TARGETRAINING Clients around the world!

Congratulations to the Matt and Nancy Rebold on their assent of the 19,3500 foot high Mt Kilimanjaro this past July! After a summer of hard training they realized a dream of a lifetime. Our TARGETRAINING family applaud your efforts.

IPTMan Recap

The ITP race is always a source of both trepidation and joy; trepidation in that every year of its existence thus far - this was the fourth edition - it's been FREEZING. Well, usually that means an air temp near 50 degrees at the start, but after a summer of racing, that's a shock. The joy relates to the last comment -- ITP, for me anyway, has always been my season ending race. Some years, I'd approach ITP having been unable to sit or stand without pain resulting from the other races I'd done. But it's a chance to begin to ease off and even relax - a bit - at a race that isn't a killer distance-wise.

So this year's race, the week after the Westchester Tri at which I had statistically (against the field) the best tri of my career, I think, and after a summer-long bout with my achilles, was a bit different. First, the weather was WARM, so the toe and arm warmers, gloves and hat I'd packed went for naught. Second, I wasn't in pain, at least nothing that vitamin advil wouldn't fix, and lastly, my achilles was pretty much stable (I'd also begun NYC Marathon training in August this year as my achilles improved). AND the tide was in...AND there was no blinding sun to hamper swim sighting! Woohoo!

I accepted a race challenge from our illustrious realy team of West, Stewart and Mosse, and notwithstanding Mosse's rib issue, gave each a good luck thump before the start (sorry, Dave!). I was in the 2nd wave, so I was able to watch Dom leave his customary wake at the front of Wave 1 for a bit. Then the start and into the water! I trust I can have another off season of swimming as good as this last one was, because I ended up 1 minute faster here than last year (amid a season of very good swims) AND even sighted correctly. Turns out that Mitch "Fins" West still obliterated my swim with his time, but who knew? He was in the wave after me. Out of the water, pleased to still see bikes on my rack.

Took off on the bike, maybe not quite as intensely as in other races, but still fairly strong. Another coup this year -- Eneas didn't pass me until after the Merritt Parkway entrance! I biked steadily until I was caught be a few guys and then woke up, passing back all but one before T2.

Surprise! I exit T2 with a trash talking Mosse right on my side. I considered giving him an elbow in the ribs but then figured I'd be "nice" and just give the race the old college try. OK, never mind that he didn't have to swim or bike, but I'll give him his props. So out of T2, I picked up a bit and passed the only other guy I could see. I didn't see Dom or Eneas until about the 2-2.5 mile mark of the run (and they were both comfortably ahead), but I didn't see anyone else, and was trying to ensure that TT went 1, 2, 3. I saw only one person behind me that was close but didn't know who it was. Turns out it was Mr. Mosse, who gamely maintained contact and ended up only 13 seconds behind me (did I mention he didn't have to swim, bike or do transitions?). Also turned out that someone from another wave snuck in ahead of me, taking me off the podium. However, I did gain the satisfaction of improving over last year's time and both winning the 40-44 (my last ITP in the 40-44 group - YEEHAAA) and hitting the fastest splits for EACH discipline in my AG. THAT is rare for me and was a great way to close the Tri season.

So on to the NYC Marathon and another off season of maintenace and technique focus (especially in swimming - Mitch, give me another 3 years and you're mine).

ITP -- the Monday after...

Although I am quite a bit away from home this weekend, I got a call at 8:30 AM from a TARGETRAINING enthusiast. And I am on Pacific time, so that means it was 5:30 AM. Now I did get up and go riding for 3 hours up to Red Rock from the Las Vegas strip, but needless to say, I hoped that the caller had something interesting to speak about.

"Dom won the ITP sprint triathlon, Eneas got 2nd, David Yockleson crossed the line in third place, and the relay team of Mitch West, Greg Stewart and David Mosse, despite starting back a couple of waves, crossed the line in 4th." Valentin Lopes crossed the line 5th (sixth overall). So that was a 1-5 finish -- that's pretty darn amazing by our coaches and team.

