Little write up from the race yesterday.
Winter Weather Bulletin: When the wind velocity is one and half times what the outside temperature is, its cold. The temperature was 28 degrees and the wind had gusts up to 40 mph.
Before the race I was getting some advice from a bike mechanic friend about some problem I was having with my rear derailleur. He put the bike up on the stand and started working on it. He finished and I took it for a short ride with no problems. I get dressed and start to warm up because its getting close to starting time. While warming up I notice the rear phantom shifting (dropping down in gears without you shifting.) I kind of start getting nervous because theres no way I can have a good race with this going on. So I hurry back to camp and consult with Carlos. He puts it back up on the stand and after about 5 seconds he decides to replace the cable. This is not a major undertaking but I only have 15 minuets now before staging. I get a little nervous because Carlos starts clipping cables but Carlos consoles Fear not my child there is plenty of time. Carlos works his magic and I head for the start with a brief pit stop at the restrooms and then continue over to the start. Right as Im pulling up my number is called. Woo I made it without a second to spare!
If you will remember from one of my previous lesson about knowing where the finish line is, I now have another lesson in conjunction, about knowing where the start is. I had to jump a fence to get to the start and went the opposite direction because I didnt know where to go and everyone had a nice little laugh. Then at the start line I get a brief description of how the start works. Im thoroughly confused but I go anyway. The start was in a big open field and there were at least 15 starters side by side and I was able to score a second row starting position (as opposed to the last row in the last race I did.) The gun went off and everyone hammered. The start was about a 1/4 mile in length and with all the bikes speeding through there. The dust and hay was kicking up really bad. I couldnt see and my allergies started to bother me. I didnt do too well off the start and entered the single track near the back of the pack.
Into the single track immediately people started faltering. I try to push myself to the point of breaking down but not all the way because theres more than 9 miles left to go. Some people hammer the start expecting to be able to take it easy in the single track but thats where the really good people really shine. I started getting into my pace and started dropping people but I couldnt really breath that well. I was only able to get about half of a full breath and the quick breaths were making my stomach cramp. There was a guy in front of me that was setting a pretty good pace and I decided to hang with him for a while. Normally no matter how fast or slow someone is I will pass them to make them earn that spot but I needed to find a rhythm and get my breathing under control (never happened.) Working together we passed a lot of people but he wasnt that experienced and was having problems in the technical stuff like picking bad lines and having to use extra energy to make up for his mistakes. This also hampered me too so I decided to leave him when bam!! He hit the deck. Luckily I had just made my move and got around I gave him a quick shout out you ok he said yea so I started making my move on the field.
The next few miles were pretty uneventful. Heart pounding, body hurting, stomach aching. Lots of people not taking the right lines and having to get off the bike on the short climbs but I was blowing by them all. There are two really exciting spots on the course coming up and I know theres going to be a crowd when I get there so I try to rest a little to get ready. The first one is Gass Pass and its a very steep hill that has water breaks across the trail that makes it pretty tricky and a really sharp right hand turn at the bottom. There are people standing at the top clapping as I go by and bomb the hill. I was going pretty fast and had to slow down because somebody was going really slow down it (little upset about that. People ruin the funnest parts.) The when I round the corner that very same guy is off to the left of the trail and I say Pass at that moment he decides to switch sides and crosses my front tire (his rear tire swipes my front tire) which sends me OTB (over the handle bars.) Luckily I was able to unclip from the pedals and jump over the handlebars and get clear of the bike. I land on my feet run down the trail a bit stop run back and pick up my bike. That dude stopped and apologized I said thanks and told him to go on. While all this is going on people start passing me. One of my buddies who I pass just a short bit back passes me again. Up a head theres a really tuff climb and another fun hill.
Theres only about a mile and a half left in the race and I swear Im going to get some of those places back that I just lost (at lest 4.) As I start to climb this really big hill I can hear all the screams for the spectators so I pick up the pace just a little. I pass that little scoundrel that made me crash and as Im going up I see my buddy again so I put an extra little bit in and at the top about 50 feet away there he is about to drop in on the really awesome descent. I give him a little space and then I go for it. The trail loops back right to where the people were standing cheering us going up so there yelling again. I stand out of the saddle and put all of my weight over the rear tire and fly down this hill. WooHoo what a rush lots of my friends were theyre cheering me on. At the bottom and over a little rise I catch up to my friend he makes it over the bridge before me but I catch him on the climb. As Im passing Im yelling at him to pick it up theres only about 1/4 of a mile left and for him to hang in there. I round the top of the hill and head back down to a fun little section and I see two more people in front and I wont to pass them. When you get to the bottom of the hill you turn around and head back up about 200 yards to the finish line. I get to the bottom stand up and really start pounding hard. I pass the first guy in no time at all but the other guy hears the people screaming and picks it up too. I didnt pass him but it felt good to finish really strong anyways.
All in all it was a pretty good race considering. I finished 20 out of 54 so it was a decent showing but I really want a top 10.
