That last race includes a lap where I sat up to roll around and the rejoined the pack. So it was faster.

Jp and I drove down together. Got there nice and early with plenty time to warm up!

Oh... JP and I both got our names hollered by the announcer!!!

Great...I can't wait until this Saturday when I get called JP at T-Town.

Better than being called Edie (Perkins)!

Who that?

Andrew Da Silva said:

Who that?

A woman who used to be on Kissena who had roughly, exactly, the same hair as JP.

First, Edie did have it worse than Marc.  When wearing Kissena clothing, she was called me on several occasions, despite, as she pointed out more than once, that her hips are much wider than mine.  She reported it happened not only in races, but riding.  The most confusing of which was one year at harriman when the men's field passed the women's field, a woman saw me in the field and thought it was Edie, a point the woman made loudly and Edie heard. 

Great racing out there gents. That tweeted pic looks like three of you guys are all standing on fruit crates, except JP, who is singing the National Anthem, apparently; helmet over heart in patriotic duty. Having watched the supremely confident and very strong Greg Olson get humbled by the field of more experienced Cat 5s(!) on the track, I can tell you that experience AND track time, makes a big difference. I have no doubt, JP that with a few more laps out there, you'd be crushing it.

I'm bummed to have missed out on the fun...but not because you guys went to Applebee's...APPLEBEE'S? When the "world famous" (don't worry, it's not just you, you may recall I got directed to Burger King when I asked A LOCAL for a good place to find a sandwich) Vince's Cheesesteaks is just around the corner? Didn't anyone read my last race report from T-Town? You know, my penchant for "long winded hyperbole" aside, I include lots of tasty information in these things...

http://www.vincescheesesteaks.com/

I'm bummed to have missed the Tuesday racing in part because I'm sitting here posting this message in between obsessing over the weather, and wondering if there's going to be track racing this Saturday. Looks like: "cloudy with chance of slim and none." It's been a frustrating week of training/not racing. Harumpf.

"You must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it." --Chekov

I changed my mind. JP is singing the National Anthem, but as part of an old-timey Barbershop Quartet.

My heart has always been in the post-race Applebees. Don't forget we're talking 10 at night.  If we waited longer, we could hit Cracker Barrel in Clinton, NJ!

Marc,

BTW, just checkd and your cheesesteak place is CLOSED by the time track racing is over.

Last night Marty said"... Sorry guys Bobby wants the lights off" Bobby
Livingston?

Anyways went out to T-town last night. Got third in the points race and actually got invited to the ten mile final instead of bum rushing in. Once there however I got caught up behind some dude who gapped me off the back. When I went to go around him he swung up abruptly in a awkward spot on the straight between turns two and 3. All most taking me out in the process. I chased and chased on my 96" but nothing. I felt good and this Jr I usually duke it out with ended up finishing. I was kind of disappointed to say the least. Afterwords mark told me that had happened to him a bunch already in the proam races hence way he stayed towards the front in the first part of the race. Duh... Oh well. My fault for being at the back. Next week I will return.

Master's and Rookies Race Report:

The rain mercifully stayed away and after last week's cancellation the racing was ON like Donkey Kong. This time, I had my secret weapons. Namely, Sarah and my boy Peter.

(Who by the way, is like the awesomest cheerleader ever! They were hanging out at the top of turn 4 underneath some shaded tentage and while I was looking up at them from the infield, I see adorbable peter hands on the boards, nose peaking over like Kilroy, and clapping as the Juniors go on by. My wife also reports that everytime I lapped by, he cheered "da-da.").

Also, still rocking the 88 inches of gear and feeling like, I don't need to crank 91-94 like others. This is still a mystery. Also, kept the tires pumped to 120 psi and that felt a-okay. Also, lets talk about the racing now, 'kay?

First race for the Master's is a "3K scratch" which as it turns out, is just a 9 lap scratch race. They so fancy with their names and what-not. After my first time back on the track a few weeks ago, I want to make sure that I am both more conservative and more assertive this week. Sound like a contradiction? Not really. But that's for another post. I let the early dudes strike out on their own. They get 1/3 of a lap, a couple more join them, the field isn't chasing really hard. Okay, time to bust out the bridge attempt. Going into turn 1 I'm second wheel, I jump out of the sprinter's lane and pass just above the blue line and start to motor. I get a gap, I'm closing down on the group of 4, but I've still got work to do. About 2 laps later I'm about to make contact, and inexplicably, the all go high on the track, looking at each other into turn 4. What the WHAT?! Instant decision time, I've literally got about 2 seconds to decide whether I slow up and join them or keep going hard through the sprinters lane. I don't want the field to rejoin us. So I keep the motor churning and blow by the group with 2 laps to go. I've got 1/2 a lap on them pretty quick. It's a long ways to go in this race, but as I complete another lap, it's just one to go, and I've still got a health gap. With 1/2 a lap to go though, I'm slowing and 1st and 2nd blow by me. I pray I can hold onto 3rd. Cranking through turn 4 I'm still good, and at the line, by a wheel length, I'm popped for 3rd and have to settle for 4th. Still Omnium points baby! My best result in some time I must say.

