Tag Archives: cyclo-cross

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December 11, 2010

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How to Be a Fan

I am a cyclo-cross racer. My husband, Marc, is also a cyclo-cross racer. This means I spend a lot of time at cyclo-cross race venues. Typically Marc’s race is early in the morning (10 a.m. or so) and my race is in the early afternoon (2 p.m or so) – we like to arrive two hours before Marc’s race and we stay until my race. So I really do spend a lot of time at the ‘cross race.

Over the years I’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks that come in handy when preparing to be a fan all day. First off a few tips on things to bring with you to make your day of cheering as comfortable as possible:

– a folding chair – one that you can easily cart around with you

– a good book – yes there will be moments during the day when you won’t know anyone racing or simply want a break from the racing action – a good book goes along way in beating the quiet times

– a thermos – fill this with your beverage of choice: earl grey tea, strong dark coffee, chai latte, hot chocolate, soup – the options are endless – but know that you’ll be happy to have a nice warm drink to keep you company during the day

– easy-to-eat real food – think tortilla wraps with peanut butter/banana, sandwiches with hearty fillings like chicken and avocado, fruit that doesn’t requiring peeling or stickiness (so basically an apple or pear), natural energy bars (Clif Bar products like the Clif C bar come to mind)

– clothes for all conditions – a hoodie to keep you warm, a scarf to cut the crazy wind that pops up out of nowhere, waterproof tops and bottoms, a hat (or as we Canadians like to call it – toque), warm gloves, and a complete change of clothes – somehow you will end up muddy, wet, or if you’re like me – manage to spill your thermos of warm drink on your lap and dribble your tasty food down the front of your shirt

– an open mind – chances are you traveled to the race with a cyclo-cross racer – remember that said cyclo-cross racer might be a bit tense or stressed as the race time draws closer – keep this in mind if the conversation seems to get a bit “short” or if your racer starts to act a bit crazy – this is the race talking and nothing else…

As a racer myself, there is nothing worse than racing by a bunch of spectators and not hearing any cheering. Truly this is just not cool. If you’re going to stand out there and watch the cyclo-cross race then cheer for each and every racer. Even simple things like “That’s It – Keep It Going”, “Pedal, Pedal”, “Ya – Doing Good”. These words make a difference even if I don’t know who is yelling them. So do the racers a favor and cheer for them – whether you know them or not – believe me – we appreciate it.

The last thing to keep in mind when attending a cyclo-cross race with a racer is that time slows down once the race is done. Your racer will want to discuss the race with his/her fellow racers for what seems to you like an eternity. Your racer may go out on a cool-down ride or ride the trainer for what seems like a very long time. The changing, cleaning up and repacking of the car will also appear to take a long time. This is normal. We racers need some space after the race to decompress, relax and take stock of how the race went. Rushing your racer won’t help matters – often this will cause your racer to slow down even more… Luckily for you, you’ve brought a good book, a folding chair, a thermos, and some good food…

So there you have it, a few tips from me on how to be a fan for the day. Hopefully you can use these tips this weekend at whatever races you’re out watching. If you’re in Bend, Oregon this weekend, I think the warm clothes, thermos and change of clothes will come in very handy. Remember to cheer for all the racers out there ripping it up at the U.S. National Cyclo-Cross Championships – they will silently thank-you as they pedal by. If you’re heading out to Essen or Overijse for the elite men’s races in Belgium this weekend – definitely cheer for racers that aren’t named: Bart, Sven and Niels – remember to cheer for Jonathan, Enrico, Thjs, Radomir and all the other non-Belgians racing… 🙂

(Just heard from Marc – he was in 4th place at his race in Varsenare until a flat tire forced him to pit… he finished the day in 7th… Still an excellent result. Nice ride Marc!)

