Team CF

On the Rocks at French Creek 2012

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:05:05 +0000

Another great weekend of racing for Team CF. As is becoming the norm, the women of Team CF took the top 4 podium spots with Cheryl taking 1st, Kristin 2nd, Kathleen 3rd, and Selene rounding it out with a 4th place finish. On the elite men’s side, Chris finished in 4th place with Brandon finishing 5th.

Driven and Ready to Suffer

Brandon Draugelis — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:15:12 +0000

The start to this year’s racing season has been a little shaky at best and that is being on the optimistic side. I missed the first race of the season, Dragon’s Tale, near Roanoke, VA due to a mild knee injury, followed up with a mediocre XC race in Big Bear, WV and then a 14th at the Cohutta 100. It was after this race that I realized it was not just bad luck. It was simply my WORST 100 mile race ever. I missed the lead group at the start, did not have the legs to catch back on, and did not start to make any passes until the second half of the race. I had better results as an endurance newbie shoving oatmeal creampies and cinnamon buns down my throat at aid stations. On the way back from Cohutta I obsessed about the hours that I put in on the bike over the past 6 months and realized that I have been lacking something… the taste of blood in my mouth before being replaced by vomit on my 5th hill repeat, or was it riding to the point of becoming dizzy and lightheaded and so hungry that the last 5 miles of a ride feels like a full century. Although I have been hammering out the miles I feel like I have not been challenged enough recently so Monday morning, two days after climbing 14,000′ in TN I delighted myself with some hill repeats and it felt oh so good. I hit it hard for a couple of more days and then went to VA for a 40 mile race at Douthat State Park. I had ridden the trails there before and they are spectacular, so there was no doubt that it would be a good time. From the start I took the holeshot and was out of sight on the first climb. What I did not realize was at the top there must have been some sort of a course marking pointing across the ridgeline with much more significance than the 6 red arrow pointing down the mountain to follow the XC course. After unknowingly going off course I continued on at my endurance race pace for the next hour until I came to an intersection without any course markings at all and finally found my way back to the start/finish area realizing that I had completed a poorly marked XC course and not the 40 mile adventure I had signed up for. This time it was back luck, but sucked a lot less. After a hard week of riding I could feel that my legs were coming back. So here we are a week later and I’m on the starting line of the MASS XC race at French Creek. All of the usual fast guys are there plus a few youngsters that found some real speed since last season. From the beginning I had an excellent start going into the woods in 2nd behind Aaron pushing so hard that I vomited at least 3 times on the first climb making for a wonderful second breakfast. I lost a couple of spots on the second climb and found myself somewhere around 10th. The frustration at this point was off the charts, but I kept on digging deep and worked my way back into 5th riding consistently on every lap. This I was really happy with. Aside from the small setback on the first lap I felt strong and fast throughout the entire race and expect to be throwing down at the front again very soon. I will most certainly be ready to rip some legs off next weekend at Syllamo’s Revenge, my hands down favorite NUE race.

A Family Outing

Cheryl Sornson — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:45:45 +0000

The Sornson’s made the trip to Iron Hill this past weekend. I will tell this story in pictures.

Good times, Great Memories!

Iron Hill Challenge

Kathleen Harding — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:52:14 +0000

Iron Hill is what I think of as a hidden gem, tucked away in the woods just south of the busy streets of Newark, DE. Its trails are rocky, tight and twisty, and the downhills are fast with punchy climbs dispersed throughout. The annual Iron Hill XC event is a favorite on my to-do list each season. This year I found the course to be one of the most personally challenging since I’ve raced the event, especially in its greasy, soft state after some fresh rainfall over the weekend. Lining up with a large group of elite women was exciting, and before we knew it, we were off into the woods. Feeling pretty comfortable with my pace, I led the women during the first lap, but after succumbing to a slick, rocky climb, I let a couple of places go during lap 2. For the remainder of the race, I worked hard to pull myself out of the red zone and get back into a steady flow to finish out the day. I was pleased with a 3rd place podium after a difficult day on the bike and found myself looking forward to the upcoming races in the weeks and months to come. After a late start to the season, it feels good to get the first race under my belt and move forward. I couldn’t be more excited to finally have kicked this season off and race my heart out for several weekends to come.

Mud at Iron Hill?

Christopher Beck — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:21:36 +0000

The IRON HILL Challenge is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Super Series and the USA Cycling American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) as well as Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship (MARC) race. I was especially excited for the race since in 2011 I was the winner. I like the trail system at Iron hill a lot because it’s twisty and fast, with just enough rocks. My relationship with rocks is love-hate. I prefer speed over obstacles, but a good combination of the two is ideal. Iron Hill provides that. Team CF had a big showing at the race. We were a dominant force in every field. I was especially excited when I was driving into the venue and I saw our very own Kaitlyn Broadhurst warming up for her race. I turned to my friend and proudly stated “see that woman there? she has Cystic Fibrosis”. He was very impressed by her presence in the race. We both lamented how our race would be hard, but we weren’t overcoming anything like Kaitlyn was, as she lined up for her race.

