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For the love of Cyclocross

September 9, 2010 in Austin, Texas, CX with 9 Comments

This past year has been great for me, physically. I participated in CrossFit for six months, which I credit for lost inches, found definition and the disappearance of 22 lbs of fat. I play ice hockey a couple times a week and have consistently finished in the top ten to twenty in scoring (and penalty minutes, too, much to my chagrin).

But they’re not bike racing, and certainly not racing at a level that I would like to be at. So I’ve made a shift in anticipation of the fall ‘Cross season in Texas.

Lone Star Cyclocross from Matt Haughey on Vimeo.

From now through the end of the year I will no longer head to CrossFit and I will play hockey just once a week, on a set day, so I can more accurately plan training rides and progression with my coach. I’ve hired David Wenger of Durata Training, my first one-on-one coach ever.

So far the training has been great. I’m reading my wattage on a Quarq Cinqo tied to a Garmin 705.

It’s all exciting to me – the electronics. For years I’ve been proud to be the guy with zero electronics to monitor progression. A real velo Luddite. (Yes, I lead an interactive dept for a living, don’t judge.)

Now I’m in it for results.

I often tweet my training results and routes, so be sure to follow me there to keep up. Coach is starting to intensify my training and I noticed something that said 375 watts for 15 seconds, then down to 185 watts for 15 seconds, and back up again. Man, that’s gonna be tough. But ‘cross is fierce, balls-to-the-wall, pain cave racing.

Here’s my schedule for the year:
Oct 16- Austin – season opener at Belterra
Oct 17- Austin – season opener w/Texas Custom Bicycle Show
Oct 23 Houston GCCA
Oct 24 Houston Woodlands CX
Oct 30 New Braunfels- WurstFest
Nov 6 Webberville p/b Violet Crown
Nov 7 Austin p/b Holland Racing
Nov 13 San Antonio p/b Bicycle Heaven
Nov 14 San Antonio
Nov 20 Ft Worth p/b Broken Films
Nov 21 Ft Worth p/b Think Cash
Dec 5 Chicago Cross Cup State Championships
Dec 12 Austin p/b Brain and Spine
Dec 18 Dallas – State Championship (Skills Based)
Dec 19 Dallas – State Championship (Age Based)

You might have noticed that Chicago date. Still in the works, but close to complete and puts a big smile on my face just thinking about getting back to the series I started.

Eye of the tiger, people. Let’s race!

A review of Race Across The Sky

October 22, 2009 in Ridin' with 2 Comments

I was late in the game on this movie, finding out just days before. With a little luck I caught a pass and got to attend. But I had my doubts about the quality of this flick after being part of a user experience that took you through a multitude of websites and was disjointed at best. (Stupid, I know.)

If you’re not familiar with Race Across The Sky, it’s a documentary about the 2009 Leadville 100, arguably the hardest one-day mountain bike race in North America. Riders start at over 10,000 feet and go to upwards of 12,600 feet. They put in over 14,000 feet of climbing in over 100 miles on mostly double track and roads. If you finish in under 12 hours, you get the coveted belt buckles. Very cool.

The race has about 1,400 starters and about 80% finish each year. Often times the elite slip away in a small pack, and this year’s edition was no different. Lance Armstrong and David Wiens (six-time winner) were the ones to watch, while many other famous MTB faces joined the seven-man early split, too.

I’m a sucker for mountain bike and cyclocross movies. I own most of the ones produced in the last ten years. But only a couple have I seen in theaters. Like seeing those in full glory, I was happy to be able to witness the swift cinematography of R.A.T.S. on the big screen. Only every once in a while did I find myself hoping (yet another) electric guitar solo would come to an end. Still, to think that this film was edited and released in 67 days is a true accomplishment.

