a bundle of nerves for the first half of the race. I just could not relax. The dirt sections on this year's race were brutal. The first couple were nice and packed down, but most of them were full of very lose gravel. It was scary to say the least. I had a momentary lapse were I thought I was going down, but I managed to save it. Interestingly, it snapped me out of my nervousness and I actually began to enjoy the dirt sections.

As we came through the second feed zone, I was tired, but I still was in contact with the lead group. I looked for Tina Noel, who was waiting to resupply us with bottles for the last ten miles of the race. I took my bottle and as I looked up, I saw a pack of about 20 guys start to roll away very quickly. The feedzone was on a bit of a hill so as to slow the pack down. However, it made it very difficult to chase and close an ever-widening gap.

Fellow Shelburne resident and 1K2Go Sports coach, David Connery, pulled up along side of me and gave me the "let's go." We chased hard catching riders and building what would become the first chase group. Our chase group was somewhat organized and we were able to keep the main group in our sights until the last 3-4 K of the race. In the end, I led Dave out for the sprint for 35th place (that's a joke – nobody sprint's for 35th). I finished in 37th, 2 minutes and 50 seconds behind the winner for a total time of 2:49:00. I was fine with this result considering 150 guys were in our field. I could not have ridden any harder. My normalized power for the entire race was 288 watts which is just about 12 watts below threshold.

I believe I had the form to stay with the lead group had I not been gapped at the feedzone. I'm a little bummed about this because it is the same thing that happened to me in 2010. I was well prepared physically, but I did not know the course as well as I should have and I was not paying attention at the crucial moment when the selection was made.

The guys in the 30+ field waged a good battle as well. As I said, it is very satisfying just to finish this race in one piece. The men in blue fought hard and represented well.

Posted in Race Reports |

The Chris Hinds “Sunshine” Criterium Race Report

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

By Mike Burris, Burris Logistics-Fit Werx Team Director

Last weekend Claude Raineault and I made the trek down to Rhode Island to race the Chris Hinds Criterium. Claude loves this race and I love the area, having spent the majority of my childhood summers nearby.

After traveling for 6 hours, we arrived in North Stonington, CT. I let Claude make our hotel reservation. I asked him what he booked. He replied, “A Budget Inn.” I said, “You mean the chain? The Budget Inn chain?” He said, “Yes, of course.” We looked carefully around the area where our hotel was supposed to be located and we did not see a big glowing sign. Instead we saw a little hand-made sign that read, Bud et Inn.”Oh no,” I mumbled. “This can’t be good.”

Claude rubbed his chin as one does when a few important details may have been overlooked. We drove up to the hotel. Or was it a motel? Or was it… We walked into the lobby which was straight out of a movie, or rather a psycho thriller complete with flashing neon vacancy signs. In fact there were no other cars in the parking lot except for an old Caddie parked at the end. Never a good sign.

We rang the bell at the front desk, which was a slab of old, peeling Formica covered with tourist paraphernalia from the last 30 years. Out comes a young girl of maybe 13-14 years of age to welcome us. She said we could have any room we wanted. Really? Any room?

After deliberating as to whether we would be safer on the first or second floor, we took the keys and headed to our room. I did my best to grin and bare it, but there was no way I was going to sleep in that room. “Claude,” I said in the kindest way possible, “I appreciate you taking care of the accommodations, but we ain’t staying here.”

We had passed a number of hotels on the way offering excellent discounted rates most definitely due to the recent decline in enthusiasm for all things Foxwoods. We back tracked and found a much more reasonable place to lay our heads. Ahhhh sleep.

Five hours a traveling is a bit much for one 50 minute criterium, so Claude and I registered for the Pro 1-3 race in addition to the 3/4 race. This would be 2 solid efforts and a good hit of training stress. The 3/4 race went off first. My goal was to stay at the front, stay out of trouble, and try to get in a breakaway. This is the only way I can get a result due to the fact that I can’t sprint very well. I met my goal of staying at the front. I initiated a few breaks, chased a few down, but ultimately couldn’t make anything stick. If only I had a little of the “Dean” power.

