– We sincerely hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and extended weekend with their family, friends, loved ones, significant others, good book, barista, iPad, or whomever you chose to spend your time with. Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over… back to the cyclocross!

– Looks like Psimet Racing put on another great NORGE Ski Jump Cyclocross event out in Fox River Grove. Full results are here and here.

– Up next, the Grand Finalé, the Big Enchilada, the Taco Supreme, Chicken Grilled Stuffed Burrito with a side of guacamole and extra hot sauce (hint hint, wink wink)… the CCC finishes up this coming weekend at Montrose Harbor in downtown Chicago with the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships. Online pre-reg closes Thursday night, and a few categories have already filled up, but please pre-reg. One2Go Event Services will be on hand for scoring and lap times. We’ll have more podiums to present than at any other race, and there are still quite a few CCC categories overall winners yet to be determined… and we all know anything can happen at Montrose. It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting that foot of snow Newt Cole & Jim Brady have been hoping for all year, but temps will be in the 30’s all day. So bundle up, bring your A-Game, make a day out of it, and enjoy the last race of the series. Most information is already here and we’ll have the usual course preview at the usual time on Thursday.

– The Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling crews are still looking for a bunch of volunteers to make the Montrose event happen smoothly. If you would like to help out, please take a look at which shifts still need to be covered here and get in contact with volunteer coordinator John Castro.

– This just in from ProBike Express… Greetings everyone! As we prepare to head down south to CX Nationals in Austin, TX we need confirmation from those of you in the Midwest if you if want a service or support package. We request those wanting transport or on-site service, please register asap as this will help us manage a hard number of supported athletes. We are only taking the first 50 riders as we want to offer this to those who want something more than average! Last day to register is December 12^th, by 6pm MST for any PBE service, not just transport. We need 10 more people to sign up for transport/service from Chicagoland. Thats IT! There have been many people who’ve talked about it, and now is the time to pull the trigger. Drop off dates and times will be announced soon after PBE registration closes on 12/12/14.

– The MidWest Regional CX Championships (MWRCXC) are next weekend on Sunday 12/14/14 near Grand Rapids, MI.

– What would a party be without an afterparty? Registration for Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race on 12/20/14 is open on BikeReg.com.

– And finally… the 2014 CCC Awards Party is scheduled for Sunday 12/21/14 at EJ’s Place in Skokie, were we’ll be awarding series overall awards. You don’t need to be a series overall winner to attend, the food is fantastic, we’ll have tons of door prizes, and EJ’s has a wood burning fireplace (and a bar)… which are all really, really good reasons to come hang out with us one last time on a Sunday afternoon. Please save the date and pre-reg here so we know how many people to expect.

Whether intentionally or not, the ChiCrossCup has helped us prepare for the potential sand show that Montrose can bring via PsiCross and Melas’s increasing volume of the stuff.  If the nice people at Spider Monkey Cycles and Ten27 Cycles decide to exact revenge for having to drill holes in the frozen ground simply to put the stakes down we’re in for way more of the same.  Which reminds me, give those folks some extra love out there in Chicago (and Norge this weekend).  Putting a race on in the conditions that can come up this time of year is tough!

This article includes a great description of the art of the sand crossing.  It’s difficult to put something like body English into words and once again Cyclocross Magazine comes through.

Enjoy the Holidays!

Rob Kelley

TRAINING BIBLE COACH

www.ROKcoaching.com

Photo: SnowyMountain Photography

– Thanks again to Chris Henning, Ted Berger, the entire Northbrook Garner Cycling Club and Flatlandia crews, and volunteers for anther great Melas CX Basin Racin’ event. We had unseasonably (but thankfully) warm temperatures and some rain to give the CCC it’s first sloppy race of the season. It was no surprise that experienced racers Emma Swartz (Wheel & Sprocket) and Joseph Maloney (KS Energy Service/Team Wisconsin) won the elite races. Sydney Guadliardo (Verdigris-Village CX) and Sarah Szefi (PSIMET Racing) rounded out the women’s podium with Swartz while Alexander Martin (Revolution Cycles) and Michael Dutczak (South Chicago Wheelmen) joined Maloney on the men’s podium. Full results are here and CCC Overall standings are here.

