It's still all snowy and dreary out but the new season is quickly approaching. I am focusing more strictly on endurance races this year and I have a bunch on the calendar at this point. It's not set in stone but it looks pretty busy. I'll be visiting a bunch of familiar states but I'm still looking to sneak a new one in there. Looks like 4 NUE's and a bunch of MASS races with a few others thrown in for good measure.
The winter has been pretty hectic with ski team coaching but with the conclusion of February, the ski season will be over too and it's back to biking full time. I've been getting limited training in but more will come once my schedule clears up. Practice and racing almost every day takes it's toll after a while. So I'm excited for the dirt and long days in the saddle.
More to come...
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Recent Race Update
Ok so there's been a bunch of races since I last posted so here we go:
Tymor Park Challenge: Fun brutal course with no legs. 11th of 13
Nittany Lion CX: Crash on lap 1, bent derailleur hanger which caused crappy shifting, fought back from 68th to finish 20th. Not that bad of a performance given the situation.
Silk City CX: Cool race in Manchester CT with a super techy course. It was dry and fast and so were the guys ahead of me. I had a solid ride but still trying to get into cross form. 5th of 19
Westwood Velo CX: Had a great start and was even sitting 2nd wheel at one point as the result of a crash. That wasn't to last. Slipped back to 8th or so then rolled my tubular. Pitted and lost a spot and ended up 9th of 23.
Cooper River CX: Stupid course. Dry, fast, bland, and sprinty. Not my style whatsoever. The only entertaining part was the steps that were rideable. Felt like crap and rode hard trying to get form back after the wedding. 23 of 46.
Marty's Day 2 CX: Started hard but still trying to get the form back after time off from the wedding, and once again plagued with tire issues. Pitted once, fell twice, and was losing motivation to do this whole CX thing. 15th of 26.
Bubble CX: Most fun race course of the year thus far. Technical, hilly, sand, and MORE SAND! It was great and painful all at the same time. I had good luck this day and rode pretty damn well. I couldn't have left more out there. 12th of 23.
Caffeinated CX: A great course to follow up Bubble CX. Techy and turny. Quite a surprise given it was at a fairground and just expected lots of grass. I rode well and fought hard for 3-6 place. Ended up 4th of 8 in a slugfest.
So all in all I've had some good results and some poor results, mostly due to either mechanicals or not riding my bike for 2 weeks to enjoy my wedding which was the best day of my life - it was totally worth it. But now I've got those amazing memories and I'm getting back to riding my bike pretty well. Only 4 more races for me this season it seems. Just a little more cross and then a nice winter full of MTB riding. CX is fun but I'm having a blast on the MTB and I can't wait for next season.
Tymor Park Challenge: Fun brutal course with no legs. 11th of 13
Nittany Lion CX: Crash on lap 1, bent derailleur hanger which caused crappy shifting, fought back from 68th to finish 20th. Not that bad of a performance given the situation.
Silk City CX: Cool race in Manchester CT with a super techy course. It was dry and fast and so were the guys ahead of me. I had a solid ride but still trying to get into cross form. 5th of 19
Westwood Velo CX: Had a great start and was even sitting 2nd wheel at one point as the result of a crash. That wasn't to last. Slipped back to 8th or so then rolled my tubular. Pitted and lost a spot and ended up 9th of 23.
Cooper River CX: Stupid course. Dry, fast, bland, and sprinty. Not my style whatsoever. The only entertaining part was the steps that were rideable. Felt like crap and rode hard trying to get form back after the wedding. 23 of 46.
Marty's Day 2 CX: Started hard but still trying to get the form back after time off from the wedding, and once again plagued with tire issues. Pitted once, fell twice, and was losing motivation to do this whole CX thing. 15th of 26.
Bubble CX: Most fun race course of the year thus far. Technical, hilly, sand, and MORE SAND! It was great and painful all at the same time. I had good luck this day and rode pretty damn well. I couldn't have left more out there. 12th of 23.
Caffeinated CX: A great course to follow up Bubble CX. Techy and turny. Quite a surprise given it was at a fairground and just expected lots of grass. I rode well and fought hard for 3-6 place. Ended up 4th of 8 in a slugfest.
