HongCheon Mountain Bike Race Report: 3rd Place 홍천며느리재대회후기 3등!

Last Sunday I got to race on my favorite mountain bike course in Korea.  Its my favorite because I won the first edition of the race overall in 2011.  Last year the course was made a bit longer though and its not quite as well suited to me as before.  Anyway there were 6 guys in the Top Category group racing with me and my goal was to get top 3 in my group.

The start went well and I was at the front of the group going into the first climb.  Then my old teammate Ji Haeng attacked and I decided to try to jump on his wheel.  This proved to be a bad idea though as I was only able to hang with him for about a minute before I blew up.  It took me a bit to recover and at that point I had been passed by a bunch of guys but I was still sitting 3^rd in my group.  I got on a guy from JiHaeng’s team’s wheel and drafted him over the next few miles of smooth rolling double track.  At this point the race was about half over when I noticed that Yong Su who was also in my group was right in front of me.  I bridged up to him dropping Hyuk Jin in the process and hit the next climb with YongSu. 

This same situation happened last year as well and on the last climb YongSu managed to drop me.  I was determined to put up more of a fight this time.  I couldn’t quite hold onto his wheel up the next climb though but I caught and passed him on the rocky descent into the final climb.  We hit the final climb together but unfortunately for me he had more in the tank than I thought and he attacked hard up the climb.  I fought to limit my losses but he was gone and I couldn’t catch him on the ensuing descent.  I still ended up 3^rd in my group though so I was pretty happy with the result.  This was the best I’ve ridden my mtb all year but unfortunately its going to be my last mountain bike race until September probably.  This weekend is my last race in Korea it’s the 5^th stop of the Korea Masters cycling tour and should be a good opportunity to score points toward the series ranking. 

지난주일요일 나 홍천며느리재자전거시합타고왔어요.  이코스 한국산악자전거코스중에 내가제일좋아해요 왜냐하면 2011년 여기서 전체일등했어요.  장년은 코스좀 변경했지만 좋아해요.  이번에 상급자탔어서 그냥 3등안에하고싶었어요.  출발하고 첫언덕에서 지행형 페이스 다다해봤지만 너무 힘들었어서 혁진형이랑 탔어요.  몇키로동안혁진형뒤에타고 리커버리했어요.  첫언덕내리고 용수형 봤어요 그래서 좀빨리타고 용수형이랑 2번째 언덕시작햇어요.  혀페이스 못다다했지만 다운힐에서 다시잡았어요.  마자막언덕같이시작했지만 용수형 너무 빨리탔어서 다시 못잡았어요 근데 상급자 3등했어서 기븐좋았어요 두디어이번시즌 산악자전거 좀잘탈수있었어요!  이번대회는 한국에 마지막 산악대회이였어요 9월부터 미국에 다시 산악자전거대회시작할거에요.  하지만 양양 MCT 남고있어요.  나 MCT 6차랑7차 못갈거에서 양양에서 포인트많이 받아봐야해요! 

100km MTB Race and Grand Fondo Report 박달재 100km대회 및 그란폰도 후기

2 weeks ago I participated in my second 100km mountain bike race.  The course consisted of about 70% double track and 30% road with a little bit of single track mixed in too.  Having not performed well in Gapyoung 2 weeks prior I wasn’t expecting much but I definitely wanted to use the race to get in better shape.  Lucky for me too the course is pretty easy for the first third of the race.  The gun went off and I was able to stay with the lead group for the first 40km or so.  After that the first really long climb started though and I was quickly on my own just racing to finish.  I ended up completing the course in a little under 5 hours which was about 15 minutes slower than last year.  I still had a great time overall though.  Big thanks to my friend Matt for letting me stay with him and his family in Jecheon before the race.  I think I’m starting to get into better shape though since I felt a lot better the next week at the Pinarello Gran Fondo.

Last Saturday my team and I participated in what was my first ever Gran Fondo ride.  Gran Fondos are basically big timed rides that have a podium for the top 3 overall finishers. Usually the courses are really tough and most peoples goal is just to finish.  This event was held in Muju in the south west part of Korea which has really big mountains.  The event started at 7am but my team decided that since we were there just to ride rather than race we would start about 20 minutes late.  This actually proved to be a pretty good idea because as we rode the course and caught and passed people I was able to catch up with lots of people I know and meet some new ones.  The course was a lot of fun but it was also pretty brutal.  There were about 7 climbs on the course one of which had cement sections that hit over 20%.  About half the people in the ride walked up it!  The course finished with a pretty long climb too and I was pretty worn out by the end of it. The total course was 130km and took me well over 5 hours to finish. 