I suited up in our new race kits, and went out on course for a warm-up lap. To my surprise the trail was very slick. It wasn’t the dry, fast course I won on last year. I wanted a drag race and instead it felt like an ice rink. Where did my skills go? I needed to find them fast.

The gun went off for the start and I was positioned well in the top 3 after the prologue lap. I soon worked my way to the front and rode off solo. Without drafting, I figured, why not ride solo. I thought I could go faster anyway, if I had the trail to myself. I was putting time on the field (most of the field anyway) when my main rival so far this year rode across to my wheel. Ouch. Aaron Synder, who I have huge respect for, was sitting on me. I was rattled. He was not even suffering, while I was seeing stars as my heart rate soared in to zone 6 (I only use 5 zones to monitor my effort with heart-rate). I rode on the front hoping he would magically fade off and I would pull away – I might have been hallucinating too I guess. Suddenly I heard Aaron’s team mate, Cameron Dodge bridging up to us. My problem was about to get bigger. I pulled over to give Aaron the lead hoping he’d increase the pace and I could hold his wheel and Cam would not make it across. That plan back-fired as Aaron rode away and Cam rode up to me. OK, I thought, stay focused, ride with Cam to get Aaron and then drop them both on lap 3. That was the plan. Well the reality was I was not handling the slick trails well (at all) and my confidence was shattered… my biggest asset. Cognitive Dissonance is my worst enemy in these situations. I couldn’t get it together and found myself going backwards. I’d settle for 3rd for the day.

One of the best things about bike racing in the Mid Atlantic – there is always next weekend. Rematch scheduled for Saturday at French Creek.

Congrats to my other TeamCF team mates, who represented our colors very well on a beautiful spring day.

The Podiums Continue at Iron Hill – 2012

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:24:37 +0000

This year Iron Hill, just outside of Newark, DE was the location of the Delaware State Championships. Team CF had a great showing and some great finishes at this years race. Cheryl Sornson and Selene Yeager took the top two podium spots, respectively in the 4 hour endurance race. Chris Beck placed third in the Elite Men’s race and Kathleen Harding placed third in the Elite women’s race – her first riding for Team CF. The local Team CF Philadelphia racers also did well with Jesse Kelly taking first in Endurance Masters Men’s 45+ race and Dan Vickery finishing third CAT 2 Men 40-49.

Fort Custer XC, MMBA #2 (Michigan Mountain Bike Association)

Christian Tanguy — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:52:10 +0000

This past Sunday, we did a little family trip to Augusta, MI for the Fort Custer XC race. The proceed of the race goes toward trail maintenance so not only I had the possibility to have fun on the trails I ride once a year (twice a year if I am lucky) but it also feels good to know that the money will be put to good use.

The elite group was fairly large, loaded with power house riders. For this edition of the XC, it seems that the organizer purposely removed any trails going up… just kidding! The area is pretty flat and anybody would be hard pressed to make a course with more elevation changes: 35 miles of racing and just over 1000ft of ascent. (see on Strava.com)

There were 4 laps to complete; the first lap was spent moving from 4th place to 1st place. I was wondering if I could keep the incredibly fast pace much longer. I was pushing extremely hard while the 2nd place rider was coasting… at some point, I considered let him in the lead. However we were approaching a bumpy single track section and I knew that my Specialized Epic will give me an advantage.

Sure enough, the bumpy trail was long enough to create a 30 yard gap: no more coasting for the pursuers on the next flat portion! A few minutes later, I was on my own. No matter how many times I did it in the past; riding solo is tough. The only “information” is how bad the legs are hurting. It is not such a good indictor to know on how the competition is doing. Are they catching up or slowing down?

As always, it was such a relief to come to the finish line and finally give the legs a well deserved rest.

Next race will be the N.U.E. #2: Syllamo’s Revenge on 5/19.

Have fun on the trails.

Drive, Cohutta, Drive, Maximus

Cheryl Sornson — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:16:06 +0000

This past weekend proved to be glorious. I know that I have a winner’s high, but I do believe that even without a double win I’d still be singing its praises. The weather, the long yet painless drive, the beautiful scenery in the Cherokee National Forest, the flow of buff and rocky single track trails, and all of the truly amazing people tipped the scale and put me in awe of life itself.

It was slated to be a long weekend and I knew I needed to concentrate on one moment at a time. It was ambitious, maybe warped, but totally doable. For the second year in a row my dear friend Roger, my husband Lee and myself would drive to TN on Thursday, Pre-ride on Friday, Race Cohutta 100 on Saturday, drive back to Pa Saturday thru Sunday, then race the Michaux Maximus on Sunday. Fortunately, my husband was only joy riding all weekend and not racing so we could count on him for the most evil driving shifts. He is a saint!

