Making Fantasies into realities
BY KENNETH LUNDGREN
Hey Gang,
Much going on over here. With athletes racing, I am really excited to see so many Elite Endurance athletes step up in ‘cross… We saw some huge improvements in training, and then we were able to see the difference in racing, too… Not always easy. There is training, and then there is racing. Two completely different animals.
You have dogs.
And then you have wolves.
I am elated seeing so many riders have breakthrough seasons – I will be writing up full Cyclocross Review feature for the new Elite Endurance magazine, which will be out mid-January…
In late-September, I bought a home. The house is a beautiful custom contemporary on about 3 acres, surrounded by woods – yes, we are already building MTB singletrack and a full Cyclocross course!
In my search for a home, I really wanted something on an interesting parcel of land, a house with huge rooms, high ceilings, and massive windows. I had spent a solid 6 months stalking Zillow.com regularly, and in that aftermath only 2 homes were on my radar. This house with its long driveway was my #1 choice – and I made my fantasy my reality.
The home is really a portal of my mind and serves as the Elite Endurance Headquarters. Now that I’m here, I have been able to set up my dream cathedral office, get a real BikeLab up and running for bike fittings, and build an OCD separate storage-room for bikes.
Out back, we have a separate garage, a 3-bay structure, and I am converting it into the Elite Endurance Training Center. We’ll have a full functional gym for endurance athletes on one side, and on the other we’ll have a huge half-circle of fluid trainers set up for effective, power-based, and periodized spin classes, EE style.
I offer higher-tier experiences for VIP and Level-1 athletes, and now I will be able to better provide. Already stamped into 2015: I’ll be hosting several 3-day training camps on select weekends, for VIPs and their buds, and also for full squads that I sponsor. Athletes will be able to stay here as if in a 4-star hotel for perfect weekends of training.
Right now, I am hustling for 2015 CX Nationals. I am pleased to say I have 6 athletes going there with very serious ambitions, and each right now is on a personal journey to reach max form by early January in Texas… ALL are going to experience something incredible in Texas – the training is already showing that, and I am so excited to see what is to come.
I will be going to Nationals to coach my athletes. Weather.com is saying race week will be lows and highs of 38-62 in Austin. I coach 3 athletes in Austin and am getting intel on weather and conditions… Already I am telling my athletes what to expect, what to visualize…
2015 will be a busy year, something we’ve earned. I already have a creative designer, associate coach, and in-house diet counselor onboard, and I will be writing monthly articles for Cyclocross Magazine. We have so many rider clinics we are ready to get off the ground, we have weekly group rides leaving the Elite Endurance compound.
2014 was a landmark year in the history of Elite Endurance, and 2015 will eclipse that. When you come to Elite Endurance, you are getting the full superior experience – don’t be fooled. It’s not a rocketship we are fueling here. We are building a space shuttle and we are all going to the moon. That is how we are doing this.
Most importantly, in terms of training, based entirely 100% off EE archived training data and results, I have new training ideas and concepts to explore.
The team vehicle is purchased. We are equipping it with a trailer and Thule products (EE sponsor). Get ready for the black Elite Endurance van and trailer – now that I am not racing, I can be the full coaching presence at all races.
The most exciting news of all: when it comes down to that moment, when it’s me against you, you know in your head whether you worked hard enough. You can try to lie to yourself. You can try to tell yourself that you put in the time. But you know.
And so do I.
COMING SOON: TEAM ELITE ENDURANCE
And with that, here is the latest Elite Endurance Rad Round-Up:
After a myriad of podiums and top-5s, full awesome – BRYAN CARBONE WINS THE MAC SERIES OVERALL. Bryan, congratulations, bud. From the first race to the last, you raced beautifully, impressively consistent, a Picture of the Quintessential Cyclo-Cross Racer, a master chess player, zero weaknesses, always a step ahead. WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR CARBONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the opposite coast, Brian Bressler WINS the MFG Cyclocross Series in Washington State!!!!!!
