In The Crosshairs

We are wrapping up coverage of the 2009 Charm City Cyclocross with the traditional ‘In The Crosshairs’ podium finisher interviews. You’ve heard what the pros had to say, now let’s hear how your fellow competitors saw the day. Thanks for reading.

What was your favorite part of the course?

Michael Yozell (VisitPA.com, First place, Men Masters Elite):C3 built a great course. I’d have to say there isn’t one particular section that was a favorite but I did think the stairs in the outer field was a nice touch, very creative and much better than the old barrier placement. The course had good flow throughout.

Adam Driscoll (Adventures For the Cure, First place, Men’s 2/3/4): My favorite part of the course was definitely the natural barrier where you have to do a 180 turn around a big tree. This was a great place where we had lots of spectators.

Robert Sheffield (Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB, First place Men’s 4): The two sets of single track around the trees on the far side of the course separated by the stairs. It was fast and really smooth.

Jonathan Seibold (Family Bike Shop/DCMTB, Second Place Masters Men 3/4): The stairs and the new swoopy section right after them. I also like the planter box around the tree. 

Chris Mayhew (JBV Coaching, Third place, Men’s 2/3/4): The planter box. I’m a big fan of natural obstacles. It feels a bit old school since they’re really high. And it’s such a natural focus point of the course with the pit and BBQ right there. It’s always the loudest part of the course. 

Lindsey Hillesheim (Squadra Coppi, Third place Women’s 3/4): All of it. Charm City has great flow with turns that are wide enough that you don’t to brake much and enough obstacles to keep it interesting and technical.   

Jay Morali (C3, Third Place Masters Men 3/4): I really liked the stairs on the back side. A nice addition to the course this year.

Jesse Leifert (Route 1 Velo/Arrow Bicycle, Third Place Men’s 4): I actually really enjoyed the whole first lap. Having never done a cross race before, the experience of riding on wet grass and dirt around trees with 125 of my fellow cyclists was a pretty cool experience. Also, having staged towards the latter third of the pack you could really see everyone getting freaked out by the proximity of everyone. I ended up following Tim Brown from Bike Rack and we passed a bunch of people for the first two laps as we tried to make our way back to the front. It was a blast.  Continue reading »

With the beginning of the season right around the corner I have decided it was time for ‘In The Crosshairs’ to do its first ever clip show. So pretend we have just accidentally locked ourselves in the cellar and are spending the time reminiscing about last season until somebody realizes we are missing. We are going to start the flashback sequence with some advice for the newbies. A standard interview question asked on this site concerns missteps of the new cyclocross racer. Here’s a look back at the knowledge handed down from podium finishers.

What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy.” This could have been in a race or in the parking lot or waiting in line to register, etc.

URBAN CROSS.

STEVE FIFE: I see people roll to the start line cold all the time, and think it would really be helpful for them to know the benefit of a good warm up.

JULIE KULIECZA: I think I am still a newbie so if someone sees me doing something dumb please tell me. Pumping tires up to more than 50 psi. I did say something and they thanked me.

LINDSAY BAYER: I AM that newbie. People are always kindly pointing things out like, “Your number is on backwards,” or “You’re on the wrong type of bicycle” or “You should lay off the brakes in those turns.”

NOAH BELL: A guy ran through a ridable sand pit every lap and on the last lap a guy rode past him and he lost a podium spot.

CJ CONGROVE: I am a noob. I didn’t wear my kit to the podium. Maybe someone needs to have a word with me. Continue reading »

Before we get knee deep into the season, let’s take a look back at the August 21 cyclocross clinic with Jeremy Powers hosted by JBV Coaching and Fulcrum Coaching.

I had the opportunity to track down the coaches and a handful of the attendees from the clinic to get their thoughts on what they expected to get from the day and how it panned out. If you are new to cyclocross or even if you have been racing for a year or two, take a look at the responses and consider making a clinic part of your preseason routine. Here’s what the ‘campers’ had to say about their day:  Continue reading »

The MABRA cyclocross series held its championship race in Taneytown, Maryland, November 30. Purists might say it was perfect cross weather. Sane observers would say it was 35 degrees and raining. Flanders and Swann would say “Mud, mud glorious mud.”

Racers were treated to a well-designed course that seemed to redefine itself throughout the day as the rain turned a predominantly grassy track into a mud bog. So how did it go? We checked in with a hearty crew of survivors to get their thoughts. 

Here are my takeaways: (1) If you think teammates only matter on the road, C3-Sollay.com begs to differ … and has the results to prove it. (2) Some may argue that techno is the soundtrack of cyclocross, but Pantera, Radiohead and Zeppelin seem to get you decent results. (3) I’m pretty sure my questions are starting to annoy Gunnar Shogren. 

Check out the photos tab at the top of the page for pictures from the race, or click here. 

