2012 season plans

Hi everyone

Big changes are in store for Captain Crunch Racing in 2012. For the past four seasons I have been racing my bike in a variety of disciplines. It started with time trials, progressed to road racing, and now finally cyclocross. I started racing when I was 20 years old and now as I head into 2012 I'll be turning 25 my life is getting busier with more important things then bike racing. It's not that I don't enjoy racing, quite the opposite - I love it - it's that more important things need to be focused on. I'll never be a pro bike racer so I rather then go out and kill myself in training for a weekend race I want to take a step back and just enjoy the ride.

So for 2012 I'll be adopting a view similar to that of the Rapha Continental boys. The point of the Rapha Continental is to simply find great, epic rides in the USA. That's my plan. I'm going to start by simply documenting some of my favorite local training loops and the sights along them. Progressively I'll expand outward to other locations. I've had a goal of trying to ride in all 50 states ( I have NC VA MD DE PA NJ NY CT VT ME WA OR and CO so far) so I'll be searching for epic rides on both the dirt and road in the states I don't have yet. I may even retrace some the actual Continental rides as all the cue sheets are published on the website.

It will certainly be a change of pace but one I welcome. As my life changes so my cycling with it. It's a new chapter in my life and I'm really looking forward to it. The bike will always be present in my life but the extent of which remains to be seen. Some of my best memories and best friends have been made while in the saddle pedaling over some amazing roads. My goal is to document these roads so in the future I can look back and remember the great times.

Thanks for reading!
CC

So It Begins

Only five days remain before the beginning of the cyclocross season (well technically four but I start on Sunday) and to be honest I'm freaking out right now. I currently live with my parents but as of the Sept 21 our house is, well, no longer ours. They've sold it (it only took 8 days on the market) and are downsizing to a smaller apartment. Having just turned 24 last Friday this seemed like the perfect time to move out on my own. I was just banking on the house taking a few months to sell - just long enough to get me through the cross season.

It's not as bad as it seems. I'm moving to Albuquerque NM sometime towards the end of the year. However as of 21st of this month I need to find a new temporary home. So far I haven't found anything suitable and the clock is quickly winding down. As you can imagine this is not helping my preparation for Nittany or Charm City. Not only do I need to find something in less then two weeks I have to find the time to move my stuff. Everything is mostly packed except for my clothes and essential riding/racing clothing, bikes, and tools. I'm fortunate to have an awesome boss who is going to let me store most of my things in the basement at our facility so at least that's taken care of.

This Sunday is going to be about enjoying the beginning of the cross season and hopefully beating my nemeses from Crossresults. If you should find yourself in the Trexlertown PA at 3:45pm be sure to swing by the velodrome and watch me and 100+ guys battle it out.

Thanks for reading
CC

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right boys and girls. It's time for cyclocross. Central PA just had it's first skills clinic on Tuesday and the Nittany Cross weekend is only 16 days away (for me it's 17 days as I'm only racing on Sunday). That also means that I'll be clearing the cobwebs out of this space to make room for some race reports of the coming season.

I got a new race machine, new tires, and new team (Team Stomach of Anger). I am totally stoked for the coming season. It's shaping up to be the best one yet! I'm also looking forward to doing some volunteering at a few races this year as well. Since my race is the last of the day in the MAC Series I intend to help work the reg tables in the morning hours. If you're at Charm City on Sept 17 and 18 and register in the morning be sure to look for me!

Thanks for reading!
Joel

Team StomachofAnger

With the season opener of the 'cross season here on the Mid-Atlantic only 3 months away I'm beginning to make preparations for the upcoming season. My training is going very well and I'm feeling stronger then ever and my training log confirms this. I'm slowly getting those last few pieces of equipment I need for the season as well.

The biggest change this year will be to a new team. For the last two seasons I've ridden under the RGM Watch Company colors. It was a great ride and I'm thankful for their support over the last two years. This year I'm making the jump to a great new grassroots project aimed at getting people out on their bikes and riding.

Team StomachofAnger has been put together by Michael Babcock and Kacha Azema of East Lansing Michigan. They run clothing company by the same name (check them out at www.stomachofanger.com). Rather then let me try to describe what the team is about let them tell you...


"What is Team StomachOfAnger?

Simply put, it's a collection of bike racers and riders from around the country -- and around the world -- who all share the same passion: pursuing our best on the bike. You don't have to be semi-pro, you don't have to ride an expensive bike, nothing like that...you just have to love to ride and share that love & enthusiasm with your teammates and the world around you. The team will consist of people who race (at all levels), as well as people who ride in local group and charity rides. The team is open to all disciplines of cycling: road, mountain, cyclocross, track, triathlon, whatever. If you're into riding your bike, Team StomachOfAnger can be your home."

Awesome I know. No pressure on getting results. Rather its all about getting out there and having fun. I'm looking forward to spreading the love at 'cross races around the Mid-Atlantic this season. By next month I should have a tentative schedule posted as the race organizers confirm their race dates.

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to read this and for supporting my awesome new team this season!

Best!

Captain Crunch

In Memoriam - Wouter Weylandt

Usually when a athlete or other public figure passes away in a tragic way, I'm usually not affected all that much. This sounds horrible I know, but let me try to explain. I certainly sympathize with the family, but not having a close personal connection with individual, I continue on with my life. The death of Wouter Weylandt on stage 3 of the Giro yesterday affected me more then a little.

