Catskill Mountain Multisport
Hudson Valley Velodrome
Hudson Valley Velodrome
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Latest News
December 2009
CEEPO now available at Catskill Mt. Multisport
May 14th - Ecco Biom shoes
Last Friday evening I received a pair of Biom shoes from the shop. I wore them for a 30 minute run from the shop to the cinder track at New Paltz middle school. I found that they fit great and were very comfortable to run in.
The concept of the Biom is to run as nature intended, with no excessive cushioning and no excessive motion control. It's an attempt to simulate barefoot running, allowing the muscles, bones and ligaments of the foot to follow their normal path of motion.
This should result in new muscle formation. I find that they're low to the ground, which I like.
On May 12th, I ran the Escarpment with the shop crew to scout the run course for the Devil's Kitchen tri. Greg was also in his Bioms, and we both found them to be excellent trail running shoes.
May 13th - Tour of Sweden update
I received the schedule today. Thank goodness the sun won't be setting because I'll likely need to ride well past dinner time to get some of the stages done. The longest stage is 280K (175 miles)! And they want to swim and run in addition to 2230 total kilometers, an average of 159.3K per day for the 14 days (but since there's a rest day from cycling, it's actually an average of 171.5K / day of riding).
May 10th - Bear Mt. Spring Classic bike race
From 1998 through 2002, before I got into duathlon then tri, I was exclusively a cyclist. One of my fondest memories from those days was my win at Bear Mountain in 2002 in the 35+ field on a day of pissing rain and temps in the low 40s.
7 years later and now I'm in the 45+ field. Some of the faces are still the same, including my old teammate Morgan Stebbins who protected my breakaway in 2002, and Andy Ruiz, now part of the solid Keltic squad from Albany.
The 45+ field only races 42 miles, or 3 laps of the 14 mile circuit. The initial descent is still neutral. Fearing the yellow line rule and getting caught behind slower riders while a break gets away, I hugged the bumper of the pace vehicle on the descent with a like minded fellow in blue on my elbow. Once past the hairpin turn at the bottom, the pacer waived us into action. I got into a good rythm for a minute, check behind me and saw I was well clear of the field. The fellow who shared the bumper on the descent bridged and we worked together to the top of the climb to Tiorati.
The pack was closing so I sat up and caught the train. The blue kitted fellow stayed off the front and one the Keltics bridged to him. I tried to go across solo to the break and was joined by a CRCA, but he popped me on the next climb and I joined the pack, again, after the descent on the 2nd climb of Tiorati.
But, I got popped again. At 177 pounds, I can't climb like the old days. So, I'm left to chase on my terrain, the rollers. 3rd fast descent, 3rd hairpin, and there they are, 200 meters up the road. I go into conservation mode and with 3 miles to go, I'm back in the pack. The 2 breakaways are still off the front, and I'm told a third rider is solo, trying to bridge to them.
I work my way to the front and at 1500 meters to go, as we approach the final feedzone climb, I ask Morgan to open a door for me and I jump. I've got a nice gap when a solo Keltic blows by me like I'm riding in mud. He gets 20 meters on me then slows to my pace. I check the pack and there's 1 rider in a yellow kit closing. He passes, I get his wheel and he pulls me halfway to the Keltic rider. As we crest the climb, I jump across to the Keltic rider, get his wheel then open the sprint on the final downhill. At the line, as Keltic tries to come around, I win the sprint for 4th with a bike throw. Fun stuff.
May 9th - The Battle of Battenfield
The official home brewers of CM2, B.A.D. Brewing, a/k/a Brian and Damian Lavender, have created a new multisport event which CM2 will help produce. Battenfield Christmas Tree farm in Milan, NY will host a 5 stage race consisting of a 1.1 mile hilly trail run / 7 mile hilly road bike / 2 mile hilly trail run which also contains 3 pond swims / a 4 mile thigh burning Mt. Bike leg / and a final leg which repeats the third leg, so more swimming.
The venue is beautiful and even though the legs are all short they are all viciously hard.
Entry will be available soon on www.cm2promotions.com . Entry will be limited to the first 75 racers. The entry fee will be $60.
May 7th - Tour of Sweden
Lucky day! I won a contest on Slowtwitch.com, the best triathlon website, for an all-expense training camp at the Tour of Sweden.