Finally, let me know what you think about the site. If you see something you like, leave a comment. If you see something you think could be improved, even more reason to let me know. You can also e-mail me by using the contact link on the sidebar. 

1. How did you prepare to tackle the conditions? Do you think you got it right? 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): It is always important to pre-ride the course but it was absolutely necessary on Sunday…there were some really technical sections given the rain and mud. I only made a couple minor mistakes. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): I had enough layers on to keep my base body temperature ok. With the rain and riding through standing water, I lost feeling in my feet and fingers by the end of the race. Not much dress wise I think could have been done for that due to the rain and conditions. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): I’ve raced mud a few times and love it.  the frozen hands I could have done without.  I rolled with Long Sleeve skinsuit, Long sleeve base layer, leg warmers, lots of embrocation, and gloves that were way too thin. 

MARC VETTORI [fatmarc] (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): I consider myself a pretty good mudder. I like nasty conditions, rainy days. I admit I was giddy as we started to stage. cold, but giddy. I’m not the strongest guy in the pack, so anytime I can use guile and treachery or hide behind technique in bad conditions, I’m all about it. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): I wore slightly warmer clothes than normal, I got everything right except for gloves, after the race my hands were burning like crazy. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women 3/4 2nd Place): I didn’t prepare nearly enough-I didn’t have enough clothes and I should not have pre-ridden so early. I got way too cold. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): I was physically prepared for the conditions and had enough layers and dry clothes, rain pants and jacket, boots, toasty toes warmers, extra of everything. My big mistake was that I was not mentally or emotionally ready to accept the conditions of cold rain and mud. So as a result I was kind of grumpy and miserable. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): 5 cups of coffee, Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power,’ and a childhood full of mud clod fights and bmx drag races on gravel roads. Seems like perfect prep for cross! 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): I wore everything I owned to ward off the freezing cold and managed to stay pretty warm during the race. Had I known it was going to be so wet and muddy, however, I would have worn my mask and snorkel. 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): By not pre-riding the course and just warming up on the trainer. Yes, I think I got it right. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): I just raced and tried not to freeze. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): The conditions were cold (~35 Degrees) and raining so I tackled these conditions by trying to stay as warm as possible before the start. While warming up, I had several extra layers on because I feel you shouldn’t make your body work to stay warm before the start of a race, this could possibly waste energy. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): My hands were in bad shape. Bad. They just don’t handle the wet cold very well anymore. Too many years of abusing them doing this sort of nonsense I guess. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): I tried not to be cold at the start. Sometimes a person is screwed before the race even starts by not staying warm and dry until the last possible moment.

 

2. What was the best part of the course? What was the worst part of the course? 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): Best: slick, but rideable off camber corners and fast slimy turns. Worst: the large pond after the start finish. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): I liked the mud, especially the “River Runs Through It.” I suppose the worst part was that run-up, as I had to walk like a duck to try to get up it. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): The best part of the course was everything that was muddy and twisty, the worst had to be the run-up I could never get it right there. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): The new course was great! Would have had a grand time, had it not rained and been 34 degrees.

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): The best part of the course was the long, gradual uphill gravel road. This section was much appreciated because there was no deep mud and was a great place to go faster without worrying about a crash. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): I really liked the swooping sections through the trees-the couple minutes after the start finish were probably the hardest. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): All of it, and all of it. 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): My favorite part was the short downhill towards the end of each lap. It was slippery and fast, as well as close enough to the finish line that it felt like good news every time. The worst part was probably the lake right after the first hill after the start; there’s nothing quite like swimming on your bicycle. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd Place): Loved the steep, muddy run-up after the pit. The chain link fences started freaking me out after awhile-I was visualizing some nasty eye injuries. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): The best part of the course, was the familiarity of it to me – I’ve raced this course at Taneytown for a few years now. The worst part, was the conditions effect on the course. I was not enthused about riding into the lake of a drainage ditch within 200m of starting. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): I thought the entire course was laid out very well. The course had good flow and was lots of fun. I guess if I had to pick a section my favorite section was the drop down, and run up near the end of the lap. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): the entire course was well done.  the weather made it extra fun but it had a nice blend of off camber, technical and power sections.  Last years course was good, this years was excellent.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): The best part of the course was the second part of the course off of the asphalt that led you into 2 uphill off camber turns that were run ups. They were just slick as snot every lap. Fun stuff. The worst was the beginning of each lap after the asphalt. The grass to the short pop up hill seemed to be the hardest part of the course for me probably just because I was sprinting up the road every time to it and it was like riding through peanut butter. 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): Muddy hill! 

3. Describe your winning move. Or, when the race was lost. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): After a poor start I was fortunate to roll off the front with two teammates (Chris Nystrom, Fat Marc) and also West Virginia’s finest. With a small amount of seconds to the next group I was hoping for a wait and see situation but Gunnar started going hard in the off cambers, I responded and was lucky enough to nail a couple corners at top speed and open a gap.  After that it was just head down trying to stretch it out.  It wasn’t until the last half lap that I felt confident I would get it.