Maybe it's because I could see myself lying there on that pavement on my favorite training loop. The descent down the Passo del Bocco was probably just like any other for Weylandt, just as another training ride is for me. As cyclists, be it professional or amateur, crashing (whether in a pack during a race or from being hit by a car) is an accepted risk of riding our bicycles. While we certainly don't like to think about crashing, it is always in the back of a cyclists mind. But we accept these risk because we love riding our bikes.

I obviously didn't know Weylandt personally. But I can say this with 100% certainty. He loved riding his bike. You don't make it to the professional ranks because you simply like riding. The road to the top is often one of low pay, under-appreciation, and hours upon hours of hard work on the bike. To make it in the sport you need to love riding.

So to all those who are unsure if they should race or ride this week because of what could happen, I say this - get on your bike and ride. Ride fast, ride slow, ride one mile, or ride one-hundred. Just go ride. This is the best way we can honor a man who loved riding his bike. You can best believe that's where I'll be.

I'm a slacker!

Oh hi there!

Not racing right now has left me very unmotivated to write. That's simply because there is nothing to write about. I'm just putting in the long hard training miles into some crazy wind speeds (seriously, once this wind dies down I'll be even faster then I am now). A few changes on the schedule. The DC race fell through and I'm pushing my Northeast trip back a into July or August due to financial considerations (gas prices are killer). Overall I'm feeling good right now and wishin' it was cross season again. Just about 4 more months until it kicks off over in T-town!

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch

2011 Season Plans

It's been a while since I last posted anything here. There really hasn't been much to talk about since the Cross at the Kiln. I rebuilt my CX bike and am really looking forward to next year. My last two races left me feeling really good about the upcoming cyclocross season (kicking off for me on Sept. 11). Again, my goal this year is to try and win a race, but I see that being difficult considering I'm in the million man "B" group. Oh well, gotta have goals, right?

My training so far this year is going great. Where I'm right now is much further ahead of where I was last year. I'm hoping this bodes well for the few crit races I'm planning on entering (my first being the Bunny Hop in Suitland MD on May 1). At 40 to 45 minutes a race these will perfectly mimic the red line effort of a cross race. Also on tap in May is a short trip up into the northeast states (MA, RI, and NH) for some nice riding, as is another double century ride to see my brother in Wallkill, NY in June.

I'm still debating on whether to enter The Nightmare this year or not. After 4 years of competing in it (grabbing 4th last year setting a new personal best and 2nd back in 09), I'm looking for a new challenge. Seeing as I got my cat 4 upgrade I may ride the Tour de Millersburg that is held the same weekend. The nice thing about this is that nothing needs to be decided right now.

Again I would like to thank everyone for their support last year. I'm looking forward to another great season this year and I know with you guys there behind me it can be the best ever.

Thanks for reading
Captain Crunch

Limestone Cross at the Kiln

Cross racing - in January? Why yes I would love some - thank you! The boys and girls behind the Nittany Cross that kicks off our season here in the mid-Atlantic decided to throw one last party, I mean race, to close out the season. Held just a stones throw from the Trexlertown Velodrome, the Limestone Cross at the Kiln was held on an amazing venue.

First off, let me say the course design was very good. It made excellent use of the steep hillside that the venue had to offer, making the riders go down a steep, Euro like descent. It also worked in some great off camber corners that with mud/snow thrown in made for some challenging racing.

So to the actual racing. My training in the prior weeks to this race had gone really well. I was feeling strong and was mentally very motivated to try and do well. My goal for this race was a top 20 finish, which given how I was feeling, was in my mind an achievable goal. With the course as sloppy as it was I knew being in the top 10 through the first set of sharp 180 degree corners was going to be key to placing well.

I managed to score a front row call up. The green light lit up but I missed my pedal the first two strokes but managed to get in by the third. This wasn't a big deal at the paved starting area was rather short. As soon as we got on the grass and into the first turn I somehow managed to get myself to second wheel. By the 3rd turn, due to the leader's bobble, I found myself in the lead.

Wow, what a difference being the leader makes. Being able to pick the best line and not having to worry about that crash the comes on the first lap of the "b" race was great. What a rush to look ahead and see nothing but wide open course and no one in front of me. Everyone played it safe through the first several corners and about halfway through the first lap I was still in the lead with about 5 others guys behind me.

On the first tricky descent of each lap I decided to get a little aggressive and really push the pace. Bad idea. It was an off-camber downhill left turn which taken at too high a speed would cause the tire to slide out on the mud. You guessed it, that's what happened to me. By the time I was up and back on my bike I was in 6th place at the back of my group. But hey, that's 'cross.

Being it was only the first lap I knew I had plenty of time to work my way back up. By the middle of the race I was sitting in fourth place with fifth and sixth right behind me. I attacked hard through the barriers and the long straightaways that followed. With the top three clearly well off the front I knew I was now riding to protect my fourth place finish. I did suffer to more falls in some really slippery corners, but had enough of a gap that I was able to quickly remount both times and not lose any time.

When it was all said and done I came home in fourth place and recorded my best finish of the season. I even won a little cash - however I didn't realize cash prizes went five deep so I'll get my check in the mail later this week. If it covers the expenses of the weekend I'll be happy! Overall it was a great to end the season on such a high note. Sixth at nationals and fourth on Saturday really leaves me feeling confident that next season I may be able to start cracking the top 20 on a regular basis. For the full photo set please click here.

And with that, the 2010/2011 cyclcross season is officially officially over. The CX bike is in my shop now waiting for it's full rebuild and my road racing bike is in the stand getting a tune up for the rapidly approaching road season. I'm planning on doing a three or four road races this season just to keep the competitive juices flowing through my legs. It should be another great year. Thanks for tuning in for the last several months and I hope you will continue to do so for the 2011 season!

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch