Reports on Races of All Types

Stedmans and NBX CX

2007-12-16T03:26:00.000-08:00

PARKING:
One both days of the races the parking was outstanding. Plenty to go around. It was interesting to park on the second day where you were racing on the first day.

REGISTRATION :
No complaints here. Indoor registration right on the course, so you could head in during your warm up. Two lines for different races. Everything seemed to go smoothly.

BATHROOMS:
Heated!!! Although, later in the day the heat turned into a nasty funk. But, being one of the first ones in there it was heavenly. Maybe put some kind of fresh scents spray in there would help, because it got pretty bad. I am not sure where the other bathrooms were, if there were other bathrooms.

COURSE(S):
On both days the courses were fairly different, with some common elements between. You have to love the sand sections given that we really don't get that opportunity too much. The mulch pit was cool (wish I rode it), the tight turns, relatively long road sections, etc. It shows how much you can do with one space to create different courses.

LINE-UP: AND
One the first day, the 3/4s were put behind the 4s AGAIN. This makes no sense. Where do you put the faster people behind the slower people? This meant that very quickly into our first race, we were up the "blanks" of the 4s in about 1:00. While it was good passing practice, it is completely avoidable. One the second day, reason prevailed and the 3/4s were lined up first. THANK YOU!!!

Another bonus was the wide start. I can't recall having so much room.

PITS:
One the first day there were two pits: one with neutral support and one without. I guess it was due to the course layout and the opportunity to only hit the neutral pits once. One the second day, only the neutral pit remained. Seemed to make sense. Bonus with the neutral support since I needed to use one of the Zipp wheels.

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS:
It was nice to have some warm drinks in the gazebo after the race. Plus assorted cookies and things for a moderate price. But, given that it was sponsored by a beer company, you would think they might have some, I don't know, beer?

OVERALL:
No complaints here. Favorite venue and races of the year. Probably because I won both races, but I would have liked it otherwise. I can't wait to do these races again next year.

Sterling and Palmer Double

2007-11-27T03:55:00.000-08:00

For the sake of expedience, let's combine two race reports into one:

PARKING:
STERLING:
PALMER:
This is where parking becomes a relative thing based on the number of racers. But, the measure involves: 1) Are there enough spots; 2) Is it conveniently located to the course; 3) Are you going to lose an axle getting there.

Both races do very well. Palmer is very straight forward with parking right next to the course. There wasn't a lot of it, but then again a lot wasn't needed. At Sterling, you actually have options (in front of the school, behind the school, to the side of the school). Requires a little forethought and planning. But, options can be good.

REGISTRATION
STERLING:
PALMER:
I was a little worried about Sterling, since last year we were funneled into this little hallway with people waaay out the door. Also, we got the email that Reg wouldn't open until 7:45. But, no worries. We had the wide alcove and the school was opened earlier than that. The people knew what they were doing, and things progressed pretty smoothly.

It is always interesting when you arrive to a race, and the registration people are getting instructions on how to do registration. I arrived at 7:30, with the first race at 9:00, and registration wasn't going yet. I always think that 1:15 minimum before the first race and registration should be open. It was close, but again, because of the small numbers things went pretty quickly. You couldn't ride your bike to the registration because you had to walk down stairs, so minus one cowbell.

BATHROOMS
STERLING:
PALMER:
Indoor bathrooms are always a bonus. Both races had them. I didn't see any PoJ's though. At Sterling, that's a little rough because the school is a bit away from the meat of the course. Since there are plenty of spectators, it would be great to have at least one or two closer to the Start/Finish line. At Palmer, there were only the bathrooms in the school as well, but plenty of woods to dive into in case of an emergency.

COURSE
STERLING:
PALMER:
An absolute study in contrasts. Fast and open. Technical and tight. New school and olde skool. Take your pick. Both courses were a lot of fun (and moderately frozen). Doing them back to back makes for an interesting weekend.

Palmer had those crazy run-ups. Very similar to Mansfield Hollow. Lots of roots (watch that tire pressure). Rocky downhills. Triple barriers (screw you, UCI). Plywood scrap bridge over a stream. Sterling had the hairpin uphill and downhill, the newly dubbed Subway and Mind the Gap barriers, the horse jump. Either way you go, you can't lose.