So all in all I've had some good results and some poor results, mostly due to either mechanicals or not riding my bike for 2 weeks to enjoy my wedding which was the best day of my life - it was totally worth it. But now I've got those amazing memories and I'm getting back to riding my bike pretty well. Only 4 more races for me this season it seems. Just a little more cross and then a nice winter full of MTB riding. CX is fun but I'm having a blast on the MTB and I can't wait for next season.
An overdue update.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Rattling Creek 50 Recap
This was round 3 of this race and once again it was a much different race course than in the past 2 races. Due to some trail issues they ran a 30 mile first lap and then repeated the outer singletrack loop the second time to make the 50 miles. If you haven't done this one before, this is full on mountain biking at it's finest. These trails are some really rocky tough trails and it's an amazing feat to get to the finish line without going over the bars or having mechanicals. This year I did both thankfully!
After a few rough races, I was really hoping to get a good solid race in. So I did what any normal person does, I rode too much during the week, mounted up a brand new tire that I wouldn't have a chance to ride before hand, and headed out to Lykens PA for a battle with the rocks. Last year I took 4th place in a solid field that ended a bit short as there was some course marking issues. This year I was hoping for a better full 50 mile race and it would prove to be just that. Conditions were perfect, weather was cool and dry and the morning was actually cold. It was refreshing. So anywhere here's how it goes...
I took off hard from the start but tried to stay steady and just ride people down and make time through the really rough stuff. I was probably in 12th or so position after the initial STEEP hike a bike and then just stayed patient and rode at the back of a group of 5 for a while until it opened up and we jockeyed for positions. As the lap went on I was riding steady and I started to get through one by one. As each would bobble I kept on it and passed through. I was going back and forth with one rider for most of the first lap until we chatted around mile 24 or so and found out that he was doing the 25 mile race...wonderful. At least as I found out later he was the 25 mile winner. So he dropped off and I headed out onto the second lap of the bumpy wonderful singletrack.
At mile 20 I filled one bottle and put down a pretty good pace relying on the next aid station about 10 miles later. Well that aid station had closed up and I was now out of water...crap. I kept on knowing that the next aid station was at mile 40 but I already felt thirsty so I knew that was a bad sign. I would find out later that at this point I was actually in 3rd place but the dehydration had taken it's toll. I had to meter the power back a bit and just try and get to the next aid station without cramping. In the next few miles Zach Morey and Jed Prentice found their way through but I had no answer with no water. I knew if I tried to get on their wheel I would end up in the fetal position in the bushes somewhere so I let them go. I found water at aid 40 and a little later I got some strength back and started to put the pedals down hard again.
Once I got some water I was able to really enjoy the rocky goodness that is the Rattling Creek. There are so many cool and rugged features you need to ride through around and over that it's really an accomplishment to ride most of this stuff. I was happy to cross the line in 4:48 in 5th place and have a steady solid ride even having a pretty big water issue. If you get the opportunity, check out these trails. If you like some good techy riding, you won't be disappointed.
After a few rough races, I was really hoping to get a good solid race in. So I did what any normal person does, I rode too much during the week, mounted up a brand new tire that I wouldn't have a chance to ride before hand, and headed out to Lykens PA for a battle with the rocks. Last year I took 4th place in a solid field that ended a bit short as there was some course marking issues. This year I was hoping for a better full 50 mile race and it would prove to be just that. Conditions were perfect, weather was cool and dry and the morning was actually cold. It was refreshing. So anywhere here's how it goes...
I took off hard from the start but tried to stay steady and just ride people down and make time through the really rough stuff. I was probably in 12th or so position after the initial STEEP hike a bike and then just stayed patient and rode at the back of a group of 5 for a while until it opened up and we jockeyed for positions. As the lap went on I was riding steady and I started to get through one by one. As each would bobble I kept on it and passed through. I was going back and forth with one rider for most of the first lap until we chatted around mile 24 or so and found out that he was doing the 25 mile race...wonderful. At least as I found out later he was the 25 mile winner. So he dropped off and I headed out onto the second lap of the bumpy wonderful singletrack.
