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2014 JBOMB: Race Report: Dean and Grant from Dad's Perspective

RACE REPORT: Dean and Grant Race the JBOMB at Wakefield Regional Park

last weekend I took the boys to West Virginia for the MORE Fall Camping Trip
nothing reminds me and the boys how much we love mountain biking more than going mountain biking

so... while still on a buzz from being so stoked about our trip to West Virginia we took the bikes out to Wakefield Regional Park for the Trails for Youth's JBOMB!
in years prior the JBOMB was a series... this year the JBOMB is a one day affair
bummer... but we will take what we can get

with the growth of NICA mountain bike series in Virginia the attention of Trails for Youth has been chasing down these other races instead of hosting their own series
I can see a lot of advantages to supporting the growth of the NICA Series
in fact... I would love to see some NICA action at Fort Dupont 

wow!

what a thought... a NICA Race at Fort Dupont? 

yes... a NICA Race at Fort Dupont

that is something that should happen

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=fort+dupont

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=nica

sorry... getting side tracked
and well... with my no more than a scan before hitting Publish and Post I need to try to keep on task
trying to get something down about the boys racing this Sunday past at the JBOMB

there was not much that needed to be done to the bikes
just air in the tires and lube on the chain

oh sure... Grant's suspension fork is blown out... nothing I could do between last weekend and this weekend
no time for a rebuild... plus... in part because I lack the know how to do a rebuild a suspension fork... but also because there was no time to get the fork to a shop and back between West Virginia and Wakefield

so Grant would be riding his geared Trek mountain bike with a fully compressed suspension fork... to which Grant shrugged his shoulders and said... "rigid is faster!"
while Dean would be racing his single speed Gunnar that he has nearly outgrown

like father... like sons

I have always ridden bikes that are tragically too small for me and always out of tune

but this is not about me

this is about my boys racing at Wakefield

the boys were stoked... stoked yet nervous
pre-race anxiety is normal...
they each got a little more than butterflies when we talked about the race
they each went through the same set of emotions that any adult racer would go through

who will be there? 

how will I perform? 

blah blah blah...

this is completely normal... it is not about the anxiety... it is about how you respond to the anxiety
that energy... that nervous energy... that adrenaline can be a valuable tool
gotta try to capture that energy
gotta fight caving into that energy

on the car ride to the race we talked about pre-race anxiety
we talked about preparation... breathing... fueling up... getting your bike ready... getting your body ready... getting your mind ready
there was talk about riding their own race
going hard... but no so hard that you blow up and are too tired to finish

then Welcome to the Jungle came on the radio...
HERE IS A GOOD SONG TO CARRY WITH YOU!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg
listen to this... a good song in your head helps to keep the tempo up

the boys only gave me half attention... I had my distracted sons repeat what I said so that I was not just talking to hear myself speak...
"be considerate when trying to pass
find safe smart places to pass
be vocal about the pass
ask to take the pass... if you have to... take the pass
but do not put yourself or others at risk trying to pass"

and of course... allow the faster racer to pass
but that does not mean pulling over for the other racers... especially if you are racing them
decide accordingly
if someone is faster... let them pass... let them ride their race
if someone is going to pass and drop their pace... do not let them pass as you do not want to get stuck behind them... you want to try to ride your own race... not get stuck at someone else's pace or their inability to clear various technical obstacles

there was all sorts of talk like that
the boys understood... they had been through this before
I warned them about the possible competition
respecting that we are city folk and do not get into the woods that often
and that there are kids who are taking cycling seriously... mountain biking and biking in general as their main sport

we talked about winning
not that it is so important to win... but to go out and try your hardest and to try and do your best
ride within their limits
again being safe and smart

don't "over cook the turns" 
don't crash going out of control

and of course... have a good start
if possible... WIN THE HOLE SHOT!
do not crash trying to win the hole shot
be up at the front... don't burn out trying to win the hole shot...
do not get stuck behind anyone slower than you
and worse yet
do not get stuck behind someone who might crash

