10 Questions With... Stephen Wahl

by David Kirkpatrick, Features Editor

Stephen Wahl races for ABRT. Every racer torturing himself on a trainer through a cold and dark winter hopes to come out of the gate like Stephen did in '09, taking a string of wins and podiums before leaving for the rarefied air of Cat 2.  If that's not enough, he also races cross. 

(photo by Amy Jones)

10 Questions With... Stephen Wahl

(GamJams) 1. You were good in Cat 4, but absolutely dominant in Cat 3.  What was it about Cat 3 that so much better suited your strengths, or were you just much better prepared for the 2009 season that you’d been before?

(Stephen Wahl) I was just much better prepared for the season than I was the previous year, mainly because I worked much harder in the off season and I was so much more motivated to do well.  I am a big supporter of the Computrainer classes that I was taking at Chris and Fred Kelley’s new studio in Middletown, The Kelley Acres Speed Shop.  The classes that I was attending on Tuesday nights allowed me to get the most out of my intervals; I could see everything that I was actually doing because all of the information was right there in front of me.  I also had my VO2 Max tested, so for the first time I actually knew all of my heart rate and power zones.  This allowed me to focus on my weak areas, which I struggled in doing because I had no real structure outside of the CT classes I was taking.  I just rode hard all the time.  I still have the hardest time holding back; I just want to hammer every time I get on the bike.  The CT classes combined with the longer rides I was doing outside on the weekends, which included a lot of hills around where I live, allowed me to see improvements every week and it was exciting and motivating to me. 

Along with the Computrainer classes was the excitement of being on a new team.  Actually, I think the excitement of joining a new team was what got me so motivated.  I was really looking forward to racing with my new team mates at ABRT (formerly Team Latitude/ ABRT), and having a team to race with on a regular basis.  I loved racing for Joe Jefferson and Tim Lung over at Antietam Velo Club, but they were a much smaller team and mostly consisted of masters’ racers, so it seemed fitting to try something new because I really wanted to move up the ranks.  The guys at AVC supported my decision to move on and that was a good feeling.  


(GJ) 2. Did you plan an early peak last year or were you aiming for later in the season and just wound up being really strong in the early season?

(SW) I didn’t necessarily plan an early peak.  I knew that I had to come out strong because I was going to be doing my first couple of races in the 1,2,3 events at Jeff Cup and Walkersville and I wanted to make sure I was prepared.  I also prefer some of the earlier races in the season and wanted to do well in some of my favorite crits.  My goal was to do well enough to upgrade to Cat 2 last year and I really wanted to go for the Cat 3 BAR.  I accomplished one of the two and made a good run for the second, so I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

To be honest, I wanted to be strong the entire season, but didn’t really have a good plan for accomplishing this, and experienced some burnout at different times during the year.  I felt terrible during the Michael P. Murad Road Race, and could have easily finished way back in the pack if guys had kept the pace higher.  Though there were times I was hurting in the back, I managed to read the race well enough and made sure I was in the right place at the right time for the finish.  Kyle Jones told me once that I looked relaxed and patient during a lot of the races, and now that I think of it, he was right.  I can’t remember any races where I was really nervous or panicked.  Well, maybe nervous in a couple, but I was way more comfortable than I had been in previous seasons. 


(GJ) 3. You were forced out of Cat 3 and into Cat 2 while dominating the Cat 3 BAR competition.  Do you feel like you got screwed by the situation – if nothing else for a free year of entry fees, and what do you see as a reasonable solution to the situation of the most eligible contestants in a season long competition not being allowed to compete for the full season?

(SW) I knew that you were going to ask me this question and I was prepared to send a short and sweet response.  After thinking about it for some time I decided that I should say a little more, especially since all the talk about it last year had a lot to do with me being forced to upgrade, I think, and I said very little, if anything about it. 

First, let me say that I respect the decisions that were made and the ones that made them.  One of those people told me I should upgrade or “be in danger of being labeled the BAR Champion and the Sandbagger of the year at the same time”.  You know, my entire life I’ve always agonized over what I thought other people might think of me and I didn’t want this to be what people thought of me during the next season.  Did I want the BAR?  Hell yeah I did, but not for the free entry fees.  That never even crossed my mind until after I was upgraded.  I wanted it mostly because I worked my butt off in the winter and wanted something to show for it, even if it was just a jersey.  Am I upset about being forced to upgrade?  Not one bit.  I preferred the senior 1/2/3 races and it was one of my goals to upgrade to Cat 2.  I got to do some cool races last year as a 3 and even got some call-ups at some of the big NRC races that I entered.  How awesome is that! 