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Worried too much about my cold stubs that used to be hands.

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): I got third so there really wasn’t a winning move. I got a strong start and about 1/2 way through the first lap was in a group with 2 teammates ([Kris] Auer and [Chris] Nystrom) and Gunnar [Shogren]. That was pretty good. My job wasn’t to try and win, but to ride well and support my leader. I clearly wasn’t the strongest guy today, more like in the right place at the right time…Things unfolded and worked out well for us.  

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): It helped to keep my wits about me in the mud. It was bad news to think too much about the mud and cold. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): I was putting everything into trying to win the first lap prime and then keep going. However the race losing move came on the first lap, heading off the final off-camber mud-slip-and-slide right before the final turn onto the finish-line pavement stretch, I slid out and the bike and I slid 10 yards in opposite directions, including a break-dance spin in the mud on my back. I laughed and cursed to myself and wondered if any one witnessed the calamity. I ran to the bike and saw Betsy [Shogren] coming up the trail. I had a 15 second lead until the wipe out. I debated jumping on the bike and just going for the first lap prime, but my saddle was too crooked and she passed while I was hitting my seat back into place. After she passed me, I tried to stay near but the culmination of all the little slips and mistakes here and there, I was never able to get her back. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): I lost the race when I bobbled on the last run-up and [Jeremiah] Bishop passed me. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): I was sitting in 3rd for half of the first lap. On the second half of the course with the 2 uphill off camber turns, rider #2 went down in turn one trying to ride it. I quickly dismounted and ran it taking second place. I caught rider #1 within 2 bike lengths as he tried riding through turn two uphill. He crashed and I dismounted again running up the hill and remounting taking the lead. I just started laying down hard tempo and concentrated on riding smooth through the course and not bobbling in the mud. It worked as I started making time on my chasers. Fortunately with no mechanicals I took the win. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): I was in fourth after the first lap, by the second to last lap I was is third for a little bit and I just picked up the pace as much as I could for the last lap and a half-my teammate who won had a big gap so I raced for second. 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): I was with the lead group sitting 4 back after 1 lap and the group all sprinted hard for the 1st lap prize while I sat back(I actually forgot about it) and they all slowed down to recover so I found myself on the front and decided to make a move. Before I knew it, I had a 15 second gap! I put my head down, rode hard, but smart, and held off the field for 3 laps. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): My 2nd place move: not falling on the course, starting hard but not contesting the first lap prime-rocked steady for the remaining laps while others fell back. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): I lost the wheel of the first place finisher on the gravel section on the second lap but was still somewhat close. But then I dismounted a little late on the hill behind the sheds and slid all the way down to the bottom, I was slow getting up and back on the bike. 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): Whenever it came time to get back on the bike after dismounting, I fumbled and had trouble getting started again. Part of it was me just moving slowly in the crap conditions and the other part was that my mud-covered mountain bike weighed roughly three hundred pounds. It was a painful struggle. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I’m not sure that I actually had a winning move or an attack that separated me from the field. After the barrier section on the first lap I was in the top 3, I went as hard as possible over the barriers and didn’t let up. I got a small gap before the run up and really never looked back. I think keeping my pace steady and crash-free is what won me the race. 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): There were no moves to be made this day. I thought for sure that Jeff [Bahnson] was going to come back at some point, but he excels at riding these conditions and kept increasing his lead. 

4. What is your pre-race ritual, warm-up, food, etc.? 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): My pre-race ritual starts with a bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin, medium coffee, orange juice, and a donut. I then try to drink Gatorade before my start to stay hydrated. My warm-up depends on the conditions outside, I either try to ride a full lap of the race course or I try to stay warm in my car and do a quick 15 min warm-up before the start. I really don’t like wasting energy being cold. 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): Register, pin up, dress up, ride the trainer, eat a gel 20 mins before race. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): Aside from trying to take care of necessities (food, equipment), I tend to shy away from pre-race rituals. It is better to be able to go with the flow than to panic when your ritual gets messed up by things cropping up at the last moment (like late arrival time, flat tire, dog needs attention, forgotten essentials, etc.) However, I do try to eat a banana ~15-20 minutes before a race. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): I ate well, warmed up well, but was doomed from the start I’m afraid.