it all sound so confusing
so many "if then" statements

there was some city traffic... but Interstate 395 to I-495 and then Braddock Road was pretty smooth

we arrived with a little less than an hour to prepare for Dean's race

which is really just enough time to register, warm up, and take the line

Grant would have two hours before his race start

before getting out of the car I turned to Dean who was in the back seat and said something to the effect... "I love watching you race... I love your riding style... it is this weird mix of happy go lucky and mellow all the while being intense and totally focused"

then Grant asked me what I thought of his riding style... to which I responded... "Grant... I love your riding style... you race with passion and heart... you attack the trail and try to crush anyone that gets in your way"

I got out of the car and starting pulling bikes off the roof rack

Grant was suited up and riding his bike before I got his race number

he was not warming up... he was checking out the bridge over 495 with the dog

which was fine... it is nice that he is confident with his surroundings

able to explore without getting lost

after registration and numbers on the bike Grant was off to pre-ride the course

while Dean was a little more under my wing

somewhat anxious for the race... me not Dean... I moved frantically between actions

unloading bikes... registration... numbers on bikes... fuel up Dean... release Grant... I had Dean do a little warm up and then when we encountered each other again I took Dean to the gravel uphill

strict and firm... maybe a little too curt... I tried to explain "the fast line" on the lose gravel

and how he would need to chose a smart line

he would be racing with a handful of other people

I told him not to crash trying to get to the hard pack line

I showed him the indentations of the jeep track

and how there were two fast line options

and dangerously soft loose gravel and soft earth options flanking the two jeep track lines

then I had Dean try the hill once.. then again at speed

I wanted him to know if he could clear this short steep loose gravel climb on his single speed

making him understand not to try and grind it

"if you can't spin it... you will have to dismount and run it"

Dean was able to ride it

he rode it twice and then I sent him on an up and back on the road by the creek and some single track

stressing that he take it light

just warm up... stay loose

when Dean returned there was a little time before the start

I had him stand in the shade while I took the dog to the creek

out of the woods with the dog and I rode up to Dean and gave him a quick good luck

race director Pat Childers was giving his pre-race pep talk

his advice to his racers being the exact inverse of mine

sure Pat was right...  the gravel hill does not decide the race... it is a long two lap race and will be places to catch up and places to pass...

all that was true... 

but...  the strategy to win and control the race... the best strategy if the racer can make it happen is to win the gravel climb... sprint to the hole shot... then control the race from the front

let all faster riders pass you

don't get caught behind any suckers

avoid the crashes and the pile ups

if someone passes... pace off them... decide where to fight to regain the lead 

and then gauge the race from there

then a pinch on dean's arm and I was off with the camera

off to find a good vantage point to take some photos of the young racers

although it is not displayed in these photos... I was a little shocked and totally stoked to see Dean was the first Junior in the older age group to be rolling down the singletrack

when Dean passed he already had a pretty decent gap before the next racer

he was spinning that single speed pretty good

I feared he was going a little hot and called out for him to settle in

not sure if he knows what settle in means

I snapped a few shots of a few more racers then grabbed the dog and the bike and took off to try and catch Dean again at the power lines

sure I could have found the racers sooner

but I did not want to go all crazy and end up missing some decent vantage points

so... up to the powerlines

I hung with race EMT volunteer Chris Barnes as we watched the ant size racers in the distance

I could see that Dean was the leader in his jersey that I found as I checked out of the Hotel in Fort Collins... I looked for it could be owner... then forgot about it... Dean has been wearing it ever since

the San Diego Bicycle Coalition would not complain... Dean is putting them on the podium from time to time

http://www.sdcbc.org/

Chris and I talked about the short steep rock section before the powerlines

we questioned if Dean and the other kids could clear it

I think Dean did a dismount and run

smart move

less effort and more speed

at different parts of the race there were different racers on Dean's tale

first one... then another

until finally the kid in blue jeans became the chase

he got close... but when I saw him... he was never in his shadow

threatening... but not quite 

after snapping a few shots... just before Dean finished his first lap... I took off to find young Grant

it was getting to a point where Grant should be warming up

I know that he pre-rode the course

but where is he now?

