July 22, 2011

Cycling for Cancer rides Keuka Lake

On Sunday July 24, 2011 members of the cycling group Cycling For Cancer and cycling team Quality Care Pharmacies will ride around Keuka Lake.

Plans are to meet in the Hammondsport High School Parking Lot ( map ) in Hammondsport, NY and we will proceed clockwise around Keuka Lake.

Ride starts at 9:00am sharp.

The ride is approx 45 miles. This will be a “no drop” ride. Pace will accommodate all riding abilities.

This is an unsupported ride. You are responsible for having enough food/water, tires, tubes, etc to make the ride.

We stop in Branchport, NY and then again in Penn Yan, NY to restock water/food if needed.

More information can be obtained from cyclingforcancer1 AT gmail DOT com.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 5, 2011

Galaxies aka Latte/ Team QCP ride

With the month of June ending and the month of July beginning it’s an interesting feature that there are not a lot of racing opportunities out there. After having a great weekend of racing the Watkins Glen Race Track along with the Owasco Flyer I found myself trying to create the best racing scenario possible. With this in mind I decided that it was a must for me to head out for an area ride called the Latte Ride. This is where cyclists from the area ride out from Canal Town Roasters in Pittsford. A lot of teams utilize this opportunity to prepare for racing and as a great way of preparing your body and mind for racing situations. It starts immediately at 7:30 am and they will definitely leave without you. I ended up riding there from home with teammate Eric; who was experiencing this ride for the first time. During this Latte aka Galaxies ride we were also able to ride with some guys from our area team MT Borah/Minerva Design. These guys are fast and are on the podium a lot. They’re a bunch of hard working individuals who are committed to their team and success.
In my mind, our areas top cyclist Brendan Housler was there leading the charge, while wearing his New York State Champion kit designed by Minerva Design. I’d have to say that it was quite impressive but I was also quite certain that I would be dropped. A great thing that I’ve learned about cycling is that individuals are always willing to help but you have to be willing to put the effort and they can tell who’s putting effort and who’s not. Brendan has been a great resource and model for me throughout this past year. Even though I’m not going to reach his abilities, he’s been someone who’s been extremely humble, true to himself and the others around him. He’s a person that could have been stuck on himself because of being one of the best in New York State. Instead he’s been the total opposite and has been nothing but helpful. He’s heavy on the twitter and has a creative way of using his words. His blogs and pics are great stories and I’ve been listening since the start of my cycling venture. During the Latte Ride, Brendan typically crushes this thing and he’s even determined a new name for the Latte Ride – Galaxies. When I went last year it was amazing to me on how fast he was able to stretch out the group. He had everyone exhausted and googling their way home. This year was a cool experience because I was actually able to ride with him for a bit and he gave me some great information. He gave me some confidence saying stay upfront,telling me to go see if they’ll follow you, etc. There was one point when I was just exhausted and was dropped from the group, he peeled off, waited until I rode near him and before I knew it the mtjet was towing me back to the group. It was freakin amazing!!! There’s nothing better than that and it totally made my weekend. I was behind the NYS Champion and he was taking time for me to learn and experience more of the sport. When I got home I was exhausted but so excited to tell Sarah and what I experienced. This was sooo much fun!!!
On Sunday a few members from our team got together and did the winter ride that usually leaves from T.C. Hooligans. It was great being able to ride with teammates and train with individuals who want to achieve the same goal – training hard to get on the podium. The roads were extremely unfamiliar to me and had some great rolling hills. This was a great opportunity to challenge each other and to ride hard. It was a beautiful day we ended up riding around 40 miles. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a lot more of these in before the Tour of Catskills – Devils Kitchen.
All of our planned races are over except Devils Kitchen, so I’ll be training hard individually, with my team, GVCC, and attending the Galaxies. The Devil’s Kitchen is gonna be fun but is also going to be a challenge. Good luck to Brendan and Mt Borah Custom Apparel/Minerva Design Cycling team this week in the 2011 Tour de TOONA Pro Stage Race.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

June 26, 2011

Corning Circuit Race/ Owasco Flyer Race

This was race weekend! After the Full Moon Vista disaster I’ve been wanting to race a weekend that had two or more races in a row. This seemed like the perfect opportunity – race the Corning Circuit Race at the Watkins Glen Race track and then head out to race the Owasco Flyer.
The Corning Circuit Race was fabulous! It was a perfect night for a race and the bonus was that it was at the Watkins Glen Race Track. We were able to race the same track as Nascar. I experienced turn 1 which was a fast decent that ended into a decent climb along with the “Boot”, which was a super fast section that felt like you were being pulled through a tunnel. The track was in perfect condition! My expectations weren’t as high as being in the Cat5′s because this was my first race in my new Cat. I really didn’t know what to expect and all I wanted to do was to hang on and finish with the group. I am proud to say that I reached my goal and actually got to experience sprinting towards the finish, which seemed pretty disorganized for Cat4′s. I averaged 24mph for 37.5 miles in 1hr 34min. I was only 2 seconds from the winner. I am so excited for this result and very happy with what I have accomplished. It’s such an accomplishment to finish with the group and not to get dropped. I did NOT get dropped in the Cat4′s. I would have never thought that I could keep that mph for that long and still feel good afterwards.
My buddy Ryan also raced with me this weekend and thankfully he went with me both days. It’s much nicer to compete in these events with someone and we had a blast. This was his third actual race and did a great job staying with the group for 4 out of 7 laps. He’s getting stronger and much more confident with his abilities. It’s exciting to see how hard work can pay off. I’m proud of him for what he’s accomplished so far. He’s been training hard and listening to his twitter peeps and friends. I only wish he started this earlier with me ;)
The Owasco Flyer race was a non-sanctioned race that included all abilities. It was 36 miles in distance with some pretty good climbs. Since the Corning Circuit Race ended late, not getting home until 11:30 and not really getting a lot of sleep; I was pretty tired for this beginning of this race. We had to be there at 9am and it took an 1.5 hr to get there. At first the race was a little sketchy because of the amount of riders leaving all at once, which included 191 of us. I just wanted to stay safe and end the weekend on a good note. Another teammate, William Auten was able to ride this with us and added to the fun. The race started off fast and my goal was to stay towards the front to stay away from harm. I accomplished that but then the group was broken up quite a bit. There were riders sprinting from all sides and it was a very disorganized way of racing. I was able to average 22mph for 36 miles in 1:36:39. My teammate Bill finished ahead of me by a minute and Ryan finished strong with a time of 1:57:17. This was the first time both Ryan and I raced a two day weekend and our legs are pretty shot! I’m really happy with our weekend performances and felt that we accomplished a lot. Here are some pics from the weekend:


Results:
Corning Circuit Race
Owasco Flyer

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

June 18, 2011

Jon Dechau Time Trial 6/18

Today QCP went to a time trial located in Rushville in the memory of a great area cyclist Jon Dechau. Dwight, Shannon, Kevin, Ryan and I headed out to support a great event along with trying our best to get great times. The weather was perfect and the event was hosted very well. I was also able to get two more pairs of Jon Dechau socks. A much needed item!
Our Masters rider Dwight set off first and was quite excited for this event. When dialed in, Dwight is extremely strong and can give great results. He looked strong and rode strong but didn’t get the time he wanted, which in his field needed to be around 48 minutes. He brought a great routine and focus to our team for this event.
Shannon also rode strong and looked tough with his new Renn disc wheel and TT helmet. He didn’t post the time he wanted but again he was out there riding his bike. Being a 2 time cancer survivor he has come a long way and should be proud of every race he enters! It’s TT helmet time!
This was Kevin’s first time riding in a time trial event along with using his new time trial bike. He posted a very strong time and did extremely well. He prepared well during the week and did everything that he wanted. Great job Kevin!
Ryan has been cycling for about a year now. Last year he bought a Felt bike, which was perfect to get his interest into the sport. This year he upgraded to a Specialized Allez and has been training hard. He’s completed his first triathlon and has done a few road races with us. This was also his first time trial so he really didn’t know what to expect. He posted a great time and reached his goal for the day. He’s also been a huge supporter of our Cycling for Cancer crew and rode with the new CFC kit today.
I reached a new PR time of 53:53, which is 8 minutes faster than last years time. I was pretty proud but was hoping to be around 51-52 minutes. I felt great but didn’t have a lot of aerodynamics working for me. I had my road bike and just gave my best. It does get frustrating because of all the fancy eye candy around with the disc wheels and tt bars but I registered because it was a great memorial for a great rider – Jon Dechau. I also wanted to see if I could get a new PR.
The Jon Dechau time trial is a great memorial and everyone in the GVCC should have entered to support this event. It does get frustrating because of knowing that there’s little chance of reaching the podium but this event had great meaning – the Jon Dechau Memorial. Our QCP team works hard and right now hasn’t reached the podium. It’s going to take time and it will happen but when events like this occur – QCP will be there! Pics are posted in the photos section -

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 10, 2011

QCP adds two teammates – William Auten, Eric Giehl

Quality Care PharmaciesOur Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling Team just added two new members and we would like to welcome them – William Auten and Eric Giehl.
I’ve ridden with Bill during the last few training races of the GVCC. Bill is a strong rider who worked hard during the offseason and has participated in numerous races, which has earned him an upgrade in category (Cat4). As a team we look for individuals who have been out there riding but most of all racing. It’s important to us that our sponsors are getting noticed and recognized. He also has a great personality and a sense of humor that’s going to fit great with our team.

Quality Care PharmaciesThis year I have ridden quite a few races with Eric Giehl and we’ve worked well together during those races. He always has a positive attitude and works hard towards improving and working towards his upgrade – characteristics that I myself am trying to achieve. It was especially rewarding to work with Eric during the Bristol RR when we experienced all conditions and had to really work together utilizing things that we’ve learned through the GVCC to get to the finish. This was one race that I really enjoyed!
Both of our new teammate have been extremely friendly and accepting to our group and vision of riding with a cause of supporting cancer. I’ve learned a lot this year in the area of cycling, being a team and working as a team and it’s been a great experience. It only gets better when there are individuals that support, motivate and work on achieving an overall goal of positively participating in races and advocating for the cause of cancer.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 5, 2011

Full Moon Vista Grand Prix Weekend

This was a weekend of learning and self motivation. The plan was to have a successful 3 day race weekend ending with some sort of rank with omnium points. The plan backfired as soon as Fridays Crit at the Genesee Valley Park with only having 4 laps left. This was my first Criterium and I was expecting some fast speeds and sharp turns. The course was very fast and fun until that sharp turn. I kept within the group, around 5th through 8th for all of the race and until this point. I felt great and was planning on moving up! My legs were feeling good! As I started around turn 1 I heard another guy yell that I have the inside turn, so ok.. you can have the inside turn. As I head around the turn his inside turn ended up being in my line wiping me out making me crash into a hay bail. Luckily everything was ok, I had a little road rash and some bruising but nothing bad. The only damage done was to my helmet and poor kit – the kit was ripped up and my helmet was busted and cracked. I think that I was more disappointed that I was taken out of this race after feeling so good. I truly believe that I would have placed well. I about gave my wife and good friend a heart attack and I was lucky to have them there with me. It’s great to have a good support system and I am thankful for the both of them. I am especially lucky to have my wife – I know that I say this a lot but she really does mean the world to me.
As I begin to mentally prepare myself for the burns and cuts and as I analyze my bike, I’m thinking about how I’m going to get through the weekend. Sarah and I ended up watching the Cat 1/2/3 race, which was amazingly fast and as I left Rob from Mac5 bikes told me that “it’s ok to take tomorrow off”. I thought about that a lot during the night and I’m glad that I listened to him because my body wasn’t ready and I didn’t need to be anywhere riding a bike during a road race. Truthfully I don’t think that I could have ridden up the Power Mills Park hill 8 times. I did however go out there to support our newly acquired teammate William Auten, who rode very strong and I’m glad that we were able to acquire.
After watching William I began debating about riding today’s race at the Durand Eastman Park, which was a circuit race. My overall goal for this year is to get enough races in so I can upgrade to a cat 4, which I have to get in 10 total. This weekend would have given me 9. I decided to give it a go and to have this race count for my upgrade. I was amazed that I felt good but played it very cautious. I stayed right in the back and eventually was dropped off the main group, which for me and for today was ok. It was great to be back on the bike and getting back into the race scene. I averaged 21 mph during the time I was out there, which I thought was good for me. I was sore and at times felt it during the race but didn’t quit. I didn’t succeed with my overall goal for the weekend but I did end up fulfilling my goal of getting through another race. This weekend shows how extremely thankful I am for my wife, my family and true friends.
Here’s a video of our cat 4/5 crit race at the Genesee Valley Park – I’m the one in blue around 8th. Pictures from the weekend races will be in the photos section. If you get a chance and like what you see please go to our team facebook page and click “like”. Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling Team

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 30, 2011

CFC and QCP rides around Canandaigua Lake

Today members of the Quality Care Pharmacies cycling team and individuals from the Cycling for Cancer community headed out to ride around Canandaigua Lake. It was a perfect day for a ride and was the first day the new Cycling for Cancer kits hit the road. My wife along with William Auten displayed the well designed kit (minervadesign.com) as we rode around the lake. The day started off being very humid and as we progressed it only increased in temperature. All members of the team and community rode well and successfully completed a very tough lake ride. Racing is fun but rides with friends and members from our cycling for cancer group makes everything we do worth it.
On a side note.. Shannon conquered this once defeating lake and I’m proud of him getting around it. He’s made huge improvements over the years and today shows his success mentally and physically. Great job Shannon and keep up the good work!!!
Also, a shout out to my wife – two weeks ago she ran her first marathon and today was her first 50 mile ride – both are huge successes and I am extremely proud! Here are some pics from the day:

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 27, 2011

RV&E Bike and Skate Presents: Major Taylor Down Under

Major Taylor Down Under – A couple of our sponsors, RV&E bike shop and the Western New York Wellness Program are hosting a talk on Monday, June 6 at 7 PM at Allendale Columbia school on Major Taylor. Come out and support a great local organization and find out why Major Taylor was the highest paid athlete in the world but reviled in our country because of his color. The attached poster has all the information.
RV&E Bike and Skate/ Western New York Wellness Program

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , ,

May 22, 2011

Tour de Syracuse Road Race 5/22/11

Quality Care PharmaciesThis weekend the Tour de Syracuse hosted an Omnium located in Tully, NY. I didn’t register for the Criterium, which didn’t allow me to participate in the Time Trial. Shannon and I made it for the road race, which is counting towards our Cat4 upgrade. After looking back I should have registered to compete in the whole series. It was a well planned race and had a lot of excitement surrounding the area.
The race started with a neutral uphill climb for about 3/4 of a mile. This neutral section was if the race started and my legs immediately felt the push to go. Once over the first climb there was an extremely fast down-section heading north. There was a time when my Garmin beeped, which told me that we’ve already completed a 5 mile section and read 10:54, which for me was very fast. We went around some turns and started to climb. The first series of hills weren’t too bad and I was able to keep up front for the majority. Then there was this hill that was quite steep, leveled off and then went up again. This wasn’t as bad as I thought and I was still there. Once I headed around the turn heading south I hit the head wind. One of the Marshals even said as we turned that there’s a pretty nasty headwind (thanks soo much for letting us know). Once I hit the wind I started to drop back and felt as if I was going no where. I regained some momentum on the way back and kept a good pace. I’m thinking that I ended up 11th, which is not as good as I wanted but yet again another learning experience and I feel as if I’m getting stronger. This time I was on my own and there was no support from anyone else in my Cat5, which was ok but not the same.
Shannon did well and completed the course. Each and every ride he’s getting stronger and stronger. It’s only a matter of time that he’ll be right there. This was a pretty challenging course and he was determined to finish. It’s always enjoyable going with a team member. It’s fun to race but it makes a huge difference when there are people around you who enjoy the same sport and are on your team.
On a side note – I really enjoy seeing area teams and it seems comforting yet challenging to make me want to push even harder. I saw a lot of MVP/G2 riders while heading into that nasty headwind and they kept pushing. The GVCC does well in the area of providing their members with experience, knowledge along with motivation to make them successful in racing situations. Here’s the elevation from the day -

Check out some pics in the photos section from the race-
Tour de Syracuse Road Race Results

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , ,

May 7, 2011

Constellation Brands Bristol Mountain Road Race 5/7/11

Quality Care PharmaciesToday I went out solo to race the Constellation Brands Bristol Mountain Road Race. It was hosted at Bristol Mountain and was only an hour away from home – NICE!!! I arrived quite early so I can drive the course before the start of my race. My first thought was WOW – this is going to be challenging and maybe I shouldn’t have driven it. I came up with a game plan in my head and I was hoping to see some decent results. The event was well planned, the marshals and volunteers were great!
At the beginning of each race I seem to get nervous but when I get on the bike the nerves seem to go away. At this point I’m just anxious to get started. The group rolled out for 34 miles and I think we had around 33 in our category. I stayed within the first 1/3 of the group for the majority of the first part until Egypt Road. For some reason I thought that I would pass the group and sprint up the hill – so I did so. I got up halfway, looked up and noticed that it keeps going. (On a side note – the Pro 1/2 went off 40 minutes before us and as I got halfway up I see Brendan Housler (Mt. Borah) pass us and climb this thing like it was flat. It was very amazing to see someone with his power climb this area – it was pretty awesome to see. Especially since he’s having another dominating year – yeah he won this race too. Pro teams – pick this one up!) This was where I made my mistake. Luckily, Dan Schroen (CNBank) came up behind me, tapped me and said lets keep going. So again Dan and I teamed up for another race and made the best of the rest of this climb. Dan, myself along with another cyclist Eric (Nice Tri) teamed up for the remainder of the race. We took turns and used the knowledge that the GVCC and Mike Minerva gave us during one of the training rides. Once the climbs were done there was a fast decent. At one point my bike reached 55 mph. I never looked down and just kept my eyes on the road – I’ve never gone that fast before. Dan, Eric and I made it down that hill a second time and then it started to pour freezing rain. The roads were soaked, my glasses fogged but we kept working together and soon enough it stopped and we were headed towards the finish. This was a great part to the race – we were really focused and utilized what we had to complete this race. It was another learning experience and it was great to team up with Dan again.
Overall, I had a blast and I’m glad that I made it out. I’m really not sure how I placed(15th) because I was cold and just ended up leaving. Hopefully it’ll be somewhat respectable. Nice job to the hosts NalgeneR3- great local event!!

Results

3 Comments

Filed under Cycling

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,