Leave it to me to get 5th in a race and be a little frustrated with myself, but I feel like I had even more in my legs for the Bryan Park Circuit Race on Sunday. The race went well enough with teammate and new Cat 4 Jerry strutting his stuff at the front and putting on a nice show for his kids who came to watch. I sat in midpack the first few laps, but moved up every time up the backstretch climb. Yet our race slowed dramatically every time we crested the second kicker. There was a slight headwind, but it seemed more like everybody was trying to recover. Then we’d go screaming through the final turn and up the little hill to the finish.

By the 4th or 5th of 13 laps, I attacked on the backstretch as the slowdown occurred, but no one came with me and as always with the 4s it prompted an immediate response and they pulled me back by the finish line. A few laps later I went again, but earlier, attacking hard out of the tight turn and up the hill. I crested the hill with 50 meters on the group and a passenger. I let him pull through, but he was immediately flicking his elbow, so I just sat up. He didn’t give me any time to recover and clearly couldn’t pull us and I wasn’t ready to keep going.

For the remaining laps I stayed as close to the front as possible. Things hotted up going into the final lap and, as we screamed down into the tight corner, I was in about 10th wheel. As we came out of the corner, accelerating hard, I heard and then saw a nasty crash on the far right. (Turns out it was Braden Govoni from Carytown Bicycles, the race organizer; he broke his collarbone and was out of it for a while; hope he heals up well.) Despite the crash, we hammered up the hill and I thought we’d finally keep going. But once again the line of riders spread out five across and slowed to 22mph as we rolled the backstretch. I was stuck in the middle. An attack finally went on the right, but I would have had to take someone out to get on that train. At least that prompted those in front of me to ride again.

Down into the final corner I was probably 25 meters behind the attacking riders when I finally saw some daylight and opened up my sprint. I got past all but five coming up the hill and pipped a guy at the line for fifth. I felt amazing in the sprint and only wish it had been longer. I might have moved up even more. Jerry got a great 9th and Art came in 17th.

I liked the Bryan Park course. It was just hard enough to wear on the legs and sort out weaker riders. Flatter, shorter crits don’t necessarily do that.

postscript: Thanks for the call, Art. (Art called me from bad traffic on 64, west of Lightfoot, and told me both the highway and Route 60 were backed up. I got off at exit 227 and took a bunch of back roads I’ve learned from riding with Dan up there. I was able to get back on at exit 238 just past the wreck of an RV. I called Art and he was still back at milepost 232. Ugh. Sorry.)

Mark Junkerman and his RunRideRace.com put on yet another excellent mountain bike race at Camp Hilbert. Oddly, I think the turnout was weaker than the first race in March, but the overnight rain, heat and Fourth of July weekend may have kept people away. They missed out. The course drained beautifully and was in great condition for our noon race.

I rode up with Tripp (above), who threw down an excellent race in the single speeds to come in 3rd. His new program seems to be working for him. It’s been fun hanging out with him recently too. He’s got a great sardonic sense of humor.

This was my first race on the new Trek frame. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the bike or my form, so I started conservatively at the back of an 11-man expert vet field. We big-ringed it into the woods and rolled fast for first three miles. I passed Scott from Arsenal, then Kevin let me by early in the first of four laps. I dropped out of the big ring at the base of the first big climb and spun away. Later in the lap I passed another ex-vet on a climb and kept rolling. I never saw anyone else in front of me save the incredibly courteous enduro riders, who quickly moved aside.

I felt amazing. It might have been the bike, but I feel like my position and the suspension are not yet dialed in. I had a cooler at the finish line with fresh water bottles for each lap, so that helped. The guy behind me kept creeping up on me in the more technical sections, but I’d pull away on every climb. I was afraid he’d catch me, so I rode the last lap somewhat defensively, saving something in case I had to push hard to stay in front of him. I shouldn’t have. I finished in 7th place, my best at this level, only 33 seconds out of 6th and a little more than a minute behind my teammate Jerry. It was easily my strongest mountain bike race ever. Still Crazy Mike put 2:30 into me each lap to win. Not sure I’ll ever get that fast.

The three photos above come from teammate Chad’s Flickr page. Here’s one last cool pic from a pro shooter who was out Sunday.

My Millie had a breakthrough swim meet on Saturday. She carved 7 seconds off her 25-meter freestyle, swimming it in just over 39 seconds, and finishing 7th in the 6-and-unders. Then she lopped 8 seconds off her 25-meter backstroke, finishing in 5th place with a time of just over 42 seconds. She was the fastest 5-year-old in both strokes. She also swam her mixed relay team into a solid 4th place. Not bad for her third meet. I think we’ve got another swimmer on our hands.

