August 25, 2004
Just like riding a bicycle...
The first cyclocross race of the season. Of course, this wasn't REAL 'cross weather. 70 and partly cloudy... it hasn't rained in a couple of weeks. But it doesn't matter... all weather is 'cross weather, and the season is young.
Last year, I did this race as my first ever cyclocross experience... and did pretty well. The course didn't change significantly from last year. We started next to the road, with a long straight start/finish section. doubled back for the first set of barriers. Made a right turn and headed up the hill. Another quick right, into the first downhill through the trees. We turned back to climb half way up the hill, then snake across the field toward the stair run up. At the top of the stairs, a long straight section to the amphitheater terraces. We drop and climb the top terrace twice, then head down the hill to snake around through the stage area before heading back to the start finish straight. An interesting feature here is slotting through a 2.5 foot gap between 2 8x8 posts heading into and out of the start/finish straight. The course is about 3/4 of a mile long... so the repeated barriers, climbing and run ups become the issue.
Now that I'm a seasoned bicycle racer and 'cross vet (!), I actually had some expectations that I would be able to podium this thing. I even decided that 45 minutes wasn't long enough... so I planned on doing the B race for the podium, then joining the A race for "fun". I know... fun is not normally the feeling used to describe cyclocross.
I arrived at the venue at 8:30, and noticed many more cars in the lot than last year when I was the only cat 5 racer to show up. Honey Stinger had done much more advertising this year than last, and it paid off. The C race was off with 5 cat 5 racers including 1 woman, and a couple of juniors including a 10 year old.
The schedule is the C-race with Cat 5/cit/juniors. Then the Cat 3-4/women B race, and then the Cat 1-2-3 A race. Yep, 3-4's in the B's... well, maybe podium was a bit ambitious for this cat 4 racer. But then, without goals... you have nothing.
I saw a lot of guys I knew from last years circuit, I even talked a pair of them into racing B's... the event was sanctioned, but if they let me race with the cat 3 field, they'd let these guys race up with a one-day.
So a warm-up while the C race is going, and the course is OK. Ryan and I are representing Chaos. Pat and Linda Miranda, Brett Davis and Norm Kreiselmeier from Snake Bite, Brett and Norm are on singlespeeds. There's John and Jeff from Honey Stinger and Phil Hines is also there... from last years cross season. Paul Salipante from Square Wheels is there and he gives me the run down on who to watch from the Case students. From where I sit, it's pretty open... though my money is on Brett and Phil with way to many unknowns.
B Race
So cyclocross boils down to the start.... you need to have a good start so you don't get tied up in traffic and inexperienced riders going into the first obstacles, which was going to be the first turn between the posts when we were stuffing 20 guys in a small space, and then getting over the first barriers. After that the hill climb would start to spread the field out.
"Racers ready", and I start messing with my computer! I am out of practice. I know better than this! My goal was the hole shot, and instead I'm pushing buttons as we head out. So I'm behind about 5-10 guys through the posts, and start to move up as we approach the first set of barriers. I'm though and back on OK, then hit the hill. I'm still in a group, so I just run up the hill for the first time. I was able to ride it in practice, with guys in front of me, I didn't want the risk.
Out and around to the stairs, shoulder the bike and run the stairs. Remount at the top and get a little recovery. 4th place here behind a speedgoat, Brett Davis and Phil Hines. OK, I'm OK. I look down and I see my HRM at 196! My max used to be 182, at least before the Summit fall challenge when I saw 208. So either something is wrong with me, or my HRM is squirrelly. No other riders around me close enough to make a difference... and I feel fine, except that I know I'm over my LT (it is 'cross!). So I turn the HRM so I can't see the numbers. I don't want to know what it says until I get home and download the data. What I don't know, won't scare me.
Through the first lap, and it's time to get settled in. Pat Miranda from SnakeBite is leading me around, every time I try to come around, he either accelerates, or I don't have it. I start to wonder if he's playing the team game on me with Brett up front. It's possible... the front three are opening a big gap and I can't do much to close yet. Meanwhile I'm trying to let Pat protect me from the wind also. We were together for at least a lap, when I got around him on the start/finish straight. He encouraged me on. Big head or what, but he was right behind me going through the first barriers where I screw up the remount... don't screw up a remount... it hurts. You're supposed to land on the inside of the right thigh. I ended up landing a little further up, somehow ending up with the saddle in my stomach (after a few other areas were hit). I got readjusted, but Pat got around me on the climb while I was trying to clear my vision. Now I'm in 5th.
I passed Pat somewhere and was back in 4th place. Then one of the trips through the amphitheater I misjudged the climb and went down. Back up quick enough, but the chain came off my front ring. So I messed around with getting it back on, and was passed by at least two guys. So now I've got space to make up. Chain back on and I'm off chasing...
At some point Norm from SnakeBite went by me... and opened a nice gap. so I'm 6th or 7th with the 2 SnakeBite single speeds in front of me. Those guys are killing me, I'm hoping their legs blow up. I picked up the first place pretty quickly and am into 6th... and slowly open up the gap behind me.
Last year, it seemed my technical skills helped tremendously in the races. I have reasonable skills dismounting, running the barriers and remounting. I shoulder the bike pretty well, and feel pretty smooth in the carry. My mountain biking helps my control in the dirt and mud, so I use those to maintain and advance my position. I also ran a lot playing soccer. This year, my fitness and strength are better, but I've done almost no running and very little mountain biking and 'cross skills practice.
