hater

Parting Shots 3

Parting Shots 2

parting shots 1

B'ham News article featuring words from Primavera's Brett Burton

http://blog.al.com/living-news/2008/12/home_brew_special_coffees_loca.html

Results

I got lost in all the bear hugs,rainbows and unicorns...and forgot to update the final results. I'm werking on 'em.

Ear Crack...I heard someone say

Did I forget to mention Maaike Everts and Christian Leask?

Maaike is the one you all can thank for having nice clean spreadsheet results. She started helping me with the scoresheets last year and has done a load of work behind the scenes to make it happen.

Christian Leask is "web dude". Christian started helping me with the website last year and converted us from a crappy little blog to a real website. When Maaike sends me back the scoresheets I send them to Christian and Bam! Not to mention putting up all of the flyers TWICE! seems like we always threw a flyer up before a proper proofreading session took place. Christian never shyed away from letting me know what a dumb Alabama redneck I am...which earned me the "Jinky Donkin'" crown...whatever that is.

A BIG Thank You

To the following:

Joe Wenning - I knew I was going to forget someone on the previous list and Joe, You were victim. Bike Link stepped up and helped get it done this year and we will not forget!

Faris Malki - Faris and Cahaba/Homewood have made a point to help and foster anyone who is bold enough to try to organize a cycling event. They have done this for as long as I can remember. You are cross worthy!

Tom Oliver (Urgent Care Center) - Tom stepped right up the first time I broadcast the need for sponsorship. Your help is part of what made this happen!

Brett Burton (Primavera Coffee Roasters) - Brett and I were back and forth since the end of last season trying to figure out haw Primavera could best serve and be served by the series. He surprised me when he didn't just step up, he jumped up on the top step! Them beans were good! Everyone enjoyed you guys being at the races and bringing the flavor!

Gina and Mark Simpson (Velocity Procycle) - Gina and Mark are truly committed to cycling and nothing makes me happier than bike shop owners who employ that mindset. It's NOT just a business, it is a culture. They live by this and it is paying off and will continue to snowball for them. Congrats on the cross season bambino!!!

Travis Sherman for caring enough to promote us while he was at Interbike and scoring Infinit Nutrition for some product.

Brent and Molly (Twin Six) - First of all for their kick ass designs and product. You help take a smidge of the goofy off of all of us! You stepped up for so many cross series directors in the usa, We will not forget!!

Kenda Tires - While some tire companies have decided that supporting events is a thing of the past... KENDA jumped at the opportunity to get on board. After the winners of your product get a ride their prizes they'll be hooked.

Eric Murphy (Myogenisis) - Thanks Bro, The products really helped out.

Carole (Hammer Nutrition) - I don't think I've ever been as impressed with a product company's commitment to the sport. The first year, I called Carole and before I could get the request out of my mouth, she said "YES"! That is awesome and it has been an automatic since then.

To all of the promoters. Everette, Dave, Gina, David, Wig, JohnJeff, Bill/Billy. People keep giving loads of praise to me and I can't explain why the praise has been so forthcoming this season...I've figured it out, DUH! It's because you guys brought it this year. You guys have had 1,2 years now to get seated in and figure it all out. It showed this year, you guys have it figured out. From this point forward it's just extra gravy.

I know the promoters each have a list of supporting crew that need a little back scratch. Please feel free to do it!!

To all of the racers, You should all be committed for being addicted to this thing. You will forever be considered my herd.

I'll see you again next year when we all get together and "ride our 10 speeds through the mud"!!!

Lost and Found

Someone left a sleeping bag at the Cullman park. Just reply in the comments section and we'll get it back to you. Also, whoever left me a sweet set of Ksyriums in the pit area, thanks! you mounted them up with new Maxxis Larsen's and everything. I promise to use them everyday on my loading dock hucking adventures.

In case you didn't catch the "attached" privateer's comment in the last post-- JC Gillespie has some great images posted HERE

BAMACROSS 2008 in the books

The girls of BBC-BOOKOO representing for the team competition winners. Look at that trophy! The Avondale stone rivals that Paris-Roubaix cobble stone thing anyday.

The Men's 1/2/3 final race podium.

Tears and Beers, it's over. I'll post some thanks and praise later along with the results. Some photo links for now:

http://picasaweb.google.com/murkuri/BamaCross2008#

http://www.nathanprichardfpp.com/

Are we there yet?

Dang. We are almost there. This year flew by...time flies when you're having fun, right? This weekend is the Cullman race. Not sure if it's the strong Euro presense in Cullman or the lack of alcohol sales, but those Cullman guys are nuts. They have always outdone themselves with course design, swag, and music. The park is a trip just by itself, like a secondhand circus ground or something...maybe the mini train will be running.

DO NOT miss this one. There will be a mystery cooler for all to enjoy some coca~colas. The series winner podiums will be presented ~30 min after each race. If you plan to be on the podium, bring a clean kit and be ready to smile.

Maybe it will snow again this year?

Luck is a biproduct of talent and skill

a nice little video...er, slideshow

mud

http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z205/xray_ed/Fain%20Park%20CX%2011-30-08/

Black Friday didn't forget BAMACROSS

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Trucker hats and tees with the SS design. Get some.

Results

There are some scary tight battles raging in the series thus far. It looks as though Monty is going to be cold and sloppy! Probably want to pack a towel for this one.

NOTE: In the event of a tie: Tie breaker will be resolved by dance-off to be held immediately after your race in Cullman. Style of music to be selected by committee.

would someone shut the drunk guy up?

a short video

of hurley

c'mon

Somebody submit some photos. Dang, all i got is video and I'm making a sweet rendition mostly comprised of Jim Brock's dance routine. He said he hated the Beastie Boys...But the routine he put together suggests otherwise. I'm gonna go ahead and tell you that it was Bobby Brown mixed with MC Hammer and add a dash of 60's soul grooving... I'm not sure if it's blackmail material or promotional.

Anniston Cross...dressing

"popular search engine" pulls up the following when searching for "anniston cross":

Hairpieces at a local beauty supply store proved too tempting for a woman and a cross-dressing man Monday afternoon.

Anniston Police investigators said the pair walked into the Beauty Outlet at 1801 Noble Street and looked around for a while.

One approached the shopkeeper — apparently to distract her — while the other went to the back of the store and grabbed two black Harlem 125 hairpieces valued at about $100 a piece.

According to police, when the pair then met at the front of the store preparing to exit, the shopkeeper tried to stop them.

The cross-dressing man struck the shopkeeper and knocked her out of the way.

The two were seen fleeing in a small black Pontiac, possibly with out-of-state license tags.

The shopkeeper was not seriously injured.

Police had no suspects in custody Wednesday afternoon. If caught, the two would face second degree robbery charges

Wig brought the stars

Yes,

Last night was a special event for Bamacross. We have established night time 'cross racing in Alabama. The sandpit being right at the center of spectatorship was great. Much heckling and cheering took place...I'm just now getting my voice back. I think the event went of without a hitch...with the exception of some idiot that kept jumping on the course and pushing racers...and pouring beer on them, what a waste of beer.

I have no idea what happened to make the 1/2/3 race play out the way it did, but it was a nailbiter fo sho.

What did you think of last night?

Let's meet up this Sunday in Montgomery and do it again, eh?

Good 'ol fashion capitalism, BAMACROSS style!

Just to let everyone know, we'll be selling this fancy international custom issue totally official BAMACROSS series stickers in Anniston. $3.00 in hard cash, and you could be taking one of these home.

Imagine the status treatment you'll receive with one of these on your ride?

Do it. Do it.

Results and night racing

Ok, The results for Heardmont are final. I gave it through the weekend and no protests arose. We will have the spreadsheet updated shortly. I hope everyone is as geared up about the Saturday night race this weekend as I am. The concession stand will be open, the music will be bumpin' and it will likely be c-c-c-cold. This should be...epic?

One of the main things to worry about is making sure that you bring appropriate dress for the conditions, both on and off the bike.

See you on Saturday!

As the scoresheet reads

Comments to my e-mail address, please. These were worked off of the lap count sheets and the release forms...peppered with e-mail'd placings. If we didn't score you where you were, send me an e-mail.

Mens 4
1. Zac Arnold
2. Blake Gill
3. Brendan Gibbs
4. Brian Bilich
5. George Mattison
6. Rick Stubblefield
7. Richard McNeer
8. John McGee
9. Andrew Mick
10. Mike Garner
11. Josh Benefield
12. Billy Faulk
13. Richard Brunson
14. Josh Rowell
15. Keith Winnick
16. Glendon Tyrec
17. Doug Ray
18. Jim Hamner
19. Ben Chuang
20. Dave Crain

Some pictures from Phillip Thompson

http://picasaweb.google.com/murkuri/BamaCross2008?pli=1#

Hope JAVABIKE doesn't mind

...But google says he has pictures and video from the previous 2 races...sweet

http://javabike.blogspot.com/

Preliminary Results

Please Note: I am only posting the categories which we had problems with. The remaining categories followed the normal protest procedures and were deemed complete as they were posted at the race. My earlier post said that the Men's 45+ were needed. Actually it was the 35+ in question. Thanks for all of the input I have been getting today. I think I just about got everything situated. I have been tweaking the results below as I get more input. So, keep it coming.
Mens 4
1. Zac Arnold
2. Blake Gill
3. Brendan Gibbs
4. Brian Bilich
5. Jim Hamner
6. George Mattison
7. Rick Stubblefield
8. Richard McNeer
9. Andrew Mick
10. Mike Garner
11. Josh Benefield
12. Billy Faulk
13. Josh Rowell
14. John McGee
15. Ben Chuang
16. Glendon Tyrec
17. Keith Winnick
??
??
??
Mens 3 - 4
1. Eric White
2. David (Gavin) Lansden
3. Dusty Davis
4. Riley Spahn
5. Lennie Moon
6. Trent Paulk
7. Jim Brock
8. Stephen Erickson
9. Patrick Wigley
10. JD Vibert
11. Hardwick Gregg
12. Geoff Leonard
13. Paul Drews
14. Larry Stanley
15. Jacob Tubbs
16. Mike Enervold
17. David Todd
18. Justin Bynum
19. Jonathan Payne
20. #189
21. Mike Herring
22. #255

DNF- #177
DNF- #163 (Larry Stanley?)
DNF- #244 Collegiate
DNF- #182 Collegiate
DNF- #183 Collegiate

Mens 35+
1. Peter Dudle
2. Stephen Erickson
3. David Hiott
4. Carl Parke
5. Chris Woods
6. Hugh Smith
7. ??
8. ??

Mens 1/2/3
1. Will Fyfe
2. Mike Hurley
3. Tyler Hawes
4. David McNeal
5. Jonathan Robbins
6. Everette Herring
7. Peter Dudle
8. David Hiott
9. Dusty Davis
10. Harry Haikala
11. Patrick Wigley

Heardmont Results

I will need a little bit of racer input on the men's 3/4, masters 45+ and the 5,6,7,8 place finishers of the men's 1/2/3 race. Not sure what happened, but we had a snafu with the start sheets. I will post the results as I see them and keep the protests open for input until friday at lunch. Bear with me and I'll get these up asap. Sorry for this, it doesn't happen often. Lucky for us cross racers are the coolest of any discipline and this didn't cause an issue at the races. If you have any input on these races or if you know what you're placement was on the above races, e-mail me marshallbrent at gmail dot com

Sorry for the delay

I'm back..sort of. I hope everyone is planning on coming out to Heardmont park on Sunday. The GSMR crew has been working hard to put together a great course and event for everyone. Heardmont has been a site of interest over the past few years for prospective promoters. I believe the local high schools have a cross country track out there that they use for training and competitions. I haven't personally been out there, but Hurley and the Bob's Bikes crew tell me it is a great course with a creek crossing that will get sloppy. The series contenders are shaping up and consistensy is almost beating out the higher placings.

Better bring your "A" game on Sunday, The B'ham Boys claim they are going to sweep all the categories...

Congratulations to the Promoter

It should be noted that the Alabama cyclocross scene just became one member stronger.

Our tireless promoter welcomed his second baby girl into the world yesterday morning; Sarah Cecilia Marshall was born at 12:27pm on Wednesday, November 5th. 6lbs 8oz.

Mama and baby are doing fine. Truth is, we're not even worried about Brent.

So if any updates are slow, now you know...

--christian

Tuscaloosa

Sounds like everyone had a great time once again in T'town. The weather couldn't have been nicer. Scanning the results, it appears that some regulars didn't show and some new faces appeared. This should shake up the series points a bit and make it more interesting.

The results should be up today. If you have photos, send them to marshallbrent at gmail dot com

Wake Up!

It's time to race again. If any of you are looking for a full weekend adventure, I would highly recommend taking the mtn and cross bike to Tuscaloosa. Camp out at Lake Lurleen State Park and ride the singletrack on Saturday. The trails that the Druid City Bicycle Club built down there are some of the best in the south. Fast, flowy singletrack that will leave a smile on your face. Camp out Saturday night and then make the short drive over to Munny Sokol park for the intergalactic cyclocross showdown on Sunday!

nice gallery

From Ed:



see the rest at: http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z205/xray_ed/Pville%20CX%20Oct%2010%2019%202008/?start=all

Tuscaroosa

Anyone going down early? I need to get a few boxes delivered to Velocity Procycle.

Christian's favorite song

(christian enters)
Bloody brent. he would dare cite this song as one of my favorites. as someone who was raised on good, honest and pure hair metal, a la Motley Crue, Metallica, Cinderella, Ratt, Poison, Kiss, Faster Pussycat, Dokken, Dio and Judas Priest, it utterly pains me to hear this travesty that Jack Black has obnoxiously thought up. It stinks in my ears.

That said, this video deserves certain merit. Specifically, pay attention to:

1. How many fellas are gonna stack it on that opening corner?
2. Note the acceleration at minute 2:04. Subtle, but strong.
3. Note how that bike came up? Tapped the brake and magically appeared on his shoulder. He must have sepo cable routing. See minute 2:12
4. Pins it again, subtle, but it has been pinned; minute 2:29
5. When you drop the hammer, drop it,and don't let anyone get on your wheel; Minute 2:45 is the sound of not having any more gears left.
6. Don't do a minute 3:00. That's lame.
7. 3:30, that's how I expect my bike hand ups

(christian leaves)

Pitchers

2008 BamaCross Cooter's Pond photos

From Darren Swanson

Pray for mud in T'town

Cooter's Revenge!

Yesterday was an awesome day of racing. The ICS-Chain Reaction crew has once again shown that they are very serious about the sport of cross with an amazing course! The racing was hot with many of the fields getting 3-5 man splits off the front that were just rolling at criterium speeds. The belgian weather we were hoping for gave way to one of those beautiful Alabama days that you just can't help but love. Cooter's Pond is perched high up on a bluff looking over a lake with the Skyline of Montgomery in the background, scenic indeed!

The ICS-Chain Reaction Masters Machine of Staubach, Dudle and Hiott got the action started by sweeping the 35+ podium. Hardwick Gregg, Wendell Riley and Matt Holdbrooks took the steps in the 45+. Next up were the Juniors with Cullman's junior trio, Austin Oliver followed closely by Tyler Wilson and Will Faulk. The men's 4 race saw Bilich, Hall and Mattison pull away from another huge field to show that they will be 3/4 contenders very soon. Lennie Moon, Dusty Davis and Patrick Harking were in a break that was just impressive. They motered away from the pack and when it went to laps, Lennie Moon dropped the hammer showing that huge engine he has under the hood. The women were just impressive as they have been all year, showing the better part of the men's 3/4 field how it gets done (including yours truly).In the 1/2/3 race - Sandefur,Everts and Miller crushed it, while Natalie Smith, Stacy Davis and Deanna Steele ran away from the rest of the 3/4 field When the Men's 1/2/3 race took off, it was just amazing to watch the speed difference from any other race. All of the Men in the Elite field stuck together and looked as if they were pacelining for the first half of the race. Hurley, Fyfe and Curtis once again showed that they are the top dawgs in the BAMACROSS series and it was anybody's race. They were all motoring and eyeballing one another when Fyfe had a mishap and Curtis got some course tape jammed in the cassette. Hurley gave a look around and drilled it. Fyfe looked to be closing back in after a crash and kissing the barriers and Curtis was sneaking up behind him. Hurley crossed the line with 15-20 second margin and Fyfe and Curtis sprinted it out for second. We have yet to see the slugfest that is certain to happen this year between these three as Fyfe and Curtis have both suffered misfortunes at both events while Hurley seems to be riding on a silver cloud of crazy good luck (he flatted with 50 yards to go at avondale).

Take a breath and prepare for the relentless month of November where the gloves come off and we see the series contender come into form. Tuscaloosa is up next and if any of you know the Simpsons and the Druid City gang, you know it's going to be another top notch event you don't want to miss. Results will be posted later today. If you have pictures or picture album links, send me a line at marshallbrent at gmail dot com.

'Cross Rocks.

gorgeous weather

...For all of you Alabelgians!

cx weather is coming

forecast is rainy leading into this weekend and cooler on sunday. could we actually see muddy teeth this year? the team standing will be up today, so make sure to peruse the 'race within the race'. hope to see everyone out at cooter's pond on sunday!

Cooter

It's cooter week in Alabama! Prattville proved to be one of the most fun courses of last years series and the ICS-Chain Reaction crew has promised to add to the fun this year. From what I understand, the back and forth section after the first set of barriers is gone. This will be replaced with a double track downhill to a kudzu hillside run up. Should be exciting as there were no run up's last year...although, I do recall some "spirited" hand ups! The surf session boogie ditch is still there as well as the sand pit. If your hip flexors and back are still screaming from the brutality of Avondale, you're sure to enjoy the smooth fastness of Cooter's Pond.

I should have the team standing worked up soon.

throwing a friday bone

Bham race 11/9/08

The flyer is up. Please note: junior race fee is $10 not $25.

You did remember to keep your number...right?

We had 105 racers on Sunday!!!

results

STICKERS

buy unique gifts at Zazzle

women 4's

Last year we ran all of the women together to create a sizeable field. The 4's ended up racing 45 min as opposed to 30. Do the women 4's want to race for 30 min instead of 45? I think we would still race all women together, but stop the 4's at 30 min. sound off!

Amendments to the series rules

1. There will be no double points race this year.
2. We have included a "drop" race in the final series tally. This means that you will get to drop your lowest score. If you have to miss a race this will keep you in the hunt for the overall.

Avondale

If you want a course preview...come help the BBC crew setup on Saturday around 1 PM. There may be cool beverages floating around? The Tuscaloosa flyer is up.

2008 Alabama State Championships

Will be hosted by Wig's Wheels under the lights in Anniston.

Trussville Cross Practice

Start time has been revised to 5:30.

BRAP-BRAP! AVONDALE

Avondale is so close. I'm partial to this course...as I'm sure I've mentioned before. The stair climbs are offset by downhills like you see Hurley ripping. I hope to see all the usual suspect next weekend along with a fresh crop of new riders looking to see what all this stuff is about. One shot at Avondale and they'll be hooked.

Anniston Stars

It's a done deal - Woodland Park, Anniston 4pm start under the lights Sat. November 22. Stay tuned for more details.

BTW-THIS IS A SATURDAY NIGHT!

map to trussville tuesday nighter

flyers

the first two are up. click on the races to the right.

Trussvegas

It's official: Tuesday nights starting September 16 @ 6 p.m. Matt Holdbrooks and I will be hosting an informal, weekly cyclocross practice at the Trussville Disc Golf course. We ask everyone to meet at the golf course parking lot off of Cherokee Street at 5:45, or at the Trussville Cahaba Cycles at 5:30 p.m. I would expect to spend about an hour riding, dismounting, running and suffering for about an hour. The course is 1.7 miles in length consisting of about 4 natural dismount spots and a couple of rideable steep sections. As we move deeper into the season plans to incorporate artificial barriers to force running on some of the steep sections are being considered.

Thanks,
Chris Leven
Cahaba Cycles

upgrades

Remember,
If you want to race up this year, you must have your official upgrade. Make sure to contact Bill Seitz for this request. You may be able to do this onsite, but you should verify with Bill first.

Primavera Coffee Roasters

I am excited to announce that Primavera Coffee Roasters of B'ham have stepped up as one of the presenting sponsors for this years BAMACROSS series. Brett and gang will be onsite at all of the races slinging the prettiest, tastiest rocket fuel around. Caffine may be the single best LEGAL race stimulant on earth. You can click on the title of this post to go over to the primavera site. While you're there check out how Brett and gang have been SLAYING all takers at Atlanta's thursday night throwdowns...showin' em' how it gets done in the 'Ham!

Stay tuned this week as I will be announcing another one or two of our main sponsors for the 08 season!!!

Clarifications

We are inching closer and closer to opening day for the 2008 Alabama Cyclocross season and as we approach a few items to note:

The Mobile race weekend has been cancelled. We will leave this weekend open due to the Dead Dog Mt Bike race conflict.

We should announce the main sponsors of the 08 season this week, so stay tuned.

The remainder of the previously posted schedule should remain the same. Wig is still working on the course for the night race. We may have to switch this race if it doesn't work out. The previous date given for this race was a Sunday, if the night race happens the date will be changed to the day before (Saturday). There are a couple of races that may be added as non-series races (sloss and george ward).

the first race will be at Avondale instead of Homewood on Oct. 5th.

In addition to our bike shops that have supported the series the past two seasons, we have some great companies stepping up to add support.Urgent Care Center, Kenda, Twin Six, Primavera Coffee, Myogenesis, Hammer Nutrition. Bike Link has also stepped up to lend a hand this year. So, stick around for the whole season, there will be some great prizes for the series finalists!

We did a great cyclocross workout Saturday morning at George Ward Park. There were four of us and we were nice and muddy when it was over! I am going to switch the weekly practice from Avondale to George Ward as it is just a great course for practice. Avondale is sure to brutalize you on October 5th.

mmmmmmmmud

George Ward

I am going to do a cx workout at the proposed course (George Ward Park) on Saturday morning at 8am if anyone is interested we will meet at the tennis court pro shop at 8am.

Montgomery cx practice

It's that time!!!! Time to get the dust off the old cross bike and start getting ready for cross season, (you are getting ready aren't you?) I have talked to the City of Montgomery Parks and Recreation dept. and have permission to use Fain Park on Saturday mornings starting 08/30/08 (this is not a sanctioned event, ride at your own risk! You are responsible for your own self). That's a week from tomorrow! I figure we can start practice at 8:00 A.M and finish at 9:30 A.M. using the first 30' for skill work and the last hr. for the meat of the workout. Afterwards I also plan to do a road ride for a couple of more hrs., leaving from Fain Park if anyone else would like to join.O yea, did I mention this is not a sanctioned event, ride at your own risk! You are responsible for your own self.

Hope to see a big crowd there!

Jeff Dorminey

President of team CycleEscape

avon-day-lay hey,hey,hey

look familiar? saturday morning practice begins sept 6th.

GET YOU SOME!!!

sloss cross '08

I rode the cross bike for lunch today. A nice ride downtown that hit some of the railroad service paths and tore up some cobbles on morris ave. On my way back home i decided to ride through sloss furnace...oh my! I mapped out a SICK course. this might have to happen.

ss

If we added a single speed category, who would race?

time to start working on skills

bend at the elbows and knees...not the fork.

some ideas, in case you're wondering

Cyclocross Training Schedule
From Simon Burney

September (3 weeks of training)

Mon 20 min steady running, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Tue 20 min steady running, am. 60 min circuit training, pm
Wed 20 min steady running, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Thu 20 min steady running, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Fri 60 min level 1 recovery ride
Sat 30 min cross technique, 60 min cross race simulation.
Sun 2-3 hour recovery ride over rolling terrain.

September (1 week recovery)

Mon, Wed, Fri 60 min level 1 recovery ride
Tue, Thu 20 min steady running, am
Sat, Sun 90 min level 2 road ride.

October (3 weeks of training)

Mon 60 min level 1 road ride
Tue 20 min run, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Wed 20 min run, am. 30 min warmup, 30 min level 3 road ride,or turbo trainer pm
Thu 20 min run, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Fri 60 min level 1 recovery ride
Sat 2 hour level 1 recovery ride
Sun Race or race simulation

October (1 week recovery) Same recovery as above

November (3 weeks of training)

Mon 60 min level 1 road ride
Tue 25 min run Level 3+, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Wed 30 min intervals on Turbotrainer, am. 60 min level 1 road ride, pm
Thu 20 min run Level 2, am. 30 min warmup, 30 min level 3 road ride or turbo trainer, pm
Fri rest or 45-60 min level 1 recovery ride
Sat Race or race simulation
Sun Race or race simulation

November (1 week recovery) Same recovery as above

December (3 weeks of training)
Mon 60 – 90 min level 1 road ride
Tue 30 min running, am. 60 min level 2 road ride, pm
Wed 30 min intervals on turbo trainer, am 60 min cross skills, pm
Thu 25 min running, am. 60 min level 2 road ride with jumps, pm
Fri rest or 45 - 60 min level 1 recovery ride
Sat Race or race simulation
Sun Race or race simulation

December (1 week recovery) Same recovery as above

Preparing for the Cyclo-Cross Season
From Adam Myerson
7/19/2001

I know it's the middle of summer, and many of you might be struggling just to get through the rest of the road or mountain bike season. The thought of racing through the fall and winter might be more than you can bear right now. But for some riders, cyclo-cross has become the focus of their racing, or at least as important as the racing they do the rest of the year. And since July tends to be the time that many riders are feeling run down and over trained, it's a good time for a break. A one- to two-week vacation from riding and racing followed by a build up that starts from square one again can leave you racing strong on the road or mountain bike in the late summer and fall, and peaking in October, November and December when the real action is on.

The first thing you have to pin down are your goals for the 'cross season. Do you want to be going well right out of the blocks in October? Is there a regional or national race series in which you want to do well in over all? Is there one big race locally you want to target, or are all your eggs in the basket for Nationals in December? You might even be planning to venture to Europe in January, or perhaps you live in the Southeast or Texas where they're lucky enough to keep racing 'cross until February.

All these concerns factor in to what level you start your 'cross program from. If you've taken the summer off and are really just getting things rolling now, then you'll have to start from a low level and build up slowly, with perhaps as much as three months of aerobic base training taking you into the heart of the season in November. At the other extreme, if you need to be raging in October for the start of your local series or maybe the string of Northeast UCI races, you'll need a different approach. You might only do one four- to six-week cycle of aerobic work, and have to rely on your fitness from the road or mountain bike season to get back into top shape quickly.