It turns out that Dom Gillen won and did so by breaking the event/course record set by our own Jordan Rapp. And Eneas set the fastest bike split in ITP history (and despite finishing way back on the swim -- which he frankly can't really do -- got a solid second place to Dom; Eneas also did the second fastest run split, less than 50 seconds behind Dom). The relay won the relay and apparently actually finished faster than Eneas (who gave them a 6.5 minute lead in the swim...) . Yock got passed by another athlete (Cliff Sherb, who is a friend of TT and a fast young man from NYC with roots in CT) later on in the event, but 4th overall is not too shabby (and winning his age group of course). Valentin Lopes ended up getting 6th overall and won his 25-29 age group (great stuff!). David Booth got ~19th overall and 4th in the tough 30-34 age group. Robert Labanca got 3rd in his age group (45-49) and got 23rd overall! Amazingly enough, only two non TARGETRAINING athletes had less than a 41 minute bikesplit. However, 6 TARGETRAINING athletes did this: Eneas 33+, Dom 37+, Greg S. 39+, Yock 40+, Valentin 40+, and Labanca 40+.

I think our women's team took the morning off -- well they've had a great season so they deserved the morning off. And the guys represented pretty well. Mimi and Megan were going to do a relay but I don't think they found a third.

The weather held off. Apparently Max V. was very busy at the TARGETRAINING tent, fixing flat tires, helping all the triathletes who somehow managed to have bikes that needed emergency tuning on race day (he was glad to help). Tyler J., our running guru and other pro triathlete sidelined with a calf injury, who now will be wearing Newton's to help reduce such injury likelihood, and helping a young lady from Pennsylvania who forgot her running shoes. Both of them of course just being generally helpful to athletes. And U-25 team member Craig Luekin, who also is the collegiate national champion this year in criterium (and got 5th on the road I recall in the championships), driving the TT car in support of the race and pitching in to act as an extension of the ITP support crew. Chris Bartlett got 11th in the 40-44 age group.

As of this time, we haven't seen the official results online. But, the 5:30 AM caller's results have been independently confirmed by a number of other observers...

Spotting Jordan Rapp in Las Vegas

Matt and I got to hang out with Jordan and his very cool girlfriend Jill Savege in Las Vegas. Jill is also fast; she has finished as high as 11th in the Hawaii Ironman Championships. An ITU Olympic representative for Canada at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Jill may become more active on the coaching end of things. Matt Baldwin, Jordan, Jill and I sat down for a lunch at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Venetian Resort.

We discussed a wide array of topics, including nutrition during a race. I introduced Jordan to two items: First Endurance's Optygen and Vespa (wasp extract). Jordan talked about how he likes simple carbohydrate drinks (Gatorade) because it digests well. Jill mentioned how maltodextrin doesn't absorb quickly enough and causes her gastrointestinal distress.

We then switched over to equipment. Jordan, who writes for Slowtwitch, mentioned that he felt Cervelo continues to innovate ahead of the industry. He truly likes Felt, who we don't sell, but who does sponsor Jordan. We understand that Jim Felt has been a good friend to the bicycle industry; Tom Schuler always had wonderful things to say about Felt. Jordan also observed that the Cannondale Slice product is an excellent compliment to Cervelo's P2, P3, P4 because it fits athletes differently (which is very helpful since we try to fit the bike to the person, of course).

We discussed and debated the merits of various wheels, from Mavic to Zipp to Reynolds. Jordan loves Zipp, and while we like Zipp for triathlon, we favor Mavic and Reynolds for road racing/riding. Of course, Zipp has made the 404 and 808 even more aerodynamic this year. And Cervelo's TestTeam is going to race on Zipp wheels. Well, these are three excellent set of wheels -- not a lot goes wrong with Mavic Cosmic/Ultimates, the Reynolds Superlites and Attack wheels and Zipp's series of 4's, 8's and 10's.

And Jordan showed me how excited he was with Zipp's new 100 gram stem. We'll show some pictures another time, but it is a beauty. Can't wait to get one in March when they become available. It is all carbon with some titanium on the outside. Sweet.

Jordan is preparing for his second Ironman Arizona this year; he got 3rd the first time around. When Jordan and Jill come visit us next, we'll hold a special event. He was bummed he couldn't be at ITP to race with Dom, Eneas, Mitch, Yock, Greg and Dave this weekend, but there will be other opportunities. Jill promised she would help us organize a women's focused triathlon seminar/clinic. That should be pretty cool. Stay tuned for more.

The P4 -- oh what a bike...late September back in 2008

The unveiling of the P4. Ok, what do we have here?. So there is what appears to be a slick black bike with a big P4 written on it. And you can see the Cervelo on the fork. So what is it all about? It is about being the fastest bike made...