I did not leap into worried parent mode

but I was a little anxious

not because he was lost

but because I was splitting my attention

where would I check

on the bike with the dog at my side I went looking for Grant

first to the Start and then to the Finish 

I slowed and scanned the group of riders in his category

then up to the car

sure enough... chill laxing in the car

smart place to be

relaxing in comfort

I instructed him to fuel up and warm up

and then to meet down at the line

Grant has a good handle on time

he takes instructions pretty well

well.. he takes instructions well for things he wants to do

he hates when I say it... but he is head strong

we lock horns quite often

with Grant suiting back up and eating some pre-race fuel... I was rushing back to the race course to try and catch Dean's finish

he was still a little bit out

none of the racers had finished

I was excited to see if he had held onto first

lots can happen

faster riders... crashing... mechanical... bonking

but none of these would be a concern until I started seeing other Juniors roll into the finish

the I saw him

a few turns ahead in the woods

spinning to the finish

he maintained his pace

he maintained his lead

he set out to win and achieve his goals

AWESOME!

My 13 Year old son Dean won his category and was fastest over all for the day!

WOO HOO!

then it was time for the younger kids's race
they would have a slightly different start
no short steep loose gravel climb for the kids 12 and under
instead they would have a spring on the hard pack road along the creek
then turn into the woods and run pretty much the same loop as the older kids
only they would do one lap rather than two

Grant was stoked... I had given him is pre-race pep talk
and he knew what he wanted to do
Dean and Grant have very different personalities
how they express themselves on the bike is very different
yet they each have their successes

with Grant at the line I took to the woods with Dean

we did not see the start... but at first glance I could see that Grant had taken off fast and was in the lead

Dean and moved from one spot to another to try and get some photos and cheer

humorously... we took to a spot that was not on the course

we waited and we waited

but I missed the initial photo op

so we traversed the trail

out by the powerlines I waited to get at least one good shot

SNAP!

got it... it is posted below

I cheered... I was so excited to see Grant rocking the course

he was so focused

so intense

moving fast yet still in control

no one near him... yet self motivated to hammer fast forward

broken shock and all... Grant rocked the course

he was so fast that I did not get as many snaps as I had intended

at the finish I was ecstatic to see my boys 

ecstatic to see them win

but also just happy to see them so happy

I miss out on so many riding opportunities so that my boys can ride

so moments like this make me feel as if it is all worth it

then before the awards... Dean and I went to retrieve our bikes from the woods

there was a moment of panic

I thought someone had moved them... worse yet... someone had stolen them

I usually do not jump to this conclusion

but I was confident I knew where we put them

but alas no... I had put them in spot one but forgot that we moved them to spot two

my bad

it was a great day

the boys were very pleased with their effort

they each had fun

they worked hard and achieved their goals

I tried not to take the wind out of their sails by telling them that this is just a local grass roots race with a little "just for fun" element to it

but that talk would come later

I let them enjoy their glory

they have heard my diatribe about them being strong on the bike but their being kids who ride and race with skill and technique like small adults

they know that Colorado kids have more opportunities

heck... Germantown kids have more opportunities

but for city folk

they rock it pretty hard

they made me proud

it is a lot of work for a parent to make this happen

but it is worth it

I enjoyed myself

now... when do I get to ride my bike?

oh yes... when I go to work each day

the boys expressed their personality differences on the podium

Dean shy and contained

Grant bold and in charge

I love them so much

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=podium

I would love them even if they did not make the podium

good times... good times for sure

bummer that the JBOMB is only one day

we need to search out other mountain bike options for the kids

I guess we need to take a measure of our intentions\opportunities for the MoCo Epic