At mile 20 I filled one bottle and put down a pretty good pace relying on the next aid station about 10 miles later. Well that aid station had closed up and I was now out of water...crap. I kept on knowing that the next aid station was at mile 40 but I already felt thirsty so I knew that was a bad sign. I would find out later that at this point I was actually in 3rd place but the dehydration had taken it's toll. I had to meter the power back a bit and just try and get to the next aid station without cramping. In the next few miles Zach Morey and Jed Prentice found their way through but I had no answer with no water. I knew if I tried to get on their wheel I would end up in the fetal position in the bushes somewhere so I let them go. I found water at aid 40 and a little later I got some strength back and started to put the pedals down hard again.
Once I got some water I was able to really enjoy the rocky goodness that is the Rattling Creek. There are so many cool and rugged features you need to ride through around and over that it's really an accomplishment to ride most of this stuff. I was happy to cross the line in 4:48 in 5th place and have a steady solid ride even having a pretty big water issue. If you get the opportunity, check out these trails. If you like some good techy riding, you won't be disappointed.
Status Update - Bulldog Rump, Wilderness 101, 909, Mountain Creek
Well it's been a while since I've posted, but that's for mostly good reasons. My last update was from the Tatanka 100 in Sturgis SD, and there's been a whole lot going on since then. The weekend following the T100 was my best friend's wedding in SLC which was amazing and I am totally amazed at how well it went and very happy that I was able to take part in a huge event in my friend's lives.
On the racing side of the scene, it was great being part of a huge life event but that left some time off the bike which was probably a godsend. I know I always think otherwise but who knows. So from the wedding I went up to Yellowstone for 3 days to check out the wildlife and scenery as it was incredible. I was so busy checking out everything that I didn't mind being away from the bike. On the way out though I stopped off in Jackson to ride and then hit up one other spot in Nebraska before making my way back to NJ and back to normalcy...somewhat. I returned just in time to help out with registration and setup for my team's race - the H2H Bulldog Rump. It was great to help out but I was exhausted from the trip.
To top it off I worked the race and raced it but with heavy legs from the West road trip I didn't know how they would respond. I did pretty well but I was definitely feeling a bit gassed. Overall I still did well finishing 10th of 21 in a really strong field which gave me hope that some fitness was still lingering.
After that came the Wilderness 101. This has to be one of my favorite races of the season, but with some hindsight this was one of the biggest letdowns of the season. My training was off, my prep was off, and life just got in the way for this one. I'd been working a lot the previous days before the race and with some mental stress of making arrangements for my wedding I pretty much went into this race on auto pilot. That's not what you ever want to do for one of these races. I forgot about my hydration and early on I had some bad cramping which would set the stage for the rest of the day. At 2 hours in I was starting to get solid cramps - which usually show their head after 5 or 6 hours. I knew it was going to be a long day. I had to go into survival mode early. Actually it was so bad I had to talk myself out of quitting pretty much every time the course pointed upwards. I had nothing. No motivation, no energy, and just lots of pain. The only thing that kept me going was this promise of new singletrack. That was the biggest help.
For the remainder of the 101 I suffered and wanted to give it all up but I pressed on. I found a little energy at aid 4 and I rode pretty well for the remainder of the course, but it was too little and waaaaay too late. I crossed the line at 8:27, way off my goal, but at least I was reassured by a few who said the course was 30 mins slower than the previous one. I still feel afterwards if I wasn't on the edge of death the entire time that on that same course and feeling good I could cut off a full hour or so. That's why there's always next year.
As for the 909, it was an exhaustion race for me. I did well for two laps and fell flat on my face the last mile to finish a close DFL. I was 55 seconds from 6th place but landed in 9th for dead last as I just couldn't save the gas for the end. Being an endurance guy I was actually pretty happy with the result given what I had been through the previous weeks.
Then for the Mountain Creek race, 3 flats and some bad luck left me on a nice hike for the 3rd lap. I finished but not happily. I felt like I could have done pretty well this race but the rubber gods were not on my side. One of these more recent races has to go well.
Next recap, Rattling Creek 50.
On the racing side of the scene, it was great being part of a huge life event but that left some time off the bike which was probably a godsend. I know I always think otherwise but who knows. So from the wedding I went up to Yellowstone for 3 days to check out the wildlife and scenery as it was incredible. I was so busy checking out everything that I didn't mind being away from the bike. On the way out though I stopped off in Jackson to ride and then hit up one other spot in Nebraska before making my way back to NJ and back to normalcy...somewhat. I returned just in time to help out with registration and setup for my team's race - the H2H Bulldog Rump. It was great to help out but I was exhausted from the trip.