– Next up the CCC takes a week off but PSIMET Racing keeps the CX party going with NORGE Ski Jump Cyclocross this coming SUNDAY 11/30/14. Online pre-reg closes tomorrow (Wednesday) night.

– The following weekend the CCC heads into the city of Chicago to finish up where is always does at Montrose Harbor at the 2014 Illinois Cyclocross Championships hosted by the Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonky Cycling. We’ll have more details next week but expect all the greatness you’ve come to know that happens at Montrose.

– Get your 2014 CCC Series t-shirts and beer coozies here.

– Even thinking about going to CX Nationals in Austin, TX? Talk to Chandler and the guys at ProBike Express.

– This year 10 of the 16 CCC Series Overall titles will be decided at Montrose. That’s more fields than any other in the past which just goes to show the level of competition you all have brought to the series this year. That’s not to take anything away from the 6 racers who have already locked up their series overall titles though. So please join us in congratulating the following:
– Masters 55+ – Gregory Anderson (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks CX Team)
– Masters 65+ – Albert Weigel (Verdigris-Village CX)
– Junior 15-18 Boys – Juan Gonzalez (Bloomington Cycle Racing Team)
– Women Cat 4 – Mary Randall (ROBOTS <3)
– Women Cat 3 – Kae Takeshita (Verdigris-Village CX)
– Cat 1/2/3 – David Reyes (Heritage Race Club)

– And finally… as we all pause to give thanks this coming Thursday and eat ourselves into collective food comas, the CCC would like to say we are especially thankful for a great many things… you the riders, our race promoters, USAC officials, First Aid medics, volunteers, press officers, race announcers, mechanics, parents, children, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, significant others, hecklers, and many, many more we know we are forgetting. But when you hear the words “anytime between now and the next 30 seconds” outside BestBuy at 4am on Friday morning… remember the CCC has 35 series sponsors that help to make our little weekend parties happen. Almost all of our series sponsors are local, many of whom are out there racing with us, including bike shop owners, wheel builders, mobile security manufacturers, clothing manufacturers, sunglass manufacturers, car dealerships, hydration/nutrition suppliers, lawyers, real estate brokers, personal trainers, coaches, IT consultants, automobile insurance agents, creative designers, and lest we forget photographers. So when you are thinking about purchasing gifts this coming holiday season or planning out personal/business expenses for 2015, please consider spending some of your hard earned cash dollars with these businesses. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

– #MelasCX and more here. Preliminary staging will be posted here before Sunday.

– Chris Henning and Ted Berger (Northbrook Garner Bicycle Club and Flatlandia) take us racin’ through the basin.

– Parking:  This is much different than last year.  There is no parking at Melas Park.   A dog park was built there over the summer and we need to keep the lot clear for the locals using the dog park. Parking will be at Multi Pack Solutions @1804 W. Central Rd., Mt. Prospect, IL which is behind (to the north of) Robert Bosch Tool Corporation.  Registration and S/F are adjacent to the Multi Pack lot.  There is a pedestrian gate to access Melas Park from the Multi Pack lot.  The Multi Pack lot is located to the West of the Melas Park entrance, just east of S. Arthur Ave.

– Team Trailers.  Please e-mail Chris Henning if you’re planning on bringing out a trailer, he will try and coordinate a setup location for you.

– Food truck: Pizza Via will be onsite serving brick-oven pizzas.

– Coffee: Other Brother Coffee will be serving warm caffeinated beverages.

– Warm Ups:  Please stay off the ball fields while warming up and if you do use the walking paths please making sure to yield to any pedestrians / other park users.

– Speaking of cars, no parking on the grass – anywhere.  There is plenty of parking available.  This includes team vehicles intending on dropping off team tent and compound equipment.

– Park rules: Sorry, we don’t make them but we do have to follow them… no alcohol allowed. Please be respectful of the park.

– Dog Park:  Unfortunately you must have a “membership” to get inside the fenced dog park which is available from either Mt. Prospect or Arlington Heights (Costco membership does not cut it :).  dog park membership

– Breakdown: Now that the official sunset time is literally minutes after the end of the Cat 4/5 race, Garner & Flatlandia would appreciate any help tearing down the course after the Cat 4/5 race. 

– Announcing: Kenny Labbe will be back and announcing all day long.