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December 7, 2010

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Blue Skies

Got out for a pretty good ride on Monday. It was a gift to see the blue sky again and to see the green grass. Thanks to a solid bucket of rain on Sunday and slightly warmer temperatures, the bulk of the snow is gone. No complaints here considering it is December. Time will only tell how long this respite from the snow and the negative temperatures last….

Though, even with the rain and warmer temperatures, many of my favorite roads were not rideable. A thin layer of ice and in some cases some pretty narly ice ruts made the roads less than welcoming. I was forced to stick to the main roads for the most part but still managed to put together a decent ride. Basically did the tour of all the towns around Blauberg: Averobde, Zichem, Scherpenheuvel, Rillar, Aarschott, Wolfsdonk, Testelt, Averbode and back to Blauberg.

You have probably noticed that I haven’t posted any race reports from the weekend… This is because I did not race. I had full intentions of racing but I simply couldn’t. So I’m sick again. Yep, my ulcerative colitis has shown its ugly face again and I’m in a full-on flare. I have no idea what has caused this flare. All I know is that I’m frustrated and disappointed with my body. I eat properly. I get lots of exercise. I rest a lot. I’m not in a stressful situation. I’m taking my medicine. And still I get sick. I was simply way too wiped out and in too much pain this weekend to go out and race my bike. I was really looking forward to racing at Averbode as well as returning to Rijkervorsel to have a better ride there than I did last year. Instead I spent the bulk of both days in bed. Not fun.

On a plus from the weekend – Marc had a great ride on Sunday and finished 6th in the Averbode race. He also had a great race on Saturday but was held up by some annoying chain suck issues and had to settle for 12th on the day. I wish I could have been there to cheer him on. Super proud of how well Marc is riding right now – he really is coming into his own here and the hardwork and determination is paying off with some excellent rides. Definitely inspiring.

I was pretty wiped out after my ride on Monday but I think I will get out again today. The riding gives me a bit of a break from my ulcerative colitis symptoms. Only problem is not being able to eat much – makes it hard to prevent the “floating black spots” from appearing… Not sure where my bike will take me but I know it will be to a happy place.

(P.S. congrats to all the award winners at Sunday night’s Ottawa Bicycle Club Cyclo-Cross Awards night. Massive shout out to the youngsters out there who come out every weekend to haul their heavy bikes around the course and just keep giving it their all. We should all ride our bike with such enthusiasm!)

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December 4, 2010

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What Cyclo-Cross Is

As you may know, the cyclo-cross series where I got my first taste of racing – the Eastern Ontario Cyclo-Cross Series (locally known as the OBC ‘cross series) has essentially been thwarted and derailed by the city of Ottawa. City officials have determined that the sport is too demanding on the grass of our city’s public parks and therefore, it can no longer allow this over 20 year long series to continue. The city claims that the we cyclo-cross racers are damaging the grass to the point where it will not regenerate and grow by the following spring.

Sigh. As a cyclo-cross racer/fan yourself, you know that this simply is not the case. How many cyclo-cross races have you been to in North America and Europe – how many people have you heard complaining about the grass. Exactly – zero. Rather people are doing the opposite of complaining. They’re smiling. They’re cheering. They’re racing their bikes. They’re making new friends. They’re having good days out there.

This letter to the Ottawa Citizen thanks to the Beteridge family sums up cyclo-cross very nicely. I know this family and have found great inspiration from watching young Lois and Miles race around the ‘cross course. It is disappointing that such opportunities, particularly for kids to fall in love with a sport and to get out and be active might be taken away, all due to some city officials who have really forgotten what makes a public park “public”.

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December 2, 2010

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Canada or Belgium?

As I look out the window on this fine Dec. 2 morning, my brain is getting a bit muddled. It sees white stuff. Lots of white stuff. Snow. Where am I? Am I in Canada (not in Ottawa though since it rained in Ottawa yesterday) or in Belgium? I have to say that snow this early is a bit crazy here. And it is cold. Not -40 middle of winter Saskatchewan cold but Dec. 2 in Belgium cold.