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): That day I was just trying to stay dry and warm before the race, started warming up on the trainer 45 minutes before and drank lots of water. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): My usual routine is breakfast ~6am, slow laps after the mens 4 and masters 3/4 races, eat something ~10am, fast laps after the mens 3/4, then change into my racing kit and try to relax until my race. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): Coffee, oatmeal, metal, and two laps. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): One of my pre-race rituals is to pre-ride the course two races and one race prior to the start. However for this race, I was not excited about getting the bikes dirty and then cleaning them off again so I skipped the pre-ride. As a result I didn’t know the best lines or the proper weighting and leaning of the bike for the corners. It was stupid to not go out there and in the end it cost me time during the race with every dab or slip, and definitely played into the race losing move. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): Coffee, bagel with cream cheese, pre-lap, two trips to the port-o-let, style my hair, ride trainer, crack jokes with wife and friends. Usually get wife ready to race, pit for her, then get myself ready to go. Listen to Radiohead in Rainbows. Weird fishes rules. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): today I arrived early and walked the course but chose not to pre-ride.  steel cut oats for breakfast, 2 Krispy Kremes and a large coffee fueled me up.  I did try to stay very warm and dry before the start.  30 minutes on the trainer kept me loose. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Food 3 hours before race. Healthy cereal, fruit. Powerbar 45min -1 hr before race if I feel I need to top off. Warm up for 35 minutes before race start. I usually try to pre ride the course but didn’t for this one. Too muddy and wanted to save the bike for the race. No pit bike in my arsenal yet.

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): I changed from a PB&J to French Toast this week…it may have to be a new ritual! 

5. What tires and pressure did you run? Do you think you made the right choice? 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): I ran Specialized FastTrack Controls at 40psi (mountain bike tires). With as much mud as there was, though, I could have strapped tractor tires on my bike and it would not have made a difference. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): I ran about 30-35 in both tires which seemed to work well with clinchers.

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): Based on my coach’s advice, I ride the Grifos which are a great all-around tire that can ride well in all conditions. My tire pressure was 35 psi. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Ran a little less than 40, which for the Hutchinson Bulldogs (clinchers) is pretty good. That wasn’t my problem. Those tires have been great this year. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): I heart Michelin Bulldog tires. 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): Dugast Typhoons 32. no idea of the pressure. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): I think I made the right choice using the rhinos at about 30 psi. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): I elected to use my Michelin mud clincher wheelset (usually in the pits) for this race rather than my Challenge Grifo tubulars. I thought that they would cut through the mud because they are a heavier wheelset and because the tires are more suited for mud. I was worried my normal wheelset would skate over the mud. 

6. What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy”?

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Helped a few people in the parking lot running either really high pressure or running too low. Something so easy as tire pressure can really make or break your race as far as handling. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): Nothing sticks out today, lots of suffering and misery though.  Good Stuff. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): I don’t think I saw anything like that. I was hiding under an easy-up most of the time. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): I felt like the newbie for not embracing the conditions and saying “Now this is ‘cross.” 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): That would be me. I’m sure I pulled some shady moves, but I’ve blocked them all out. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): Umm, I guess my only advice in these conditions is to do whatever you can to stay warm and dry before the race. I looked like the Michelin man out there, but I didn’t care because I started the race with feeling in my extremities, unlike a lot of competitors. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I’m a newbie, this is my first full season doing cross!! I’m only getting through with the advice of my teammates, they are the best! Some of the advice I have been given is try to focus on riding the course smooth and focus on your start. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): “Why are you in shorts, are you freezing? You’re not, well I hate you.” 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): Just warning everyone when races are muddy and you open the port-o-let to not be startled by what you see on the floor, just a warning it’s just mud. 

7. Racing next week? What will you do differently, what will you try to repeat? 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): At Reston for the MAC finale. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): We will be racing Capitol Cross next week, our first UCI race of the season! I think the only thing I will do differently is wear my new boots my mother-in-law bought me. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): Next week I’ll try to keep my hands much warmer, and I will try to start as fast as I did for this race. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): MAC finals and final prep for Nats in KC. I can only hope and pray that it’s not rotten out. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I am racing the final MAC race in Reston on Sunday. I hope to follow the same diet and warm-up that I have been doing all season, seems to be working! Then nationals! 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): I got a good start and I think it makes a big difference. 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): I think I’m done for the season. I’ve been racing since April and at this point, I am exhausted. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): Reston: go harder! I’d love to vomit on a cross course. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): Conditions dictate, I did a walking inspection last week. I prefer to ride a lap or two if possible. I plan to follow my normal routine which usually serves me pretty well. I’d like to race like I am not satisfied next week. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): yes, RESTON and hope to do it all the same, minus the frozen hands. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): I’m racing Reston this weekend. It’s the last race of the season, so my mail goal is to race hard and leave it all on the course. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Yes the Mac series final in Reston. I’ll be a row back in the call ups so I’ll have to work harder at the start to move up. I’ll try and repeat the effort and the result. 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): Still debating… 