– Weather: It’s going to be chilly and wet on Sunday, so please bundle up and bring appropriate clothing for before, during, and after your race(s)!

– No kids race this weekend… a little too sloppy.

– Volunteering: Melas CX is still looking for a few volunteers spots to be filled. Volunteers race for free & lunch is provided. Please sign-up here.

– The Course: A bit different from last year. Same tough hill(s) getting out of the Basin. Please remember the course might change based on conditions encountered during setup.

Cyclocross is filled with lulls and firestorms, ebb and flow, yin and yang.  Indian Lakes last weekend was a great example….slow, twisty little section that allowed a bit of recovery followed by a power-fest coming out of the corner and onto a long straight.  Each jump burns at least part of a match and so ultimately costs something.

We created these sessions with Criterium racing in mind and they translate very nicely to cyclocross.  They’re pretty wicked and worth the effort because they help create the type of high short-term power that will get you from slow to GO in a hurry.  They also help prepare the body in a way that will limit power losses from the start to finish of a cross race.

Most courses have 5 or 6 sections that fit this description.  If you save just 1 second out of each corner by getting to speed at a faster rate you’re looking at 30 – 60 seconds during a race depending on your category.  That’s a lot of places!

Warm up for at least 20 minutes in zones 1-2

One Set:

As one continuous effort:  50 seconds at FTP (best 60 minute power) right into 10 seconds at the high end of your 1 minute power x 5 with no recovery between efforts 

When you first try these take 6 minutes off between sets.  As you become more accustomed to them decrease the amount of recovery between sets.  3 – 5 sets over a 1:30 – 2 hour ride is a good session.

As with some of the other drills we’ve covered within this forum, the recovery between these efforts is as important as the wattage you push during them.  Be disciplined in relaxing and bringing your heart rate down.

Two….more…..races.  Don’t just hang in there, get faster!

Rob Kelley

TRAINING BIBLE COACH

www.ROKcoaching.com

Photo: Snowy Mountain Photography

– Another great double weekend at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen. Well you asked for it and you got it. We finally had some real cyclocross weather this weekend at ILR. Saturday’s race temps were down in the teens for most of the day. Our elite podiums consisted of Sydney Guagliardo (Verdigris-Village) who got her first (and second) win of the series followed by Corrie Karas and Kelli Richter (PSIMET). Meanwhile in the men’s race Dan Teaters (Wheel & Sprocket) won followed by series leader David Reyes (Heritage) and Maxx Hall (Verdigris-Village).

– Sunday was an entirely different day after snow blanketed the course Saturday night and the track became extremely wet and slippery throughout the day with riders wiping out all over the course. Our podiums for the elite women were Sydney Guagliardo (Verdigris-Village) for her 2^nd win of the weekend, Kelli Richter (PSIMET) and Emily Elbers (Marian). For the men, local road pro Brandon Feehery took the top step racing for his school Lindenwood in a super close finish edging out Saturday’s winner Dan Teaters (Wheel & Sprocket) in the second to last turn, with David Lombardo (Verdigris-Village) in third.  Special shout out to Kenny Labbe for keeping the energy high throughout the cold, snowy, and windy weekend.

– Full results are on USAC here and CrossResults.com Saturday and Sunday. Series overall standings are here.

– Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, John Gatto has been producing some great videos of each CCC event from a different perspective. Check out ILR Saturday and Sunday.

– Next up the CCC heads closer to the city of Chicago in Prospect Heights for Melas CX Basin Racin’. The weather looks delightful so get your bikes into a LBS for service now!

– Not this weekend but next weekend the CCC takes a break to eat tofukey and cranberry dressing but you can still get your CX fix. The crew from Psimet will host Norge Ski Jump Cyclocross on SUNDAY 11/30/14. Gobble Gobble!

– Then on Sunday 12/7/14 the CCC finishes up at Montrose Harbor at the Illinois State CX Championships. We’ll have lots more details for Montrose in the next few weeks, but the rad guys and gals at the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew have already committed to providing podium medals for the top 3 Single Speed Women (who will still be racing with the men). Also, no categories at Montrose have filled yet, so if you end up on a waitlist and then don’t get to race its your own fault.