Winter Weather Bulletin: When the wind velocity is one and half times what the outside temperature is, its cold. The temperature was 28 degrees and the wind had gusts up to 40 mph.
Before the race I was getting some advice from a bike mechanic friend about some problem I was having with my rear derailleur. He put the bike up on the stand and started working on it. He finished and I took it for a short ride with no problems. I get dressed and start to warm up because its getting close to starting time. While warming up I notice the rear phantom shifting (dropping down in gears without you shifting.) I kind of start getting nervous because theres no way I can have a good race with this going on. So I hurry back to camp and consult with Carlos. He puts it back up on the stand and after about 5 seconds he decides to replace the cable. This is not a major undertaking but I only have 15 minuets now before staging. I get a little nervous because Carlos starts clipping cables but Carlos consoles Fear not my child there is plenty of time. Carlos works his magic and I head for the start with a brief pit stop at the restrooms and then continue over to the start. Right as Im pulling up my number is called. Woo I made it without a second to spare!
If you will remember from one of my previous lesson about knowing where the finish line is, I now have another lesson in conjunction, about knowing where the start is. I had to jump a fence to get to the start and went the opposite direction because I didnt know where to go and everyone had a nice little laugh. Then at the start line I get a brief description of how the start works. Im thoroughly confused but I go anyway. The start was in a big open field and there were at least 15 starters side by side and I was able to score a second row starting position (as opposed to the last row in the last race I did.) The gun went off and everyone hammered. The start was about a 1/4 mile in length and with all the bikes speeding through there. The dust and hay was kicking up really bad. I couldnt see and my allergies started to bother me. I didnt do too well off the start and entered the single track near the back of the pack.
Into the single track immediately people started faltering. I try to push myself to the point of breaking down but not all the way because theres more than 9 miles left to go. Some people hammer the start expecting to be able to take it easy in the single track but thats where the really good people really shine. I started getting into my pace and started dropping people but I couldnt really breath that well. I was only able to get about half of a full breath and the quick breaths were making my stomach cramp. There was a guy in front of me that was setting a pretty good pace and I decided to hang with him for a while. Normally no matter how fast or slow someone is I will pass them to make them earn that spot but I needed to find a rhythm and get my breathing under control (never happened.) Working together we passed a lot of people but he wasnt that experienced and was having problems in the technical stuff like picking bad lines and having to use extra energy to make up for his mistakes. This also hampered me too so I decided to leave him when bam!! He hit the deck. Luckily I had just made my move and got around I gave him a quick shout out you ok he said yea so I started making my move on the field.
The next few miles were pretty uneventful. Heart pounding, body hurting, stomach aching. Lots of people not taking the right lines and having to get off the bike on the short climbs but I was blowing by them all. There are two really exciting spots on the course coming up and I know theres going to be a crowd when I get there so I try to rest a little to get ready. The first one is Gass Pass and its a very steep hill that has water breaks across the trail that makes it pretty tricky and a really sharp right hand turn at the bottom. There are people standing at the top clapping as I go by and bomb the hill. I was going pretty fast and had to slow down because somebody was going really slow down it (little upset about that. People ruin the funnest parts.) The when I round the corner that very same guy is off to the left of the trail and I say Pass at that moment he decides to switch sides and crosses my front tire (his rear tire swipes my front tire) which sends me OTB (over the handle bars.) Luckily I was able to unclip from the pedals and jump over the handlebars and get clear of the bike. I land on my feet run down the trail a bit stop run back and pick up my bike. That dude stopped and apologized I said thanks and told him to go on. While all this is going on people start passing me. One of my buddies who I pass just a short bit back passes me again. Up a head theres a really tuff climb and another fun hill.
Theres only about a mile and a half left in the race and I swear Im going to get some of those places back that I just lost (at lest 4.) As I start to climb this really big hill I can hear all the screams for the spectators so I pick up the pace just a little. I pass that little scoundrel that made me crash and as Im going up I see my buddy again so I put an extra little bit in and at the top about 50 feet away there he is about to drop in on the really awesome descent. I give him a little space and then I go for it. The trail loops back right to where the people were standing cheering us going up so there yelling again. I stand out of the saddle and put all of my weight over the rear tire and fly down this hill. WooHoo what a rush lots of my friends were theyre cheering me on. At the bottom and over a little rise I catch up to my friend he makes it over the bridge before me but I catch him on the climb. As Im passing Im yelling at him to pick it up theres only about 1/4 of a mile left and for him to hang in there. I round the top of the hill and head back down to a fun little section and I see two more people in front and I wont to pass them. When you get to the bottom of the hill you turn around and head back up about 200 yards to the finish line. I get to the bottom stand up and really start pounding hard. I pass the first guy in no time at all but the other guy hears the people screaming and picks it up too. I didnt pass him but it felt good to finish really strong anyways.
All in all it was a pretty good race considering. I finished 20 out of 54 so it was a decent showing but I really want a top 10.