Ellie swam in two relays that got 1st and swam to two 2nds in the 25-free and 25-breast, but was disappointed that she didn’t improve her times. She also didn’t have a good butterfly. She’s been working on the stroke with her coaches and one remarked she swam with her head and not her body. Still I think her ribbon haul was pretty good. The photo above is her start for the breast stroke.

For the second year in a row, Danbo led a Fourth of July ride from Freedom Park in Williamsburg. Unlike last year, this was a road ride - 50 miles up into New Kent County. Kevin made it for the second running and Harlan, Jerry and Chad joined us. We missed you Liz (who was with us last year).

I felt terrible early in the ride until about 20 miles in when Dan observed that my rear brake was cockeyed and rubbing. I felt a little better after that, but the damage was done. My legs just hurt. Still we had fun. Jerry flew up every hill and killed us with deadly pulls on the flats. He is riding strong right now.

This last photo is begging for a caption. Anyone?

The girls swam another great meet on Saturday. Ellie swam a 50-meter breast against 12-and-under girls (she’s 10) and managed 4th place. It was cool to see her do so well against the older girls. Millie carved three seconds off 25-meter free for another 11th place and then swam her first 25-meter backstroke and came in 7th (the fastest 5-year-old in the 6-and-unders)! Wow.

On Sunday, we gathered a crew of dirt riders and hit Wahrani in New Kent County for some laps so I could try out my new Trek Top Fuel. I spent most of the time chasing Jerry, Kevin and a strong Rob through the woods. The bike took a little getting used to, but not much. I need to firm up the rear suspension a bit and replace the old Race Face crankset, which is too worn out. I definitely am happy with it. It rode nicely and I felt like I could keep going and going on it.

Can’t wait to race it Sunday at Camp Hilbert.

Jonathan Page showboats as he climbs a hill in the Stillwater Crit, stage six of last month’s Nature Valley Grand Prix. Found this on Crossniacs, blog home of a Minneapolis-based cyclocross syndicate (team).

Picked up the new mountain bike today from Mike at East Coast Bikes, who really hooked me up with a deal on a close-out 2007 Trek Top Fuel frame. Yes, that’s delicious carbon fiber lightness. I moved almost all the parts from the old, cracked K2 to this frame and will have to slowly upgrade.

Plan to christen her on Sunday and get my position dialed in. This redhead is going to be a fun ride.

Yes, way.

This dude in Hampton found the old Schwinn Sting-Ray at Seashore Bike & Fitness. In researching it, he found it was one of the first ever built and started getting offers from as far away as Japan for it, including one for $100,000. However, he wants to donate this piece of Americana to the Smithsonian. Read all about it (at I’m loathe to admit) here.

Addendum: The Pilot got something up with better photos here.

I finally made it all the way to the end of the Tuesday Night (Great Bridge) World Championship ride. It was a killer night. All of Team LeBleu came out for a send-off for Bender, who’s had a rip-roaring season for them. I was just starting to get to know him, but he’s a cool, very fast customer who’s now left the Navy after 10 years as a pilot and is driving west to Berkeley to get an MBA on a full-ride from Power Bar. How cool is that? He’ll certainly be missed. I wish I’d rode with him more often. That which does not kill me would have made me stronger.

The blue team certainly ramped it up and let it rip Tuesday. Dinterman, GeneR, KeithJ, Harlan and others I don’t know all hit the gas hard. And Bender hit it harder than most. There were times I was cross-eyed trying to hang on. At the end of the ride I rolled up 46 miles in 1:45, averaging about 26.5 miles per hour.

Good luck, Jim. Enjoy the left coast and finding your inner treehugger.

After a year of knocking on the door, Ellie broke a swimming record at our club. She’s been close to the 25-free time since last summer, but she put her name on the board thanks to a relay. She and three other 10-and-under girls rocked a 100-free relay in 1:10.09 on Saturday. That time knocked a quarter second off a 9-year-old club record held by the daughter of our head coach.

This group of girls has the potential to carve more time off that record. All four swim sub-18 second 25s and Ellie and another girl are both close to going sub-17.

Millie also swam her first swim meet on Saturday. She swam the first leg on a 100-free mixed relay that was in fourth until the boy swimming the anchor leg refused to swim and they were disqualified. Then she swam a 25-free in 49 seconds, winning her heat and coming in 11th overall, which was awesome. Unfortunately Audrey needed to go potty right then, so I missed her swim. I was bummed, yet thrilled that she did so well.