Since your training for 'cross will most likely overlap with some important late-season road or mountain bike races, there are certain 'cross-specific workouts you might have to avoid until as late as September. Running and road racing mix like oil and water, so if you've got a big event late you might decide to put off your uphill running sprints or tempo on the trails until after that point. Even then, you've got to introduce running into your workouts slowly. Ten to fifteen minutes per session to start is enough to let your body begin to adapt to what's to come. If 'cross is your priority, then you can start your running adaptation right from the get-go, leaving you in a good position to be turning the screws on the pure roadies when you hit the run-ups in October.

Your general routine for 'cross shouldn't be that different from what you might do in the road or mountain bike season, with the exception of your workouts on foot:

Monday: Recovery, easy one- to two-hour road ride, or day off.
Tuesday: Recovery if needed, or sprint workout, either running or riding. Ideally you want your running sprints to recreate what you'd do in a race. Find a short, steep hill that takes you about fifteen seconds to sprint over. Give yourself two to five minutes between efforts for recovery. For your riding sprints, simulate the kind of accelerations you'll need to make in 'cross. Hard explosions from low speeds, with an emphasis on both speed and strength. This can be done on the road or one the 'cross bike, depending on what you need to work on.
Wednesday: Normally a 'cross workout, and perhaps the only day of the week you'll ride your 'cross bike unless you need to work specifically on skills. Here is where you can work on your fifteen- to twenty-minute efforts at threshold, again emphasizing both speed and strength to be prepared for all courses. You should be aiming to finish as many minutes at LT (lactate threshold) as the length of the 'cross races in which you'll be competing. Later in the season when your base is complete, you might add a training race or as many three-minute long anaerobic intervals to the workout as you can handle.
Thursday: Recovery day if you're racing on Saturday, or a two- to five-hour road ride depending on your fitness level.
Friday: Recovery day, or a short sprint workout on the road or 'cross bike if you're racing on Saturday.
Saturday: Race, or repeat Tuesday's workout.
Sunday: Race, or combine a road ride with the length of Thursday's ride and the intervals of Wednesday. This is also a good day to go for a longer, fun ride in the woods on your 'cross bike. "Mountain biking" on your 'cross bike is one of the best ways to develop good 'cross instincts in an unstructured way.
If you're serious about cyclo-cross, then these suggestions and time-line will help get you on track for a good start to the season. If you've never raced 'cross before and are thinking about giving it a go, now's the time to start looking for a bike and making sure you're ready when the September training races begin.

Running for Cyclo-Cross
From Adam Myerson
8/30/2001

Most of us are bike racers, not runners. And while some of us may have a little more natural talent for it, or even a running or triathlon background, running when you've spent a season racing road or mountain bikes just plain hurts. It takes some specific work to first be able to incorporate adaptive running into your training as the 'cross season approaches, and then actually be able to do some structured training to improve your running fitness. 'Cross is painful enough, but by focusing on running in your training you can turn a weakness into a strength, or further your advantage if that's where you're already strong.

The first step in your running program should be to determine when you think you can begin to include it as part of your workouts. Ideally, you don't want to begin until after your last important road or mountain bike event of the year. A mountain bike racer might be able to handle it a bit sooner, and may even include running as part of their plan already. But for a road rider, nothing will kill your speed worse that running, so wait as long as you can. If 'cross is your specialty and you're using the road or mountain bike events only as training, then you can begin running as soon as you start your base period for the season.

Once they begin, a mistake many riders make is to go for long, extended runs. That's great if you're training for a 10K, but in 'cross you have to be specific. Take a look at the length of time you're typically on foot in a 'cross race. Normally it's for stretches where you're at maximum intensity for about 15 seconds or so, and the longest a run should be in a well-designed 'cross course is 80 meters. Sounds more like a short sprint to me than a 10KS 'Cross races might be lost on the runs, but they're rarely won. It's still mostly about who can pedal their bike the fastest.

Even if you're emphasizing short bursts, you still need to do some adaptive work to be able to handle the training. Start with short, 15-minute jogs at a very low intensity one to two times a week, just to get your body used to the movement. When you can finish 15 minutes of jogging with no soreness the next day, you're ready to go. That might take only a week, or as long as a month. Always wait until the soreness subsides before you undertake another running workout.

When you're ready to introduce some real running work, there are a number of different ways to do it. Again, because you should be emphasizing short bursts, much of your running can take the form of a traditional Tuesday sprint workout. Find a steep hill, ideally off-road, that takes you 10-15 seconds to sprint up. Structure the workout just as I've described here previously for the road: 100% effort, from rest, with the sprints being no closer than one every 2 minutes. How many you do will depend on how many quality efforts you're able to complete. You should consider your average 'cross race: how many laps is normal, and how many runs per lap? If you have 2 decent runs in a race that will be about 10 laps, then you should be prepared to build up to 20 solid sprinting efforts in your workout.