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=moco

my best two shots of the day... just happen to be of two of my favorite people in the world

not significant.. but not insignificant... there have been some changes to Wakefield Regional Parks Mountain Bike Trails since I last rode\raced there

10 year old "catting up" at the JBOMB

yes... he rode two laps

but I do not think he would have finished one lap faster than Grant finished his

I think... but am not certain... I think that Grant reeled in and caught all but one or two of the 11-12 year olds

quite possible that even with the delayed release of his group... quite possible that my son Grant

not pictured here

quite possible that Grant was the fastest over all among the sub 12 year old racers

Wakefield Regional Park

I need to get my fat ass and my fat tires to the trails at Wakefield

it has been too long since I have ridden or raced at Wakefield

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=wakefield

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=w%40w

I considered only sharing the top photo

but... since I took both

I will share both

one more shot of that same rider by Treasury... seconds later

things I see... places and people when I ride straight for work... I need to get back into the swing of things... life and work have gotten me lazy about extending my commutes

Treasury

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=treasury

Ali doing backwards circles on his track bike

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=ali

Pennsylvania Avenue

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=pennsylvania

Tar on his Track Bike

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=tar

Robert Lighthouse... Major Lawrence always tried to get me to see Robert Lighthouse... and that was decades ago... finally saw Robert Lighthouse

I never saw this shot... I did not get the memo that we were supposed to wear our Folklife t-shirt... I thought it looked like a Gap shirt so it never made it high in my rotation... I think Holland got bounce from the World Cup the day prior... so I am wearing my Dutch orange t-shirt

some photos from a party after the 2014 Folklife Festival

https://www.facebook.com/media/set

Battle of Bethesda? I thought it happened in the McDonald's Parking lot!

battle of Bethesda?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-battle-of-bethesda

photos from the JBOMB

I did not take a photo of every child that passed

but I did take a lot of photos

threw those images on the Gwadzilla Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/media

and some mention of the JBOMB previous years

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=jbomb

my brother Marc won his age category at the Head of the Potomac... I searched for results online this morning... but had to wait for information to filter through Facebook

row row row your boat would explain why you were not racing the first MABRA Cyclocross race of the season

Marc on the Gwadzilla Page

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=marc

brother brings up some randomness that is... oh

I always say that

but really... there are some words on this tangent worth chasing

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=brother

Police CRACK DOWN on Bicycles on the sidewalk... etc.

Washington City Paper Article about Police ticketing cyclist
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/

Don't Get Me Started!
oh... you already did...
ticketing bicyclists?
who is the genius behind this...

lets start with the cars and then go down the line...
really...
who put in the complaint?
a pedestrian? one of those suit or skirt cell phone wielding jaywalkers
one of those penny loafer wearing terrorists

or was it one of those Nascar wanna bes?
one of those car drivers with their 0-60 in seconds flat accelerators?
one of those eco-terrorists with their AC cranked and their windows up
GPS system talking to them like a modern day hover parent

oh...
those car drivers with their high end vehicles
the capacity to go well over a hundred miles per hour but tend to do most of their driving in a 25-35 MPH Zone
those machines that comfortably seat four but tend to be occupied by one
was it one those people

who was it?
and why?
what is their objective?
are they trying to make the streets more safe
or are they just responding to a squeaky wheel?