Second race was a 16-lap points race with 4 sprints every 4 laps. Not aggressive enough here. Let too many dudes get in front of me. Still, I manage to get 3rd place sprint points one lap and on the last lap squeak into 4th position for the last point scoring position. 3 points total, good enough for 5th place overall. Not awesome, but also, not too shabby in my book.

Third race was the dreaded "Miss-n-Out." Every lap is a battle to NOT be the last dude across the line. It goes down to 3 riders than those guys get one more lap to sprint it out. I was determined to "do better" than I did last time I attempted this race. I also wanted to place 1st through 5th, so I could add to my Omnium total points. I was going okay, good even, but I sort of lost track of the carnage behind me and soon coming into turn 3, I feared I was locked low and on the inside. No time whatsoever, to slow up and sprint around. I get eliminated that lap. 5 guys kept on racing. Crap. Just one position away from collecting an omnium point...

...which would bite me in the ass when they started adding up points. Turns out I "tied" with another dude, but since they don't do ties in bike racing, he must have finished better than me in the last race so I get 6th in the omnium and he gets 5th. Which means his name gets on the PDF-ed file of results and mine does not. KHAAAAAAANNNNN!

To close out the day, I enter the "B" feature race, an 18 lap scratch race (no 1/2s allowed). Crazy mixed field with all kinds of cat 5s, juniors, women and us old dudes. Not my best tactical race, but it was weird. I was clearly one of the strongest, but didn't want to blow my wad too early. The field was herky jerky. In the end I could only muster a 6th.

BUT WAIT, there's more! Yes, because I'm a masochist, I jump into the A feature race, IMMEDIATELY after the conclusion of my B feature. This one is a 25-lap points race. I expect to just hang onto the back for as long as I can, then call it a day. Turns out I'm riding a wave of not feeling super tired. As the field starts to get shredded with the first sprints, I hammer off the back, get to the front-ish and park it there. Two guys get off the front, another Pink Rhino dude quickly bridges and follows. I can't possibly bridge too, I'm too tired, I just did an 18-lap race, right? So I sit in for a bit. But then their gap is growing. They are collecting points like candy corn at Halloween. And so I go, and I go hard. I have got to bridge to these dudes. They are 1/2 a lap up, and for about 5 laps, I'm in no man's land, getting as close as 1/4 of a lap away. But I can never quite close the deal. So I shut it down and let the field catch me. I jump back into the train and as the trio is about to lap the field, I think about attacking, when I see that 2 of the guys are going to blast straight through the field and off the front again. I gear up and attempt to grab their wheels. But they are going FAST. I'm just off their wheel for a lap, just out of the draft, but in front of the field again. Those guys jump again and I can't hold their wheels anymore. The pack catches, I catch my breath, try to score some points for the final lap sprint, but no-go. I cross the line 6th wheel. Blurg.

Still, doing two back-to-back feature races with no break and not totally sucking in either of them? Pretty good day for me at the track.

Cross posted from the CX thread:


Here's something crazy to consider...

We all know that effectively the big kick-off to the cross season is at Nittany on Sept 7th? Right? Anyone who has been there knows that the Nittany course is LITERALLY (old school real definition in use here) in the backyard of the T-town velodrome. What I only fully realized last weekend was that on Saturday Sept 7th there is ALSO a day of "Master's and Rookies" track racing...starting at noon. Hours after the finish of my cx race.

So while I don't have a cx pit bike, I may, nonetheless be bringing two bikes out to the race(s) that weekend!

P.S. When I suggested this as a "crazy" possibility to my wife, she looks at me with that, "What are you some kind of sissy?" look and says, "Why not? Your cross race is going to be over early in the morning."

I'd double up but I think the times are horrid.

Started heading out to t-town last night but turned around after seeing the weather forecast. Racing ended up being called off... Bummer

That's a shame. I see they got half of the program in. Not worth going all the way for that though. I see Nijsane Phillip, Trinidadian sprinter, 4th in the Olympics (Shane Perkins beat him for the bronze. Though of course you knew that already, Andy ;-) ) has arrived, Jesus. Presumably for the Fastest Man on Wheels this Friday.

kieranleahy said:

That's a shame. I see they got half of the program in. Not worth going all the way for that though. I see Nijsane Phillip, Trinidadian sprinter, 4th in the Olympics (Shane Perkins beat him for the bronze. Though of course you knew that already, Andy ;-) ) has arrived, Jesus. Presumably for the Fastest Man on Wheels this Friday.

that's some absurdly stiff competition for local racing!

T-town can come across as a bit bizzar in its diffusion of pa locals and international riders. That sort of competition is more or less the norm out there.