I was nervous about what was to come on Saturday due to the distance and climbing. I had yet to do any such numbers this year. Having prepared with a lot of hard work, all that was left was to let go and believe. I had to trust that my body would respond.

The start of the race was very fast and sketchy up the paved road. There were hand bumps and tires rubbing. Fortunately we all stayed upright. There was a bit of a match to get into the single track, but after some elbowing I was able to place myself directly where I wanted to be. I felt very comfortable and not at all fatigued from the effort of the sprint to the trail. Pushing back the urge to go too fast I hung back a bit and rode conservatively until the first fire road climb. Once on the fire road I notched up my speed and got into a good climbing rhythm. It was enough to form a gap between myself and the other women.

I continued on and used other competitors as gauges to how I was holding up. As long as I was passing and not being passed I was good. Getting encouragement and giving encouragement from and to the other riders helped along the way as well. I did my best to stay motivated by staying in the moment. Using the course description and elevation profile, I chunked the course off by sections and as each section was complete I gave myself a pat on the back. I knew that not one section could crush me. They were temporary and would eventually end. Once I crossed the last bridge of the last single track and headed towards the road I looked over my shoulder and then knew it was mine. A crushing sense of relief engulfed me. All the bottled up emotions I did my best to squelch over the last 8.5 hours came rushing up. Staying motivated and positive and not allowing dark gremlin thoughts to enter my mind took its toll. But I conquered it and now I could let it go.

It was now time to consider the next moment. Be there for awards, clean up, pack up and head back to PA. We were able to leave TN around 6pm. Arriving home in PA about 3:30 am, we did some quick gear shuffle and then napped for about 2 hours. When we woke from our naps we were pleasantly greeted with sunshine, a true rarity for the Maximus. Despite the lack of good sleep and the tired feeling in my legs my spirits could not be brighter at the start of Sundays race. It was so good to see all the smiles on the racers faces. We all knew deep down that this was going to be a great day and we were in for a truly special Michaux treat. The trails were in spectacular condition and the race promoters strung together a sweet loop that included some old school routes. It was dreamy. I felt a little sluggish at first, but soon found a groove. I could not believe how much fun I was having. Once finished I was gushing with good vibe and smiling huger than ever. I was not alone in my feelings. People in every direction were in good spirits and loving the day.

A huge thanks goes out to all who rooted for me and sent positive things my way. I am also extremely humbled by all the wishes of congrats. You are all so awesome.

A congrats goes out to my two teammates Kristen and Nikki for completing their firs 100 miler and for coming in 3rd and 5th place. Additional congrats goes to Christian for his second place ride and Cary for his 6th place finish. Team CF rocks!

Long Board!

Cohutta 100

Cheryl Sornson — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:25 +0000

Team CF in the news

4 out of top 5 women from PA, 3 of top 5 women from Team CF!

Cohutta 100 – 2012 Results

Hooked….

Nikki Thiemann — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:46:19 +0000

When I began to plan my spring season back in February, I’d decided the only real objectives for the season were to have 1) have fun 2) stay fit and 3) take care of some “bucket list” races. So… it seemed fitting to make my first race of the season the Cohutta 100.

I’d heard that I’d either love or hate racing a 100-miler, and I’d have to say… I enjoyed all 100 miles of it! Heading down to the race, I had absolutely no idea what to expect and I must admit, I was pretty dumbfounded at the pace of the start and the number of racers who lined up at the start ready to put their mental and physical limits to the test. I tried hard to hold on to the back of the lead group at the start but quickly got shelled and decided it was for the best. I settled into my own pace for what would be one of my most memorable days on the bike. The time ticked by quickly, with aide stations every 12-15 and lots of racers to talk to as I pedaled my way up the climbs and sped down the descents. I realized somewhere around mile 39 that I had a chance of finishing in the top 5 and my mentality quickly shifted from just wanting to finish in a respectable amount of time to wanting to earn a spot on the podium. As I neared the aide station at mile 87, I was elated at what I’d accomplished so far and surprised at how much fun I’d had already. I worked on riding consistently and with poise as I covered the final miles of single track and was able to earn the final spot on the podium for the day, finishing fifth in the Open Women’s field. Not too shabby for a cyclocross racer, if I do say so myself!

When I registered for Cohutta way back in February, I thought for sure this would be a one-time thing… just to see if I could do it, but for much of the race, I spent time thinking about when I could squeeze in another one. When I awoke on Sunday… I wasn’t sure if I still felt this way, but as I sit here now, I think I’ve been bitten by the 100-miler bug and am hoping to squeeze in at least one more of these this season!