You can do this as its own workout without your bike, where you simply jog at a light intensity to your sprinting spot and jog home. You can also do it as part of a 'cross ride where you do your warm up on the bike, and then include a dismount and mount as part of your sprinting effort. If your technique is good and you want to isolate the specific fitness aspect of the sprint, then chose the former approach. If you feel you still need work on your skills and ability to run well with the bike on your shoulder, choose the latter.

There are courses or regions where you'll find yourself dealing with longer, extended runs, and the 15-second efforts aren't enough to prepare you for all your races. This is where you might try to include more running as part of your training on Wednesday. Wednesday should normally be the day for a 'cross-specific workout on a local course or with a small group session. Here you can try to incorporate a longer, up to a minute-long run as part of your course. You might also decide to do a separate running workout, ideally in the morning, where you designate some of your threshold training work to be done on foot. Up to 15 -minute running intervals at LT is a slightly less race-specific approach, but can be a good way to improve on the longer runs.

Another angle on your running training for 'cross is to use it as a substitute workout on those late fall days where you find yourself stuck at work and getting out after dark. While again, long running days shouldn't be your first choice, if the trainer's lost it's charm and your pressed for time and daylight, converting your intervals for the day to a running workout can help you solve two problems at once. Tuesday and Wednesday are definitely the best days for this. Be sure to focus on the intensity rather than the duration. Get the intervals done, but don't worry about hitting the total time you might have done if you were out on the bike.

There are many different ways to approach running for 'cross. Your training might vary from 3-5 days a week with at least a short jog, to the other extreme of only running during a 'cross workout or race. What you decide should be based on the time you have available to add a running workout, if it's a strength or weakness you want to emphasize, or if the courses you race on require that you improve your skills off the bike. You might find that a little more focus on your running is a small investment that returns big dividends, and turns a place you once suffered into a place you can attack.

Adam Hodges Myerson is a cycling coach, race promoter, team manager, and USCF category 1 racer. In addition to being a cycling coach, he is a former Collegiate National Cyclo-Cross champion and promoter of both the New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series and the Amherst International UCI Cyclo-Cross. His company is called Cycle-Smart, and he can be reached at adam@cycle-smart.com. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with his wife, Allison, and their two cats Birdie and Marie.

Jim 'N Nick's (The Best BBQ in Town!)

The Birmingham News is asking readers to vote for their favorite BBQ place in town - and we all know that's Jim 'N Nick's!

Here’s the link to vote:

http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/07/best_barbecue_cast_your_vote_h.html

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOU!

2008 BAMACROSS SCHEDULE

It's Tour DE France time, so all important announcements in the cycling world must be made, right? BAMACROSS being no exception, here it is:

10/5 - BBC (Homewood)
10/12 - Pathworks (Mobile) x 2 points, possible 2 day race
10/26 - Competetive Velo (Prattville)
11/2 - Velocity (T'town)
11/9 - GSMR (B'ham)
11/16 - Wig's wet wipe special (Anniston) possible night race with after party at Mellow Mushroom
11/30 - Cycle Escape (Montgomery)
12/7 - CCC (Cullman)

We will have a "drop" race this year.

We (the organizers) are still ironing out details, but this should be the biggest year yet. 9 races? ouch!

course

tell me which course was your favorite and why. what elements would you like to see incorporated?

Mobile,Al.

Mobile has requested a spot on the '08 calendar. I was reluctant last year about it because of the travel time. If we do add them this would have to be the double points race. Maybe even do 2 races (time trial or dirt crit?) at Chickisabouge (sp?) Park. What do you guys think?

2008

Since Travis directed you here...

I'm getting the sponsorship packages ready for the 08 season now. If you are interested in being a sponsor of the series this year you can contact me at marshallbrent at gmail dot com.

bamacross '08
BIGGER AND BADDER

Jim N' Nicks new brew!

Ok, so I am not sure if y’all have had Jim ‘N Nick’s new beer but it is great! It’s called Reverend Mudbone’s Homegrown Hopshine. It’s kind of like Sierra Nevada, and it’s great. I would like to invite you all to check out our new website and join our campaign.
Mudbone for President, vote Labertarian!
www.revmudbone.com

because it's good and i dig it

and just to make sure the page doesn't expire...

upgrades i'd like to see for next year

4 to 3-4
matt holdbrooks
geoff leonard
bill andrews
frank brockson

3-4 to 1-2-3
everette herring
david mcneal
jonathan robbins
dusty davis

it has been spoken, now be it done!