As the race unfolded, Claude made a go with 2 laps left, but was swallowed up as we made the final turn. I think I was in 3rd or 4th place coming into the final straight and literally lost 20 places in the span of 3 seconds. We rolled in mid-pack, took a few laps to cool down, and then headed back to the van to refuel.

Our goal for the Pro race was just to “hang on” and try not to get dropped. The field was stacked with the usual ex-pros that beat the hell out of the rest of us every season. To be specific, the McCormack brothers and Adam Myerson were there, so we knew it would be a difficult 90 minutes. It would be an absolute victory for me just to make it to the finish with the group.

As I suspected the first 15 minutes were absolutely brutal. The big boys got on the front and just killed it. I was in the back with my heart rate pegged at near max. I knew I would not be able to hang unless things settled down. Thankfully they did. There was much damage done though. About 20 riders had been dropped and a few others went down in a crash at the back. The field was now reduced to about 55.

After this momentary reprieve, the race promoter rang the bell to signify the first prime (pronounced preeme). Like a bunch of hungry dogs chasing down dinner, the big boys went after it. This would be the routine for the rest of the race. I felt like I was riding a bull just trying to “last a little longer.” There were a few moments of reprieve, but not many. It was pretty much full tilt.

In the end, there was a group of 6 riders that got a 9 second gap on the rest of the field. I finished with the field. I accomplished my goal of not getting dropped. To me not getting dropped by pro riders is a big freaking deal. Even if I come in 49th in the sprint finish.

I met my goals on the day, racked up a fair amount of training stress, and had a good time. We packed up and headed back to Vermont stopping for gas and a few burritos along the way which of course caused us to stop again, and again, and again.

Tags: competition, criterium, cycling, racing, Training
Posted in Cycling, News & Events, Race Reports, Training, Coaching & Rehab |

The Psycho Psyclist

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

By Michael Burris:

I do not have a degree in sports psychology, but I am a head case. I am well aware of how the mind can make champions out of the unassuming and absolutely destroy the highly regarded. A trained mind can be far more powerful than any other athletic gift. In the realm of cycling, a strong mind is what sets winners apart from the rest of the peloton. You can’t win if aren’t willing to sacrifice and suffer more than anybody else. Obviously there are other factors, but none more decisive than the mind.

I am a competitive cyclist and a coach. I have learned through my own successes and failures, as well as through those of my clients, how to use the mind to achieve big goals. It is my intent with this article to share with you some mental strategies I have developed that will help you have your best season ever.

Part I: Nutrition

I began this article about 2 weeks into the New Year. Statistically, about 65% of you will renege on your New Year’s resolution to lose weight by the end of next week. And I ask, “Why?” Why is it so hard to change?

I see it year after year when I watch good riders get dropped on big climbs in important races. In many cases it is due to carrying the same extra 5-10 pounds year after year. Shedding the last 5-10 pounds is something I hear cyclists talk about constantly, but rarely do. Why? Because it’s hard.

Life is stressful for most of us. Food, and booze for that matter, is a comfort most everyone enjoys. We need our comforts, but why let it prevent us from experiencing a new level of success? Is there a way to have both? Yes, but not at the same time.

Developing an effective nutrition plan is not difficult; sticking to it is. Losing weight takes time and this is what kills it for most people. In order to stick to it, mental strategies must be employed over long periods of time. To do this you must set short-term goals and build in some relief. Here are my top 5 strategies for sticking to the plan:

Count calories.
Reduce your intake from Sunday to Friday (lunch) and then eat what you want from Friday evening through Sunday morning. Chances are you are doing longer workouts on the weekend anyway. This will also keep your metabolism revved up.
To run a caloric deficit of 1000 calories per day (2 lbs. per week), burn 500-700 during an early morning or afternoon workout and another 300-500 by calorie restriction. (During times of heavy training, a 1000-calorie deficit is not recommended. Shoot for 300-500 calories per day.)
Make sure you accurately measure calorie burn during a workout. It is usually much less than you think.
Create a variety of meals and snacks that you can make during the week that will provide you with an accurate number of calories per day.

