Cookes garner cyclo-cross fame
By NANCY HAGGERTY, Poughkeepsie Journal, NY :: The miles are in the thousands, the titles numerous. But this week, like every week, Rebecca and Paul Cooke will bike, logging more hours and more miles.The Hyde Park couple are accomplished in multiple cycling disciplines.
But their current focus is cyclo-cross, a sport capturing an American audience after years of popularity overseas. And, specifically, it's on the December 9 National Championships in Providence, R.I.
Coming off an up and down season, Paul, 48, a St. Francis Hospital anesthesiologist, believes his initial goal of a top-10 finish is probably out of reach for this year.
But Rebecca, 45, who, has done only 15 cyclo-cross races — six this fall — after Paul convinced her to try the sport three years ago, has a shot at a title.
Road racing since 1987, she was in and out of the sport for 10 years before doing it on a regular basis. And, boy, did she do it. While living in Massachusetts, Rebecca was New England's top road racer in her age group in 1997, '98 and '99, winning the New England Road Championship in 1998. After the Cookes moved to Arizona, she became the Arizona time trial champion in 2000 and in 2001-2004 was state criterium champion. In 2002, Rebecca also captured the masters National Road Championship, riding to victory in 109-degree heat. And this past June, just two months after moving locally, she claimed New York's masters time trial title.
"She's the most accomplished woman in the world," Paul said with obvious pride.
That seems as much the result of hungry-dog-seeking-bone determination as talent. Losing to a more experienced/technically stronger rider in her first ever cyclo-cross race in 2002 not only wasn't acceptable but doubled her resolve to improve. Three races later, she won the Arizona state championship.
"I have more of an internal competitive drive than external. My achievements have been based more on passion than ability," explained Rebecca, a full-time medical billing student who trains five days a week.
Change in concentration
With little left to prove in road racing, she has concentrated the past two years on cyclo-cross. A typical road race lasts three-to-four hours, a cyclo-cross race 40-45 minutes.
But cyclo-cross is all high intensity. Rebecca will typically complete five-to-six, 2- to 3-kilometer laps that can include hills, forest trails, pavement and grass. Usually each lap has three barriers that require her to dismount, run carrying her 18-pound bike, and remount — no easy task.
"It's constantly changing. It's an all-out effort," Rebecca said. "You're always looking ahead and always concentrating. So many things can go wrong."
Paul, a veteran of 250-300 road races, hopes to join a road race team next year and record a top-three finish in his age group at the New York time trials. But after two years as Arizona masters champ, Paul, who juggles eight-to-14 hours of weekly cycling with a fluctuating work schedule, also hopes to do well in cyclo-cross, where he often faces 100 riders.
With an opening mad-dash sprint (his weakest element), sprints out of corners, barriers and some rough terrain, injuries seem inevitable. And Paul noted he and his wife share the philosophy, "It's really not cyclo-cross unless there's blood involved."
That said, "The thing about cyclo-cross is you fall a lot but usually it's on dirt and usually you're not going so fast that you really hurt yourself," added Paul, whose road injuries include a broken rib from being run over by another cyclist.
Rebecca, whose bone-diseased right wrist was fused in 2000, knows all about injuries, most also suffered road biking. But for motivation next month she can remember missing the 2003 cyclo-cross Nationals after breaking an ankle in a "stupid, low-speed fall" six days earlier.
Although beating many 20-something racers this fall, she'll race in masters under the national format, likely facing the 2003 and the 2004 national champions.
"It will take a fair amount of luck to win," Rebecca allowed.
But it has never been only about winning.
"I love what I'm doing and I want to do the best I can do ... There's always something to be improved on," she said.
And, with every race, that challenge continues.
But their current focus is cyclo-cross, a sport capturing an American audience after years of popularity overseas. And, specifically, it's on the December 9 National Championships in Providence, R.I.
Coming off an up and down season, Paul, 48, a St. Francis Hospital anesthesiologist, believes his initial goal of a top-10 finish is probably out of reach for this year.
But Rebecca, 45, who, has done only 15 cyclo-cross races — six this fall — after Paul convinced her to try the sport three years ago, has a shot at a title.
Road racing since 1987, she was in and out of the sport for 10 years before doing it on a regular basis. And, boy, did she do it. While living in Massachusetts, Rebecca was New England's top road racer in her age group in 1997, '98 and '99, winning the New England Road Championship in 1998. After the Cookes moved to Arizona, she became the Arizona time trial champion in 2000 and in 2001-2004 was state criterium champion. In 2002, Rebecca also captured the masters National Road Championship, riding to victory in 109-degree heat. And this past June, just two months after moving locally, she claimed New York's masters time trial title.
"She's the most accomplished woman in the world," Paul said with obvious pride.
That seems as much the result of hungry-dog-seeking-bone determination as talent. Losing to a more experienced/technically stronger rider in her first ever cyclo-cross race in 2002 not only wasn't acceptable but doubled her resolve to improve. Three races later, she won the Arizona state championship.
"I have more of an internal competitive drive than external. My achievements have been based more on passion than ability," explained Rebecca, a full-time medical billing student who trains five days a week.
Change in concentration
With little left to prove in road racing, she has concentrated the past two years on cyclo-cross. A typical road race lasts three-to-four hours, a cyclo-cross race 40-45 minutes.
But cyclo-cross is all high intensity. Rebecca will typically complete five-to-six, 2- to 3-kilometer laps that can include hills, forest trails, pavement and grass. Usually each lap has three barriers that require her to dismount, run carrying her 18-pound bike, and remount — no easy task.
"It's constantly changing. It's an all-out effort," Rebecca said. "You're always looking ahead and always concentrating. So many things can go wrong."
Paul, a veteran of 250-300 road races, hopes to join a road race team next year and record a top-three finish in his age group at the New York time trials. But after two years as Arizona masters champ, Paul, who juggles eight-to-14 hours of weekly cycling with a fluctuating work schedule, also hopes to do well in cyclo-cross, where he often faces 100 riders.
With an opening mad-dash sprint (his weakest element), sprints out of corners, barriers and some rough terrain, injuries seem inevitable. And Paul noted he and his wife share the philosophy, "It's really not cyclo-cross unless there's blood involved."
That said, "The thing about cyclo-cross is you fall a lot but usually it's on dirt and usually you're not going so fast that you really hurt yourself," added Paul, whose road injuries include a broken rib from being run over by another cyclist.
Rebecca, whose bone-diseased right wrist was fused in 2000, knows all about injuries, most also suffered road biking. But for motivation next month she can remember missing the 2003 cyclo-cross Nationals after breaking an ankle in a "stupid, low-speed fall" six days earlier.
Although beating many 20-something racers this fall, she'll race in masters under the national format, likely facing the 2003 and the 2004 national champions.
"It will take a fair amount of luck to win," Rebecca allowed.
But it has never been only about winning.
"I love what I'm doing and I want to do the best I can do ... There's always something to be improved on," she said.
And, with every race, that challenge continues.
posted by Ryan Amirault at Tuesday, November 29, 2005