To top it off I worked the race and raced it but with heavy legs from the West road trip I didn't know how they would respond. I did pretty well but I was definitely feeling a bit gassed. Overall I still did well finishing 10th of 21 in a really strong field which gave me hope that some fitness was still lingering.
After that came the Wilderness 101. This has to be one of my favorite races of the season, but with some hindsight this was one of the biggest letdowns of the season. My training was off, my prep was off, and life just got in the way for this one. I'd been working a lot the previous days before the race and with some mental stress of making arrangements for my wedding I pretty much went into this race on auto pilot. That's not what you ever want to do for one of these races. I forgot about my hydration and early on I had some bad cramping which would set the stage for the rest of the day. At 2 hours in I was starting to get solid cramps - which usually show their head after 5 or 6 hours. I knew it was going to be a long day. I had to go into survival mode early. Actually it was so bad I had to talk myself out of quitting pretty much every time the course pointed upwards. I had nothing. No motivation, no energy, and just lots of pain. The only thing that kept me going was this promise of new singletrack. That was the biggest help.
For the remainder of the 101 I suffered and wanted to give it all up but I pressed on. I found a little energy at aid 4 and I rode pretty well for the remainder of the course, but it was too little and waaaaay too late. I crossed the line at 8:27, way off my goal, but at least I was reassured by a few who said the course was 30 mins slower than the previous one. I still feel afterwards if I wasn't on the edge of death the entire time that on that same course and feeling good I could cut off a full hour or so. That's why there's always next year.
As for the 909, it was an exhaustion race for me. I did well for two laps and fell flat on my face the last mile to finish a close DFL. I was 55 seconds from 6th place but landed in 9th for dead last as I just couldn't save the gas for the end. Being an endurance guy I was actually pretty happy with the result given what I had been through the previous weeks.
Then for the Mountain Creek race, 3 flats and some bad luck left me on a nice hike for the 3rd lap. I finished but not happily. I felt like I could have done pretty well this race but the rubber gods were not on my side. One of these more recent races has to go well.
Next recap, Rattling Creek 50.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Tatanka 100
After a 24 hour driving experience with a nice stopover and short ride in LaCrosse Wisconsin, I arrived in Sturgis Thursday night in preparation for the T100 on Saturday. Being a bit tired from the long drive it was nice to relax on Friday and take in some good nutrition and just wrap my head around what was to go down on the next morning. I got in a nice hour preride on the opening climb so I would have a decent idea of what lie ahead when the singletrack came. So I pulled into the parking lot Saturday morning and my teammate Jeff and I were pretty much the first ones there. I had that eerie feeling of am I in the right place? But after a few minutes and more cars rolled in I knew I was good. It was a 5 am start which was REALLY early, if you were on mountain time. Being from the east coast that was 7 am so I felt pretty good with that start.
The horn went off and so were we. It was supposed to be a neutral controlled roll out but when the cop rolled out doing 25, most seemed to want to do the same speed to keep up. It was a bit harder than I'd liked but it put the lead group in a good spot going into the first climb. The climb was uneventful and just some amazing singletrack. The first 65 miles were supposed to be all nice trails and it didn't disappoint. I got caught in some traffic and after some smart moves I picked my way through and was moving up nicely. I was probably sitting in the top 10 overall for the first 30 miles or so until I slashed my tire in a creek crossing. Great. I stopped to spin the tire and let the stans work but no luck. It was going very soft. I took out my C02 and it would not work. WTF? I screwed on the valve and nothing. Tried the other C02 I had and nothing. So now I was stranded with a low leaking tire. I probably rode the next two miles or so with a decent amount of vert on this tire just hoping it would either last long enough to get to the next aid station, or that someone would be nice enough to loan me a C02. Finally it just got too low to ride. I had to stop. I was in such a good place I knew I wouldn't see anybody for a while - great.