I try and eat 2000 calories each day from Monday to Friday. I go with 250 calories at breakfast, 250 during a mid-morning snack, 500 for lunch, 250 for mid-afternoon snack, 500 for dinner, and a 250 calorie bed time snack. I eat protein and fruit at breakfast, almonds or fruit for snacks, a salad with protein for lunch and usually protein and veggies for dinner. Eating this way is about managing hunger. I am never starving but I am hungry from time to time. Knowing I can eat what I want on Friday and Saturday helps tremendously in sticking with the plan during the week. Be careful with the booze. One beer or two 5 ounce glasses of wine are okay if you have to have it, but you need to factor the liquids into your daily caloric intake. You will realize quickly that you would rather have more food. Save it for the weekend. Make it a reward for keeping to the plan during the week.

Depending on your training level, you will need to adjust your calorie intake. When you are riding a lot, you need to eat. The best way to make sure you are getting the calories you need, but not overdo it, is to fuel properly before and after your ride. For rides longer than 2 hours (or 100 TSS points or more), eat about 300 calories before the ride and 500 -600 calories after by way of a recovery shake. Then stick to the nutrition strategies. Proper recovery and weight-loss are difficult to balance. That is why most coaches recommend losing the bulk of weight during the early season, before the intensity starts.

Part II: Training

Winter is hard on cyclists in the Northeast. In order to be ready for the season openers in April, many riders log serious stationary miles in cold, dark basements. Hour after hour on the trainer is a serious mental drain. It is a tough way to start any training plan. I suggest the less is more approach.

Don’t try to ride 15 hours a week on the trainer. Shoot for 3-4 cycling specific workouts plus some cross-training for volume to build or maintain fitness in the winter. The cycling specific workouts should be longer, “sub-threshold” workouts with a sprinkling of VO₂ work once a week. Hit the gym to build some strength. Do some running, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing in place of endurance work on the trainer. Variety will protect you from mental burnout. Set up your workout space in the basement with inspiring quotations, a mirror, a t.v., and an iPod stereo. Listen to podcasts, watch cycling, your favorite t.v. series, or just blast the tunes. I started making playlists for certain workouts much like you find in the spinning studios. It really helps me stay mentally focused when doing longer workouts. Make sure you don’t just spin. Break up the time with intervals that vary cadence, intensity, or position (standing or sitting). Invite some riding buddies over if you have the space.

Whether you are inside or out, staying committed to a plan can be mentally tough. Having a plan to begin with is half the battle. At least with a plan, each day is scheduled. This prevents the, “I wonder what I should do today” routine from happening.

I find motivation to train is highest after a long layoff or rest period and during the beginning of the race season. For me February and March are the hardest months to stay motivated. By this time I’m sick of the basement and the weather is still crummy. The absolute best thing a rider can do during this time is to sign up for a training camp somewhere warm (or warmer). These can be expensive, but they do not have to be. Find a few riders, rent a van, and head south for a long weekend or week if you can afford the time. Go down to Virginia or the Carolinas for a nice block of endurance training. It will pay huge dividends both mentally and physically.

The other mental challenge of a good training plan is continuously putting in the hard efforts required to get faster. No one wakes up in the morning and says, “Anaerobic endurance intervals today. Sweet!” But, anyone who races knows that without this training, you will be watching the peloton roll away as you drift off the back. Here are 5 ways to keep the intensity up during the build and race periods of your schedule:

Make sure your training zones are accurate. I know so many riders that overestimate their functional threshold power or functional threshold heart rate. This causes training to be much harder than it should be for a given workout. For example, if your estimated FTP is 290 watts and in reality it is 260 watts, what is supposed to be a VO₂workout now becomes an anaerobic endurance workout. In plain language, this means what should be hard is now excruciating and will produce much more physical and mental fatigue.
Recover right. After hard workouts be sure to take in easily absorbed carbs with a little protein immediately. Continue to consume high quality food in the hour or two after the workout. Get good sleep during periods of high intensity training, stay hydrated, and lay off the booze. Get a massage form time to time if you can swing it. Good recovery is key to maintaining a mental edge.
Stick to the plan. Don’t do extra “work” on days you should be going easy. If you go hard when you should be taking a rest, you will not be able to go hard when the training plan calls for it. In addition, if you do every worlds ride, TT, race, or group ride your region has to offer, you will undoubtedly destroy yourself mentally and physically.
Plan your intensity strategically. You can use local rides to your advantage when your training plan calls for intensity. The intervals won’t be as controlled, but the training stress will be right. If you have a local “worlds” ride, practice “breaking away,” chasing breaks, taking “pulls,” or sprinting for town lines as a way to get the training stress you need. Local time trials are also great opportunities for high intensity workouts. Take your trainer to the course, do some work to warm up and then lay it down on the course. TTs are very motivating.
Race. The Europeans have been doing it for years. 1000km of easy riding, then race. I love the simplicity of it. I do not think it is the best way to train, but there is no replacing racing as a way to build fitness. Riders will always put in bigger efforts in races then they will in training. There is no decision to make about how hard to go. You go as hard as you possibly can. There is such a thing as too much racing, but racing with great recovery will produce very good results. (Note: scheduling a race during the third week of a 3-week build is the most ideal time to do it.)

Part III: Racing

Many times in bike racing it is not the best that wins; it is the one who can suffer the most. There is nothing like suffering on the bike. Everyone has a pain threshold. Take 5 riders all with an FTP of 300 watts. If asked to climb a 3 mile hill, they will certainly not finish together. Each rider has a different pain threshold. The key to racing more effectively, is to improve your pain threshold. It is a mental battle. Here are a few tips to keep you in every race:

Don’t waste energy. It is tempting to chase down breaks or to try and create them. Don’t do it if you don’t have to. The best riders I know (and the ones that win races) are hardly present during much of the race. They wait patiently for the opportune time and then it is ‘game over.’ This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to get away, it just means be smart. Do not try and ride away from the peloton on a flat stretch of road, unless you can. This also means do not chase down 2 riders that are up the road. They will be caught anyway, unless of course they are powerhouses that you probably can’t bridge to anyway. Save your energy for when you really need it.
Ride near the front and pay attention. Surges and breaks will sap your energy especially if you are near the back. Anticipating attacks will save you from putting in big efforts if there is a split in the field. Riding near the front will also help you stay in contact during a climb if this is not strength. You may drift to the back, but you will still be there.
Relax. When going deep into the red zone, try and stay calm. Take deep breaths and relax your upper body. Make sure your legs are doing all the work.
Make a selection. Pick a rider out of the group that you know you can hang with. Get on his wheel and stay there. The more you race with the same people the easier this gets.
Practice. Do the work in training. Mimic the race intensities. Don’t just go hard. Go really hard when your training plan calls for it. The more experience you have with pain the more you can handle.

Remember, cycling is supposed to be a fun, healthy activity. For me, it is more fun when I am progressively getting lighter, stronger, and smarter on the bike. Knowing I have done the work, gives me that mental edge I need to push when I want to stop. I wish the same for you this season.

Michael Burris is a USA Cycling Certified Coach and part of the 1K2GO Sports Coaching Group, as well as the Director of the Burris Logistics – Fit Werx Masters Racing Team. For more information email Mike at impulsecyclesport@gmail.com.

Tags: competition, cycling, nutrition, racing, Training
Posted in Cycling, Nutrition, Training, Coaching & Rehab |

Race Report by Dean Phillips – 1st Place Michael Schott Memorial Circuit Race

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Marblehead Circuit Race – Cat 4/5 field – 1^st place out of 75 starters

Turn on the car engine for the first bike race of the season and the car display says 29 degrees. Great… Fortunately it warmed up to high 30s by the start time with plenty of sun and very little wind.

I’d been both looking forward and nervous about this race since I had dozens of customers, friends and riding buddies in the 4/5 field. In the weeks leading up to the race I heard plenty of gossip from “friends” that the other local teams were planning team strategies and tactics to deploy in the race against me. Whether these “leaks” were intentional or not, it sure added to the anticipation and excitement of the race!

The race involved 11 laps of a 2.2 mile clockwise circuit of Marblehead Neck. There’s a short steep climb you hit right away, then some rolling hills up to the highest point on the far end of the Neck, and finally a long gradual descent all the way back to the hairpin turn at the causeway.

