Wow that was hard. Ron managed to create an even more challenging course. I guess it wasn't hard enough before so he added some extra barriers, three total, classic two sand pits were there, if you could ride it great but the penalty for f'n it up was severe so most people in all the races opted to dismount going into it and just running it. You could hit it with speed so you could dismount and just haul ass through the sand. The double up was getting looser and looser through out the race but still rideable if you didn't screw up.
Kyle Wolf was sitting in the pits as an official offering some heckling "You gotta pedal to go fast" or something like that.
I got there with some time to pre-ride before the 11pm race started, figured on pre-riding then and getting one more lap between the 11 and 12 race, then sit on the trainer until my 1pm race. Yeah I did the 2,3,4 race, the B race. 13 guys took the line for the 35+ 2,3,4 race, and with only 7 pre-registered Whitey and I both had the same though "lets race with people" good move? Yeah I think so.
I'm always shocked when I race in other fields just how slow the starts are. That and I had a nice front row start. On the inside.
Relaxed and easily we started. heading down to a 180. I'm feeling good, sitting in about 5th or 8th, somewhere like that. Until my inside line stuffs me into a BIG F'N STAKE. Nice 2x2 stakes Ron. Can't blow through them. And while I untangled myself 20-30 guys streamed past. AWESOME. Okay, recover, move it.
So I moved it. Got back in the train behind the Master Antagonist Steven H and we hit the 180 up the off camber street side sort of thing. Burke gave me the 411 and I dismounted BEFORE the 180 and passed about 15 guys running the section. But then I managed to screw up and killed my momentum on the straight section and half of them went by. Steven said "See Ya Geoff" as I was coming up to speed. I hung out about 2 riders back from him for a while. We hit the Log jump (moved up the hill from the past) and Ron had stuck another barrier on the other side of it (barrier number 1). Then around the off camber, through some turns that the kids around me kept overcooking and screwing up, then a new approach to the first sand section, dismount, run it, and a different transition between the two sand sections and then the second one. I ran em both per the 411 from Burke the first lap. Most of the guys were too.
So then we hit that and then the wide open WINDY (gusts were over 40mph) section before the double up section where Hoppygardener screwed up and dismounted mid up, I was prepared and had dismounted at the bottom and gave him a friendly bump as I ran past and jumped on. Loop around a big tree past the pits, hit another set of barriers (#2 and 4th dismount if you could hit the double up section clean). The approach to the woods was harder and I just couldn't seem to dial that bermed woods section in at all. Out of the woods and instead of turning left we turned right and went around the base of the High Tension tower and back to the 3rd barrier in their traditional spot before hitting the start line and then around to the finish.
I was having fun.
Hoppygarden was well behind me, so was Zanc, GLOWA was back there too and Nate. I was feeling good, racing well. It was f'n brutal though and with 2 or 3 or between the two Zanc dissapeared, HoppyGarden came through me and i fell apart and hemmoraged minutes. Zanc was working his way up and I was keeping hoppygarden in sight and was prepared for a good run to the finish. And i did my normal wheels falling off dropping about 2-3 minutes in one lap. Oh it was awful. If i can figure out how to keep the brain in race mode for the whole god damn race maybe I'd get some results.
Uri was coming and well, he was all that was back there at the bell and I pedaled hard enough to finish in front of him. But a good 7 minutes or so back from the ultimate sandbagger Graham Garber. He was almost a minute faster than 2nd place. Come on man, I know you like winning and all but you're a solid A race kind of person, esp at non-UCI events. Totally gets the Sandbagger of the year award IMHO. But that's okay, he's still a 2 (for some reason).
I was way way down, but I had fun. every time i started to get all cranky I thought of the next fun section and got refocused and smiled and had fun. It was tough.
I crashed HARD into the bushes at one point. That probably contributed to the mental crack more than anything. I had a great race going with the dreadlock guy, I'd drop him in a couple sections he'd work his way back up and we repeated that. Then i ate shit in the second sand section when I thought maybe i'd ride most of it like I had in the past years, my dismount was ill timed as my front wheel decided to wash out mid-dismount and I fell onto some pretty pointy bits of the shrub. I had leaves stuffed up under my skinsuit legs. I thought I'd ripped the shorts open or was bleeding, but not, just felt like it. Totally shook me off my game and dreadlock guy got around me and I couldn't shut the pain out to make enough power to stay with him.
It was a shitshow on my part. But you know what? I don't care. I'm having an absolutely horrible year fitness wise for some reason but it is still fun when I let me self enjoy it. Just have to figure out how to keep engaged in the race the whole time.
Maine weekend is going to be good for me. In that I'm not making the trip up there. Maybe I'll work on getting a nice long ride in and maybe try this sleep thing I hear about. Some people say sleeping is good.
Oh and the pancake thing? They were wicked good but not maybe the best prep, I was hungry and ate a handful of peanut butter and jelly between pancake with about 2 hrs to go before the race because I was wicked famished and well... i started burping peanut butter. Could be the 2 hour thing but sticking with the egg sandwich seems to be better at keeping me from feeling hungry through the race, although maybe next time I'll try something different.
That and I managed to smash the top of my right foot on something, probably during the crash, it hurts like a MoFo. Ouch.
heddwch
G
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
mansfield is fun but its jungle cross, its not what I would say is a good course for you, especially if you are a bit flat fitness wise.
and i love pancakes but they always leave me feeling sugar shocked and empty later, the eggy sammys are the best thing i have found to hold you over. i think mansfield is a bad race to judge yourself by, and you just started training hard this week. dont sweat it.
I dont feel ANY faster this year, but I do feel fitter and I have not had the lap 2-3 collapse like I did in the past. i think the long MTB races helped in that regard. FYI.
Taking some time off is a good thing. MKR and I skipp P'dence last weekend and REALLY had down time - like a 28 mile ride Sat and 31 miles on Sun. We slept in, hung out, drank coffee. This weekend - he was on fire (um me - not as much ;)).
Take a break, regroup and remember - if it isn't FUN, DON'T DO IT!
OMG Cathy you guys only put in 60 miles over the weekend? Its like your getting old or something!
That's hilarious that "down time" for the Rowells is only 60 miles on the road in a weekend. My god, you could do that in only ONE DAY!
I might have been a bit over zealous on that first "See you Geoff"
But, was a pleasure to chase you down, it wasn't easy on that course and in that wind.
yeah that course is brutally tough... no pavement, bumpy freshly mowed grass, buckets of barriers, single track, wind, heat...
but i will say it was fun racing with ya Hop head
@G-ride and Colin - you guys are too funny! Take the flip side - my non-cycling boss heard down time and 60 miles and thought we were nuts (ok, we are - besides the point!).
Yes, cycling friends, the Rowells do rest. It's called year 7 ;)
Post a Comment