I haven’t posted for a while.
apologies would be in order if I didn’t feel vindicated by other posts in other
places, work done and many races between. life is hectic, and now I find time
to write.
cyclocross season is upon us. it
greets with cold mornings, hot afternoons and intermittent rains.
I love the turmoil. though I could use better rain pants.
to flash back in time, I would be remiss if I didn't highlight the first race of the season, the Langley Cyclocross Classic at Aldor
Acres, thrown by our very own Mighty Riders Basse Clement. I’ll keep it brief,
but in the first race of the season I felt powerful. new year, new gear, I wanted to rock. and I
did. the field was small but competitive and I was excited to go off solo and
capture the win on the hot, dusty course. the full Mighty race report is here: http://mightyriders.blogspot.com/2011/09/langley-cyclocross-classic-race-report.html
as well as a shout out from Aaron Schooler on CX Mag here: http://www.cxmagazine.com/race-report-hr-block-langley-cyclocross-classic-school-cross-clinic
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| sprints! |
after a week of recovery (did I tell you I lift heavy objects for work?), Chessa and I headed down to
Seattle for a friend’s wedding and the first MFG CX race of the season. again,
it was hot and dry, unseasonably so for CX racing, and I was met with a large
field of Cat 3 racers and my favorite crew of Heidi and Jermaine and team
Hodala, the Raleigh Single Speed contingent. Best People Ever. the race was
bumpy and harsh, and in a poor cornering move past a concrete curb in the first
lap, I ripped a hole into my new rear Tufo tubular, had to run to the pit and
flatted again to make for a crappy, hot, and annoying day. from 1st
to DNF in 7 days flat. honestly, the heat made the racing so hard, I was almost
happy to sit it out – too bad it cost me replacing the tub!
thanks to Jay “Showtime”, who was
selling off the same Tufo Flexus Primus that I lovingly destroyed, as well as
Paul (my Cat 3 inspiration) who helped glue it, I got my rear tub replaced in time to get a few
rolls in before the big show, Starcrossed and Rapha/Focus GP in Lake Sammamish,
WA on the 17th and 18th.
the Mighty crew was out in full
force, and my family in Issaquah made most amazing hosts. You can see a bit
more on the goof-troop excursion here, written by our pro-mechanic Matt Barber:
http://mightyriders.blogspot.com/2011/09/star-crossed-official-post-in-pictures.html
to speak solely for myself, it was
an amazing weekend dotted with mild stress. I was nervous – the fields are
always huge in the US, and this was no exception – 60 Cat 3 riders on both
days. I got myself so stressed out for Starcrossed that I gave in to stomach
cramps after my race. seriously. the Rapha/Focus GP the next day was sponsored
by Imodium and Tums.
both days consisted of the same
layout. long, winding, dual sand-pit, grass course. fast. with a flyover. I
felt OK on Saturday, racing Starcrossed with a little too much nerve and took
too many spills to make up the ground in such a large field. with no
opportunity for a hole shot in the 5th line call-up, I stuck to
picking off who I could, but after a few wipeouts, it was about holding on. I
managed to keep an eye on a few competitors around me, and fought for 21st
until the line. nothing spectacular, and down 8 spots from last year’s finish
in Cat 4. but who’s counting.
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| shot of Lake Sammamish by Doug Brons |
we got to watch most of the Mighty
team in their races, including Haley crushing in Cat 4 (and deciding to
upgrade). I rounded out the day drinking a few beers and thinking about the
Rapha race, while we watched the pro’s tear up the course. I helped Heidi
scream at Wells, Trebon and our own Kevin Noiles in the sand pit. high knees –
do it or else. again, the Hodala team makes my life better.
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| Jermaine and Heidi, not yelling at the moment |
Sunday came fast, after a few
ginger ales at the house to quell my stomach and a brief viewing of Wolverine
with my dad, I was out and slept like a rock. I ate heartily as I thought my
stomach wanted to in the morning, but still stuck to Tums and Imodium as after
mints. thanks for the foods and the medicines, mom!
I felt like I had a bit to prove
at the Rapha/Focus GP considering the field was pretty much the same, and I
needed to up my game. The Cat 3 men, 60 of us again, started behind the Single
Speed men, and were quickly setting a strong pace. I knew I was in the top 15
out the gate, chasing for a hole shot with our driver and chaperone Dave
Collins, but had a hard time keeping focused on what/who I was passing and
trading spots with.
I felt stronger on the second day,
with mighty leaps and quick moves. I was hoping my teammate Paul and I could
work together, but he had an unfortunate tubular roll in the first few laps and
was out, back to the tent for cheering and jeering. I needed the encouragement – my mom was even
helping. apparently I do better under pressure.
I had a few grinding moments in
the sand-pits, including one that had me pressing knee against a granite step
while riding it out, but everything felt a bit smoother. in the end, I finished
up 6th spot, much to my surprise, after a good battle with the
fellow in 7th. Doug Brons caught some awesome photos of the race,
and allowed me to dabble with this one:
again, the US scene makes it easy to stick around, have some beers and watch the pros. we did so, cheering teammate Nick Berry as well, and man, do I hope Vancouver CX starts to grow into what Seattle has going on...
another week, with a little
training stint at the Gentlemans CX Race on Tuesday, and it was back to BC
racing with the New Brighton CX Race put on by Westwood Cycling. with “real” CX
weather in town, it was soggy, and a bit windy for the Cat ¾ callup. usual
suspects were there, with Paul, Ross, Brett and David in the callup, as well as
a new transplant from the US. nice size with 19 riders. the course
was a slight variation on the previous years, with a few more turns on flat
sections, but sill all the grassy off-camber that catches you off-guard and two
sand pits almost equidistant on the course. 5 of us stuck together for the
first two laps, with some Cat 4 riders in the holeshot off the front, but after
riding the sand-pit in the first laps, the lead group was formed. Nigel, the US
racer took a fast lead, with myself, Paul and Brett in pursuit, but he was off
the front by a good amount. I raced with Paul and Brett at my back, gaining in
the first ridden sand section on runners, but losing ground to Paul over the
back stretch up to the second sand pit. I managed to tough it out into 2nd,
but wasn’t feeling the pursuit of Nigel – will have to work on that next
weekend at Vanier Park. There are some great shots by Joe Sales at Cyclocross Mag here: http://www.cxmagazine.com/2011-wedgewood-brighton-cyclocross-joe-sales-photo-gallery
hopefully I get a little rest in and a little spin to help
the legs. and maybe I can convince the lady to race again if she’s got time!
OK, back to regular life for the
rest of the week. more updates sooner. I almost promise.