1st: The Zipp crankset you see on this bike will not be available until perhaps end of first quarter in 2009.

2nd: The only wheels that fit the rear are wheels that are narrower than the Zipp Sub 9.

3rd: Where is the rear brake? Not below, where it causes turbulence, but inside the chain stays...that's right, inside the chain stays. Unbelievable. And what does that mean for the bottom bracket aerodynamic shaping? It is a bulleted shaped bottom bracket area -- nothing sticks out...

4th: Is that a water bottle cage? No, but if you look closely, you'll see a water bottle, as aero as can be...In fact, take out the water bottle and the bike frame has more drag...so don't take that sip!

5th: Can you have a more bladed down tube?

6th: What is up with that head tube? We are looking at a fork that seamlessly works with the head tube -- it is about fluid dynamics optimization after all. It is not just another fork, but a fork specifically designed to fit the top and down tube, including spacers that perfectly extend the head tube...

7th: Internal cables get routed through the top tube (Cervelo is not the only company who does this now, but it is certainly the most effective way to reduce frontal area drag).

8th: Look at the additional material to ensure smoother airflow in the rear triangle behind the seat stays.

9th: Internal routing is aided by the ability to run cables from the middle of the downtube -- very convenient access -- efficiency throughout.

10th: Those chain stays are not tiny -- although hard to see in this photo, the shapes are not symmetrical because of course a bike's right and left side is not symmetrical either...

The orange backdrop bike frame is a prototype. We have a few on order. Will this be the winning bike in the Tour de France prologue? Will Bobby Julich come out of retirement if Gerard Vroomen and Phil White entice him with one of these as a present (just to race in the World Championship TT Bobby)...

Thin as a knife's edge from the front, we know the P4 has been extensively tunnel tested.

Interbike 2008 Las Vegas S3 Up close First Round Photos

The beauty on the left is an S3 used in the Olympics by an ITU triathlete. Notice the stub aerobars. This bike looks very similar to the now named S2 (or the SLC-SL of 2008). What is different? That is what the next picture zeroes in on (which is also the S3 in a black and gray frame). The rear triangle incorporates a chain stay which is more aero and beefier than the SLC-SL. Cervelo states that beefy is a side-effect; they are going for aerodynamics. The seat stays are very similar in functional capability to the R series bicycle. So Cervelo states that this bike is as stiff as the SLC-SL (now the S2) but is more aerodynamic and also more comfortable a ride. That is a big deal. We have not test ridden this but Cervelo is pretty good at giving you what they say they will. But we will have some in stock shortly which we will test ride. The S3 is actually slightly heavier than the S2, but the 30 grams or so difference is, according to Cervelo, more than made up for by the superior aerodynamics of the rear triangle.

TARGETRAINING Fall Trail Run Series

TARGETRAINING FALL TRAIL RUNNING SERIES Sundays, OCT 5th to NOV 23rd@8 AM
Week 1-2 5k Sherwood Island, Westport
Week 3-4 5 miles Devil’s Den, Weston
Week 5-6 5 miles Troutbrook, Weston
Week 7-8 10k Cranberry Park, Norwalk

We will run this as a points series (for the fun of it) with an overall male and female winner. Please click on the flyer to the left to see details.

We will re-run the same course at each of the 4 venues.

If you miss a weekend, you don’t miss out!

If you make each race, you can try to beat your time from the previous weekend.


Current clients can use their endurance package to join. If you are not a TT client but wish to do the series you may buy a ten pack for $250 (and use the left over sessions for any TT class!). You may also sign up each week for $30 for each event. The event entry includes bagels and coffee post run!


Fun for everyone, first-timers to pros. Run just like a training session.

A September Weekend to Remember

This past weekend we had a spectucular time. So much to do, we spread ourselves out across the state of Connecticut and Westchester County.

Starting on Friday, many of our brethren sponsored and rode in the lovely Charter Oak Charity ride.   Carlos helped provide support to this fantastic three day tour, starting at the Charter Oak school in Bridgeport, CT, traveling up to Kent, CT.  Three days, 200+ miles of riding.  Carlos and crew will give us a full report we hope but what a three days to go cycling.

On Saturday, it was bike racing day at the Three Villages Race in Baltic, CT (and two neighboring villages, apparently).  Eneas decided to top his 15 mile solo effort from the Tour of Greenwich to break away for 45 miles to win this event.  Rick did his best to race in the Masters category and he did ok.   Again, the weather was inspiring.  And there is a festival that goes on during and after the race -- fun for the entire family.   The course is a rolling hill course with two biting climbs and a flat fast finish -- challenging but fun.

