Big major positive developments in some areas that give confidence and encouragement towards a successful trip to CX Nats have happened. Namely a couple options for places to sleep, schedules coming down into place, mentally deciding what to race, focus. What hasn't come into place? the whole registration thing. Selling a handful of prints so far has actually covered the cost of the bulk of the races this fall, but there are two big ones left to sign up for, CX Nats, 45-49 and I think I've decided on SSCX, why not? Why not? Because it is fun and while this is super serious it is also two opportunities and if i'm there on Friday why not stay till Sunday. See the logic there? If I'm done racing on Wed then it makes little sense to stay just to watch and it would create some serious personal internal conflicts if i did. It sounds pretty simple and kind of silly articulating that it makes that much of a difference but, I'm being honest. What else can I be here but that.
So the road is moving on, NBX weekend is coming up, Super stoked, also a bit anxious but in a good way. There's a tremendous amount of pressure but I've found a balance I think. Not letting it get to me, but acknowledging it and letting it be there as a positive motivator. Identifying more specifics to focus on as other things fall into place out of habituation and integrated as instinct. NBX, the last big focus before Nationals. How many races left? These two, this weekend, then there's the race out in Sandwich on the 20th, head to Virginia, then head to nationals for those two races. Moving from race focus to focusing on training intensity and carrying whatever gains I have managed to find.
Some races seem to be great, some just the opposite, results seem very inconsistent for me, esp with the cross results points but that's great actually. Numbers are distracting and when the numbers are all over the place and a good race gives bad numbers and a bad race gives good number is a fantastic way to disconnect from the push to improve the results just to get lower points.
Yeah working towards specifically Sunday's race. The last time I raced in Fitchburg it was a gougen course in 2011. And it was brutally cold and I got so cold that I stopped shivering but was able to drive. It did take 45-60 mins of driving in a car that makes a shit ton of heat before i went through shivering and then finally began to get warm again. It was a wide open tough course. And windy and the last race of the year.
This year the race kept the race for the jersey feel, and took the place of one of the favorite race weekends Sterling. No sterling? What? But that's okay, things change and while it was one of the most awesome races and the locale for many great battles in so many races across all the categories. Mud, snow, the Wissell slide, Curley wiping out on the high side of me taking us both out. So many crazy and so many really awesome memories.
But hey Fitchburg, yes not returning since '11 is probably an indicator to how much i love that course/venue, also it is pretty damn far away, for a single day event with a high serious to fun ratio. End of season plus the other factors really seems to draw the serious pointy end of the field. And then there's me. Yes focused, trying to push through and get stronger with Negacoach's help. Is it working? yes but results are sort of kind of could cause some doubt but also, given the holiday, the lack of sleep and everything since Monstah has been the whole kind antithesis of optimal being athlete at the timing around race days so far, well, it is understandable. Or well at least I'm fine with it.
So yeah the race. I forget now anyway.
Just kidding - so out of practice writing about them. Got the workout in on Thanksgiving, Friday, rode to work, the ride in was great, felt good. Ride home after phone meeting with 'Stas? Holyshit my legs were trashed. Like baaaaaad. They felt that work out, but that's what they are supposed to do right?
Saturday was off the bike, running around, watching some youth soccer, taking a crew down for some extra project work, then walking the farm, doing some bike work on the farm bikes, then scouting a location for a summer grass crit and a bridge race at a different venue than Riverpoint in southern New England where the weather may be better and good prep for Hartford next year. Sleep? got some. Dinner? Ate some, but still wound up awake longer than planned, but slept well. Got up early and ate some food, made my breakfast wrap/sandwich thing for the 3 hr time point. Made a pile of coffee, loaded the car and headed to Fitchburg.
Got up there, found a nice spot, got number, got some race intel, headed out for first ride, there was a tire debate in my head. Cliffnotes: I made the wrong choice.
First impression: not a fan of crop circle, too much uninterrupted pedaling sections (yeah yeah shutup) flow was good in many sections, a good balance of CX puke your guts out hard with recover in turns though. Improved? yes. Focus was to try and do it all right today. Fix what I fucked up at Monstah, for results or not, hopefully for results.
Looking at the time difference? Did it work? yes. Did I have a good result? Depends on how you qualify that.
First lap, then kitted up, embro'd, tights, got out for a faster lap. Then got on the trainer and did a warm up. Untimed gut feel myerson style CX warm up. warm up for a while, then go medium hard for a good bit, then rest, then go harder for a little shorter then done. Break sweat, do some work, get warmed up do a few efforts, make it happen. Finished a bit early though. Not too early but earlier than planned. But still wasn't feeling bad, was actually slightly tired. Also so many fast guys. Goal was to hopefully find Tim Young's wheel and race with him. Never saw him. He was gone. Vanished. Start was okay, not great, hit first corner and I got stuffed behind someone else who got stuffed and that set up the next handful of the race. Way too tight IMHO for the first half of a race, too much early selection created groups and strung out the race more than it should have. You basically could only race w/in your group unless you were really in the wrong group one way or the other. Lots of moving back or moving forward but only with great deltas in position to potential. Which is fine, but also frustrating. You'd kill yourself, get through the group and where is the next group? fuuuuuuck that's not good. I felt good leg power wise but we hit the straight stuff and the bike just felt slow, the wind or what, later in retrospect i think the tires. The couple off camber corners were cake money but everything else was torture. For the second time I've picked the wrong tire for the course.
Could I have gone better? maybe if i'd been more agressive at the start, but shying from that because when i have gone too aggressive I wind up blowing up and going backwards, but this course needed that more than others I think. I was still racing people, and that's really all I can ask for. There were guys right in front of me I was chasing all race, I stayed in front of others. I worked my ass off racing, It hurt, I dug deep and it really actually was fun despite the other issued. Like I said post race, it didn't go quite as well as I had hoped but wasn't as bad as could have been. I had a great time. I raced, I felt the race, I hit my marks and got done what I need to get done, did work, kicked my ass, and took a few steps closer to Nationals.
Recovery ride yesterday aka commute. Hybrid today, indoor workout tonight up at NBX on 4th (212 4th) in PVD. Car up there with trainer - rode down to office to hang out at an advanced microscopy symposium all day. And write this during the heavy math talks and lunch. The equations make my brain hurt.
Focused, moving forward, positive. Kind of weird. There's still so much that I want to say, write and cover but haven't had time to, maybe i'll find time somewhere, some time to make it happen.
heddwch
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