Boughton Farm #2 - 12/9/2007

The last race of the year, ahhh yes. Another season draws to a close. Typical for the last week, I'm on rivet between family and finals. The weather isn't cooperating either, so I need to take even more time to get on the trainer. All part of my life though.

Last week we expected epic conditions, and didn't get them exactly. There was mud though... This week, we've had snow, and cold... the forecast calls for slightly warmer temperatures... and freezing rain. This week should be epic.

I'm really hoping to put in a good performance to finish out the season. This is all about today, since the series places are pretty well set. I'm sitting in third place in the A Master's series, and since they are not awarding double points for the final this year, I don't think there are enough points available for Bill to make up the 8 points to catch me. Derrick is 21 points ahead of me... so as long as I finish the race, the places will stay static... unless a lot of new Master's decide to race A and come between us. Not very likely with this weather.

The Course

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The course is very similar to last week. Same first field crossing around the cabbage patch. Then loop back for one barrier crossing before hitting a lot of the same wooded sections backwards. Around the long field, and after the short woods, we head out toward a long road section. Back around the barns and through the start finish. 2.2 miles again, with lots of snow and mud.

Pre-Race.
I did pretty well getting to the farm early enough to get ready and get some laps in. I took the pit bike around twice, and found things reasonable... lots of icy turns would be interesting, there were many snow free sections, and the woods were pretty muddy. I fully expected the course to deteriorate by the time my race started.

The B's started and near the end the rain started. I got some trainer warm up, but wanted to take the race bike around to see how the tubbies would hook up. I got one lap in and was bounced around pretty thoroughly in the cabbage field. I let some more air out of the tires and was probably running between 25 and 30. I finished the lap, and went to change into some dry/race clothes. I would have liked to take another lap on the muds, but only had time for another trip around the cabbage field. I switched back to the tubbies, and was still caught out when they started lining up for the start.

Right before the race, Rudy asked a few of us how many laps we wanted to do. The B's had done 3 laps, and I thought it would be sporting if we did one more than they did... I seem to remember this happening in the past, probably the last race of the season last year. At the start, Rudy then blames me for distance... HEY!

The Race
I wasn't the last one to the line, but I was on the second row. 21 crazies lined up for what we all agreed would be a stupid race.

This week I decided to run the start, instead of riding. On the wistle the run didn't help much, but it put me into the top half of the field. As we made the first traversal of the cabbage patch, I was bounced all over the place! I'd done this thing four times in warm up, but could not get a clean line... and was loosing places like crazy. Especially when the bike went sideways and I was pitched off the trail and into the cabbage! Horrendous! I was swearing like a sailor as I saw the front bunch of guys just ride away... and I nearly took out Ernesto in the process.

I make the next turn, and try to find the lines I like.... Ernie totally yard sales it before the next set of turns. So I'm by him, and I start to pick up some places where it's not icy. I'm fine until we get through the two rises leading back to the cabbage patch field, and again... I flail. Ernesto squeezes through a gap that I thought was tight heading into the barriers. I ended up leaning in on him again, that guy was solid though and we both made it upright. I've never leaned that hard before.. I'm glad I didn't screw him up again... I'm he was motivated to stay away from me for a while.

Once away from the cabbage, I started to get a rhythm. I was through the woods alright, and drilling it past as many people as possible on the straight sections. I need to go really hard every chance I can to make up the space I lost on the start. I'm still really far back... though I have no idea how far.

Through the start/finish I hit the cabbage patch again, thinking I'm on my own, I have to do better than last lap when I was in traffic... but I don't. It's terrible again. Steiner and Quinlin come by me at the edge of the field. Dave says "RIDE YOUR DAMN BIKE! I've caught you now..." as they put in a small gap. I make the turn and then totally sprawl out on the next icy section. I'm flailing, and I know it. So, I need to adjust my tactics.

Into chase mode! The gap is large, but I can't let them go. I'm closeing slowly through the woods. Quinlin is having trouble in the woods, and I get by him before the last section. I catch Dave as Chip Meeks is passing him heading into in the last section, and I get both of them before the exit and then drill it through the mud corner and up the muddy rise to put in the gap. Ahead of me is Derrick, Rudy and Bill... in that order. Bill is about 500meters up the road. Woah! I've been behind Rudy every race this year, but Derrick and Bill have never been in front of me after the first lap. I've got some work to do now.

I hit the road, I need to get to Derrick... I close, the gap down to about 100 meters as we head into the cabbage patch again. Now it's a defensive rideto not loose anything more. I make it through reasonably well. Not great, but I don't loose the distance like the other two laps. Once away from my bad spots, I work to close the gap down some more. Through the woods and on the road, I close the gap down a bit.

As I'm coming through the finish, Brent is running his bike and his chain is dangling. That's going to change the order. I need to catch Derrick! Brent is close behind as I start the last pass on the cabbage patch... and I blow it again and end up in the muck, and Derrick opens the gap some more. ARRRGGHH!! I close some heading to the woods, but I screw up through some of the sections. Brent catches and leaves Derrick, I have little time left. Leave it all out here!

Some quick calculating says I'm REALLY glad they aren't doing double points, I'm still committed to catching Derrick. I'm still sprinting as well as I can after this effort, and the gap is coming down....but not fast enough. I know it's over when he beats me to the end of the road section. I just didn't ride the course clean enough to make up any more spots.

Post Race
Congrats to Bill who won the A Master's race. It's been a while since he won. Before the race, he joked that we should just run this course and leave the bikes behind. My reply was that he'd beat me for sure in a running race, and so it was. After the race, he said he ran a good portion of the cabbage patch crossing every lap... maybe I should have run more.

Brent was able to race past his chain problems. He ended up catching Rudy and pulling him away from Derrick and I. In the end they went shoulder to shoulder at the end of the road section with Brent taking second, Rudy third. Derrick was fourth and I was fifth. I ended up thirteenth overall, my worst finish this season... and yet, probably the best race effort I've done. The cabbage patch was my demise, I lost everything there and even though I raced very well everywhere else, I could not get out of the hole I dug in the patch in 3 of the 4 laps.

Epic for sure. Though I didn't really see it, the rain didn't let up all race. I rolled around a little after the race, then had a really hard time getting into dry clothes. 30+ degrees and rainy. That is 'cross weather, I hope the NATZ don't see this stuff, but our guys will be ready after today's battles.

That's it for my season. Overall I'm pretty happy with the year. I didn't get the cross results I was hoping for, but I learned a lot about racing. I'm looking forward to putting all this together next year.

Special thanks to the Lake Effect guys for another great series. The courses were well done again, and it's always fun. Thanks also my team mates for sticking around and cheering, screaming and flogging me this year. Gary and Rick both have pics up for this week. Snow and Mud. YEAH!