On Sunday, it was TRIATHLON day. And we mean it: the Westchester Jarden Olympic; the Westchester TOUGHMAN Half; the Fairfield Sprint; and the ITP Triathlon walkthrough.   Dom Gillen won the overall title at the TOUGHMAN in a 4:14 effort on a new course.  He beat all comers, including two different relay teams... Not bad -- who says 3 is better than 1? Allie Lawler showed she is getting ready for Florida by placing second overall woman with a 5:04 or so.   And if she just had aero wheels or a P2C or an aero helmt who knows how fast she'd go (or all three)... At the "short" Westchester event, Mitch West got 5th overall amateur with a 2:11, Megan Kelly Griffis got 2nd woman in her age group (25-29) with a 2:32, Lyn McCabe got 5th her age group (30-34) with a 2:40, and Dave Yockleson got 3rd in his age group (40-44) with a 2:15. Ray Tierney and Bruce Koffsky also competed in this event and did well, too.  In the Fairfield Sprint, Valentin Lopes got 3rd overall!  Great showing!  He missed a couple of markers swimming or he might have gotten top 1 or 2... (save it for this weekend Valentin).   

Meanwhile, Eneas and Rick had wandered over to Darien CT to do a bike-run through with 40 ITP  participants.   The group went through a site viewing of the swim, then did the bike together, going over tactical strategies for riding the course. Then after rehydrating and changing, the group proceeded to run 4 of the 5 miles of this weekend's course.   It was a blast. Plenty of questions (hopefully fielded intelligently and kindly) and lots of enthusiasm and excitement about this coming Saturday's ITP Triathlon in Darien.   Best of luck to everyone racing it! May this coming weekend also be a weekend to remember... 

It was very early in the morning, that part they remember!

It was possible that her friends from last time were strolling home again, visions of fries and gravy filling their eyes. However, up here in the suburbs, they were no where to be found. Instead, the bike racer was awake this time, his hands still stained with grease from the hasty tune up the night before. What was he thinking?

The weather was much too cold for jellyfish and it definitely affected her and her friend, the two of them coughing and sneezing their way through pasta dinner the night before. No diner food here they say. We have to try to do better than last year, they say. It would be tough this year they thought, we might have malaria they thought.

The two of them strolled across the dark parking lot towards the others: there was pajama pant guy, there was 1983 aero bar guy, and of course, Dr Waterski was there as always. It made them both smile; their first emotion of the day. They only knew a few of the others. Meghan, who had a great swim. Was that Bruce? Yockelson, who they knew was just plotting his next blog, and of course Mitch West. He came out of the water and onto his bike with ease; smiling and waving to the heckling bike racer as if this was just another spin class. His run was swift and he was only bested by impossibly young and fit cadets from West Point. There were four of them, he was close behind.

In the waves of rubber coated colored topped black dots that followed, she and her friend had only to fight seaweed and that fiery orange ball in the sky as it tried to blind them and force them into the rocky jetty. Damn you Poseidon, she yelled again, you can never beat me! Back on the bike, she smiled and rode away. The run, more of a jog really, finished up just in time for the beer tent to open. Nicely done. Her time was respectable despite her coughing and wheezing and the season was now over.

The trip home this time was different. No time for brunch, no need for reflection on an outbound train, just a short drive back across the border. From this angle, it looked like a good year.

Thanks for reading.

TARGETRAINING 100k Week 2

This weeks ride will visit some new roads in New Canaan and enter into South Salem NY and tackle the infamous Keeler Hill Climb! Again this ride is intended to be a fun social event that visits beautiful back country roads.

Run the dirt: Fall TT Trail Running Series -- Starting October 5th!!!

TARGETRAINING FALL TRAIL RUNNING SERIES
Sundays, OCT 5th toNOV 23rd
Week 1-2 5k Sherwood Island, Westport
Week 3-4 5 miles Devil’s Den, Weston
Week 5-6 5 miles Troutbrook, Weston
Week 7-8 10k Cranberry Park, Norwalk

We will re-run the same course at each of the 4 venues. If you miss a weekend, you don’t miss out! If you make each race, you can try to beat your time from the previous weekend.

