Boulder cross #3

After the nice 40’ warm up ride to the race Lindsay and I parked at the Full Cycle (the shop a wrench at) tent and truck. I surveyed the course while Lins tock in some race atmosphere, a burger and some brews. I got in a warm up lap on the course and I was immediately worried. The first half was flat sections on the hard pack beach and field. But the pavement and field section were riddled with either turns or brain rattling, washboard bumps. None the less I felt this section was where I could make up time. But then the course rolled into the off camber sandy turn down to the beach. Then up the what seemed like a 4 mile slightly up hill beach run, back down the beach in 5 inch deep, balance sucking sand to the muddy shore that required what seemed like 500+ watts to turn over my 39/27, then to the easier gravel and paved section!
standard cross I guess, and I was standardly terrified.
I warmed up well with some hard efforts and was pretty sauced on cytomax , sport legs pills and 1 can of GO FAST. I got fairly good position at the start in the second row and we were off.

I got a solid hole shot into around 10 position but as I braked getting ready for the right hand turn everyone seemed to be much more confident about there turning skills than I. This is a normal thing but this time it was crazy! Then, about… no the whole field came by me, tearing ass into the field straight ahead. What the fu*!? Ohh!? I guess no right hand turn on the first lap? I guess they told us this at the start but I never heard it. Neither did Lindsay but what ever.
So I wasn’t in the first lap lung busting mix up front but on a positive note. I wasn’t in the first lap, lung busting mix up front. around the second lap when 75% of the field realized they had just gone way harder then they should have and I started to pass some folks. I got into the top 20 and laid down the best pace I could. I handled the course better than I thought I would but it was the toughest course I had done yet. Training or racing, granted that isn’t that many courses but point is it was more difficult than last week. And combined with my race course knowledge snafu I was under the gun to place better.
The lap cards read 2 to go fairly early so I gave it everything focusing on making no mistakes. I had one carrot in my sights with ½ a lap to go but just couldn’t get by him.

In the end I finished happily in 16^th, and unhappily I finished in 16^th. I did better than last week which was good and with the difficult course my improvement was solid. But I couldn’t help loath my stupidity at my lack of course knowledge of the starting corners and the thought that a top ten would have been easily in hand.

A good lesson learned and another fun race in the bag.

More soon.

Boulder Cross # 2

With the lady gone for the weekend I have been rather unstructured this weekend. 12 noon came upon me fast and the next thing I knew I was driving around Broomfield, CO looking for a bunch of cyclocrossers riding around in the mud drooling all over them selves. I found them with plenty of time but as I got dressed I began to wonder how long my bowl of grape nuts I ate 4 hours ago would last me? All day. That stuff should be illegal!

I previewed the course and it looked good for me. With some long flat, grass sections and only one (if a long one) running section. I warmed up a bit and it was time to roll. The weather was quite chilly, low 40’s, but the sun was strong as it always is out here. The start was… a cross start. Crashes, yelling, chains and gears make awful noises. I managed to avoid them taking the first turn on the flat grass start wide. I was around 15^th or so as the field hit the single track/ bike path. I went all out for the first lap. I past several people on the clogged run up, hit the fast section that would bring us onto the large field and to the start/finish line.
Right about here I realized that I had not warmed up nearly enough. My lungs burned form the cold air and my mouth filled with flem. This made breathing rather hard as my nose was in the normal “working out in cold weather” situation. A minute or 2 of some professional hacking and I was square.
I focused on my own rhythm as what seemed like 20 people past me in my lactic acid over dosed state. I was blown but riding well, making it through the tricky section on the bike without loosing momentum. A few friends were there as giving me the status on where I was. “25^th Ek, 2-5!” they yelled. That’s not bad I thought. I wanted to make top 20 as you need to be in the top 20 to get points for the series. I found a good pace and kept chugging away. Then I started catching people. “23^rd EK, 2-3!!”. I was moving up. Keep pushing I told my self but I had to be cautious with my effort. Cyclocross is one high power acceleration after another. Go to hard and you’ll be standing still. Literally. I came by the finish with 1 lap to go. I put a little more into the legs. I had 2 people in sight to catch and 3 breathing down my neck. “No mistakes”, I thought. I could take a risk and gain 2 seconds or loose 30. I went with the steady, no mistakes strategy for the whole race. I was pulling away from my chasers on the non technical sections now and gaining on the riders in front of me. On the last run my legs felt like cement and I missed my shoulder with the bike. Still smooth I pasted one on the re-mount and another with 200 meters to go for 18^th place.
I was broken. Lungs burning unable to take a deep breath without hacking and coughing. I was pleased. The course wasn’t to difficult letting me keep my rhythm better than the last race.

More racing to come next weekend!

Boulder cross series #1

The Boulder cross series is pretty nice in the sense that I can simply ride to any of the races in about 15 minutes tops. And with shot races it makes for easy logistics. Today was the first race in the series. I decided to race Cat 3. I could have raced 4 and probably still not have won but I was afraid of the back lash I might have received. I did my normal not long enough warm up, and there I was on the long straight paved section that was the start. I got a good hole shot and was riding 2nd wheel until the right side of the pack surged and I went into the dirt about 15th. I was pretty happy with that and focused hard knowing that this first 10’ or so would be the hardest part of the race. as we hit the first run up I dropped my chain, and lost about 20 places. I got back on track and drilled it. I passed a few guys and found myself in what seemed to be the second group. Pretty large, about 12 guys or so. A few bobbles and surge at the front w/ me at the back and I was gapped again. Lap 3 I started to think I better walk the “run ups” because I felt like I was gona puck! I pushed hard on the long paved section and my chain dropped again. Lost that group for good. I was now really suffering and riding with 2 guys towards the back of the race when… yes, my chain dropped again! This time because my arms failed to work when I tried to pick up my bike. It hit the barrier and I dragged it behind me for about 10 feet before I could muster the strength to shoulder it. Pretty sad. Then luck came my way, one of the guys who dropped me on my last chain bobble dropped his chain. Ahhh redemption. I flew past him trying to save my, uhhh 3rd from last place finish and did. I gained on a few others in the last lap as well.
End result: not sure on the placing but not good. I do have a hacking cough, my left knee hurts and I some how have a Charlie horse in my right quad? No clue how.
So worth it? Ohh yeah! If I can keep my chain on I think I can go mid pack or better for sure.
Till nest time…