Races are Won in the Off-Season

Or so the saying goes, if you want to go big as far as results during the season, you have to go big in terms of commitment to training during the lonely months of winter. With spring racing heating up in March, that means lots of miles in January. I always thought it was funny that I put in the most miles of the year during the worst weather of the year.

This winter has been no different in my rural surroundings of Jackson County, NC. The local cycling community (small as it is) takes a collective hiatus during the dead of winter, so chances to share in the misery are limited to my wife Deb and drives to other locations to ride with other racers. So far in the first 3 weeks of January, I have logged just over 1000miles and about 800 of that by myself. Training is going very well, despite sub-freezing temps, frozen precipitation and early darkness. I keep warm and entertained by dreaming of flying in summer races. Let's hope the miles pay off!

Dream Come True!

Thanks to Glenn Thrift (better known as Papa) I've secured my USCF Category 1 Upgrade. Whew-hew!!! Been knockin' on that door since 2006 and wasn't sure I'd get over the hump on that one. But it is done! BIG TIME Thank You to everyone that's helped me get there, starting with Dad, Jim Cunningham Sr!

Coach Jim

Flying Training Partner

When not training with you guys on the WBLs I have to keep my edge some how. This is my latest training partner. As he flys from tree to tree and I try and keep up. It's hell trying to stay with him when he takes a dirt road or a local wants dinner and shots ring out. No worries though as he does this all for the comfort of a warm house and tootsie pops. We need to work a little on his resting HR...something like 250....talk about a sprinter.

Cyclocross British Style #2

With a visit down south to visit Deb's brother, it was time to go racing. We didn't quite know what to expect. Would it be a big race with lots going on? or would it be a dinky little local race? It ended up being more of the latter. Here I am at registration - a small card table on the edge of the parking lot. Registration fee - 8pounds = 15dollars. No fussy release forms, just put your name on a line and pick up your number.

I thought the course pretty much sucked. most of it was in corn fields. This is the finish line. It was really muddy, the kind of mud that sticks, get clogged on your frame, and eventually makes it so the wheels don't go around. With only one bike, I had to stop a couple times to pull mud out of the frame with my hands. Not a very exciting course, just some tape in a couple fields, not even any real turns to deal with, just mud.

This race pretty much had one category - seniors. All senior men and women started together. they would separate out the women's results later. There were about 55 of us all together at the line. Everyone from a handful of pros to first timers lined up side by side. The numbers they issued us were made of thick rubberized cloth. They were reusable, just turn them back in at the end of the race. I didn't get any photos of us actually in the race, as we were both on the course at the same time, but here I am just after the race. The bikes are a bit "ditched" as they would say here. Deb had a close race with the other woman in the race, total 2 women. Deb managed to attack her on the last lap and came away with the victory! Good thing, she managed to win back our registration money. I ended up 18th and got a CD case as my prize. I had an ok race, all the top guys had 2 or more bikes to swap out when they got muddy. I guess the Brits are used to racing in the mud and have figured out that having a couple bikes makes a big difference. I was surprised by the fitness of these guys. Still I had fun and enjoyed the different scene. I must say though that our races in NC are far superior. Our NC series races attract more racers than their National Championships.

Other fun things to note, we managed a long ride around the "New Forest" on a rare sunny day in winter. The New Forest is known for its semi-wild ponies that rome free around the park. After this ride, the weather turned bad. Deb and I did one ride in the snow and another in freezing fog, gota love those english conditions!

Man I am OLD

OK maybe not off all fours but this sucks.....threw the old back out while doing some off season lifting last weekend. Within a half hour of lifting, I was lying on my back and immobile. Recovery is not coming fast enough thought I was able to go out for 2 hours today...such is life.