Yesterday I’m sad to say the cold cracked me. I got out in the morning for my planned 90 minute tempo work-out and I had decided to tack on some extra time to be spent riding in the Averbode Forest. Well, normally this isn’t a problem for me. I tend to overdress so I’m typically warmer than I should be. Not on Tuesday! I got my intervals done and focused on getting back to the house. My toes were cold. My fingers were cold. The wind was blowing right through me. To top it off, the bicycle paths were very icy – forcing me to ride on the road a big “no no” here in Belgium.

It is amazing what riding in such cold weather does to the body. I became very hungry during my ride and for the rest of the day I was pretty tired and wiped out. Suppose this is all a good sign that I pushed my body but I’d like to think I can recover better than that. Normally on Wednesdays I go to Floreal Lichtaart for a cyclo-cross skills session but I decided with the cold weather and the rather icy conditions to pass on zipping around on the trails. For once, I’m quite happy to have “skipped” a training session….

Today is not looking much more friendly for training purposes. All I have today is a recovery ride so I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a very long time… I’m going to ride the rollers. I used to ride the rollers all the time back in 1994/95 but when we got a CompuTrainer this all changed. But I might as well get back on the rollers today and get comfortable riding them again. They are really good for teaching you how to spin and this is a big deficiency of mine. Besides, I’m hoping the “thrill” of riding the rollers will help the time pass more quickly. I don’t think I’ll try watching television (downloaded shows on my computer) for this first time back on the rollers. (Anyway, I’ll be sure to let you know how the ride goes….)

Doing a double-header this weekend with a couple of races with the junior boys. Not exactly sure where we’re racing on Saturday but I know on Sunday we’ll be racing in Averbode. Very nice to be able to race so close to the house and on a pretty fun course.

Well, I best be off. The rollers are calling my name. Hoping I don’t fall off!

(Oh check out this amazing video from the Koksijde World Cup – you can see me at 4:38 into the video…)

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November 30, 2010

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Moving Forward

Some of you might be wondering what is next for me now that it is pretty darn clear that I won’t be racing at the World Cyclo-Cross Championships…. Well, I had an excellent talk with my coach Steve Weller of Bell Lap Coaching yesterday about this very topic.

First off, I have to say that this season really has been a struggle. It is hard to have put in so much hardwork and training over the spring and summer only to have it not come to full fruition during the race season. There is nothing more frustrating than racing my own body. I admit that at times I have faltered. Wondered if I should take a break and just take a step back. But in my heart of hearts I know this is not the right answer for me. Through all the health struggles I’m having, the one thing that has allowed me to keep going is knowing that I’m not doing any further damage to my body by training. I’m not slowing down my healing process so there is no point in taking a break.

One thing that came up with my talk with Steve is how frustrated I am at often being last. Being last sucks. There is no other way to state this. I hate it. I’m frustrated because I know that I’m not a last placed rider. I’ve developed fitness and skills that if I was 100 per cent healthy would put me higher on the results list. But right now I have to accept where I am. This is not where I want to be and I know that next year I won’t be here again.

So, this should give you an idea of what is around the corner for me. Status quo. Yep, keep on training. Keep on racing. Keep on learning. Keep on getting better. Keep on getting healthy. Essentially right now, I’m building towards next year. I’m focused on maximizing my time here in Belgium. This means doing all the racing I can. Getting in all the technical training and learning I can. Getting out on my bike in all types of conditions so that on race day I’m ready for the frozen mud, frozen sand, squishy sticky mud, intense descents, and wheel-sucking sand.

Really all I can do is what I’ve been doing. Yes, I’m thoroughly disappointed to not be going to the big show in St. Wendel, Germany. But I’ve had an idea for a while now that this would be an uphill battle this year. I’ve raced at the World Cyclo-Cross Championships once. And I know that I’ll do it again. It just won’t be this season.