Current clients can use their endurance package to join. Ifyou are not a TT client but wish to do the series you may buy a ten pack or sign up each week. Each event is $30 – and includes bagels and coffee post run!

Fun for everyone, first-timers to pros.
Run just like a training session.

Records and Rain Fall at Tour de Greenwich

Having grown up in Greenwich, this Sunday’s Tour de Greenwich was a fun rendezvous for me. Not since 2001 have I had a chance to take the start line for this local event, but after spending an evening with family just down the road from the race start, it was a nice cup of coffee and a brief ride to the start line on a drizzling, muggy morning. It was great to see so many familiar TARGETRAINING faces and other cycling friends joining me at the start.

This is a unique race as there are two distinct age group starts, 39 and under and 40+, so you may win your heat but not the overall. Thus, it is always advantageous to race fast from the start of the 20-mile rolling course if you are vying for the overall win.

With this in mind, I mounted my team issue Cannondale with ZIPP 808 wheels and a compact set of time trial bars to maximize my ability to push the pace in the race.
It took a few miles of the 20 mile course to shake myself of the rest of the field which left me with what became one long solo time trial effort on pristine, yet very slippery, back country roads. When all was said and done, I managed to win my heat and the overall by breaking my own course record by over a minute and finishing in a time of 46:32 with family waiting at the finish. What a nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

A Puncture Perfect 100k Saturday

We awoke Saturday morning to damp and foggy weather but with the promise of clear sunny skies by mid day, a dozen TARGETRAINING riders set out for our 1st metric century ride of September. Although the rain had ended, the roads were left slick and littered with debris which caused havoc on this dedicated group of cyclist. Within the first two hours of the ride, we had already fixed 4 flat tires, and we finished the day with 6!

So while Carlos held the fort down with some fun indoor rides, outdoor group leaders, Max and Eneas, were running out of spare tubes.
In the end it was a long day in the saddle, but we all had a great time with excellent company.

We hope that Mother Nature helps us next weekend for our 2nd century ride of the month, and provides us with clear and dry conditions.

TARGETRAINING's Valentin Lopes has good showing at Ironman Louisville!

Valentin finshed the 140.6 mile journey of swimming, biking, and running in a time of 10:30:22.

From the photo you can see he was quite happy with his performance. He only missed a spot to the Hawaii Ironman World Championships by 1 spot! But, he already signed up for another crack at the race in 2009! Next time!

You will be seeing more of Valentin at TARGETRAINING this Fall and Winter. He is taking a little break from training and will be helping with our training sessions.

Get your daily R.I.C.E.

R.I.C.E.

The method of R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is best known as the treatment for acute injuries such as joint sprains or muscle strains. But why wait until you are already injured to experience the benefits of this treatment? I believe that the principles of R.I.C.E can, and should be used on a daily basis to prevent injury, improve recovery time, and decrease muscle soreness.

REST:

The traditional meaning of Rest in the RICE treatment is to immobilize the injured area and limit use for 24-48 hours to promote healing.

Rest can also mean getting adequate and regular sleep. Seven to eight hours a night is recommended, with additional benefits coming from as much as 10 hours an night. A well rested athlete has a quicker reaction time, a better mood, and less fatigue during training.
Additionally, adding a rest day or a rest week into your training cycle will help your body adapt to a hard training load. Your body and mind need time to rejuvenate and relax in order to perform at the highest level.

ICE:

Ice is used in the RICE treatment as a great way to decrease swelling and improve the healing time of sprains and strains. It should be applied to the injury for 10-20 minutes at a time every few hours.

Icing, in the form of an ice bath, is a great post-workout recovery technique. Despite a recent study minimizing its effectiveness, it is still one of the most widely used recovery techniques. From football players to marathon runners, some of the world’s best athletes use this method. The temperature of the ice bath does not need to hover just above 32 degrees for it to work. Immersing you legs for 10-15 minutes in water that is in the high 40’s or low 50’s will do the trick. An ice bath can prevent injuries by reducing the inflammation caused by a tough workout, which will prevent the inflammation from becoming a full-blown injury.

COMPRESSION:


Compression treatment for an acute injury involves wrapping the area to help increase blood flow and prevent or reduce swelling.

Compression can be used on a daily basis to increase blood flow to stressed tissue, and improve recovery time. Compression was once only accomplished by ACE bandages, today there are many sport specific companies that have a line of compression clothing designed for athletics. Compression tights have proven benefits during and after your workout. The main benefit of compression tights are; increased blood flow, which brings oxygen to the muscles faster and removes lactic acid, and increased support of the muscle fibers during contraction, which results in less wasted motion, and a more efficient contraction.