I got to meet some one pretty interesting on the ride too.  As I was riding up one of the gradual climbs I saw two people with number 1 and 2 so I went up and said hi and started a conversation.  It turns out that I was talking to Fausto Pinarello the son of the founder of Pinarello and the current CEO of the company.  We rode for about 20km and talked about the bike market in Korea and other things.  That was definitely the highlight of my Gran Fondo ride. 

There are no races this weekend but my last 2 races in Korea are coming up fast.  Next weekend I’m racing a mountain bike race in HongCheon and the last weekend of June is the last race of the Masters Cycling Tour.

이주전에 저 박달재 100키로 산악자전거대회탔어요.  장년탈때 몸조그좋았지만  가평대회 잘못탔어서 이대회 그냥  훈련하로 했어요.  하지만 나 열심히해봤어요.  첫40키로 동안 나 앞그룹이랑탔어요.  하지만 첫 킨 언덕 페이스 못마췄어요.  마지막60키로 그냥혼자줄겁게탔어요.  기록 5시간 정도 나왔어요.  하지만 상급자에 2명박이안왔어서 2등했어요! 박달재타고 몸좀올로갔나봐요.

지난주토요일 무주 피나레로 그란펀도 타로갔어요.  나 첫그란폰도이얐어요 그리고 생각보다 재미있었어요.  시작은 7시이였는데 우리 팀 7시20분정도에 출발했어요.  이번에 대회아니여서 그냥 재미겟타고싶어서 늦게출발했어요.  코스타고 나 오랜만은친구랑 많이 얘기할수있었고 새친구 도마났어요.  코스 너무어려웠지만 재미있었어요.  내기록은 5시간반 넘었어요! 

하지만 제일 재미있는것는 나 혼자타고있었고 배번1,2번가지고있는사람봤어요.  외국인이야서 나 하이하고 얘기했어요.  그사람 피나레로 자전거 CEO 파우스토 피나레로 이얐어요!  20키로 동안같이타고 얘기했어요.  이것은 그란폰도 제일좋은추억.

이번주 자전거대회 없지만 다음주홍천 산악자전거대회신청했고 6월말에 양양 엠씨티 탈거예요.   

 

Gapyoung and This week's Training 가평대회후기랑 이번주 훈련

Last week I had my first mountain bike race of the season at Yeon In San in Gapyoung north east of Seoul.  I had raced the course 3 years ago and knew it wasn't really a great course for me mostly because it has a really long hard climb (like 10-15km of uphill).  But I wanted to do the race anyway since now that I live in Seoul I never get to mountain bike.  In addition to the course being pretty tough I got sick last week with the flu for about 3-4 days.  I was feeling better but my legs weren't really responding well to my efforts.  The race started an as soon as the climbing started I lost the front group.  So I just rode steady to the finish line.  Except for the huge tough climb the course is really pretty fun with some nice rolling sections and a nice fun downhill. 
Since that race I got some good long rides in and hopefully I will be in good condition for the 100km mountain bike race in Jecheon next week.  That course is a lot more suited to me since it plays out a lot more like a road race than an mtb race.  June wil be a pretty busy month of racing with a grand fondo race/ ride the week after the 100km race and then two more races at the end of the month. 

지난 주 나 가평 연인산 산악자전거대회 탔지만  결과 별로이얐어요.  3년전에 나 가평탔어서 이코스 내코스 아니에요 알고있었지만 나 지금 서울 살고있으니까 엠티비 못타요 그래서 그냥 신청했어요.  그리고 지난 주나 3일동안 심한프루거렸어요.  그거때문에 대회 시작할때 달리 잘안갔어요.  그냥 템포페이스타고 완주했어요  하지만 재미겠탔어요. 가평코스 다운힐재미있었어요.
이번주는 훈련조금했어요.  몇번 남산북악산타고 그리고 토요일에 장흥유원지 코스탔어요.  그리고 오늘 남산탈때 정성인형 만났어요.  그형 같이 타는사람 타이어 에어 없어서 펌프 빌요졌어요.  다음주일요일 나 박달재 100키로 대회탈거에요 그래서 이번주 도 한번 길게타야해요.   박달재대회 가평보다 탈수있으면 좋겠어요!! ㅋㅋ