Also in the MAC overall, Stacey Barbossa was 3rd in the Elites. Mandi Pearl was 4th in the 3/4s, Jennifer Defalco was 3rd in the women’s 45+. Louis Berrios was 9th in the 4/5 category. Keith Garrison, with some unfortunate mechanicals, was able to finish 10th in the men’s class!
BOOMTOWN BACK-TO-BACK at Marty’s CX weekend: Stacey Barbossa WINS Day 1 in the Pro/1/2/3 race, Mandi Pearl WINS Marty’s Day 2 in the Pro/1/2/3 race! In Mandi’s race, the others made some dabs and she raced a very smart, error-free 40 minutes and that was the difference in the end!
In the men’s 50+ event, Scott Sugent finished 5th! “Felt good and was second up over the first big climb behind Kahl. Was fighting in the lead group but some little bobbles caused separation.” Chris Santalucia was 9th in the Marty’s 40+ race! Strong work, Chris…
Brian Bressler WINS the MFG Magnuson Park CX Race! “Coach, had a clean start, got out fast, set the pace, then let 2 riders overtake me in the first corner… By the end of the first lap, I was in a group of 3 or 4 off the front of the race. It took me about another lap to realize I was dropping them every time we completed a technical section. They never made contact again.”
Baris Aytan of e2Value WINS the Floyd Bennett Race in Brooklyn!!!! Talk about ending the season on a high note! Woody Baum rips 2nd in the 4/5 race!
James Pearl was having a strong day at the Mill Creek CX race… and then his rear derailleur broke 😐 He came back to WIN the singlespeed race!!! Stacey Barbossa WON the women’s pro race.
Washington State’s Brian Bressler WINS the MFG Cyclocross Series! HELLO.
Chris Fritz has been on a running tear! At the Stafford 5k, Chris Fritz hammered to a 1st place in his AG, claiming 3rd overall!!!! At the LCA Turkey Trot 5k, he ripped 1st place overall! “Every dog has his day!” Then at Thanksgiving’s Gobble Wobble 5k, he PR’d with a 19:37, 9th out of 500+ entrants!!!
Kristine Angell-Contento WINS the ¾ race CXMEUR!!! First race, she is a natural!
Stacey Barbossa nearly gets blown off the course and into the lake… but WINS the Crossnado CX race! “Cold….windy….windy….windy,” Stacey said. “I got on the gas right away and stayed on the gas. I felt like the cold was searing my lungs in the early laps, like I couldn’t catch my breath, but then I was okay.”
Laura Slavin WINS the Darkness 909 Halloween Night Race, Pro class!
At the Philly Marathon, Chris Munonye PR’d by over an HOUR with a 3:14. Boom. Elite long-course triathlete John Bye also PR’d his time with a fast 3:17!
Wilis Johnson powers to 2nd at the New York State Cyclocross Championships! “Pretty cool course,” Wilis said. “Nice and tech.” A racer from NYCROSS that he battled last year was able to keep the battle doing in 2014, beating him at the line. In NJ, Stacey Barbossa battled to 2nd in the NJ State CX Championships!
Jenn DeFalco storms to 2nd at the Whirlybird MAC Series ‘Cross race! Jennie started well, but so did everyone else… She had to fight for 5th early on… The course was very messy, rain and mud and gnar, and she made sure to keep it clean, working up to 2nd place… She was able to keep the leader in sight by the finish, ending the day a strong 2nd! Keith Garrison was 7th in the men’s race!
Mandi Pearl fights to 2nd on Day 1 at HPCX, and then again on Day 2!!! Back-to-back silver medals, huge congrats Mandi!!!!! Jennifer Defalco was 3rd in the Masters race on Day 2 and 4th on Day 1!
Louis Berrios was 5th in the Cat 4/5 race at the MAC Series Whirlybird race!
Chris LaBudde was 2nd at Mill Creek in the 40+! “A dab on the mound is the difference between 1st and 2nd!” Chris yelled at me. The finale was a great fight for the lead, and 2nd is a place you earned – you earned that right, Mr. LaBudde.