So with my MacGuyver hat on for the moment I took out my multi-tool, found the smallest allen key, put it in the depression on the C02 where the valve should have punctured it, and smacked it against a tree to puncture the canister. It worked! I put the valve on quickly and hit my tire with some air. Yes! But to my misfortune the tire wouldn't seal and I only made it a few feet before I realized I would have to throw a tube in. So with a tube in and many people passing by this point I used the remainder of my C02 and had none left. A nice racer stopped by and loaned me his pump and I graciously filled my tire and took off. Finally I was back on track with an over inflated but working tire and was ready to pick off as many people that passed me as I could. I settled into the next climb and just started counting one racer at a time as I passed. It's a great feeling as that happens but I knew to limit my effort and just take it as they come.
So after that point I rolled into the 50 mile aid station feeling good but tired. There is a LOT of climbing in the first half and I knew there was a decent amount to come as well. I was dreading the hike a bike and the rail trail. At this point I really had no idea what was to come. Through the mid aid I was on some really beautiful trail with some ridges on either side of me. As I went further and further they started closing in on me. Then the right hand turn sign appeared and the hike a bike was upon me. It was steep. I mean really steep. I pushed my bike up it and had to place each step so I didn't slide backwards. I even used a tree part way up to rest as I heckled those beneath me. Once up the steep part it didn't get much easier as well. It was probably a 1/2 mile hike a bike or so until it was worth pedaling. But over the next descent and another nice section of trail it led to the Mickelson rail trail.
The Mick was painful. It was 16 miles or so of 1-2% rail trail and it just never ended. I was working at this point with Dwayne and Peat from Team Noah and we just kept each other company as the pain dragged on. We agreed not to lose each other and just keep it going. It was 13 miles an hour forever it seemed. Finally at mile 72 it rolled down as we crested the top but the damage was done. The trail didn't kill me but the one aid station with only Heed did. My stomach can not handle that stuff and this was direct proof. I knew there was only 25 miles or so left in the race but I had no power. The legs didn't give up but my stomach did. I was in such distress that as soon as I tried to put ANY power down, I thought I was going to crap myself...literally. I planned so many times where I would jump off the trail and drop my bibs to help relieve the issue but I just couldn't give up on the race like that. Looking back I probably should have.
So through the last few hills that were short but plentiful I had to kick back and do my own thing as I was in so much pain. I let Dwayne and Peat go and just hoped I could hold off whoever was behind me. From the earlier issue with the tire I still wasn't sure what place I was in but hoped for a good finish. This was slowly diminishing. I kept on with whatever pace I could do and I actually caught up to Dwayne and Peat a little later. I knew we were getting closer to the finish but I felt like it would never come. To make things worse a few racers had said that it's really more of 105 miles than 100. So that was really painful as I just wanted to get to the finish. Through the last couple of downhills and a sweet ride through the town of Sturgis drainage, Dwayne, Peat and myself cranked back into town to complete the Tatanka 100. They were both gracious enough to hold back and let me cross for some reason and it was great to have spent a good deal of time with both of these amazing riders.
In the end I finished 14th overall with 9th in open men in a time of 9:25. It was my best or worst race but sure was memorable with all the great trail and all of the issues that were dealt with. It's one that if you have a chance to get to I'd put it on my list. Great organization, trail marking, food, and just an overall great race. I'd love to get there again if I had the chance.
The horn went off and so were we. It was supposed to be a neutral controlled roll out but when the cop rolled out doing 25, most seemed to want to do the same speed to keep up. It was a bit harder than I'd liked but it put the lead group in a good spot going into the first climb. The climb was uneventful and just some amazing singletrack. The first 65 miles were supposed to be all nice trails and it didn't disappoint. I got caught in some traffic and after some smart moves I picked my way through and was moving up nicely. I was probably sitting in the top 10 overall for the first 30 miles or so until I slashed my tire in a creek crossing. Great. I stopped to spin the tire and let the stans work but no luck. It was going very soft. I took out my C02 and it would not work. WTF? I screwed on the valve and nothing. Tried the other C02 I had and nothing. So now I was stranded with a low leaking tire. I probably rode the next two miles or so with a decent amount of vert on this tire just hoping it would either last long enough to get to the next aid station, or that someone would be nice enough to loan me a C02. Finally it just got too low to ride. I had to stop. I was in such a good place I knew I wouldn't see anybody for a while - great.