Incheon MCT Race Report: 2nd Place! 인천 MCT대회 후기

Last Sunday was the 4th round of the Korean Cycling Federations Amateur Cycling series (MCT) and it was held on Ganghwa Island north of Incheon.  Having pre ridden the course the week before with my team I was excited for the race which consisted of 5 18km laps and contained 2 intermediate climbs per lap.  The rest of the course was up and down rolling and was sure to produce some fast fun racing.  The finish was at the top of a 1.5km long gradual(3%) climb which I thought I could do well in if it came down to a bunch sprint.
The race started off pretty fast with lots of small attacks but nothing was sticking until the start of the 3rd lap.  Hyung Mo Lee, my teammate Hwan Geol and a rider from the Scott team were off in a small breakaway and I had a feeling it would stick since it had most of the major players in the race represented.  I attacked going into a corner and bridged up and we were then shortly joined by some more riders bringing the group to 10 with my team having 2 and our rival in the series Scott having 2.  After this we worked together smoothly to gain a pretty good advantage on the pack.  Going into the last lap I was expecting our group to be attacked a bit but luckily we worked together pretty well until the last 2 climbs.  Hyung Mo attacked and was quickly joined by the 2 Scott riders while Hwan Geol and I struggled to catch up.  With 2km to go they were about 5 riders were about 10 seconds in front of us but we couldn't close the gap.  I finished 6th overall and HwanGeol 7th good enough for 2nd and 3rd in our age group.  Not a bad finish but both of us were hoping to place a little bit better.  Hyung Mo ended up winning and the 2 Scott riders got 2nd and 3rd. 
After the race our team went out for lunch with Arnold Kim, the Hed Wheels rep in Korea and he treated us to some super nice Korean Beef.  The whole day was going pretty well until I got home Sunday night and came down with the Flu which I've been slowly recovering from all week. 
I should be ready for this weekend's mountain bike race in Gapyoung though!

지난일요일나MCT 4차 인천 투어 탔어요.  이대회코스 마음들었어요 언덕 조금었었고 완전 크라이밍코스 아니얐어요.  원래 이코스 브레이크어워에이 할수없을거같았지만 생각보다 좀어려웠어요.  경기 시작하고 첫2바귀그냥팩이랑탔어요.  3번재 랲시작할때 땡모형, 환걸형, 스캇님1명 좀앞에있어서 나 갔어요.  3번재박위부터 10명이랑 같인 븦에이크어웨이탔어요.  우리 그룹중에 땡모형있었고 나랑 환걸형, 스캇팀2명있어서 팩에서 체이싱 한사람 별로 없었어요.  3바귀동안같이탔도 마지막 5키로에 땡모형 어텍했어요.  나다다해봤지만 힘이 없었어요. 앞에 5명있었지만 1명도 못잡았어요  그냥 나 6등환걸형 7등으로 왔어요 하지만 우리 종목에 2등3등했어요. 

경기끝나고 우리 팀 티에스 스포츠 Arnold Kim 사장님이랑 맛있는한우먹으로 갔어요!  너무 맛있었어요!  하로동안 좋아했지만 나 집에올때  몸이아팠어요!오늘 까지 플루 거렸어요!!  하지만 이번주 일요일있는 가평 시합 탈수있을거같아요! 

Naju MCT Race Report: 2nd again! 나주 마스터즈 후기

Last Saturday I participated in the 3rd race of the Masters Cycling Tour(MCT).  This is the national series that is being put on by the Korean cycling federation for amateur racers.  I was excited for the race because the course was fairly easy meaning there was a high likely hood for a sprint finish.  I was also a bit worried though because the race had 300 people in it and unlike in Gapyoung there wouldn't be any hills to split the field up making the possibility for crashes high. 
My team had a good group for the race though with 9 riders and my teammate HwanGeol currently sitting in second place for the series.  The weather for the race was great with sunny skies and just a little bit of wind.  The pace was pretty fast but like I predicted the course was too easy to break up the pack or allow a breakaway to go very far.  There were multiple crashes each lap but I was lucky to be in a good position for most of the race and avoid them.  I decided after the first lap that I would sit in the whole race and wait for the field sprint.  The next few laps were pretty uneventful and with 3km or so I moved my way to the front with my teammates Hwan Geol and Yeon Deok.  All 3 of us are good sprinters and if we played it right we had a good chance to sweep the top 3 spots.  The finishing straight was pretty straight and I decided to start sprinting first with about 250m to go.  I got a good gap and thought I had it but with about 30m left another rider just edged past me as I was running out of steam.  I started the sprint just a bit too early but I was still pleased with second overall and first in my age group.  Just behind me were Hwan Geol and Yeon Deok too meaning we swept the podium in our age group.  The guy who won is a former professional Keirin racer named Jong Chul Kang, who now owns a bike shop in the south part of Korea.  He definitely had a good sprint and I'm hoping for a rematch in 2 weeks at the MCT race in Incheon. 
The race wasn't all great for my team unfortunately though.  My teammate and our team's only female rider Myo Jin crashed hard and has a small fracture in her spine now.  It looks like she will make a full recovery but she won't be able to bike for a while.  I'm sure she will recover soon though!