Call it a Cat 4 “rookie” mistake, but I warmed up a bit too long and ended up stuck at the back of the 75-person field for the start. It took me a couple laps just to work my way up to the front of the field, which was easier said than done given the narrow roads and few opportunities to move up. I tried to stay near the front for the first half of the race, and threw in some surges a few times to see how the field would react. Sure enough it seemed any time I even thought about attacking, I quickly had a train of guys on my wheel. By the half way point I was getting a little anxious about making a bigger move that would either spring me loose or break the field up. It was a downhill finish so I figured I could hold my own if there was still a group on the final lap and it came down to a sprint.

I attacked hard right after taking the hairpin turn with 5 laps to go. Attacking here gave me a flat section of road where I hoped to get some separation before the steep hill. I wanted to get a jump on the strong climbers who I knew could hold my wheel more easily if I attacked on a hill. When I hit the steep hill I could hear a couple guys still close to me, but fortunately they fell back after I crested the hill into the minor descent past the finish line. I took a look back after rounding the bend at the far end of the neck and saw I had a decent gap to the field. From then on I went into TT mode and hoped to stay off the front until the finish. The motorcycle pulled up to me each of the last few laps and gave me time splits back to the main field: “40 seconds”, “1 minute”, “1:15”… On the final lap I sat up and relaxed a bit and enjoyed the final stretch to the finish.

It was great racing with so many customers and friends, and hearing all the stories after the race. My next scheduled race is the Tour of the Battenkill on 4/14.

Posted in News & Events, Race Reports |

2012 Burris Logistics-Fit Werx Race Report #1: Trooper Brinkehoff/Johnny Cake Lane Series

Monday, March 26th, 2012

By Michael Burris, Burris Logistics-Fit Werx Team Director:

The weather in New England has been ridiculously good lately. An entire week in the 80s is unheard of for this time of year. This has offered an incredible opportunity for the normally “basement bound” to log some serious training time outdoors. As as a result, bike racers in New England are chomping at the bit to show off their early season form to the competition. Early season races are selling out like never before.

This excitement was very evident at the first of 3 Trooper Brinkerhoff/Johnny Cake Lane series races this weekend in Coxsackie, NY. The organizers decided to bump the field limits to 95 and both the A and the B fields sold out. This made me a little nervous as I was registered in the A field. I knew the race would be fast, but now it would be dangerous as well. Ninety-five guys cruising at an average of 26 mph through tight roads with tight turns is a recipe for disaster. We would do 9 laps of 6 miles each for a total distance of 54 miles.

We lined up at the start. The nervous energy radiated through the field. The race organizer reflected on the death of a rider in a race the week before and then led us in a moment of silence. I stopped thinking about how I would get in a break or position myself for the sprint finish and instead began thinking about how I would make it to the finish line in one piece. I was a bundle of nerves to say the least.

The race started fast and got faster. Many breaks tried to get established, but the field continued to chase them down. This created a tremendous yo-yoing effect at the back half of the peloton. Looking at my power file at the end of the race, it was nothing but spike after spike of efforts way above my threshold.

The race started to settle down with about 12 miles left in the 54-mile race. I started to feel comfortable riding in a massive peloton again and it seemed other riders started to relax as well. As we arrived at the start-finish line to begin the final lap, things apparently got too relaxed. Riders in the front of the peloton slowed down sending riders behind them fumbling for their brakes. Some could not slow down in time. Just like that, about ten riders hit the deck, with 1 or 2 really hurting themselves. The group split. With the pangs of agony echoing behind me I followed the front group as they sped away. I caught back on and took a deep breath of relief. One more lap to go.

The last lap was pretty mellow. A few riders did get off the front and establish about a 10 second gap. The rest of us geared up for a big group sprint as we crossed the 1 KM to go sign. Just as I thought I was out of the woods, the motorcycle pacer came around us and slammed on his breaks right in front of me. I swerved successfully to avoid him, went down in to a ditch and came out just in time to catch the tail end of the group. As we approached the finish at top speed we noticed the race organizers frantically flagging us down. The ambulance from the crash on the previous lap was blocking the finish line. We hit the brakes without incident and soft pedaled in.

Some of the riders gathered at the finish line trying to figure out what the heck just happened. After about 15 minutes, the organizers decided to send our group out for another lap so we could finish the race. At this point I was done and just happy to be in one piece. I found teammate Christian Verry at the finish and noticed that he had gone down in the crash. He was okay, but he broke his saddle off the rails that attach to the seat post. I made some joke about him having buns of steel and then we decided to ride back to the car.

Two of our other teammates, Philip Beliveau and Stephen Taylor raced in the B field. They told similar stories of nervous energy, “twitchy riding,” and close calls. We had a few laughs, loaded up, and made the trip home. It is always a good experience to race and it is an excellent form of training. However, I’m not sure I will be doing the other two races in this series. I never thought I would ever say this but, “I need a course with some hills to break up the field a bit.”

Mike Burris is the Director of Burris Logistics-Fit Werx Masters Racing Team and a USA Cycling certified coach. For more information please visit www.impulsecyclesport.com or www.mikeburris.com

Tags: competition, cycling, racing, Training
Posted in Race Reports |

ITU Pro Talks About Improving Aerodynamics with Fit Werx

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

http://ebrownracing.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/every-second-counts-improving-aerodynamics-in-itu-racing-with-the-help-of-fit-werx/

ITU Pro Ethan Brown talks about his experience at Fit Werx working with Dean Phillips to shave seconds by making his road based ITU position more aerodynamic and take the win! This shows what is possible when an athlete has not mitigating circumstances and we can just focus on pure speed. Thanks for working with us Ethan and have a great 2012 season!

Posted in Cycling, News & Events, Training, Coaching & Rehab |

Jessie Donavan’s IM Arizona Race Report

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Ironman Arizona – Total Time 9:24, Swim 1:09, Bike 4:54, Run 3:15

In the beginning of the 2011 season I came up with a lofty goal of getting my pro card in triathlon so that I could compete in my first Ironman in the fall. Any of you familiar with Ironman knows that the races typically sell out a year in advance and since I hadn’t already registered in 2010 becoming a professional was my only shot at getting into a race. I was of course a bit intimidated at the thought of jumping into my first Ironman and the professional ranks all at once but I am never one to shy away from a challenge so I decided to go for it. The beginning of the season went well and I was able to meet the necessary criteria in my first three 1/2 Ironmans of the season to make the jump. My training for Ironman Arizona started fast and furious at the end of the summer. I started working with a new coach, Jesse Kropelniki of QT2 Systems, and immediately increased both my training volume and my overall commitment to the sport. It was definitely an adjustment, I have a full time job and three young children so my life is far from your typical professional triathlete. There were certainly days when I thought what am I doing, my life epitomizes that of an “Age Grouper”, how can I do this? A typical day for me includes packing lunches, biking the kids to school, working and bedtime stories but it also began to include 100+ mile rides, gallons of sports drink, dozens of Gels, bars, running and more running and hours in the pool. After a month of working with Jesse I began to feel ready to take on the Ironman distance and believe that I could compete with the Pros.
I went into Arizona with a solid plan, I was going to finish feeling strong, stick to my pacing and nutrition plan no matter what and race my own race. The days leading up to the big day were a bit nerve racking at times, here I was racing as a professional but I just wanted to shout out to the person next to me, “Can you believe we’re going to do an Ironman tomorrow! This is so exciting!!” Not really something you shout out at the Pro meeting so I kept my cool and blended into the crowd. Before I knew it race day was here and I was treading water in Tempe Town Lake waiting for the gun to go off. I lined up in the back as planned and just put my head down and swam. Swimming is definitely my weak link and I came out of the water 20mins back from the top women, lots of time to make up! I jumped onto my new Cervelo P3, thank you Fitwerx!, and headed out on the bike course. I felt great throughout the whole 112 miles and slowly picked up my HR and pace throughout as planned, I couldn’t believe how quickly it flew by and I definitely finished feeling like I had so much more to give out there. I started the run feeling strong, telling myself to just run an easy 13 miles and then the race could start so I settled into my pace and ran. It was at this point that I started to feel a bit nervous, I had all of the horror stories of Ironman swirling through my head and I was watching many of the professional men around me crumble, they were one lap ahead of me on the run, but I tried to remain focused and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I had been warned of the dark zone from mile 18-22 on the marathon so when I got to mile 18 feeling like my legs were on the verge of cramping up for good I stayed focused on just getting to mile 22, forget 26, just focus on 22. Sure enough I was soon at mile 22 and I wasn’t ready for the race to end. I was still feeling pretty good and I knew the longer the race went the more chances I would have to catch the women ahead of me. Pretty much the only advantage of coming out of the water last is that you get to spend the whole rest of the day passing people, I try to stay positive about these things. When I crossed the finish line in 9:24 I was ecstatic, I had definitely put together a great first ironman and I was able to show that I can be competitive with the best. I was excited about the results but more importantly I was excited that I had done it and finished feeling strong, smiling and knowing that my family was all watching online at home cheering for me as I came towards the finish. Training and competing in an Ironman is definitely a journey and I did my best to soak up every minute of running down the finish chute, smiling ear to ear and already thinking about the next one.

Posted in News & Events, Race Reports |

Jessie Donavan rocks at IM Arizona

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Fit Werx athlete Jessie Donavan finished 11th as a pro in her first Ironman competition in Arizona. Way to go Jessie!

Posted in News & Events, Race Reports |

Alberto Citarella of Team Burris/Fit Werx Wins Green Mountain Stage Race!

Monday, September 5th, 2011

I am happy to report that Alberto managed to hold his lead (thanks to the weather) and secure a major victory for the Burris Logistics – Fit Werx squad. We are really proud of the job the entire team did in this year’s race. What follows is a race report from stage 3 from both Christian Verry and Alberto:

(Christian)

This is long, so get comfortable. I love writing these things…usually. Today I definitely do.

For some of us it was a great day, for some it was one mishap after another. As was probably evident form Alberto’s email yesterday, Saturday’s race was boring aside from all the crashes. As usual based on prior years, it made little difference in overall classification. Based on previous years I knew today really made the GC, so I was hoping for big things from the field, and for a hard day with attacks. I wasn’t disappointed.

Alberto was really our only hope, so I wanted to try and do whatever I could to make that happen. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do much, but figured I might have a few opportunities to do something. Race started once we got on 100. It was a brisk start, but not super fast. Soon into the race I saw Tim Noel pull off the side of the road with what I thought was a flat (more on this later). I hoped he would make it back on before the KOM came. Route then turned onto 100 over “Duxbury Gap” where the KOM was the same as it usually is for the “normal” circuit course.

Alberto lead the field into the left hand turn, and the group climbed at a hard but not brutal pace. Over the top we descended fast and hit the left hand turn that would take us over the dirt section. The pace on this section was fast as hell, and strung the entire field out into a single file, with gaps opening up along the way. I had to bridge a few to stay on the main pack, and had to work hard the entire way just to stay in. We turned onto a short bridge, then over a section of what they called gravel, but what I would call rocks. This slowed the field, and also took at least one victim, known as Matt’s tire. “Sorry Matt,” was all that I could muster up in my head as I saw him pull over to wait for the wheel vehicle.

The field then took off again, and stayed fast all along route 2 until the hot sprint. It slowed briefly and I went to the front to avoid trouble with the train tracks at the turn onto Cochran Road. After the turn I sat up a bit, and pulled alongside Alberto to get a “lay of the land” and ask him who he was worried about. If you’ve ever tried to hold a conversation with Alberto while he’s riding, you know you stand a better chance of understanding a 3 yr old child. His voice is about as loud as a single cricket chirping at night. This proved a useless conversation, and I told him just to tell me yes or no with whatever went if he wanted me to chase.

Once on Cochran Rd, people got antsy and attacks where happening all over the place. I kept looking for Alberto to see if he wanted to go, but it proved to be too frustrating, so I just started going with any break if the gap got to be too large. This offered me all kinds of opportunities to burry myself for periods of time and bridge up. Fun stuff indeed, but not great for if you plan to climb the gap hard. Regardless, I did it, and loved every minute of it. I have no idea if this made any difference in the end of the race, but I wasn’t willing to find out by not doing it.