So with my MacGuyver hat on for the moment I took out my multi-tool, found the smallest allen key, put it in the depression on the C02 where the valve should have punctured it, and smacked it against a tree to puncture the canister. It worked! I put the valve on quickly and hit my tire with some air. Yes! But to my misfortune the tire wouldn't seal and I only made it a few feet before I realized I would have to throw a tube in. So with a tube in and many people passing by this point I used the remainder of my C02 and had none left. A nice racer stopped by and loaned me his pump and I graciously filled my tire and took off. Finally I was back on track with an over inflated but working tire and was ready to pick off as many people that passed me as I could. I settled into the next climb and just started counting one racer at a time as I passed. It's a great feeling as that happens but I knew to limit my effort and just take it as they come.
So after that point I rolled into the 50 mile aid station feeling good but tired. There is a LOT of climbing in the first half and I knew there was a decent amount to come as well. I was dreading the hike a bike and the rail trail. At this point I really had no idea what was to come. Through the mid aid I was on some really beautiful trail with some ridges on either side of me. As I went further and further they started closing in on me. Then the right hand turn sign appeared and the hike a bike was upon me. It was steep. I mean really steep. I pushed my bike up it and had to place each step so I didn't slide backwards. I even used a tree part way up to rest as I heckled those beneath me. Once up the steep part it didn't get much easier as well. It was probably a 1/2 mile hike a bike or so until it was worth pedaling. But over the next descent and another nice section of trail it led to the Mickelson rail trail.
The Mick was painful. It was 16 miles or so of 1-2% rail trail and it just never ended. I was working at this point with Dwayne and Peat from Team Noah and we just kept each other company as the pain dragged on. We agreed not to lose each other and just keep it going. It was 13 miles an hour forever it seemed. Finally at mile 72 it rolled down as we crested the top but the damage was done. The trail didn't kill me but the one aid station with only Heed did. My stomach can not handle that stuff and this was direct proof. I knew there was only 25 miles or so left in the race but I had no power. The legs didn't give up but my stomach did. I was in such distress that as soon as I tried to put ANY power down, I thought I was going to crap myself...literally. I planned so many times where I would jump off the trail and drop my bibs to help relieve the issue but I just couldn't give up on the race like that. Looking back I probably should have.
So through the last few hills that were short but plentiful I had to kick back and do my own thing as I was in so much pain. I let Dwayne and Peat go and just hoped I could hold off whoever was behind me. From the earlier issue with the tire I still wasn't sure what place I was in but hoped for a good finish. This was slowly diminishing. I kept on with whatever pace I could do and I actually caught up to Dwayne and Peat a little later. I knew we were getting closer to the finish but I felt like it would never come. To make things worse a few racers had said that it's really more of 105 miles than 100. So that was really painful as I just wanted to get to the finish. Through the last couple of downhills and a sweet ride through the town of Sturgis drainage, Dwayne, Peat and myself cranked back into town to complete the Tatanka 100. They were both gracious enough to hold back and let me cross for some reason and it was great to have spent a good deal of time with both of these amazing riders.
In the end I finished 14th overall with 9th in open men in a time of 9:25. It was my best or worst race but sure was memorable with all the great trail and all of the issues that were dealt with. It's one that if you have a chance to get to I'd put it on my list. Great organization, trail marking, food, and just an overall great race. I'd love to get there again if I had the chance.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Lewis Morris H2H
I never get thrilled about racing Lewis Morris. Maybe it's the full gas aspect of the race or the lack of technical features always has me going into this race so excited...yawn. I tried to put that aside and just know that it's a good test of my fitness and great prep for next weekend's race in South Dakota at the Tatanka 100. I wasn't sure how my legs would respond after a hard Stoopid 50 race last weekend but I was ready to test them out. I knew I had some juice so I'd be ok but exactly what would happen - who knows.