ELEVATION:

Elevation is the 4th element in the RICE formula. The goal is to elevate the injured area above the heart to reduce swelling and the pooling of blood around the injury.

Swimming, biking and running are hard on the legs. Elevating your feet/legs to a level higher than your heart will let gravity do some of the work returning blood back to your heart. Propping you feet with some pillows while lying down is a great way to enjoy a book or watch TV after a hard day of training.

Cervelo S3 coming soon to TARGETRAINING

Cervelo is not a company that sleeps on its success. It continues to innovate on top of excellent existing product and excellent client support. We truly enjoy working with the company and selling its bicycles to our clients.

Cervelo figured out a way to combine an excellent feature of the Soloist frame with the R series frame. It softened the ride (i.e., better vertical compliance) while keeping aerodynamics and stiffness high by adapting the R series seat stays to the Soloist frame. The adaptation includes rotation the pencil thin seat stays to keep aerodynamic drag to a minimumThe result is the S3 frameset.

Call to find out when it is coming in and the price.

What a frame!

Lotsa Fun at Compo Beach

The TARGETRAINING triathlon family came out for a fun filled Sunday. Somehow Hannah missed stealing the show and let us have sun on Sunday. Over 300 participants showed up to race, and it was a great mixture of young and not so young, with many of the local triathletes there from all the various clubs.

Dom, Eneas and I did it as a relay (largely because we forgot to sign up on time to do it as individuals). Brad Hardy was there taking pictures (all of the wonderful pictures on this blog are cortesy of Brad) because he decided to break his leg running (Brad, it has not been your year but you're one of us regardless). Adrian, Scott, Kim, Laurie, Lauren and Megan were all there. David "Old School" Yockleson was there. In fact, there were a lot of TTers there and my sad memory is unfortunately forgetting a number. Eneas/Dom will update this blog later with all the right names.

As you can see by the photos, it was a very sunny day. And somewhat breezy. We had two out of the water within the top ten. Dom had to start 6 minutes back (as did the women) because the men's field was crowded (so the relays started in the second wave). Megan was first out of the water for the women. Dom did a fast leg, so while Yockleson was well in front, Dom gave Eneas and me a fighting chance to catch up. I went as fast as I could without crashing (it has a lot of turns on the 5 mile course); I was in the aerobars most of the time. Unfair really -- no transition for us. But I could not catch Old School on the bike. Eneas took over and took off. I went backwards on the course to see how Eneas and David were faring. We had 3 in the top 10 men, which was exciting. Eneas caught everyone but the top 3, and of course David Y. was one of those guys (David got 3rd). Megan was blazing herself and got 1st woman. Laurie got 2nd only a few short months after having been very pregnant. I think we did well in age group categories, too, including top placings by Kim, Adrian and Scott. We won the relay and had the fastest time overall (by over 3 minutes), but the question is whether Dom could have gone faster on his own...or Eneas...you know I slowed them down.

This was one big smile after another event. A great day for the family.

50 laps of pulled pork?

I had to take a very long nap to prepare for this, but here it goes: This past Monday was the final stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race up in Vermont. The stage was fifty laps of six crazy turns around a very fast kilometer in downtown Burlington overlooking Lake Champlain. Very nice.

TARGETRAINING went into the race after the amazing road race up App Gap the day before and Eneas taking the win and moving to second place overall sandwiched by 0:03 seconds from the lead and back to third. The team was a bit knackered but extremely motivated to try to help him take the lead as there were two time bonuses on the course and at the finish.

For all of my faithful readers that follow my stories simply for their poetic prose and are not necessarily fans of bike racing, time bonuses are places on the course where the first four riders across the line get 8-4-3-2 seconds taken off their overall total time. Also, at the finish, the winner of the race can get as many as 15 seconds bonus. This means that hypothetically, Eneas could take the overall while the race was still going on. Of course, it would not be easy.

The race started extremely fast with TARGETRAINING going off the front early to get the pot stirring. High speeds benefit the goal as it prevents other riders from attacking us. The front of the race was a sea of green with the crowd and announcers going crazy describing how we had nine riders in the race and they knew we wanted the win. Every lap saw an attack: Nate, Adam, Craig, Justin, Eneas, Adam again, Gabe, Gabe again, Justin again, Craig again and then about fifteen laps into the race, some guy in red. Then a guy in white. Hmmm, something has changed.

