Orrville Cyclocross #2 - 2006

November 5, 2006

Being the parent of teenagers teaches flexibility. My intent was to do the Raccoon Township Cyclocross race near Pittsburgh. I've heard great things about the course. The down side is the 2 hour drive each way, so when things go a little... uh... wobbly at home, it was easy to start questioning spending 4 hours driving to do an hour (or two if I could jump into two race) of painful cyclocross.

So, by Saturday evening I was already planning on returning to the Orrville cyclocross race. I'd done it two years ago, and the course is nice. It'll cut the drive time in half, but they start much later with the A race going at 3:15, I wouldn't get home before 5:30, and realistically, it would be closer to 6.... what a waffle day. By 10:30 Sunday morning, I'd decide I was going to drive to Orrville, and do the B race. With my passport stamped, I'm on the road to Orrville by 12:00 for the 2:15 start. I couldn't make last weeks Orrville race, so with no racing for two weeks, and little training, I'm "well rested" for this race. Well, I'm not over trained anyway.

The course had few changes since I'd last been here. A barrier before a short hill run up. Right down the other side, and you enter the twisty single track. There's three bridge crossings, and then a barrier/creek crossing/ run up combo before the sidewalk/pavement leading back into a stiff headwind field. Back into more single track, and another field crossing to complete the course.

I arrived at about 1:00 and start putting it all together. Last weeks report was a wet course, so I put the Michelin Muds on and take a lap with Pat Miranda. It's dried out a lot, so I switch to the Tufos and get in another warm up lap a bit faster with Dave Steiner. About half way through the first single track section, I shifted to my 48 big ring and tried that out for the remainder of the lap. I think this will work.

Both warm up laps were at a quick, but not race pace. I then saw that it was after 2, so I jumped on the road and did a big effort to get the heart rate up, and spun around the block hard. Then jumped onto the course to try a fast lap.... but bailed before the second single track section, thinking I might miss the start. That would be bad.

We line up where everyone thinks we should, and I'm in the second line. Rudy Sroka is in the B's, as well as John Lorson, so I'm expecting a fast race. Ryan Wayne and Scott Thor are the fast B's I've seen around so I'm watching them also. Before the start, we're moved, and lined up in one line. 18 men, and 3 women.... they announce payout to 5 places, with cash to the top women and we're off.

Race

There was a crash on the first bridge of the C race, so I decide I want the hole shot for this one. A slight uphill sprint to the barrier/run up combo. At the bell, an Orrville rider takes off, and I'm third behind Ryan Wayne to the barrier. Big ring seems to be working well, and there's a bit of a gap going into the single track. The first guy over is opening up a huge gap in no time, I'm staying close to Ryan, third I can handle... but I'm hearing people on my wheel. Over the second bridge, and Rudy passes me with John Lorson... fifth, last payout. Scott Thor comes around me before the next bridge. Sixth... ugh, this is hard.

Through the barrier creek crossing, and the gaps are opening. These guys are flying! Into the headwind, and another Orrville guy comes around right before the next single track section... then bobbles it and the gap opens more. I can sit on this guys wheel, or give him a little space so if he goes down, I won't get tangled up. So I back down a bit.... that's it, he takes off and now I have to work to close it down... all in the first lap!

This isn't going the way I want it to, but I'm thinking some of these guys will be back soon. I decide to go back to the small ring, cause I'm in the upper end of my cassette. Lap two, Dave and Rick Parr are battling behind me. I've got to keep them off... and the group of 5 chasers are within reach. The first guy is flying and well away.

Into the uphill field... this thing is deadly! I feel like I'm pedaling though peanut butter though it's mostly solid ground. To the barrier, and I hear Dave lifting the bike over, but I opened a gap on him into the single track.... the whole way around, Dave works to close the gap down. I'm opening it through the single track, he closes on the open sections. We go through the line at 13:03... already 45 seconds+ down on the lead rider in 2 laps.

Again, I hit the field, and am bogged down. I hear Dave lift the barrier and I get into the single track with a gap. As we get close to the creek crossing, we start closing on a lapped rider. He stops at the barrier, as we're coming up with speed. He gets off and runs the creek, and I'm coming up fast near the left edge... I probably should have yelled at him that I was passing... and sure enough he moves toward me, and I bang him or his bike with mine as we get to the top.... Urgh!!! Hop back on, and commence my chase. I can just see Scott making the turn as we remount.

Dave is back on my wheel, and comes around into the headwind... fine, I'll sit on and recover. As we head into the single track, I again get this fear of tangling bikes and back off a little bit... and Dave opens his gap. Now I'm just demoralized, I try to get back on Dave's wheel, and my gears start skipping.... through 4 laps at 27:30 or so... 2:15 down on the leader in 4 laps.

Skipping gears! Did I whack my dérailleur? Was it doing this before I passed that guy? I don't remember, I just need to get back to Dave, then see about bringing Scott back. 27 minutes, 2 maybe three more laps to go... I'm dying here. No one is behind me that I can see... so it's just catch Dave. But I'm going backwards.

All right, I backed it down and did a little recovery... don't panic, just work. So it's about here that I figure out how to take the tighter twists in the single track with speed (a little late).

With two to go, I start to ramp up my pace again, but I don't have enough motor for it to make much difference. Scott is gone, and the gap to Dave is opening. I come through for the bell lap, and noted that they ring the bell every time a rider comes through. There's probably 30+ seconds to Dave... and I get over the barrier before I hear the bell behind me... so I've got 8th unless my wheels come completely off. Can I catch Dave?

I dig completely in and try to do everything I can... but Dave is still opening up on me . He's over the creek before I enter that section, and on his way to the finish field before I get to the last single track section... I finished at 50:10... 4:45 behind the winner, and almost 3 minutes behind Scott Thor.

Post

With this course, I probably should have switched to the single ring setup. A 42 would have been about perfect for the flat course. Next week, we're doing the hilly course that pushed me away from the single ring on my first CX season, so I'm not sure that I'll do the switch yet.

Racing against in a different field with new people was fun, though I don't feel I was really on today. So as I cross the finish line, Dave asks me if I had a good day, or a bad day, so he can judge where he was.... being he's been doing the BA A races, and was doing the same thing I was.

It occurs to me... how do I define a good day in cyclocross? You certainly can't go by how you feel. The adage is "It doesn't get any easier as you progress through the ranks, you still suffer the same, you just go faster doing it." So... what's a good day?

1. Extraordinary/Fantastic day! - If I win... it's only happened once... and my legs felt no different than any other week, so this is not a thoroughly tested data point.
2. Really good day - If I finish in front of people that I think should beat me, even if it's cause they were hung over, or had a "bad day".
   
3. Good day - If I finish in front of people that I think that I'm supposed to be competitive with.
4. OK day - If I finish where I expected, well it could be an OK day, or a bad day.... depending on my perception on my ability to have done better.
5. Bad day - Anything else.

So on this scale, I had a bad day. Since at the line I expected to be able to easily (in the standard CX definition) crack the top 5. It doesn't matter if the other people had a good day, or not. If the course suited them or not.... I must have had a bad day, cause I got beat. If it wasn't a bad leg day, then it's a bad day cause I couldn't respond to their move, or I couldn't close their gap. Dave can use this scale also... so by this scale, he had a good day or a real good day depending on how he perceives beating me.

Looks to me like I've got to find a way to get the training back in order before next weeks race. I've also got work to do on my pre-race prep, and I may be replacing a cassette. Fortunately I really like next weeks course. I'm hoping for a really good day.

Special thanks to Katie for the pic.