My race was a pretty uneventful one. I lined up on the outside and charged hard off of the start to try and get in good position going into the singletrack. I hit the turn sitting 5th and accelerated with the group and already feeling that it might be a tough race. I was digging deep and the legs were responding but not with 100% like I was hoping. I stayed on the group as Cody shot through then Eddie then BL. After that I let a gap open and could see those just ahead but couldn't close it. My stomach felt off and the legs were not fresh. I kept pushing and through the lap I could hear Joe and Brian somewhere behind. I was thinking it was only a matter of time before my wheels fell off and they would come blasting through. Into lap 2 Joe latched onto my wheel and I could tell he was hurting. He passed me on the steepest up and I just rode his wheel hoping to use him to get me to Ben who I thought was just ahead. Into the next climb Joe asks me if I want to pass and I told him no just ride smooth and we'll work together. He said that's nice - and admitted he couldn't hold that pace any more and he was popped. I never saw Joe again. After that I passed Nick Lando who seemed completely shattered. I actually thought he might have been a slow rider on his first lap...yikes. He tried to latch on but never saw him again.
So I'm just waiting for Brian to pass now. In the longer twisty sections Brian is right there but I hit the climbs with whatever I have and expect him to close but the gap remains or opens. Start of lap 3 I'm still alone seeing flashes of Brian somewhere behind me but the gap is remaining. Through the back parking lot I hear someone flying up and here comes Brian...nevermind...it was Ben. He must have had an issue or I passed him in the pit. He cruised through and I tried to latch on but I didn't have it. I just rode steady for the remainder of the course and finished as solid as I could. I finished up and was glad to be done with that race.
7th place in around 1:30. It was a solid effort and a hard one at that. I haven't looked at my HR data but it was high. I threw up in my mouth twice and pushed pretty hard. I chatted with Cody later and he said that he finished in 1:24 so I was happy with only losing 6 minutes to him. Looking back I shouldn't have ridden as well as I did. My legs are still recovering but on top of that I had my wedding shower the day before which was good, but stressful to say the least, I woke up with a sore throat that has progressed today into congestion and a nice head cold, and generally just feeling kinda crummy. I'm really happy with the result and that should put me into the points lead for the series. I'm still focusing on the endurance races but it's good to see that consistency is paying off in the shorter races.
My race was a pretty uneventful one. I lined up on the outside and charged hard off of the start to try and get in good position going into the singletrack. I hit the turn sitting 5th and accelerated with the group and already feeling that it might be a tough race. I was digging deep and the legs were responding but not with 100% like I was hoping. I stayed on the group as Cody shot through then Eddie then BL. After that I let a gap open and could see those just ahead but couldn't close it. My stomach felt off and the legs were not fresh. I kept pushing and through the lap I could hear Joe and Brian somewhere behind. I was thinking it was only a matter of time before my wheels fell off and they would come blasting through. Into lap 2 Joe latched onto my wheel and I could tell he was hurting. He passed me on the steepest up and I just rode his wheel hoping to use him to get me to Ben who I thought was just ahead. Into the next climb Joe asks me if I want to pass and I told him no just ride smooth and we'll work together. He said that's nice - and admitted he couldn't hold that pace any more and he was popped. I never saw Joe again. After that I passed Nick Lando who seemed completely shattered. I actually thought he might have been a slow rider on his first lap...yikes. He tried to latch on but never saw him again.
So I'm just waiting for Brian to pass now. In the longer twisty sections Brian is right there but I hit the climbs with whatever I have and expect him to close but the gap remains or opens. Start of lap 3 I'm still alone seeing flashes of Brian somewhere behind me but the gap is remaining. Through the back parking lot I hear someone flying up and here comes Brian...nevermind...it was Ben. He must have had an issue or I passed him in the pit. He cruised through and I tried to latch on but I didn't have it. I just rode steady for the remainder of the course and finished as solid as I could. I finished up and was glad to be done with that race.
7th place in around 1:30. It was a solid effort and a hard one at that. I haven't looked at my HR data but it was high. I threw up in my mouth twice and pushed pretty hard. I chatted with Cody later and he said that he finished in 1:24 so I was happy with only losing 6 minutes to him. Looking back I shouldn't have ridden as well as I did. My legs are still recovering but on top of that I had my wedding shower the day before which was good, but stressful to say the least, I woke up with a sore throat that has progressed today into congestion and a nice head cold, and generally just feeling kinda crummy. I'm really happy with the result and that should put me into the points lead for the series. I'm still focusing on the endurance races but it's good to see that consistency is paying off in the shorter races.
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