As far as a reasonable solution, it was already in place.  I made an attempt to stay for few more races that I wanted to do as a 3, but was denied.  At first I was a little upset about the decision, but later realized it was the right one.  However, I do think that it really depends on the situation, whether or not someone should be allowed to stay and contest a season long competition.  If it’s a tight competition between several people, then yeah, stay and have fun with it.  If it is not even close, then it’s probably best to move on.  In the end you’ll get better race experience and probably more satisfaction out of it.


(GJ) 4. ABRT, which you joined before last season, seemed to work really well together last year, but has lost a couple of key members for this coming year.  How are you guys going to adapt to the new lineup?

(SW) We lost some great guys over the winter, Chip Hoover, Art Brown and Lance Lacy, but we still have a great team with some real strong guys, as well as some awesome sponsors.  We have some new guys on the team that I can’t wait to race with, Matt Neigh and George Ganoung, as well as some Cat 3 racers that are eager to upgrade this year.  We'll be without Nat Thompson for a period while he is in Belgium to attend the Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy, so he’ll definitely be missed while he is gone, but we are all excited that he is getting this opportunity.
As far as adapting to the new lineup, we try to get out on rides together whenever possible.  We have some team building stuff on the schedule for the winter months; like taking turns planning and leading rides on the weekends.  I think getting out on rides as a team as much as possible is the most important thing.  It’s tough sometimes because we all have different schedules with work, family and our personal lives, plus we all come from different areas of MABRAland, so planning rides can be a test of patience.


(GJ) 5. There’s a lot of discussion back and forth about the best way to approach “base” training.  What was it that worked so well for you last year?

(SW) I don’t have a lot of experience in this area, but I know what worked for me.  The intensity of the Computrainer classes, with lots of good long base mile rides on the weekends, and just getting out on the bike as much as possible, whether it was the road, mountain, cross or fixed gear bike was how I built up my base last winter. 


(GJ) 6. Your first bike races were mountain bike races.  What made you decide to switch to the road and do you see yourself giving mountain bike racing another try?

(SW) My first bike race ever was the 2005 Terror of Teaberry mountain bike race in the Michaux State Forest, one of the hardest mountain bike races in the area.  It was on my 30th Birthday, and a friend had convinced me to do it, so I figured what the heck.  That was also the first year that I had ever done any type of group riding on the road bike.  I did my first century in the spring and can remember looking down at my computer at various points on the ride and couldn’t believe how far I was riding.  This was one of the hardest things I had done on the bike up until I raced at Michaux.  After doing the Tarwheel Century down in NC, I began doing regular group rides on Monday nights and eventually worked up the nerve to try the Tuesday Night Worlds rides, where I learned a little more about riding fast in a group and working a paceline.  I also learned how to sprint on this ride because there were a bunch of sprint points along the route.  There were a bunch of guys on the ride that taught me a lot about racing, guys like John Olinski and Curt Southern.  I can remember Curt teaching me how to sprint in the drops because I used to sprint on the hoods. 

My first road race was in 2006.  I was out for a ride with my brother and there was a race going on in Baker Park in Frederick.  We rode over to see what it was all about because I always heard the guys on the Tuesday night rides talking about road races, but I had never witnessed one.  When we got there a friend of mine had to drop out of the Cat 5 race for medical reasons and said I should take his spot.  So I jumped in and did the race, finished 4th and loved it.  It was pretty scary because it was either raining, or it had just rained, and there were all of these guys bouncing off of each other in the corners….and the straights for that matter.  On the last lap my friend Mike got into a bad crash and all I can remember is looking over my shoulder and seeing guys flying through the air.  This was all new to me and I had no freaking idea what I was doing out there, but all I knew was that it was fun!  It was nothing like mountain bike racing where you may only be around a couple of guys the entire race.

I ended up doing two more races that year, Reston Town Center and BikeJam and placed in the top ten in both events.  In 2007 I decided that I should join a team, so I joined the local club, Antietam Velo Club, but still wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do.  I continued to race mountain bikes and had a pretty good road season that year and upgraded to Cat 4.  My main goal that year was simply to do at least enough races to get out of Cat 5 because I thought if I could at least make it to Cat 4 I would be happy.  Not so.  I got the bug and found myself wanting to do more and more road races.  I did even fewer mtb races in 2008 (not that I was doing a ton of them in the first place) and only did one in 2009.  I will definitely give mountain bike racing another try, but I am going to continue focusing on road racing and working towards getting my Cat 1 upgrade for right now.
 