From May 17, I will experience and explore Sweden from the Southern tip to the Northern point far above the Polar Circle.
Between those two extremes is the entire country of Sweden in full spring blossom and I will be riding my bike through it all!
It's two weeks of fully catered training and adventure, sponsored by Red Bull and hosted by pro triathletes Jonas Colting and Bjorn Andersson.
www.tosweden.se
May 3rd - Trooper Duathlon, Hurley, NY
The Hudson Valley multiport season for the past 6 years has opened with NYTC's Trooper Duathlon. The course is fun, featuring a blazing fast stretch of Rt. 28 following by the grind of climbing Dug Hill.
In the week between Richmond and Trooper, I went on a beer strike and managed to shed 6 pounds, down from 180 to 174, but it was to no avail on the first run where I lingered in 7th place through the first of 2 miles.
Justin Harris ran solo off the front, chased by a 3 man group consisting of West Point cadet Brendan Fox, professional tri coach Greg Reznich and Dan Odria. Chasing them was the ambitious Nick Brundage, who I was chasing with Laurel Wassner, professional triathlete, on my elbow making me wonder if I was about to get chicked, again.
Gradually, I left Laurel and ran down Odria, entering T1 on Brundage's heels and leaving on the bike ahead of him thanks to a quick transition (check out the flying dismount, below). After quickly reeling in Reznich, I set my sights up the road for the blinking red light of trooper clearing the way for the leader, which was Fox who had passed Justin and was on his way to the fastest bike split by over a minute.
As we reached the flatter stretches of 28, I overtook Justin while being shadowed by Reznich. We took turns pressing the pace along Hurley Mountain Road, arriving at the base of Dug Hill within a few seconds of each other. Here, Justin took advantage of his superior climbing ability and rode out of sight. As we reached the steeper bits near the top, I took advantage of my local knowledge and attacked Reznich at the moment of his deepest difficulty and got away.
Out of T2 it was Fox being pursued by Justin like a Millbrook hunt country hound. I'd flatter myself to write I was chasing Justin, a 14:48 5K runner, but I did my best to hold onto a podium position. Justin overtook Fox and finished in a new course record time of 59:14, 8 seconds clear of my time set in 2004.
Interestingly, Justin's 2 runs were both 10:49 (5:24.5 per mile pace).
CEEPO now available at Catskill Mt. Multisport
May 14th - Ecco Biom shoes
Last Friday evening I received a pair of Biom shoes from the shop. I wore them for a 30 minute run from the shop to the cinder track at New Paltz middle school. I found that they fit great and were very comfortable to run in.
The concept of the Biom is to run as nature intended, with no excessive cushioning and no excessive motion control. It's an attempt to simulate barefoot running, allowing the muscles, bones and ligaments of the foot to follow their normal path of motion.
This should result in new muscle formation. I find that they're low to the ground, which I like.
On May 12th, I ran the Escarpment with the shop crew to scout the run course for the Devil's Kitchen tri. Greg was also in his Bioms, and we both found them to be excellent trail running shoes.
May 13th - Tour of Sweden update
I received the schedule today. Thank goodness the sun won't be setting because I'll likely need to ride well past dinner time to get some of the stages done. The longest stage is 280K (175 miles)! And they want to swim and run in addition to 2230 total kilometers, an average of 159.3K per day for the 14 days (but since there's a rest day from cycling, it's actually an average of 171.5K / day of riding).
May 10th - Bear Mt. Spring Classic bike race
From 1998 through 2002, before I got into duathlon then tri, I was exclusively a cyclist. One of my fondest memories from those days was my win at Bear Mountain in 2002 in the 35+ field on a day of pissing rain and temps in the low 40s.
7 years later and now I'm in the 45+ field. Some of the faces are still the same, including my old teammate Morgan Stebbins who protected my breakaway in 2002, and Andy Ruiz, now part of the solid Keltic squad from Albany.
The 45+ field only races 42 miles, or 3 laps of the 14 mile circuit. The initial descent is still neutral. Fearing the yellow line rule and getting caught behind slower riders while a break gets away, I hugged the bumper of the pace vehicle on the descent with a like minded fellow in blue on my elbow. Once past the hairpin turn at the bottom, the pacer waived us into action. I got into a good rythm for a minute, check behind me and saw I was well clear of the field. The fellow who shared the bumper on the descent bridged and we worked together to the top of the climb to Tiorati.