Once the race turned onto the climb up Hinesburg-Richmond road I was spent, and drifted to the middle of the field to rest and hydrate a bit. I was glad the field did not climb this super hard as I might have been sacrificed if it did. After the climb life got much easier as things slowed up as the field headed into a strong South headwind. I needed the rest and the liquids and pounded my water bottles down. Things got really boring, as we were about 2-3 miles from 116 until I saw Alberto ride off the front. He got about 500M on the group before one guy bridged up. Shortly after that another guy did. That was the last we saw of them more or less.

Once on 116 we stayed together as a group, and one guy went off the front to try and bridge the gap – he did it after TT’ing solo for about 5 miles – impressive. We hit the base of Baby Gap and the fun started. I was pretty wiped, but stayed with the main field ~3/4 of the way up baby gap, at which point I got shelled.

By the time I rolled past Burris handing out liquids I must have looked like death warmed over.

From there on up it was just hooking up with one or two or 3 other guys along the way, dropping them, getting dropped, and barely making it to the top. This must have been the slowest I have ever done this climb, but it was worth every minute of slowness, as chasing those attacks was lots of fun.

In the end, Alberto took 3rd for the stage, and IS NUMBER ONE IN THE GC BABY!!!! Burris Logistics-Fit Werx represents my friends! We are leading the GC going into the last day!!! Alberto will certainly be a Category 2 soon, but for now we still have him in the 3′s, and can enjoy killing ourselves to help him win. Fun fun stuff.

Tim and Matt had tougher days. Tim’s mishap early into the race ended up being a broken rim suffered from hitting a large pothole. He got a wheel from the vehicle, but the reality of catching the field as we hauled ass down 100 to the KOM was nill. He then had the pleasure of discovering he had a slow leak in his rear tire as he climbed over Duxbury, AND that his water bottles had bother jumped out of his cages when he broke his rim. Alas, he struggled on to Richmond, where nobody would hook him up with a spare bottle, and that was the end of his day. A wise move. Matt flatted as previously mentioned, and still managed to finish as he hooked up with a few other guys. This was impressive given the heat/humidity, and the south headwind.

That’s it folks. Now on to tomorrow, where I will certainly prove useless to Alberto in his pursuit of the yellow, but hopefully others (Matt, John) can prove larger allies than I. More to come, stay tuned……

(Alberto)

Here’s how it went down from my perspective:
First of all, I speak quite loudly on my bike. Christian just has too much wax in his ears.

Second, I took off on the Richmond-Hinesburg Road when the pace was ridiculously slow and I saw that the yellow jersey and the #2 GC rider were boxed in on the right. I quickly got about 30 seconds and was able to maintain that for about 4-5 miles without exerting too much effort. I knew I wouldn’t be able to maintain it by myself to the end because of the ferocious headwind and figured either some strong riders further down on the GC would bridge up or at the very least the yellow and #2 would need to spend some energy pulling me in. Luckily, it was the former and a group of 3 bridged up with 2 guys who had diesel engines on them.

The four of us (and then a fifth who bridged) took even turns pulling into the wind and had 3 minutes by the base of the app gap. It turns out that I needed every second of it I don’t know the details but I have to assume that we had some help from Christian, John and the ORS guys to keep the field back and let us get that big of an advantage. Unfortunately, Matt and Tim were no longer in the field. Anyway, the two diesel engines (all 190+ pounds of them) quickly fell off the pace on the App Gap, and I pulled the remaining two from Rt 116 all the way to the 2km to go sign. No joke. I knew they were both way down on GC so I just wanted to get as much time as possible on the yellow jersey and #2 so I did not care if they passed me at the end. Well, they passed me gaining about 15-30 seconds (which was very manageable) and I think I ended up about 40+ seconds in front of the #2 GC rider. I needed 20. As I said previously, I needed every last bit of that 3 minute advantage

Anyway, this has been a fun weekend…so far. Tomorrow is going to hurt. (Well we know how tomorrow turned out!)

Tags: btv, cycling, gmsr, racing
Posted in Race Reports |