LINEUP
STERLING:
PALMER:
Big fumble for Sterling. Since when do we line up the faster group behind the slower group? So there we were, the Cat 3/4 Masters stacked behind the Cat 4 field. Huh? Mr. Stevens didn't seem very pleased with that development, but it was too late. We were already placed. Being a Verge race, this stuff should be automatic. Created an interesting obstacle course throughout the race with Cat 4 back-o-the-packers going down like dominoes.

Palmer was cool, but it is hard to screw up a line-up when 30 people are involved. Just lineup and go! It was interesting to lineup on a slight off-camber, though.

PITS
STERLING:
PALMER:
Sterling gets the edge for the double pits, where Palmer only had one. I guess another bike shop was supposed to be at Palmer. I don't know. But, it wouldn't have been too tough to set up another pit someplace so people could stash their tires in one location and use the neutral support in another. I saw one guy run an entire lap because he had a mechanical right after the pit. Props to him, but an avoidable casualty.

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS
STERLING:
PALMER:
Nothing at Sterling that I could see. But, MRC brought some beverages and I had a banana in my cooler. Palmer had a food truck behind the school. And they gave away free Endurolyte pills at registration. Yeah for free stuff. I think they also had Hammer Gel samples. Enough to get you guy in a pinch.

OVERALL
STERLING:
PALMER:
Minor stuff aside, who can argue with two nice (if not cold) days at the end of November to do a cross race. I would strongly recommend this double next year just to experience both sides of the cross spectrum. Large very intimate. Grass versus roots. New and old. It is an interesting way to see where we are, and where we were. Everyone can then argue which is better. To me, they're both pretty good.

1st Stow Gobbler 5k

2007-11-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

Out of 5

PARKING:
This was held at Bose in Stow, so plenty of parking to go around. Plus, being a small race, no problems at all.

REGISTRATION:
I should have pre-reg'd, but planned on doing a different race. Sick daughter=closer to home. Anyway, relatively smooth. But, here's a pointer: put the blank reg for on a separate table so that people can fill them out before standing in line. They did have a course map, which is a plus.

BATHROOMS:
I didn't have to use them. But, there were four PoJs, which was plenty for this crowd. Plus, some private nooks and crannies in the surrounding area to go in a pinch. Being a very local race, everyone could go before leaving for the race.

COURSE:
Road races, especially 5ks, are relatively simple affairs, and thus should be hard to screw up. Only a few essential elements are need:

1. Is it accurate in terms of distance
2. Are the miles marked and accurate
3. Is it "fair" or "honest", which means is it anything but flat. For a course to be fair or honest, it has to have some rolling hills.

The course fit the bill on all counts. My Garmin had 3.12 at the end (we'll give them the .02 for me not cutting the tangents enough. Miles 1 and 2 were marked and seemed to be relatively accurate. I didn't see Mile 3, so that could be added. The course rolled a little, which broke it up. Relatively straight forward without too many turns. The course was open to traffic, but the time of day and holiday meant there wasn't much traffic to be had. Overall, the course was nice for a holiday run.

There was also one water stop, but who cares in a 5k in November. One potential deduction for plastic water cup. DO NOT USE PLASTIC CUPS FOR A ROAD RACE!!! USE THE KIND THAT YOU CAN SQUEEZE WITHOUT HAVING THEM BREAK!!!!

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS:
Bagels, bananas, granola bars, water, etc. They tried to do the right thing by having coffee, but it was Dunkin Donuts coffee, and who likes that swill anyway?

AWARDS:
This is where a lot of races drop the ball. Because there were walkers on the 5k course, we had to wait until EVERYONE was done. Took forever. Mostly everyone left. I stuck around because I give my daughter medals from races. Gotta get things rolling faster after a race. At least they broke up the age groups in 10yr increments and didn't double dip.