Ruh roh roerge. Where did all the TARGETRAINING guys go?

In a panic I run to the wheel pit with Josh and Tri-Lyn in tow. There is Adam and Justin waiting to get back in the race and Gabe and Craig and running their bikes down the street back to the service area. There has been a major crash on the back side of the course out of site and about 30 riders were involved. Everyone gets back in and back to racing except now Justin is nursing his hand that he hurt riding his mountain bike a few weeks ago and Craig cannot breath or move his left arm. Is that important? Craig pulls out a few laps later to take an ambulance ride to find out he has two broken ribs and a punctured lung. But you should see the other guy.

The mishap and the injuries cause mayhem to our plan. Eneas gets caught out for the first sprint and loses time to the third place rider and doesn't gain anything at the second sprint either.

I radio to him his placing and the gaps to the overall leaders and with four laps to go he attacks on the fifth corner at about 75 miles per hour. Wicked fast. Only an Empire rider can come with him but Eneas is going too fast for this guy to even pull through. I can barely concentrate enough to count the seconds on my watch to measure the time gap as Nancy and baby Caden are screaming so loud that it reverberates all around the city. "go eneas" she screams as his gap grows to 12 seconds in just a lap and a half. The crowd realizes what is at stake and gets behind; only the field realizes it too. There is panic in the disco as every canadian in the race goes to the front and chases him down. He makes them work for it as Adam clips a pedal on turn two and flips his bike and Gabe has to jump a curb mtb style in order to try to stay upright in the fast field.

They catch him with a lap to go as local CCB rider Thomas Magnum wins the day on a bold solo move. Eneas finishes safely in the field at 11th and holds on to a valiant third place overall. It was amazing and the rest of the team was impressed by how just one rider can make such a difference at a race.

Great job to everyone as they all finished and Justin took 15th overall while supporting the team. This was a great weekend and event and the team really closed out the season with class.

Everyone associated with TARGETRAINING, whether staff, club riders or clients should be impressed and proud of all of their efforts. A special thank you also goes to Jess, Tri-Lyn and Josh for their help cooking meals, constantly cleaning condos and working 35mph feed zones.

NOTE: Craig was released on Tuesday and will enjoy some forced R&R but is okay.

SECOND NOTE: There apparently was a special TARGETRAINING fifth stage. While yours truly was packing the car and checking on Craig, the lads went to a local bar-b-que place for dinner. They had a "Little Fatty" contest that meant anyone eating this plate of french fries and 1.5 pounds of bbq pulled pork got to eat for free and get their picture on the wall. Well, the pace was frantic from the start but Adam was tired from his Brandon Gap efforts and dropped out early; Gabe stayed steady but couldn't handle the pace set by BFD Dave and Justin Wolverine Lindine. That is right folks, they both finished the little fatty and there is now a TARGETRAINING jersey on the wall. It is the smallest in the room I can tell you right now. Look for the team next at either Univest, the Tour of the Catskills, a physical rehab or fat camp near you this weekend! Thanks.


Kyle Wolfe

Director, TARGETRAINING Racing Teams
http://www.targetraining.com/

What was I thinking? A 45 year old's take on Basking Ridge

What a beautiful weekend. Ok, so Saturday morning Matt and I were the only takers for the 7 AM ride. And we rode for 2 hours and change in the rain. It was good to be out there. Matt's dad passed away this year, and I've had my own challenges with health, and it was fun to just go out there, with no responsibilities, and ride easy, in the rain. It felt cleansing.

Went with my family and watched the Yankees blow a game they were leading 6-2 only to lose 7-6. Now, I have been a fan all my life. But I sat right on the field level with my family. The Yankees are a big group of guys. Not fat, just big. Even Derek Jeter is big. ARod is larger than life -- all muscle. And he hit this incredible shot with the fans screaming wildly in the bottom of the 9th with no one out, and two men on, only to see it turned into a double play. Even supermen lose.

Then I read the GMSR results to see that Eneas, our superman, lost over two minutes in the easiest stage. I am disheartened, although Justin, our boy wonder, got 5th in the stage.