The pack was closing so I sat up and caught the train. The blue kitted fellow stayed off the front and one the Keltics bridged to him. I tried to go across solo to the break and was joined by a CRCA, but he popped me on the next climb and I joined the pack, again, after the descent on the 2nd climb of Tiorati.
But, I got popped again. At 177 pounds, I can't climb like the old days. So, I'm left to chase on my terrain, the rollers. 3rd fast descent, 3rd hairpin, and there they are, 200 meters up the road. I go into conservation mode and with 3 miles to go, I'm back in the pack. The 2 breakaways are still off the front, and I'm told a third rider is solo, trying to bridge to them.
I work my way to the front and at 1500 meters to go, as we approach the final feedzone climb, I ask Morgan to open a door for me and I jump. I've got a nice gap when a solo Keltic blows by me like I'm riding in mud. He gets 20 meters on me then slows to my pace. I check the pack and there's 1 rider in a yellow kit closing. He passes, I get his wheel and he pulls me halfway to the Keltic rider. As we crest the climb, I jump across to the Keltic rider, get his wheel then open the sprint on the final downhill. At the line, as Keltic tries to come around, I win the sprint for 4th with a bike throw. Fun stuff.
May 9th - The Battle of Battenfield
The official home brewers of CM2, B.A.D. Brewing, a/k/a Brian and Damian Lavender, have created a new multisport event which CM2 will help produce. Battenfield Christmas Tree farm in Milan, NY will host a 5 stage race consisting of a 1.1 mile hilly trail run / 7 mile hilly road bike / 2 mile hilly trail run which also contains 3 pond swims / a 4 mile thigh burning Mt. Bike leg / and a final leg which repeats the third leg, so more swimming.
The venue is beautiful and even though the legs are all short they are all viciously hard.
Entry will be available soon on www.cm2promotions.com . Entry will be limited to the first 75 racers. The entry fee will be $60.
May 7th - Tour of Sweden
Lucky day! I won a contest on Slowtwitch.com, the best triathlon website, for an all-expense training camp at the Tour of Sweden.
From May 17, I will experience and explore Sweden from the Southern tip to the Northern point far above the Polar Circle.
Between those two extremes is the entire country of Sweden in full spring blossom and I will be riding my bike through it all!
It's two weeks of fully catered training and adventure, sponsored by Red Bull and hosted by pro triathletes Jonas Colting and Bjorn Andersson.
www.tosweden.se
May 3rd - Trooper Duathlon, Hurley, NY
The Hudson Valley multiport season for the past 6 years has opened with NYTC's Trooper Duathlon. The course is fun, featuring a blazing fast stretch of Rt. 28 following by the grind of climbing Dug Hill.
In the week between Richmond and Trooper, I went on a beer strike and managed to shed 6 pounds, down from 180 to 174, but it was to no avail on the first run where I lingered in 7th place through the first of 2 miles.
Justin Harris ran solo off the front, chased by a 3 man group consisting of West Point cadet Brendan Fox, professional tri coach Greg Reznich and Dan Odria. Chasing them was the ambitious Nick Brundage, who I was chasing with Laurel Wassner, professional triathlete, on my elbow making me wonder if I was about to get chicked, again.
Gradually, I left Laurel and ran down Odria, entering T1 on Brundage's heels and leaving on the bike ahead of him thanks to a quick transition (check out the flying dismount, below). After quickly reeling in Reznich, I set my sights up the road for the blinking red light of trooper clearing the way for the leader, which was Fox who had passed Justin and was on his way to the fastest bike split by over a minute.
As we reached the flatter stretches of 28, I overtook Justin while being shadowed by Reznich. We took turns pressing the pace along Hurley Mountain Road, arriving at the base of Dug Hill within a few seconds of each other. Here, Justin took advantage of his superior climbing ability and rode out of sight. As we reached the steeper bits near the top, I took advantage of my local knowledge and attacked Reznich at the moment of his deepest difficulty and got away.
Out of T2 it was Fox being pursued by Justin like a Millbrook hunt country hound. I'd flatter myself to write I was chasing Justin, a 14:48 5K runner, but I did my best to hold onto a podium position. Justin overtook Fox and finished in a new course record time of 59:14, 8 seconds clear of my time set in 2004.
Interestingly, Justin's 2 runs were both 10:49 (5:24.5 per mile pace).