– Paul Warloski of Milwaukee Bicycle Company will be at Melas CX Basin Racin’ Sunday with the MBC Mettle, a steel cross bike that Cyclocross Magazine called a “great bike for a reasonable cost.” He’ll have Mettles to test ride, even race if you want to try one out. He’ll be at Melas from 8am to 4pm with a break to use his own Mettle in the 45+ race.

– And finally… Juniors, or more to the point their parents… if you have pre-reg’d and shown up to race and are due your entry fee “refund” and would rather donate those monies to a youth program such as West Town Bikes or Blackstone Bikes, please let us know and we can make that happen.

Just a reminder that everyone needs to sign in and get a new number tomorrow… DO NOT race with your number from Saturday or you will not be scored

– #ILRcx More venue/course info here.

– Preliminary staging will be posted here for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s results will affect Sunday’s staging.

– SCW has increased payouts per the CCC maxiumum even though pre-reg numbers are not >600 riders. Cat 1/2/3 and Women Cat 1/2/3 will each split $900 over 7 places both days (2 Day * 2 Categories * $900 = $3,600).

– SRAM neutral support in the equipment pit both days.

– As per usual this time of year the forecast is for high winds and low temps. SCW asks that everyone take down your tents, all the way, Saturday night. You may leave your tent(s) on premise overnight.

– There will be  hoses available to wash your bike(s), but not in the equipment pit. The hose is located next to the pro-shop just outside the door to registration. SCW is working on getting a power washer for the pits, but not promises.

– Do not bring your bikes inside when coming to the registration room. Please leave them outside. Thanks!

– No warming up on the fairways or west of the course. The other courses are still open to golfers… yeah, they think we are crazy too for riding our bikes in this type of weather.

– Please stay off the putting greens at all times.

– Kenny Labbe will be on the mic again both days.

– Kids cx is on but for Sunday only. “Racing” starts at 2pm.

– Bring your bathing suit for the pool and hot tub.

– The Cave Bar will be open as well as an all you can eat buffet in the Masters restaurant.

– Speaking of the Cave… there will be an informal party Saturday night. Come say hello!

– The course: Classic ILR features with a few new sections and run clockwise. Approximation of this weekend’s course is below and the course will change slightly from Saturday to Sunday.

Starts are huge in cross. Whether you’re on the 1^st row or the 10^th, a good start can be the difference between a great or mediocre day on the bike.  Maintaining your position and/or passing large groups of people while charging down a straight at the beginning is a heck of a lot easier than making up large gaps throughout a cross race for sure.  Plus it’s fun!

First off you need to have a solid warm up in prior to staging, or else the violent effort needed is going to hit you like a ton of bricks half way through the first lap. Grip the bars tightly in the drops or on the hoods.  Most like the hoods but how often do you see roadies sprinting for the line on the hoods?  Make no mistake; this is a series of short and all-out sprints.  Get your weight back a bit, at least over the top of the saddle.  When the whistle blows jam your hips forward and off you go.

BMX is awesome, just wanted to put that out there. Growing up in that sport teaches some pretty wicked skills for sure, including how to go from a standing start to max speed fast.  While you won’t win a cross race because of a great start, you can lose one with a bad start.  You can win a BMX race purely because of a great start so it’s a large part of training and the core principals are the same.  Notice the hip action, pedal position and all-out/dead-lift type effort:  BMX Start

As with every aspect of bike racing, practice is crucial. Do 2 or 3 starts the day before race day to get the feel.  You need to find the starting gear that best suits you, get comfortable getting your cleat engaged quickly and work on shifting up as you spin each gear out.  This is a fantastic video and instruction from one of the best in the US: Cyclocross Start

It’s also a very good idea to incorporate focused and fitness based start reps into your training regimen at least once every other week. One or two sets of these is a solid addition to a skills oriented day and will also help train the body to accept and recover from what is one of the toughest efforts of the race:

Warm up for at least 15 minutes.

1 rep: All out sprint for 200 meters. Settle into FTP +10% and peg it there for 1 minute.  3 minutes off between reps.

1 set: 5 reps. Take 8 minutes off between sets.

Hit up some single track for the last half of your ride to work on skills (and to have lots of fun)

Warm down for at least 15 minutes

Good luck and go fast!

Rob Kelley

TRAINING BIBLE COACH

www.ROKcoaching.com