지난주토요일에 나주 MCT 대회다녀왔습니다.  금요일 팀들이랑 내려가고  우리 리트칼턴 모텔에서잤어요 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.  토요일 아침에 대회준비하고 시작.  나주 코스가 내마음들었어요.  큰언덕없어서 라스트사움 될거같았어요.  하지만 300명이렇게 쉬운코스 에서 대회하면  너무지는사람많알거예요.  나 조심히타고 마지막5키로 까지 기다렸어요.  3키로남을때 나 환걸형이랑 연덕형이랑 앞에있었어요.  우리 다 스프린트 잘하니까 1,2,3등 할수있을거같았어요.  250m 남을때 나 스프린트시작햇어요.  1등할거같았지만 30m남을때 누구 내옆에 왔어요.  일찍시작했어서 힘이 없었어요 2등했어요 그리고 내뒤에 환걸형이랑 연덕형있었어요.  우리 cat 1종목에서 1,2,3등!  하지만 우리 팀 다좋은결과안나왓어요ㅠㅠ.  우리 묘진누나 넘어졌어요 그리고 허리 많이 아파졌어요ㅠㅠ.   누나 빨리나면 좋겠어요! 
이번경기에서 너무잘탔어서 다음주있는인천대회기대해요!  다시 라스트사움하면 1등해볼게요! 

Trek Race Report: 2nd Place 트렉 레이스데이 후기: 2등했어요!

Last Saturday I participated in the Trek race which was held in Tae An on the west coast of Korea.  Tae An is one of my favorite places to race and I have a pretty good record of racing there.  In 2010 in my first race there I won and then last year I finished second.  I was hoping to step back up to the top of the podium this time. 
It was a super windy day and I was racing in the Men's Senior (age 20-30) MTB road division.  On the start list there were nearly 100 riders listed but there were a lot less who actually showed up and due to the wind the pack broke apart really quickly.  After just a few miles it was just me, MunSu Jin (a really fast rider in just his 3rd year racing) and Yujin Jeong (a rider from the Giant team who I am usually close to in races).  I thought I had the best sprint of our group so my goal was just to maintain my energy to the finish but Munsu had other plans.  There are 2 hills on the course and going up the second one he attacked hard.  Yujin and I were unable to follow and he opened a gap up.  We continued to chase on the flats and finally caught him with about 10km of flat windy road to go.  Also at this point my old teammate Ji Haeng who was racing in the veteran category had caught up to my group and began pulling us at a pretty high pace.  With one K to go he told us to start sprinting for the win in our group and backed off the gas.  I sat back and then Munsu attacked.  I waited for Yujin to chase but he couldn't get on MunSu's wheel.  At this point he had a few meters on us and then I went.  I had let the gap get too big however and couldn't close it.  I sat up and got back in Yujin's draft then passed him again right at the line.  I was happy with second place but disappointed that I didn't immediately follow MunSu when he attacked since I think I maybe could have gotten him on the line.  Second was still a great result though considering I'm not in as a good of shape as I was this time last year.  This weekend I have a break from racing since I have final tests next week and in 2 weeks I have a flat road race which is the next stop in the Korea Cycling Federation's Amateur race series. 