OVERALL:
This race was conceived by two brothers who goto Nashoba Valley HS. They are part of the XC team that took 3rd at States. Proceeds goto a good cause, and they showed a lot of initiative in putting this thing together. Good for them!! You really can't complain about anything. They got twice the people that they expected, and that a lot of bodies doing something healthy. Nice job.

BRC/Land Rover Shedd Park CX in Lowell

2007-11-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Out of 5

PARKING:
Here, there, and everywhere. Seems to be enough parking, but all over the place. Up top, on the bottom, and various other locations. Not bad, but not as convenient as other places. Hopefully the road gets done in time for the race next year so you don't need a Land Rover to navigate through the pot holes.

REGISTRATION:
Minor grumblings among the attendees when at 7:30 things were not in swing yet. I was in the Masters 35+ so I just walked up. But, the lines for the Cat 4 were looong. And last year we got Slick Willy Lube at registration. Where was the Slick Willy Lube?

UPDATE: One of the RDs emailed me about the challenges of getting over 70 men going for the first race. Point taken! It is interesting to see how the first race of the day dwarfs many of the later races. While the Cat 4s typically go off first, does it make sense to put them second given their large size? Of course, getting 70+ people off the course and hopefully partially out of the parking lot eases potential parking issues. As others have pointed out, having 70+ people wait for their race creates a crowd to watch the other races. Something to ponder.

And I am told that Slick Willy Lube was not a title sponsor this year. Bummer. Make sure to pick up your Slick Willy Lube elsewhere.

BATHROOMS:
Things seemed to be under control in the urination and defecation department. One PoJ in the lower parking lot. Don't know if there were any up top. Plus indoor bathrooms, which is always a plus. No woods, though. Limits your options in a pinch.

COURSE:
This was the star of the show. Major renovations to the park meant that the course from last year could not be repeated on the top section. The changes were pretty nice. The long ride up was removed for an off camber downhill into a 90 degree turn steep uphill. Some rode and some ran. This is what we like to see: decisions being made in the race regarding what to do. The construction up top meant there was a loose bumpy section into last year's corkscrew switchbacks. Plenty of speed and risks to be taken here.

The track was interesting as well. As Gewilli pointed out in his blog, it was not mud in the proper CX sense in that it was deep and traction wasn't a problem. But, it was slippery and wet and, well, muddy. Decisions here regarding what line to take as well. I like races where you have different line options and aren't locked into the same thing all the way around.

Plus, extra special bonus points for cleaning the course before the race. On my pre-warmup walk around the course, you could see little bits of glass. Talking to the race organizers, they said that they had to take away a lot of glass the day before. So, while we can tear up a course, we also perform a valuable public service!

One minor issue with the relatively quick 180 degree turn up a hill and around a tree at the start of the race. Major carnage. Don't know how you get around this other than moving the start even further back on the track to give some more time for things to spread out a little more.

LINEUP:
No real problems in the 35+ race, but discussions with the Cat 4 guys indicates a general lack of awareness regarding where the start was actually going to be. That's a bit of a problem. No call ups or anything: Just Show and Go. We were lined up about 20 across the front that funneled into a narrow track section. Not too bad. But, please have some kind of indication regarding where the start is going to be so that people know well ahead of time. Maybe a sign that says "Start".

PITS:
Two pits: one up top and one at the bottom. Extra special bonus points for the guys from Wheelworks for having a supported pit. But, the other pit is a bit out of the way for everyone that is not parked up top. Decision time: where do you put your tires? Do you feel lucky, punk?

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS:
I didn't see any. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Sifr. Nuthn. There was a liquor store across the street, but they didn't open till 12:00.

Minus points for the MRC crew for not coordinating who was going to bring the recovery beverages. The MRC conversation: "I thought you were going to bring it." "I brought it last time." "What about so-and-so?" "He didn't bring anything either." "Who brought drinks?" Apparently no one.

UPDATE: Add for having free pizza and chili that I missed because I had to get home. Anytime anything is free, especially food, extra special bonus points. Next time I'll bring the kids to have fun at that awesome playground.