I go to see Young Frankenstein with my family on Sunday (Mel Brooks is one incredible 82 year old). During intermission, Tom Toal emails me that Scott Bodin won the 45+ Denville Challenge and got 2nd in the 35+ race (later I would read from Badger that Max won the field sprint and Badger did well too).

So my family accompanied me to Basking Ridge Sunday evening so I could have an easy ride on Monday morning to warm up for the first race I had done in about 6 weeks. 6 weeks earlier I had found out that my hematocrit was only 37, or pretty far below normal. But given the therapy I had gone through, the hematologist felt I was on track. Maybe on track, but zone 4 and me don't get along very well right now. And crits are pretty much all about zone 4. A little 3 and a little 5 as well, but you pretty much win or lose on zone 4 effectiveness in a crit.

But, you race in part based on innate competitiveness and, let's face it, brazen assertiveness and will to win. Thinking really doesn't factor that much into it. Heck it's a 15 mile race and the rest of the guys are 45+ or more, like me, and if you don't race you can't win, so I raced it. An hour of warmup Monday morning, absolutely perfect conditions, only 50 competitors (a small field), although there were some good ones: Aubrey Gordon (multi time national champ), Brian Wolf (multi time New England Masters Champ), what seemed like 6000 Liberty guys at their home event, the NJ Russian Rocket.

I start crits where I don't know how my form is in the same position. In the back. If I am strong, I move up. If I suck, I quit. I felt fine. In the 2nd of the 15 laps, two guys who I never even saw took off and stayed away the entire race. All zone 4. No way was I going to do that. If I could have done that I would have been suffering with Max in the 40+ in the Green Mountain Stage Race. So my lovely wife and daughters saw me in the back and said, oh well he is either saving it or he sucks today. Well, I felt I was saving it. For 3rd place, but heck, you go for what you can get (maybe...). The acceleration by the pack dropped about 10 racers in the second lap. All these guys were in the back, but were in front of me. To stay in the race, I had to accelerate faster than the acceleration. I felt good. I did it. In doing so , I yelled to Tom Toal, who had been near the front, but had drifted back. He got on my wheel, and together we then rode really fast to catch the back of the pack. Tom went back to the front, and I went back to the back, now with only 37 guys in front of me (minus the two up the road and the ten off the back). Then about halfway through the race, I ride up to Brian Wolf (who always stays about 4th wheel) and say, what's up? He said, too many guys up the road. Ok, so I take off to catch up (my moto is off the front or off the back -- it sounds good doesn't it?). This group as I get them in my sites appears to be about 5 guys. The Russian Rocket goes too, only he won't let me catch his wheel, he rides so hard I am seeing every possible color combination there is. We not only catch and drop the break group but we catch the 55+ field (who for whatever reason is on the course the same time we are -- yes we lap them). And my entire effort goes to naught as the entire 45+ pack then catches the 55+ pack. Ridiculous. So, as you have guessed, I go to the back of the pack. After 1/4 of a lap, we separate from the 55+ and are our own race again. All of a sudden, it is 3 laps to go, and I realize I forgot to try an attack with 5 to go. Would have been way too far. I don't have that much Zone 4. So I decide then and there, I'll go with 1.5 to go. What was I thinking? I wasn't. Sheer audicity or stupidity. Lots of fast guys. I don't even have my SLC-SL (fork is being replaced). Just my R3-SL. But I jump hard into the mini hill just before the bell lap. I realize I have not even created a meaningful gap. My jump stunk. Then the rider from CCB (who traveled 5 hours to compete with Brian for the regional masters championship) takes a long pull in front of me. He is first around the final first corner and I am second. He is first around the final second corner and I am second. He looks at me and I take the lead into the final third and fourth corner. Then I start to put a little more into it into the final 5th corner. Then the Russian Rocket jumps me just before the final final corner. I get back on to his wheel. But that cost me dearly. Now those colors are starting to return. We almost are cresting the final hill and I realize the Liberty guys, all 10 of them, are right on me. And the Zone 4 oxygen tank is empty. So is Zone 5. And Zone 3 doesn't count. 300 meters to go, and I am done. Cooked. Knew I couldn't win. Couldn't place. And ended up not putting on much of a show. What was I thinking? Not only do supermen lose but so do 45 year olds who should know better. But don't. Maybe next time I'll wait to attack until the final turn. Who knows, it might work.

But it was a great weekend.

Eneas by the way did not lose those 2 minutes. The race results were wrong. He ended up getting 3rd overall in one of the toughest stage races in the US.