Jeff from Honey Stinger stayed in front for an appreciable time, and I was starting to get concerned. I was watching him and kept slowly bringing him back on the dismounts. Then going through the first set barriers, I clipped the last one and laid out completely. I bounced back up, and again had to lift the chain onto the front ring.
I eventually caught Jeff and passed him going up the stairs. I think he was blown because I had a big gap going into the amphitheater (about 600 meters past the stairs). 5th place.. with not much racing left.
The way the 'cross courses are laid out allow you lots of areas to see where everyone else is. It was pretty obvious that the front 3 were gone from me, never to be seen again. Norm was still a ways up ahead but I wasn't sure if I could catch him with what was left. I was holding Jeff off, so I was pretty sure 5th was mine. The race is figured on time, but after 5 laps or so they take the average lap time, then set the lap counter. So after 5 laps, they say we have N laps to go... and they start counting down. With about 7 or 8 to go, I start to second guess my choice to race in the A's. What was I thinking? I'd forgotten how hard these things are! No way will I survive another hour of this!
At one point, the course doubled back on itself and I saw Ryan cussing at the top of the hill... his race was over with a blown rear tire...
I'm still trying to catch Norm, hold off Jeff, and wondering if I'll race with the A's when I realize I may get lapped by the leader. The race is over when the leader crosses the line, so you finish the lap your on, and that's it. With about 3 to go, I decide I need to not only hold off Jeff, but also the leader so I can finish on the same lap as they do. 2 to go, and it's looking like it might be tight. Jeff is still a ways back and they are still behind him, but they start ringing he bell a little earlier than I'm comfortable with. So I start pushing more.
I realized here that Norm is too far ahead to catch, so my race now is to not get lapped. Down and around, and into the final stretch, and I'm through on the lead lap. I make the turn and through the barriers when I think I hear/see the race end... I keep looking back, but Jeff is nowhere to be seen... I realized that he must have gotten caught just about at the finish and won't be chasing. I won't catch Norm, so i sit up and just cruise in. Trying to save something for the A race.
Fifth place out of 20. Not what I wanted, but I can see areas to improve. It was the Speedgoat, Phil Hines, Brett, Norm and me. I know there were some Cat 3's in the field and I did beat some of them. I think if I could have stayed on the bike, including the bad remount, I could have been in with a chance at 4th. I still might not have had it, but the gap looked to be about the time I wasted in the three mishaps. I do need to get some running and more practice before the next race though. NEXT RACE!! THAT'S NOW! Eat, drink, mix up some Accelerade for my jersey pocket, and get down to the start for the A race.
A Race
OK, I'm now racing the Cat 1-2-3's. Who's in the field? Paul Martin, Rudy Sroka, Ernie from Speedgoat. These guys are incredible. The rest of the field is just really good and really fast... Brent Evens, Mike Goreman, some other Lake Effect guys... and I am spent. Fortunately, Brett Davis from SnakeBite is also racing again... we're the only fools though. Seeing Paul, I ask Brett... "What do you think? 4 or 5 laps down from the winner?" His response... "At least, the idea is to finish and don't be last." My goal is to finish... not more than 5 laps down... even if I am last. No expectations, since this is my second race of the day.
"Racers ready..." and this time I was at least technically ready, if not physically. The whistle, and I'm content to be the back marker heading into the first turn... in fact I was impressed I stayed with the field through the first barriers and up the first hill where I start to fall off.
OK, so it's my own race, and I've got my goals. I'm relaxed and content to be the back marker... I settle in to a comfortable pace (relatively speaking, this is still 'cross). I'm just concentrating on being smooth through the dismounts, and staying steady. No mistakes, this is practice... Brett has a gap on me, then there is the rest of the field ahead of him.
I think I held off being lapped for 3 laps. Right at the top of the stairs, the leader comes through. At that point I started racing by watching who was catching me, and giving space where they could pass. Paul Martin was the second guy by me right before the amphitheater. Going through he caught a peddle and went down... the same place I had in the B race. I didn't see the fall because I was concentrating on my line, but I did pass him before he was up. I passed Paul Martin! Small victories... it didn't last long.
OK, keep it smooth, continue on. I haven't quit a race yet, and I can finish this one... even if it is ugly. But it wasn't. I was holding the gap to Brett pretty constant, and I started to feel pretty good. It helped loads to have people on the course cheering for me. So I kept it up. Before I knew it, it looked like there was someone between Brett and I. Tim Edwards from Honey Stinger... it's possible I won't finish last! Now there is motivation... so I started to chase him. Not burying myself, not taking huge risks, just steadily try to pull him in. I was still getting passed, but now I was racing... ahead and behind.
I eventually caught Tim.. and opened a nice gap. Brett was still maintaining his space, and I was maintaining mine. 2 laps down on the leaders. Then 3... That's OK with me... it just means 3 laps I don't have to do. Hold off Tim, try to close on Brett... well, as long as I'm not last, I've exceeded my goals!
At the finish, I was only 3 laps down on the leaders... and I wasn't last. A personal victory...
Post
The B race was about 10.5 miles in about 48-50 minutes, the A race about 14 in 1:08. I'm still setting goals for the Bike Authority series. I'd like to win the B points series... and get at least 1 win. The B field is supposed to be Cat 4/5, sport race. I think a top 3 in the series is a realistic goal... and I'd be disappointed with less since I got fifth last year without 'cross experience. A lot depends on where Brett Davis and Phil Hines race... and how often they show up. I think Phil is a cat 3 now, so that might help. My plan is all 6 races with consistent finishes. So it's time to get more practice, and more 'cross specific training.
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