8. Do you work with a coach? If so, how has it helped the most? 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): Chris Mayhew from JBV Coaching and I have been working together for 2 years now. Chris had done an amazing job of helping me to plan my season and achieve my goals. Chris is very detail oriented, and provides me great guidance. He is very familiar with Mid-Atlantic races so he can always give me some inside insight. Chris also knows that I’m a chronic over trainer, and does a great job keeping me from riding myself into the ground. I could never figure that out on my own. Mayhew really knows when to push me, and when to keep me fresh. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Kris Auer is my coach. I’ve been working with Kris since early summer just for Cx. He’s given me daily workouts to put me at the fitness level I needed to be at to podium in these events. I wanted to peak for finals for both the MABRA and Mac series. So far so good. (crosses fingers for next week). 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): I coach about 20 riders throughout the east coast. Many are crossers and I’d rate cross as my specialty.  I run the athlete development group with associate coach Johnny May. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): I am coached by Mike Birner with Mid-Maryland Coaching. It has taken a huge stress off of previously always planning and wondering what my next workout should be or if I am training the right way. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): Kris Auer (ADG) is my coach and he has been great. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I work with Kris Auer of ADG. Honestly, I couldn’t be where I am at right now without his coaching. I started working with Kris over the summer after a long period of over-training. I was pretty tired and ready to call it quits. But, after some sound coaching advice and a few weeks of rest I started feeling better. I have never felt this good this late into the season and I can attribute this to good coaching. While my work schedule is demanding Kris customized my workouts to fit in with my daily work-life so I am having time to recover. I am more motivated then ever racing my bike. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): Yes (Alec Donahue at Cycle-Smart). It saves me time and energy from figuring out what I’m supposed to be doing and worrying about whether I’m doing it right. My background is in swimming which is a completely different sport and a lot of the training principles don’t translate very well. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): Yes, I think it has helped in a lot of places but mostly with my starts. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): I kick myself every morning. Keeps me motivated. 

9. Is CX your main focus? If not, what is? If it is, how long have you been riding cross? 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): This is my first year racing cross and I love it. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Yes CX is my main focus. This is my third year cross racing.

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): Yeah pretty much, I’ve been getting into the multi sport scene to a degree, just the racing parts though.  Cross since 1996/97 plus a few races as far back as 1989. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): First cross races were in the snow valley series at the high school, back in 1997. I am a crosser. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): From here on out, Cross is my main focus. Don’t tell my wife. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): Cross is the best but I have been mountain biking for about 3 years. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): CX and Mountain biking are tied at the moment, I think I have been riding cross for 5 years now. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): Cyclocross was not my original focus, it was more a fun activity to stay fit over the winter. But, after getting some good results I became completely immersed in cross. While this is my first year racing cross, this is quickly becoming my favorite racing. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Damn, I keep answering this question! Stop the insanity! Been racing Cross since Nats in ’94, wanted to years before that but it wasn’t ever really feasible. Had a Cross bike since ’89. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): I just like to race bikes. Any bike!

10. Got a training/racing/life/stock tip you would like to share? 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): Go Veg! 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): Always have fun. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): My best tip for people is to remember to give your body time to recover. This advice was some of the best advice I was ever given. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): Skyline Drive. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Enjoy it all, the training, the racing, the lifestyle, the circus. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): you get out of life what you put into it. Instant Karma is a bitch. Pull through. Always pull through. No matter what, we do this for fun, it’s all beer league softball, win, lose, or break your chain. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): racing is racing the course is secondary.  Treat them all the same and have fun. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Set goals, work hard, results will come. 

11. Other than race, what do you do? 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): I am a microbiologist at NIOSH. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Wash dishes, do laundry, work on bikes. I train. I ride. I watch old TV series and interesting movies when I can. Sometime I write Haiku. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I work at T. Rowe Price. Racing and training are big parts of my life. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): Besides work, I like to cook, take pictures and swim. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): school. 

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): I don’t have a job but I do go to school and hang out with my friends a lot. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): I am a simple man, I love my wife, I play with my dogs, and I ride my bike. I enjoying sipping a “high life” now and again, and rock climbing has been pretty relaxing for me as well. 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Electrician by day. Cyclist by afternoons. Family man at night. 

12. Will we see you at MABRA CX races, next year? 

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 3rd Place): Sure will. The quality of the events is growing each year and providing another series for the riders of the southern Mid Atlantic. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): You bet-I heart MABRA CX! 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): Yes, this is a great series. All the promoters have done an incredible job at their races, they have all been great and stress-free!! 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): Absolutely. Cross is great training and the prizes are awesome. In cross country racing, you win a race and they give you a pair of socks that say “North Dakota 2006″. In cross racing, you come in twelfth and they give you a new car. 

MELANIE SWARTZ (Elite Women 2nd Place): If there aren’t too many conflicts between MABRA and MAC and UCI races, I’ll be at the MABRA races. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): We’ll have to see how the schedule unfolds. The past few seasons I have hit a number of MABRA races early, and then focused my energies on other races, this year I ended up doing more MABRA races deeper into the season. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): Absolutely, got to wear that new shirt a few times.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Absolutely. I’ll be racing Masters 35+ Elite races. Looking forward to it. Good bunch of guys, no doubt I’ll be taking some lessons from them. They are really fast.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): Yes but maybe less often-I may do more MAC races next year and I’d like to race in some other regions to see how it’s different. I may jump in some Men’s 4 races as well. 

