Results

Official results are up for the cross race. 31st out of 40 riders in Cat 4.

First Cross Race

I decided to give cross racing a try last night. A few of the guys I race with talk about it from time to time, so I thought I should check it out. When I showed up, I was surprised by the length of the course. Granted, this is a 'practice' race, but I thought the race would have utilized more of the space. This isn't really a complaint, but an observation.

I arrived at the race early enough to get in 30 minutes of riding prior to the race. I was also able to go through the course two time prior to the start. A couple observations:
1. Josh C. was right, I need to practice my dismounts.
2. I need some skinny tires.

At the start, I lined up at the back. I was more interested in experiencing the race to get a better idea of how everything works. It probably wasn't the best idea, because as soon as the whistle sounded, the front of the group took off while I waited for the traffic to start moving. It was a significant disadvantage in meeting my first goal of not getting lapped.

The pace of the race wasn't too bad. I have been running all year, so that definitely helped. On lap 3 I crashed for the first time this year. I was coming around a corner pretty fast and slid out on the grass. My chain had popped off, so I lost a few spots trying to get it back on.

There were 2 other guys with mountain bikes, and we ended up riding the majority of the race together. I had the lead of the three of us until my accident. The rider that passed me was Dan K. It was good to see him again after his baby hiatus.

Saw a lot of familiar faces at the race (Brendan B, Nate G, Dan K, etc). It was a great workout, a good time, and an overall fun experience. I will definitely try my hand at a few more races this fall.

The Cold is my Achelles

Was planning on racing this weekend. Woke up Saturday morning to light rain, which was enough for me to stay home. Rode 17 miles with Andy on Saturday afternoon. He pulled me through some hills as he rode his road bike and I was on the knobbies. Didn't have much in the legs for the ride, so it was probably best that I didn't race. Fighting a cold...

I might try to ride a cross this week, but my achelles tendor is sore from the hills ride on Saturday. It feels weird... The cold air rides kill my legs. Time to get some leg warmers.

Murphy Ride

Rode two advanced laps at murphy on Sunday. Trail was fast, or maybe that was me ;)

Legs have caught up to lungs and feel pretty balanced. Rode the 15+miles in 1.25 with multiple stops to stretch, fuel and enjoy the scenery.

Next weekend is the last race of 2010. Hopefully the other riders are tapering, while I am peaking...

Pain Cave

I have been reading a few mtb racing blogs this summer and have found a new favorite phase: Pain Cave.

def. To dig deep into ones mental fortitude where physical exertion exceeds that of what is comfortable and safe.

It is a reoccurring theme in race recaps written by these elite athletes. I have started to explore my pain cave a little more, but in some cases I am fearful that I will break something. More spelunking required for next year.

It was a triple header this weekend for rides:
17 miles in the rain (Friday) - really sapped my energy trying to stay warm. Found the opening to the "pain cave".
13 miles on railroad bed with Jenny (Saturday) - got a couple hill sprints in, but for the most part it was a slow roll.
20 miles of flats into the wind (Sunday) - Entered pain cave on upwind stretch.

Murphy Weekend

I got out to Murphy this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Both time I brought the boys, so it was not at hard training ride.

On Saturday, Josh, Max, and I did a full lap. It took us 2 hours, but the boys seemed to enjoy it. If they have to look forward to ice cream, then it is worth it for them. Josh rode most of the hazards, with the exception of the elevated roller coaster. He was much more comfortable on the bike, now that I cut his seatpost down. I thought we were in trouble when Max went over his bars on one of the bridges. He cried a little, but was ready to continue on.

On Sunday, I bought Jenny a mountain bike. We went out to the trail as a family. This was Jenny's first time hitting the dirt, and she was pretty scared. The intent was to ride the green and blue sections this time, but the three boys got way ahead of mom and dad. The three of them continued onto the black trail without waiting. In the meantime, Jenny was struggling to complete the blue section, but was improving. I decided to bring her back out to the green loop, where she was more comfortable, and catch up to the boys in the black loop. With Jenny safe and sound, I took off at top speed back into the blue section. I had a great time hammering out the blue and a portion of the black before I caught up with Josh and Max. I rode the last 2.5 miles to the green with the little boys, but never saw Asher.

Although both days included a lot of slow riding, I was a little tired on Monday. I guess I will call those days endurance rides...