NJ CX CUP FINAL STANDINGS: Stacey 2nd in the As – Mandi Pearl 3rd in the As – Louis Berrios 3rd in the Cs – Chris LaBudde 3rd in the 40+ Cat-4s – Eric Oishi 6th in the As – James Pearl 3rd in the Bs – Jennifer Defalco 6th As – Chris Santalucia 5th 40+ – Scott Sugent 5th in the 50+.
SRAM’s Angelo Mascelli rips 3rd at Turkey CX! He is 2nd overall in the PACX Series!
Washington DC’s Pete Warner is 4th at Luray CX! Scott Thompson was 7th!
Also from DC, standout junior Liam Panero rips 5th at Ed Sanders and finishes with the lead pack. “It was a power-climbing course with little technical aspect to it,” Liam said. “Some guys caught me and got around me on the 3rd lap. I chased back on and lead the next 2 laps, attacking into the final one. I went all-in but the group got me on the straights and they attacked into the final pavement hill and I didn’t have the snap.”
At DCCX, Liam stormed to 3rd at DCCX! He noted he wasn’t the strongest rider that day, fighting to stay in the top-6, but he felt like the smoothest, really able to find a great effort for the second half of the race, able to ride the ride-run turn last lap and get away for 3rd! Way to learn something about yourself here and bank some experience…
Eric Oishi fights to 5th in the pro race at CXMeur!
Erin Mascelli powers to 6th in a tough Stoudts CX race!
Ryan Heerschap was 6th at the Wilkesboro 100k MTB race!
Keith Gauvin of Connecticut fights to 7th in the huge Northampton ‘cross race!
Wilis Johnson entered the Pro race at Whirlybird… He had a killer start, trying to take advantage of his bike-handling skills in the slick conditions. In the end, in a very competitive field, now training steadily again, Wilis finished a stellar 12th!
James Pearl was 7th in the men’s event. Scott Sugent was 4th in the stacked master’s event!
Mike Borda was 14th in the men’s event!
Jeff Bizon blazes to 33rd in the Austin 70.3 Half-Ironman, PRing in the swim, bike, run!
Mike Squires of New Zealand conquers the previously unconquerable: the Mananatu Race, New Zealand’s biggest. “Mate, first, a BIG THANK YOU for all your help and feedback. I’m wrapped, man! You can always skim read if you get bored reading! 20mph winds! I was so nervous I forgot my HR strap! Immediately a group of 5 broke away and I waited like you said, long day. It’s always a gamble and like you said we can just take educated guesses. We drilled the first climb, caught them. I felt so strong, 174 HR for 20min. On the downhill, I was with the top climbers, in 3rd place! I was relaxed and following wheels, doing as you said, never on the front but at the front. Last year at Cheltman, I struggled. This year, I was able to respond to attacks! When we got into Feilding, I was so excited to be away that I started to work more. I loved it. Into the direct headwind, no one would work and I ended up pulling a lot. We were caught by a few riders, and in the sprint I was wrapped, got 8th. This is my best result in a race ever, and last year was a perfect day. We were over 7min faster today! Ken let’s keep this going! You were right!”
Brian Bressler at the Washington State CX Championships. “I fueled up as you suggested, had loads of power, felt great. The course was ‘crossy and sloppy and had turn after turn of the tightest corners I’ve ever raced, just tight turn after tight turn, not my strength. The selection happened almost immediately when two riders and I charged off the front. I had the legs to stay with them, but they had better sloppy-driving skills. My power made up for my deficiency for the first few laps, but they gapped me on a long series of muddy technical turns and really worked hard to get rid of me. I settled in to a fast but controlled race as I didn’t want to fall off the podium. I had a strong day and am really pleased with the result. I hit a new ratio, 11:1 — eleven hours of driving for one hour of racing. Snow on the pass… and good company with my dad in the passenger seat…” Brian Bressler, 3rd place at WA State CX State Championships.