13. Anything else you would like to add? 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Still trying to figure out how I got all the mud inside my shorts.

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): thanks to the MABRA and MAC series as well as all those that raced this season. This is a great community, let’s keep it growing and keep it cool. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): I have a wonderful wife, who I love very much. None of this bike racing silliness would happen without her. The fact that she races and we get to share these experiences is, well pretty awesome. I will admit when we have both have bad days, the drive home can be pretty quiet. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): Thanks to all the MABRA promoters and folks that make this series happen. It is nice that this series is not too big and not too small.

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): This weekend is the Capitol ‘Cross Classic put on by my club, the Potomac Velo Club. It promises to be a great event and…wait for it…there will be heated bathrooms. If that’s not a reason to come out and race, I don’t know what is. 

SAM O’KEEFE (Men 3/4 2nd Place): The mud was great. 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): I feel incredibly fortunate to ride for such an amazing team, C3-Sollay.com. This team is made up of great people that continually impress me for their dedication to cycling, their racing, and their teammates. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): How about something I would like to subtract or multiply? [ed. Note: See what I mean. I'm annoying him.] 

14. Give a shout out to somebody. 

BETSY SHOGREN (Elite Women 1st Place): Shout out to my mother-in-law! She’s a really great MIL (and I’m not saying that facetiously). 

MARK BROADWATER (Men 3/4 1st Place): Thanks Kris for all the great coaching!! 

LINDSAY BAYER (Women Cat 3/4 3rd Place): Thank you, Bobby, for driving me to my race, standing in the icy rain to cheer me on, hosing off my muddy clothes, and allowing me to get back in your car to go home. Your support means everything. 

MATT EVEN (Cat 4 2nd place): Bega for the bike, Megha for digging cross, Corey for the guidance, Plotz for the training, Jen for racing with the dudes, Mike for the beer, Jim for the loose pork sausage, and City Bikes for replacing my crank set the day before the race. 

MARC VETTORI (Elite Masters Men 3rd Place): Thanks to my great teammates on C3-Sollay.com, To my training partners in the DCCoD, to everyone working in the pits, to Slick Rik for teaching the ways of the white hand of Saron. To Mayhew for just being a great coach and really helping me to deliver my best, to my first grade teacher Ms. Floyd for telling me I was different because my name was spelled with a “c.” My mtb buddies who wait patiently for me, To the Eagles of Death Metal for saving rock and roll, to my parents for teaching me to be passionate and tenacious, to Bing’s bakery for great donuts, to Led Zeppelin for Kashmir, to everyone that cheers for me during a race, to my freakin’ amazing wife. 

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters Men 1st Place): Jan, Marc and Chris thanks for the extra support and the rest of the C3-Sollay.Com cross team in the pits and on the course. 

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women Cat 3/4 2nd Place): My teammate Jim, I got his car all muddy. Sorry!

JEFF BAHNSON (Elite Men 2nd Place): Go Henry’s Bikes and DCCOD!!!!!! 

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Shout out to my wife Chris for yelling words of encouragement as she ran all around the course in the rain cheering me on. Thanks to my coach Kris Auer for getting me this far this year. Thanks to the C3 guys in the pit giving me gap times and encouragement. 

JAY MORALI (Cat 4 1st Place): Thanks for a great race to the promoters and sponsors of the MABRA Championship Race. 

GUNNAR SHOGREN (Elite Masters Men 2nd Place): Jackie, quit chewing on your foot.

 

1. What was the best part of the course? What was the worst?

WESTON SCHEMPF (Elite Men 1st Place): The entire course was great, but if I had to choose one section it would be the section from after the pit the first time through the choppy ride up (3rd up hill) and the second section would be the “S” turns around the pine trees with the rock in the apex of the turn after the second pit.

KRISTOPHER AUER (Elite Masters 2nd Place): best part was the unusually punchy flow. What was the worst? the start (downhill) and the finish no room to sprint to tight to run more than one abreast effectively.

STEPHEN CUMMINGS (Elite Men 3rd Place): My favorite part of the course was from the barriers to the pit. It was a long uphill drag after a hill section, and the barriers. After remounting, people were hurting here. If you could pace yourself for the whole effort, you could grab a few seconds on people.

IAN MATHIAS (Cat 3/4 1st Place): For me, hardest part was not over-braking on the steep down-hills and sharp corners. A few laps I felt myself being too cautious and giving up the progress I made on the up-hills.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE (Masters 3/4 1st Place): Best part of this course was the layout of the corners. They all seemed to be a bit over 90 degrees and made you lose quite a bit of momentum getting through them. The worst was probably the backside climb where all of the ‘baby head’ divots in the ground going uphill really took it out of you every lap.