OVERALL:
No matter the drawbacks, it was a fun day. A near-by venue and a challenging course with a little of everything. Good times and good people. Always a high point on the cross calendar. A lot of hard work goes into putting these things on, so kudos to the BRC crew for doing a nice job!

The musical selection was a little suspect through. Hillbilly into Alternative into International music. The mix from hell.

UPDATE: One things I should add is whether a course is family friendly. I would say this course is family friendly given the playground that is there. The kids can have fun pretty much in the middle of the course. That, and the proximity to Boston, makes it a nice choice to bring the kiddies.

Plymouth South Cyclocross

2007-11-12T05:27:00.001-08:00

Out of 5

PARKING:
The race is located at Plymouth South High School. H.S.=Lots of parking. Extra special bonus points for having parking along the finishing straight. You can park your car within walking distance of the start line, finish line, registration and pits! How cool is that?

REGISTRATION:
Got the race at 8:30, and registration wasn't ready yet. Registration should at least be ready 90 minutes before the first race. Since I was racing at 10:00, no biggie. But, you know. When I did go back, a bit of a line. However, a nod to the indoor registration next to the bathrooms, and pre-reg having the option of walking to the front while the day of losers had to wait.

BATHROOMS:
Nice indoor bathrooms. Only two stalls though. This might present a problem once the race starts to grow. Woods too far of a walk to be practical. Something to watch in the future.

COURSE:
This course was pretty cool. Had a little bit of everything. A nice straight (a little downhill) start on pavement into a 90 degree left turn and right onto the grass. Some great downhills in the woods, and a wonderful uphill grind. Very rideable, but lots of people were running it. Some tight turns where technical people could have at it, plus power sections through grass. The nice addition was a sand pit-barrier-sand pit triple along the stretch approaching the hairpin to the finish line. Can't argue with that. Laps took about 6:00 in the 3/4 race. A little short, but let us get 7 laps in the race. A little longer and we could have stretched it to 45:00 rather than 42:00.

Two deductions for the two fence openings that we had to ride through very close to the start. Caused a bit of a pile-up. Lose the hole shot and you're effectively out of the race. Possible solution is to move the start back further on the pavement to let things open up a bit. Another minor deduction for the entry into the sandpit. Why, oh why, do designers insist on putting a little turn right before the sand. What's wrong with just hitting the sand at full speed?

LINEUP:
No real complaints. You basically show up and line up. About 10 in each row. As the race gets bigger, might have to implement some kind of order. Only three cowbell because I lined up behind someone that was worse than me at starts.

PITS:
Nice double access pits. One drawback is that you pass it twice in the same section of the race. Neutral support rules, of course. Not too much organization to it though. Would be great to designate a wheel section and bike section in the pits so stuff isn't just thrown about. Is that too much to ask?

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS:
CCC had the case of Harpoon, and I brought the Riley's Irish Stout. Coupled with the Ovaltine chasers, you're right where you need to be. The race had some baked goodies in the school, which is always appreciated. Might want to set up something near the start finish. Who wants to walk back in the school when there's racing going on?

OVERALL:
Given this is the first year of the race, you really can't complain too much. Very low key, fun environment. The race gets bonus points for playing Morphine over loud speakers. You'd figure since we're in New England, you would hear more Morphine. Richard Fries, are you hearing me?

More bonus points for red and yellow tape. Very professional. Officials had a riser to sit on even. It is a shame that there weren't more people to enjoy it. The race director asked our opinions after the race, and talked about the potential for more course design options. This race WILL become a high spot on everyone's calendars.

And, if it every does rain, the course is going to be epic. Dry it was fast and fun. Wet it is going to be slimy and muddy and fun.

Northampton Cycle-Smart

2007-11-07T02:59:00.000-08:00

Out of 5

PARKING:
Lots to go around. You can park by the pits or by registration, but not both. So that requires some decision making. But, you can pretty much view the lower part of the course from the parking area. Kind of a bummer you have to shell out $5 for parking, but the park is nice and they tolerate us.

REGISTRATION:
From where I stood it was fine. I went up, got my number, and left. But, I understand it opened up a little late for the early birds. Now that I am racing a later race, registration is a dream.