Like Andy says, the "local" racing becomes infused with "international" racing due to the latter riders coming out for Friday nights and UCI categorized events (particularly this Fri) and then mixing it up with the locals on the Tues Pro-Am series for fun. It's cool to be able to race "against" those kinda guys, but not exactly fair, haha.

Masters and Rookies race report Part I:

Heading into my third race week at T-town, with a solid showing in "week 2," I was feeling...comfortable. Not quite confident, but comfortable that I belonged with the other racers on the track.

Unfortunately, we got to the track with just enough time for me to take a few warm-up laps. Enough to make sure I wouldn't cramp up come race time, but not enough for a proper leg/lung burning workout to makes sure I was hot and ready to go for our first race. Blurg.

Today's program offered up some slightly different fare than the previous two weeks' schedule.

Race one was a 10-lap "point a lap." One of the things that I find amusing about mass-start track racing, is that some races, it's very clear what the game is. (Other races, like the "Snowball" not so much.) Anyway, this one, as I found out quickly is tough to manage. 1 point for the winner of every lap. Just get beat by an inch for 1st place on the lap? Too bad tough guy...NO POINTS FOR YOU. I never quite pulled it together for this race. Tactically or physically. Couldn't get any points. Although, I did get my warm-up in finally!

Race two, was familiar, a 12-lap points race with FOUR sprints. Do the math, that's a lot of sprints in a relatively short race. Frustrated with my performance in race one, I decided to go 1/2 bonkers here. I attack from the gun, and hope I can hold on for 3 laps to pick up some points. I get a healthy gap, about 1/2 a lap, and I'm out there for 2-3/4 lap before I'm overtaken and miss out on the first sprint points. Damn. But I've shredded the field, I jump onto the group that passed me for those points. Maybe we can stay away, maybe I'll pick up some points later. Two teammates are on the front of our group. Dude 1 goes just before turn two on a sprint lap, his teammate is blocking on the front, I try to pass over him, but he starts to hook me up the track, plus is 1/2 wheeling me. DUDE WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? Let me get around you so I can bridge to your teammate and then we can work together and...blurg. Big beefy sprinter blocker dude and I are neck and neck the rest of the lap. He's in the sprinter's lane, I'm just above him. He gets me for 2nd place points by 1/2 a wheel. I get third place points. In the end, I've just got just 2 pts and that's one shy of 5th place points. Well, at least I totally changed the dynamic of this points race versus others I've competed in this year. We were actually lapping riders by the end of race.

Race three, the final race in our Omnium competition, was the "Unknown Distance. This is a tricky one to get right. You basically roll around until the officials decide to ring the bell and at that point you have about 1.5 laps to do your thang. I was pretty terrible in this race, in terrible position when it counted and was shut out of the top 5 and any omnium points this week. Double blurg...

Break time. Next up the "Feature" races. The B feature was a 15-lap scratch. And since the A feature race was basically a "Miss-n-Out" race, a very tactical race in which I continue to struggle. And so, I was focused. EXTREMELY focused on doing well in the B feature...

Part II:

A big field of 21 racers, line up and things get started in a hurry. A couple of guys jump off the front from the gun, but they just don't get too far. I keep my fingers crossed and my powder dry. "Please, someone else lead the chase." I know I could bridge the group, but they are looking rag-tag and I don't want my effort to simply set up the winning counter. Fortunately for me, the front of the field is motivated. Gaps are opening up as we are hammering around the sprinter's lane. I'm jumping around gaps and keep myself with the lead group.

There's some gamesmanship, but we've got quite a few laps to go, so I keep my pimp-hand tucked deep in my waistband. And then it happens.

 1-3/4 laps to go, the 5 or 6 dudes at the front, right after turn one drift up the track a smidge, just above the blue line and it's decision time. BAM!!! I attack hard through the lane they left open at the bottom of the track. My 88-inch gear (versus the 92-94 inches that most T-town riders use) means I can pretty much instantly get a 1/4 lap gap anytime I want. The question always becomes then, can I grow that gap? Can I hold that gap?

YES YES YES. I come around the start finish with a sizable gap and I hear that bell. That sweet, sweet bell. 1 lap to go. 333-meters. No big whup right? Rounding turn 3 I'm still clear. Will they blow by me in turn 4? I don't know, I can't tell. I'm cranking as fast as my legs can turn and I pass through the finish line in 1st by a healthy margin.

Oh, sweet victory. It doesn't quite make up for my relatively poor showing in the omnium events, but still...

I WON A BIKE RACE!

Right after my win, I did line up for the A feature race as well. The Miss and Out race. 16 riders started this one. I got yanked (last across the line) when there were 8 guys left. I really want to make it to the finale of one of these events, one of these days...

Awesome job Marc! I love reading these reports too.

Great stuff Marc!!! Anyone want to make a Tuesday night adventure?

Andrew Da Silva said:

Great stuff Marc!!! Anyone want to make a Tuesday night adventure?

I'd love to, but I'm working this Tuesday...plus childcare duties when I'm not working. My babysitter can't switch to Tuesdays for me either...boo.