MATTHEW PARSE (Cat. 3/4 4th Place): Best Part: All of the tight fast turns. I am technical ride so I prefer lots of turns. Worst Part: the uphill section with the soft ground.

PAUL RADES (Cat 4 Ist Place): The steep hills on the back stretch. No worst part.

GREG FABER (Cat 4 2nd Place): Best: Steep up and down climbs (whoop de loops?) Worst: the low grade uphill bumpy sections.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM (Women 3/4 First Place): Best: the high speed turns, Hardest: the long bumpy uphill after the curvy up and downs.

JIM CARLSON (Cat 1,2,3,4 55+ Masters 3rd Place): The best part was the quick up-hills and down-hills section. I caught and passed people there (probably from mountain biking experience). The worst part was the long shallow up-hill where you ground away and didn’t feel like you were even racing.

 

2. Pre-race ritual, warm-up, food, etc.?

STEPHEN CUMMINGS: Amazing espresso from our hosts’ Super Automatic machine. Bagels with peanut butter and honey and raisins, a bit of dark chocolate before the start and a Hammer gel. I pre-rode the course for 3 laps and sat on a trainer to stay warm for about 20 minutes before the race.

MATTHEW PARSE: Food: Egg McMuffin from McDonalds. It is a gotta have for me. Warm-up: I keep it short. I like to spin for about 15-20 minutes than I get on the course and try to do one hard lap to figure out how fast I can take the corners.

KRISTOPHER AUER: Sunday, well Beer and Wine on Saturday night followed by a very late arrival 30 minutes before the start. I had a donut and a giant cup of coffee.

WESTON SCHEMPF: Get to race 2-3 hrs before to register, and help teammates in the pit if necessary. Get kitted up and do a couple laps on the course. Jump on the trainer about an hour or so before my race. Eat something significant 2 hrs before, drinking water or Gatorade up to the start and a gel 30 mins. before race time.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE: Pre Race Ritual-Kashi cereal, fruit cup, and raisins for breakfast 3 hours before the race. Power Bar 45 minutes before race. Warm Up every race by doing some easy intervals 35 minutes before the race and getting in a fast pre-ride of the course in if I have time.

PAUL RADES: Never got warm, despite my best efforts reconning the course.

IAN MATHIAS: I try to show up pretty early, mostly because I like hanging out and not feeling rushed. Nothing crazy though … just drinking lots of water, pre-riding the course, and some trainer time before the start. Usually the more I think or stress, the more I screw up.

GREG FABER: Not much of a ritual, but definitely hit the port-o-john to achieve race weight. Warm-up consisted of dropping wheel in the pit and riding the course once. Pre-race food was bagel with cream cheese a ton of coffee and Gatorade, then 2 power-gels and a red bull right before the race.

JIM CARLSON: Eat a good breakfast (oatmeal, protein bar, banana) 4 hours before race time. Then do a GU on the start line. Get to course at least 2 hours before start to get numbers on and everything sorted out so that you can get at least an hour of warm-up riding in. Try to do at least one or two laps on the actual course to check out all the lines, best tires to use, prepare mentally, etc. The best final warm-up is on a rear wheel trainer for the last half hour, with 2 or 3 hard 1-minute intervals to get your legs ready.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM: My typical pre-race ritual was out the window as I was in charge of setting up and staffing registration on race day. I did get in my typical race breakfast (Greek yogurt, honey, granola and coffee) though.

3. Did you overdress, underdress or get it just right?

STEPHEN CUMMINGS: I think I did it right. Long-fingered gloves, long-sleeved skinsuit, sleeveless base-layer. Wool socks. SPORTSBALM hot balm!

MATTHEW PARSE: I got it just right … just a jersey, shorts, and arm warmers.

GREG FABER: Just right: tights, wool socks, under armor base layer, long sleeve jersey and short sleeve jersey over it, fleece beanie, full finger gloves.

IAN MATHIAS: Just right… though it ended up being a lot warmer than I thought it would be.

PAUL RADES: Hands and feet were numb at the start.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE: Got it right. I tested the layers I had on while in the trainer warming up. Felt perfect once I got the legs moving and got into some efforts.

WESTON SCHEMPF: The temp was perfect for a long-sleeved skinsuit.

KRISTOPHER AUER: Dressed perfect. LS skinsuit, sleeveless base-layer and leg warmers.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM: Overdressed. I was squeezing in laps between races and going right from that back to registration and got pretty cold. I should have gone with a long-sleeve skinsuit, short sleeve undershirt and ear band rather than the long sleeve jersey, undershirt, knickers and beanie I was wearing.

JIM CARLSON: I got it just right in the end. I took off layers in the warm-up, then at the start line removed the final extra long-sleeve poly-pro. With the race at about 30 degrees and little wind, I used shorts and racing tights on the bottom, and undershirt, thin poly-pro long sleeve, and jersey on top.