THE BICYCLE AND THE LETTER OF THE LAW!
that is a notion that cracks me up
WHY DOES THE BICYCLE HAVE TO ADHERE TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW... BUT THE REST OF SOCIETY CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT?!?!??!?

enough on this...
my words on this blog mean nothing

Halloween Themed DC Bike Party!

harsh reality slaps me in the face riding the trails at Bike Bear Lake in West Virginia

one of my life's greatest joys is riding my bike with my boys

yes... I love riding and racing mountain bikes

but I find great joy in dropping my pace and pedaling with my kids

although I do not let them drop their pace

which has me pushing them all the time

yes... sometimes I may inadvertently push them too hard

by the nature of riding with both of my boys there is the risk for failure

Dean is 13 and Grant is 10

although Grant is strong on the bike for a ten year old... it would not be fair to expect him to keep pace with a 13 year old boy

especially his 13 year old brother Dean... a young boy who is able to ride his single speed mountain bike at an adult pace

the discrepancy in the ages and the varying skill level is something that I have tried to balance from their humble bicycling beginnings

always knowing that there is the potential issue where the three of us are riding together has my older son uncomfortably forced to slow down or wait

while my younger son is forced to push his pace and not permitted to stop as much as he may feel he must

they have managed...

it has not been without issue

but they have managed

during the period where I was working part time I ran a system where I would drop the kids off at school with their bikes

then instead of picking them up from school

I would ride my bike to their school and we would ride our bikes home together

usually making the route longer than the most straight\direct route

oh man...

there would be fights

each boy wanting to lead

me trying to be fair

but more than likely favoring the whine of my younger boy

it is troublesome... something that I scripted

in an effort to be fair

in an effort not to leave anyone out

I have ended up making an awkward situation for all parties involved

even with the best intentions 

often I get frustrated\grumpy\angry

while each of the boys gets frustrated\grumpy\angry

and this did not start with our mountain biking together

even our urban rides have had their moments of youth rebellion

I can remember riding down to the museums

it was always a party heading downtown

but heading back at the end of the day

not only is it the end of the day

but it is also all uphill headed home

man... the number of times that Grant threw his bike down and took a stance that he would pedal no more

well... I think I could count how many rides we did like that

and well... that would be the number of times that he revolted or at least complained

youth events tend to go pretty well

the kid bicycle events usually separate the kids by different age groups

which is good

so rather than having the boys compared to each other

they get to line up and get compared to other kids their own ages

the boys are strong... they always make me proud

there is a good chance that they are not as strong on the bike as they once were

not to get too deep into it

but all the bitching and moaning that the boys go through when I try to rally them for a ride

well... it wore me down

they won... well... actually... they lost

I no longer have the strength to fight them

their resistance go their way

sadly... kids do not know what is best for them

they only know what they want

and

it would be best for them to listen to their father

but alas no... that is not the nature of the relationship

so... we ride far less frequently together than I would like

but this is not the point

this is not the direction I intended this post to go

BACK ON TASK
BACK ON POINT!

oh yes... the MORE Fall Camping Trip

that was supposed to be the center of this rant

the MORE camping trip and my effort to take a 10 year old on a the Big Bear Race Loop aka the Yellow Trail

this weekend past I went on the MORE Fall Camping Trip

this has become a seasonal highlight for me and the boys each fall

so much fun that I have accepted that the boys will miss soccer and I will not be able to coach my younger son's team

I feel the experience of camping and riding their bikes in the mountains is as valuable as any "rec" soccer game

FLASH FORWARD\FLASHBACK!

jump to Saturday post breakfast

we are at the campground at Bike Bear Lake in West Virginia

everyone is suited up and all jittery

everyone is all hopped up on coffee and ready to rock and roll

I gather with some of the SMORES ride coordinators to see what they were thinking

there had been talk of three rides of varying skills

but when I meet up with Jason Miller and Eric Crawford it is sounding more like one large SMORES ride and me and my boys doing our own thing... which is fine

we start off with the kids...