BATHROOMS:
I saw three port-o-johns. Having made a pit stop at Dunkin Donuts before getting to the race, I was good to go (or to not go). Not sure if there was a line up at the johns or not, but three seemed like a small number for the number of racers that show up. But, there are always the woods, but they don't provide the cover of other races. Plus, with the family walking around enjoying the idyllic New England foliage, the last thing they want to see are a bunch of cyclist dropping trow.

UPDATE: Adam points out that there were 8 johns at the race. And of course there were still plenty of woods. Add another to the score.

COURSE:
This is a really great course. Two halves separated by a run up, a run/ride up, and a couple of fun descents. The bottom sections has some twisty part with power sections and a sand pit (which was a run this year). Steep run-up followed by some semi-rooty trail. One set of barriers and a long pavement section into the finish. One drawback is that 90 degree right hander at the start. The speed at the start is pretty tame since there is a lot of turning until things spread out. My first lap was 30 seconds slower than the rest of the laps.

LINE-UP:
Very very nice. Call up based on entry. Not too crowded in. The long straight makes it possible to make up a lot of places at the start if you can find your line. Gotta love the Verge series.

PITS:
Double sided pits, with a raised railroad track in the middle. The tracks kind of muck it up a bit. But, there is a mechanic there, which rules. Also, only accessible from the lower section of the course. I didn't need to use the pits, though plenty of people did.

POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS:
I know there were refreshments someplace. I think at the top of the course there was something. Might have been something on the lower level as well. Who knows.

UPDATE: Adam points out there were free granola samples being passed out. Anytime there is free stuff, add a . But, Mansfield has created the standard by which all post race goodies are measured, with MASSIVE baked give-aways. Everyone else is just trying to keep up.

OVERALL:
You can't beat the course and the venue and the organization. This is what keeps people coming back and driving across New England to get there. Plus, you can see your results on cyclingnews.com and brag to all your friends about being on the net. Also, you can say you were riding behind Jesse Anthony in some of the pictures (if you squint real hard).

Canton CX Race Report

2007-10-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

All rankings out of five possible

Parking:
Overall, good parking situation, although the tight quarters make getting in and out a bit of a challenge as people are coming and going from the course. Lots of parking available, but unclear on how to get to all of it.

Registration:
These guys and gals have a nice set up at the registration area. Centrally located at the finish line, with the food and music. Participants were organized by last name and not category, adding an interesting twist.

Bathrooms:
Can't really have any complaints here. Indoor bathrooms and showers. I didn't go in during any rush, but it was very clean and accommodating. Plus, lots of wood to dodge in and out of. You could also go by the huge pile of horse manure to obscure your own scent.

Course:
Really nice mix of endurance, power, and technical section. Can be "chunked" into about four sections. First from starting line extend to the first set of barriers, where you are barreling along roads, grassy stretches, and some tight turns. Second after the uphill barriers include more tight turns, some rocky single track that turned muddy pretty quick. Third is the back road section that is paved, and deceptively technical. Take a turn too fast on the leaves, and away you go sliding across the road. Fourth is the semi-technical power section. Tighter turns that you need to accelerate out of, steep run up, around the track, hairpins, into a power section over the barriers and to the start. Chances for exertion and recovery. Fun, fun, fun.

Line-up Procedure:
No call-ups, and no real discernible starting line. So, we just started lining up. But, good distance between the rows to make it safe. Looking at 18 across in each row as interesting.

Pits:
You gotta mechanic with a boxer named Nuggets. But, single entry is kind of a drag. Not much to be done about that.

Post-Race Refreshments:
Good grill spread with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fixins. The proceeds go to a great cause as well.

Overall:
A New Belgium Classic. You can't go wrong with Canton. NAV and IBC know what makes for a good experience, and deliver. Only bummer this year was no Canton Cup glasses. Maybe next year. Also, a potential drawback is the collapsing of the Cat 4, with 3/4 women and young pups. Creates a lot of potential traffic on the course. If the fields continue to grow, going to have to figure out a way to make this more manageable and spread it across the day.