My favorite moments:
- amazing views of the Colorado Rockies;
- getting to know the town of Leadville and the promoters;
- heartwarming tales from unlikely finishers, including a woman who has had MS since 1980 and another who was nearly killed by a truck while riding;
- Dave Wiens about taking second to Lance, “I was racing a guy who’s three weeks off of the Tour de France. Last year he was three weeks off of the couch”;
- seeing all the kids greet their dads and moms along the route and finish;
- all the people meeting their goals (and feeling the pain of some who were cut off);
- hearing a woman say “I’m glad” about her husband being cut off because she was freezing (it is funny in context).

Before and after the movie they showed a Q/A session with Wiens, Lance, the promoter, Matt Shriver and Travis Brown. I enjoyed hearing their take, and you could sense that Wiens is a very proud Coloradan, thanking all the people and promoting his area. Lance was his typical self as witnessed by a question asked about his take on the moving personal stories of other racers which he diverted into his own suffering on the climbs. Yin and yang between those guys.

LA also mentioned that a tour along the lines of the Coors Classic is in the works and likely for 2011. If only it were all off-road (I assume he was talking about the pavement).

Apparently the movie might be shown again, so if you missed it you’ll likely get another chance. You might even wait for the DVD – it’s a good flick for trainer days.

Not that I would know what that is living in Texas.

Bad-ass girls on BMX bikes

October 8, 2008 in Ridin' with Comments Off

I know this has floated around before, but I just saw it again over on The Prairie Peddler.

Take a minute to watch…or else!

Kiiii YA!

While I’m at it, Ben Popper blogged about these incredible images. Seems Cyclocross is all the rage in Portland and Georgia (of all places). Those courses are stellar.

What is cyclocross?

September 12, 2008 in CX, Ridin' with 4 Comments

‘Tis the time of year where I draw inspiration from racing and watching races. That’s when I came across this gem. It’s a funny video.

Build your own portable training barriers for cyclocross practice

September 10, 2008 in CX, Day in the life., Family and friends with 13 Comments

Cyclocross season is upon us, and that means training. Lots of training.

CX racing is all about technique, especially with technical sections and barriers to maneuver. Good technique could mean the difference between the place you’re in, and the one you want. And the only way to get there is through practice.

Like most cyclists, I prefer to ride my bike to the park, but it can be hard to negotiate traffic with oversized PVC pipes strapped to your back. So with the help of my father-in-law, Corky, and a little inspiration from the design of the Pony Shop barriers, we set off to create two compact, portable barriers. Here’s a step-by-step look:

REQUIRED PARTS:
2 – 10′ long 3/4″ PVC pipes (or 1″, whatever you choose)
2 – 3/4″ to 3/4″ PVC pipe connectors
4 – 3/4″ 90º “corners” with side 3/4″ threaded side outlet
4 – 3/4″ threaded to slip connectors
Miter box
Hacksaw
Fine grade sandpaper

STEP One
Cut twelve 18″ sections. Sand the ends – up to about 1″ up from bottom – with fine sandpaper. Some ends will act as a base and touch the ground, so don’t sand the ends of eight of your sections.

STEP Two
Using the Miter Box, measure a good spot to line up the PVC to make 45º angles for the base. Mark the box with pencil so all ends you’ll cut are the same. Create 45º angles on the non-sanded side of eight sections.

STEP Three
Put the connectors together. You might need to use channel locks to screw the threaded connector into the 90º corners. For each barrier, press one 18″ section deep into the middle connector for the top bar. Leave the other side “snug” (i.e. not pressed all the way in) so it comes apart easily for transport.

STEP Four
Put together like a Lego set. We chose 18″ sections so everything is easy to transport and made for easier math (Pythagorean theorem).

Our barriers are just over 13″ tall, come apart easily and fit nicely into a large Chrome bag (not the XL, mind you). Perfect for commuting.

We also developed a system with elastic so we could fold up the barriers like a tent pole, but it’s not necessary yet (we were worried about the barriers coming apart with any load during practice). Any improvements I make will show up here.

Thanks for all your help, Corky. It was fun working with you on this project. Now to get deep into my weekly practices…