(GJ) 7. As you’ve moved up through the ranks, what have you found to be the major differences in racing in the various categories?

(SW) Besides the obvious differences of the races being faster, longer and harder as I moved up through the categories, I find them to be much smoother.  I noticed this when I did my first 30+ race at Fort Ritchie in 2008.  I was just reading a blog today where some guys were talking about the Cat 4 races, and how guys are always trying to move up to the front with no purpose other than to be up near the front.  That was the one thing I hated the most about racing in the lower categories; the traffic jams at the front.  I almost always attempted to do something during the races I had entered.  There’s no point in racing if you are only going to do a fast group ride and then sprint at the finish.  The 4/5 races are great for experimenting and learning what your strengths are and for trying new things.

The upper Cat races also tend to be strung out much more.  I love being on the edge during a race.  There’s nothing like being in a long, strung out paceline and trying to work your way to the front with a purpose, whether it is to get into a breakaway, pull back a break, or help out a team mate.   I am looking forward to this next year and what I will learn racing the Pro 1/2/3 races.


(GJ) 8. Your season stretches a pretty long way, from being ready to go for the first races in the spring all the way through cross season.  What are the plusses and minuses to racing such a long season?

(SW) The biggest benefit of racing such a long season is being able to carry over fitness from one discipline to the next.  But you have to do it right and take a break to make it work, which I’m still learning.  Hopefully I will have a better transition this fall from road to cyclocross and have better fitness in the elite ‘cross races. 

The drawbacks to a long racing season are how long it is (!) and the big commitment of time and money.  I do have to make some sacrifices in my personal life, but this is what I am passionate about and what I want to do right now.


(GJ) 9. What are some of the specific things you’re working on as you pursue your upgrade to Cat 1?

(SW) I want to be a better all-around rider so I am getting help this year from a coach.  That is by far the biggest thing; I’ve never had a coach up until now, so it’s a big deal for me.  I especially need help managing my training time since my job currently has me commuting 150 miles a day between my house in Frederick and a project in Annapolis.  It helps that I will have someone to hold me accountable to my workouts.  It sucks sometimes because there are nights that I get home late and I just want to veg, but I’ll climb onto the trainer and do my workouts.  There are guys crazier than me, riding at 2:30 in the morning, outside in the freezing rain and stuff like that, so I have to make sure I am going to be ready to compete with them this year (and I will be!). 

Off the bike I am also doing other stuff to focus on my core strength, and of course I am still going to the Computrainer classes at Kelley Acres.  I was recently fit by John Howard, along with a bunch of others on the team.  He made some changes to my position to help me produce more power and it is working out well so far.  Lastly, I am heading over to Spain at the beginning of March with some others from the team for 10 days of training.  This I can’t wait for!


(GJ) 10. Finish the following sentence: “In 12 months I’d like to…”

(SW) ….be a Cat 1 in both road and ‘cross!  But I would also like to be able to look back on the year and say that I did it without neglecting everything else in my life.  This can be tough, but I have other personal goals outside of cycling that I want to achieve, so it is going to be a busy year! 

--

David Kirkpatrick is a Features Editor with GamJams. He is enjoying growing fame through his blog Flamenco Chuckwagon, and as promoter of the lauded Lost River Classic.

Comments

[Ian Morrison]

Wow I made a Gam Jams picture. Obviously this picture was taken before my fitting at Bike Doctor Waldorf by Chris Richardson (see left knee searching for more rotational room). At least I know what wheel to follow . . .

[Tim Rugg]

I want tree trunks for legs.

[terribleTerry]

Tim, talk to Todd... he know's everything about weight machines....even where NOT to stick his fingers.

[Lance Lacy]

Stevie's a great bike racer and a good friend,he's so calm,quiet and nice off the bike and super aggressive on the bike, a total Jekyll & Hyde...but in a good way haha

[harryf]

Stephen, Great interview. No one will ever call you a sandbagger and good luck on moving up to CAT 1.

[Don Feinberg]

Steve, Very fun read. My only concern is that you mentioned learning some of your sprinting skills from Lumpy ( John O. ) That's scary! :-)