지난주토요일 태안에있는 트렉레이스데이 다녀왔어요.  저 태안에있는대회 좋아요왜냐하면 나거기서 좋으결과 나왔어요.  2010년TDK 프리테스트에서 일등하고 장년 2등했어요.  이번에다니 일등으로 올로가고싶었어요.  나 이번에 남자시니어 MTB타로왔어요 그로기 이거 내새캐논대일산악자전거 첫경기이얐어요.
토요일에 바람너무 열심히 불렀지만 날씨좋았어요.  스타트하고 5분타고 내그릅에 3명 남고있었어요!  나 진문수랑 정유진형이랑 같이피니쉬까지 타면 나 라스트치고 할거예요 햇어요.  하지만 문수가 다른계획있었어요!  두번째언덕에서 문수 어택하고  나갔어요.  나 유진이랑 잡아봤지만 차이있었어요.  하지만  평지 나오고 우리 10키로 정도 남을때 잡았어요.  그리고 지행형 우리 3명 잡았어요.  지행형 앞에타고 너무 빨리뒤였어요.  1키로 남을때 형이 안녕하고 우리 3명 스프린트시작!  나 뒤에 다다하고 먼저 문수갔어요.  유진형 잡아봤지만 못잡고 나 좀다다하고 나갔어요 하지만 나도 못잡았어요그래서 다시 유진형 다다하고 마지막 50미터에 갔어요 2등하고. 아쉽지만 2등 하고했어서 좋았어요.  문수 스프린트 시작 할때 꼭 가야했는데 기다렸어서 못잡았어요.  문수 이번시즌 너무 잘탈거같아요!! 
대회 타고 다시 만리포 혼자 자전거타고갔어요 그리고 주형형이랑 승용이랑 낙지복음먹고 집으로갔어요! 

Gapyoung and New 29er 가평이랑 첫 29인치라이딩 더보기

I had my first race of the season last weekend.  It was a 60kmish road race in Gapyoung north or Seoul.  The pack was 300 riders but luckily the course had a pretty big climb that we did 4 times that thinned out the pack pretty quick.  The race also finished with a 3kmish climb meaning I didn't have much confidence for a good finish since I'm normally more of a sprinter than a climber.  My goal was to hit the final climb with the lead pack and then just ride steady to the finish.  I also wanted to help one of my teammates Hwan Geol who had won the first race of the 6 race series this was a part of.  Unfortunately though he was suffering from a cold and didn't have great legs. 
I acheived my goal of making it to the final climb with the lead pack and finished 39th.  Hyung Mo Lee, a super strong rider who consistently beat me when we were in break aways together last year, broke away solo and finished more than a minute up on the pack.  But the best finish of the day came from my two teammates Myo Jin and Sang Jun who both won their age categories.  Sangjun is a high school student who joined my team last year and is a really good climber but doesn't have much power for the flats yet.  He was riding well and stormed the final climb to win the under 30 age group and finish 6th overall.  It was a pretty amazing result considering he is only 16!  Myo Jin is our star girl rider and it wasn't a big surprise that she won the women's category.
This past weekend I finally got to take my new Cannondale 29er off road.  I went down to Yongin near where I used to teach to ride some fire roads and was very impressed.  I climbed a hill that I never cleared in 3 years of living in Yongin.  I think the big wheels help keep traction better when climbing steep stuff.  I'm looking forward to taking it out for some mountain bike races soon.  This weekend I'm doing a 50km road race on it which should be pretty fun. 

지난주못썼지만 나 가평 마스터즈 대회 갔다왔어요.  가평 코스 너무 어려워서 내 하고싶은거그냥 마지막 언덕까지 앞그룹이랑타고싶었어요.  환걸형도 도와주고싶었는데 코스 너무 힘들었어서 잘못도와졌어요. 나 39등하고탔어요! 첫대회이야서괜찮아요.  내결과별로이얐지만 우리팀 막내 상준이 너무 잘탔어요.  상준이 원래 언덕잘타니까 이코스 너무 잘탈수있었는거이얐어요.  마지막언덕에서 상준이 너무 빨리타고 전체6등하고 시니어 1등했어요!! 묘진누나도 여자부1등했어요! 
이번주 나 두디어 새 캐논데일 29인치 오프로드 코스 타로갔어요.  용인에 친구 파티있어서 자전거 가지가고  묵리 임도코스 탔어요.  29인치 바귀 찐자 생각 보다 좋아요.  원래 못타는언덕 잘올로갈수잇어요!  큰바귀 grip 너무새요!  첫 어프로드대회 기대해요 하지만 이번주말에  트랙대회 엠티비로드로 나가요!  아마도 가평이나 무주 첫  찐자 엠티비대회이얄거같아요.