4. Describe your winning (or losing) move.

WESTON SCHEMPF: After a not so great start I knew I wanted to lead through the chicane before the sketchy gravel turn so I made a move up the left side of the pack on the second pavement section to gain the lead. I pushed it on the first lap on the sections that I thought could create gaps such as after the barriers and the long uphill section after the series of ride ups. That proved to be the case as only Jeff Bahnson was able to bridge across by the second lap. After riding together for the majority of the race I upped the pace on the last two laps.

KRISTOPHER AUER: Losing move would have been the first lap crash and subsequent takedown of my own teammate. Followed by too much energy spent getting to the lead group. Oh yeah Gunnar is still fast.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE: Winning Move-I sat in around 4th place for half way through the first lap to gauge the pace of the 3 guys in front of me. I knew I could match it and give it a bit more if I could get out front. On one of the backside hills of the race, rider #2 went sideways on a fast downhill to uphill transition. Spotting the bobble, I was able to get around 2nd and 3rd moving to take 2nd while they untangled bikes. I bridged up to the leader by the end of the first lap. As we transitioned back to asphalt I took the front and 1st place. I upped my tempo where I knew I could hold the effort for another 35-40 minutes and just concentrated on staying smooth and carrying speed through corners. I also used the painful ‘divot’ climb on the backside to really stand up and hammer it out, knowing people would be suffering up this, I took full advantage of it to keep my chasers at bay. In the end I rode the next laps solo by keeping cool, not panicking, and also keeping a high pace at all times. Took the win with about a 12-15 second gap to 2nd place.

PAUL RADES: Let 5-6 guys go out strong, and waited for them to fade on the hilly stretch. Then I upped the pace to create a gap, and prayed I could close the deal without a mechanical or crash.

GREG FABER: When Paul surged for first place to get the 1st lap prime, I got on his wheel and we both gapped the lead group. He kept the pressure on full gas for 2 laps and I saw him slowly creep away from me until halfway through the race and he started putting 15 seconds between him and myself. I had a decent gap on Scott Cernich (3rd place) and so made sure not to screw up any turns or get any mechanicals.

STEPHEN CUMMINGS: In the race for 3/4/5 I stayed the front the entire last lap and put it in the big ring (45 tooth) before the final downhill and climb back up. I kept it steady enough that if the 4th place person tried rivaling my speed, I had enough to jump if I saw him in my peripherals.

MATTHEW PARSE: I always look for a good spot to make my move during the race. Usually I will have my attack spot figured out by the third lap. Regardless of whether I am fighting for 1st place or 100th place it is always fun to attack.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM: In the first lap, the second place girl made a move to go around me near the pit and we were rubbing shoulders and elbows, fighting to be first into the corner and I got it. I really wanted the first lap prime. I put the hammer down after I got through that corner and just rode away from the field.

JIM CARLSON: I lost my number 1 & 2 riders as they weaved through a younger age group and I got split off from them. I won my number 3 slot by also passing as many in the younger class as I could and using them as “blockers” to competitors behind me.

5. Did you win a suitcase of sausage?

[Ed. Note: I realize that this was a mid- pack preme, which means most likely these guys would not have been in contention, but when handed such an opportunity this is a question you can't pass up.]

STEPHEN CUMMINGS: I am a vegetarian. [Ed. Note: Me, too. I think that made me want to win it even more.]

MATTHEW PARSE: No sausage for me.

IAN MATHIAS: No! And I wouldn’t have turned them down.

PAUL RADES: No. but I wanted to.

JOE LILLIBRIDGE: I think I may have won a suitcase of sausage but not sure, I never picked it up if I did.

WESTON SCHEMPF: No, but I got a nice Belgian style Dubbel and a kielbasa.

KRISTOPHER AUER: no but I did win a beer.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM: No, but I did win a great hoodie from Sheila moon as part of my first place prize. It helps that I actually help put together the prize bags though.

JIM CARLSON: Fortunately not.

6. What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy”?

STEPHEN CUMMINGS: I really hate seeing people ride around without helmets. There was a kids’ race, and we are who they see and try to emulate. We all know that we probably won’t crash riding to registration, but it is a time when we are most visible.

MATTHEW PARSE: If you can’t ride in the mud and slippery conditions don’t go out in front because when you fall in creates a huge pile.

KRISTOPHER AUER: total bike frustration, up to and including throwing the bike.

GREG FABER: I didn’t see anything. Some dude went WAY too hard on the first lap and got to first place but halfway through the lap he faded and was dropped. Valiant effort I suppose, but all for naught.

JIM CARLSON: I saw someone slow down drastically after the barriers in order to get back on their bike. You need to keep running and even accelerate before leaping back on. You’ll have plenty of time after you hit the seat to look down and get you feet onto the pedals.

LINDSEY HILLESHEIM: Nothing at this race, but I remember seeing a Cat 4 guy at Granogue stick out his outside foot AND had his inside foot down when he went around a tight turn .