Mark your Calendars (permits pending):
May 24: Williams Lake off-road triathlon
June 13: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
July 4: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
August 1: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
August 30: Devil's Kitchen olympic triathlon
September 5: William's Lake club sprint tri
Spetember 6: Frost Valley sprint triathlon
October 11: American Zofingen ultra duathlon
May 24: Williams Lake off-road triathlon
June 13: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
July 4: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
August 1: Williams Lake club sprint triathlon
August 30: Devil's Kitchen olympic triathlon
September 5: William's Lake club sprint tri
Spetember 6: Frost Valley sprint triathlon
October 11: American Zofingen ultra duathlon
April 26th -
Duathlon Nationals, Richmond, VA
On April 25th, Hon. Bill Pape, Justin Harris, Michael Bakker and I travelled to Richmond, VA for the USAT Duathlon Nationals. We arrived late afternoon to temperatures hovering in the high 90s. The bike course was a complicated affair with 3 loops, so we only needed to ride 13K to complete a recon.
After checking into the hotel and grabbing a shower, we carbo loaded at an Irish pub (with Old Chubb on tap), an Italian restaurant and another bar with a mind-boggling variety of beer. Bakker and I had Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA on tap while Justin wisely stuck to a hefe weizen.
Bakker has the ability to enjoy beer and still lose weight while I, on the other hand, turn into the michelin man at just the hiff of hops in the air. Once your engine is fit, the biggest factor in running and riding fast is weight. When I was racing fast in 2003-2005, I weighed 163. Going into this race, I was 180, so it was going to be tough.
The next morning, the age groups started their waves 40 minutes apart. The temeratures were already rising when the 45-49 wave I was in started at 8:50 am. We went out fast and after a mile I found myself in 10th place, losing ground. I settled in and pinned my hopes on the bike leg.
On the bike, my trusty P3C (no P4 for me yet), I picked up 5 places which I held through the final 5K run, but had to sprint uphill to the finish to retake the one fellow who had passed me earler on this 3rd leg. The effort left me a quivering mass of jelly for 2 minutes but recovery came quick.
I fitted my bike with a Speedfil drink system which proved quite useful in staying aero while keeping adequately hydrated.
Bakker had a tough day and took a DNF, while Judge Pape flatted without a spare.
Justin crushed the 2 runs, but had some mechanical issues with his ride and had to settle for 6th in his age group.
Justin and my top 10s qualified us for Team USA and the World Championships to be held September 27th in Concord, NC.
Duathlon Nationals, Richmond, VA
On April 25th, Hon. Bill Pape, Justin Harris, Michael Bakker and I travelled to Richmond, VA for the USAT Duathlon Nationals. We arrived late afternoon to temperatures hovering in the high 90s. The bike course was a complicated affair with 3 loops, so we only needed to ride 13K to complete a recon.
After checking into the hotel and grabbing a shower, we carbo loaded at an Irish pub (with Old Chubb on tap), an Italian restaurant and another bar with a mind-boggling variety of beer. Bakker and I had Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA on tap while Justin wisely stuck to a hefe weizen.
Bakker has the ability to enjoy beer and still lose weight while I, on the other hand, turn into the michelin man at just the hiff of hops in the air. Once your engine is fit, the biggest factor in running and riding fast is weight. When I was racing fast in 2003-2005, I weighed 163. Going into this race, I was 180, so it was going to be tough.
The next morning, the age groups started their waves 40 minutes apart. The temeratures were already rising when the 45-49 wave I was in started at 8:50 am. We went out fast and after a mile I found myself in 10th place, losing ground. I settled in and pinned my hopes on the bike leg.
On the bike, my trusty P3C (no P4 for me yet), I picked up 5 places which I held through the final 5K run, but had to sprint uphill to the finish to retake the one fellow who had passed me earler on this 3rd leg. The effort left me a quivering mass of jelly for 2 minutes but recovery came quick.
I fitted my bike with a Speedfil drink system which proved quite useful in staying aero while keeping adequately hydrated.
Bakker had a tough day and took a DNF, while Judge Pape flatted without a spare.
Justin crushed the 2 runs, but had some mechanical issues with his ride and had to settle for 6th in his age group.
Justin and my top 10s qualified us for Team USA and the World Championships to be held September 27th in Concord, NC.