out of the campground, into the woods, and onto the trail

not even a half mile into the ride I stop in the shade before the "pumptrack\jump lines"

we wait... kids are collecting... we wait some more

more waiting

kids are getting anxious

some kids in the front ask if they can ride the jumps and come back

I sent them forward... they leave off

then every kid who arrives just rolls right by me

it is madness... it is like herding cats

but... I still think that all the kids are going to the other side of this open section and then turning back

then Jason Miller rolls up and tells me that my dog Didg did not see me go ahead and has gone back to the campground looking for me

so... I turn it around

I head back to locate the dog

at the campground I give a whistle and a hoot and I hear the jingle of my dog's collar

then back into the woods and I am in chase mode

trying to catch the kids

at the dam I see kids and adults

I ask where my kids have gone

people think that they are in a breakaway group on the black trail

but there is no definitive answer

I continue to chase

in the woods I run into Eric Crawford and Todd Bauer's son Johnny... but still no sight of my boys

so I continue on... then 100 yards or so forward I run into my boys and another kid from the SMORES group Calvin

Calvin wants to go with the other group... so I send him backtracking

here is where the story starts...

I am on the Black trail in the woods not far from the actual Big Bear Lake

it is Dean, Grant, Didg, and myself

things are already moderately technical and we have not even gotten to the Yellow Loop yet

the boys are each picking solid lines

Didg is as excited as everyone else to be covering some ground in the woods

and I am stoked to be in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

the trail is tough

not only is the trail tough... Grant's shock is frozen in the compressed position

so... young Grant is riding rigid

RIGID IN BY GOD WEST VIRGINIA
THAT IS HARDCORE! 

it is not long into our ride and Grant is starting to wain

we slow... we wait... Grant catches up

Dean and I roll forward... Grant falls back

we stop... we collect

Grant is not having fun

things are discussed... I am chastised for not giving Grant a choice on what to do

Grant would have preferred to ride with the other group

so... I have Dean hold the dog and Grant and I start to see if we can back track and catch the other group
100 yards down the trail and Grant stops his bike then turns back to me... "lets do this... I can muscle through this"

ah... that is my little trooper

that is the never say whatever attitude that I was looking for

so... we turn it around and roll back up on Dean

we approach things a little differently

I put Grant in the lead position... Dean and I stay back... we give Grant a head start
this seems like a better plan

it is so defeating mentally to be the caboose

it feels so much better to be up front as the engine

we continue this cat and mouse game

slowing and stopping for the dog to get some water and the boys to catch their breath

then I send Grant ahead and Dean and I wait back

this continues for a bit

then we run into Bike Lane's Lynne Grasso and her daughter

by this time the we are on the Yellow Trail and it has gone from kinda rocky to all rocks all the time

ride-able... but no flow... noting free... nothing easy

Lynne and her teenage daughter are turning back... 

actually... she has the map out and is trying to establish which way would be the most immediate route home

I was confident that our approach was the quickest way back

then I turn to Grant offering him an escape route

it is the rational thing to do

it is what is best for Grant

it is also what is best for Dean

this trail did a good job in showing the discrepancy in their ages and the difference in their strength and skill

this is not viewed as quitting

this is viewed as playing it smart

I thank Lynne... Grant tears back to camp in record time

Dean and I muscle our single speeds up a gradual technical climb

it gets hard and then gets harder

then there is some hike-a-bike

and then it keeps going up

not a sustained climb

but a difficult slog

Dean and I dismount and push our single speeds up the hill

I am pleased that Grant went back when he did

it was the right decision

it was a mismatch to bring these boys onto this trail together

Rosaryville... Schaeffer Farms... Wakefield... the flowing trails there is less to show the difference between a strong 10 year old and a strong 13 year old

the trails of West Virginia will separate the men from the boys

but what are my best options...

I guess separation is the best option

well... some days together... other days apart 

in these group ride scenarios I will have to make that painful Sofie's Choice

I will ride with one and send the other off with an alternate group

growing pains

growing pains for a father who wants the best for his kids

a father who wants to push his kids

and also wants to be there to support his kids and to have fun with his kids

I love riding with my boys

but... I think we need to sort out this varying intensity thing

Dean gets less out of the rides with we have Grant in the mix

but if Grant is left out... then Grant gets nothing out of the ride

what to do? what do do?