I had the day off on Friday, which meant I rode my bike. It was a sunny cool day, and I just acquired a fancy new road bike that still has that rocketship feel, so I rode it way too far - up to Point Reyes - which is a much longer ride than I've been accustomed to lately, as most of my rides have been short intense efforts after work.
After that, going into this race on Sunday, I was a little nervous that my legs wouldn't have much juice left. Manzanita Park was also a long haul for me from SF for a 45-minute race, but I decided to spend the weekend in Santa Cruz, did some hiking around on Saturday and then camped out Saturday night, and that made it worth the drive. I felt sluggish during my warm-up, and when the race began, I prepared for the pain. Surprisingly, it didn't come...in fact, the first lap felt slow, and although I wasn't leading, i was close to the front, and wondering what the heck was going on. The pain did eventually come, as it always does, but this time not until about lap 3 of 5. This was when leaders slowly pulled away, but I felt pretty solid riding in the top 10.
Meanwhile, things got ugly for a few unlucky folks - someone washed out in a turn and reportedly broke an ankle, while another rider lost control and went head-first into a wooden fence post. Crashes are pretty common in cross races, but usually involve nothing more than scrapes and bruised bodies/egos - but sadly today two guys carted off in ambulances. I wish them both speedy recoveries. The course was re-routed temporarily around one of the downed riders, and it caught be by surprise and I ended up with a facefull of dirt, but luckily nothing more serious.
I finished in 8th, and was happy that both bike and body were in one piece.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
BASP CX #3 - November 15, 2008
If the first BASP race (McLaren) was about climbing and handling, and the second (Candlestick) was all about generating power to get through the sticky stuff, then this race (Sierra Point) was about pure speed. The course layout was flat and dry, and despite the many twisting switchbacks, there were plenty of straightaways to put the hammer down and go fast.
Big kudos to the Pilarcitos crew for trying something new with the night race! The atmosphere was festive, and racing under the lights was really fun, and surprisingly not-to-scary. My race started at 5pm, just as the sun was setting, and the changing light conditions were a nice extra challenge.
Having taken a break from racing last weekend, I felt pretty fresh for this race, and the promoter's decision to call-up 20 riders instead of 10 at the start was a big bonus for me (I was 18th overall after the 1st two races). The huge field size (80+ riders) made the start even more critical. The starting official reminded us to be careful sprinting into the 1st turn, but that didn't stop a big pileup from occuring about 100 yards after the gun went off. I narrowly missed the carnage, and tried not to let the image of skin skidding across the pavement stick in my mind as we hit the dirt and began the 1st lap.
The 1st 2 laps were blazing, and I was glad to be up near the front and away from traffic jams. Our large pack was kicking up tons of dust, and the lungs were soon burning. I jumped on a wheel on each straightaway to save energy, but by lap #3 I was well into oxygen debt and feeling the pain. As my gut screamed at me to slow down, my legs obliged and I eased up just a bit, and tried to prevent anybody from passing me, but a few guys snuck by. I had done several warmup laps before the race, which helped me find some good lines where I could make a few passes of my own. The crowd at the top of the one and only "run-up" was awesome - screaming and heckling us every lap, and I tried to return the favor by catching some air off the kicker nearby.
The pace eased just a bit during the middle of the race, and I more or less maintained my position...then things heated up again on the last 2 laps (I think we did 9 total on this super short course), and my legs were burning as I fought my way through lapped riders. Crossed the line in 18th, and was greeted by friends with miller high life, which reminded me to stop taking things so seriously and enjoy the night. We stuck around for some great racing action that went all the way until 9pm.
Big kudos to the Pilarcitos crew for trying something new with the night race! The atmosphere was festive, and racing under the lights was really fun, and surprisingly not-to-scary. My race started at 5pm, just as the sun was setting, and the changing light conditions were a nice extra challenge.
Having taken a break from racing last weekend, I felt pretty fresh for this race, and the promoter's decision to call-up 20 riders instead of 10 at the start was a big bonus for me (I was 18th overall after the 1st two races). The huge field size (80+ riders) made the start even more critical. The starting official reminded us to be careful sprinting into the 1st turn, but that didn't stop a big pileup from occuring about 100 yards after the gun went off. I narrowly missed the carnage, and tried not to let the image of skin skidding across the pavement stick in my mind as we hit the dirt and began the 1st lap.
The 1st 2 laps were blazing, and I was glad to be up near the front and away from traffic jams. Our large pack was kicking up tons of dust, and the lungs were soon burning. I jumped on a wheel on each straightaway to save energy, but by lap #3 I was well into oxygen debt and feeling the pain. As my gut screamed at me to slow down, my legs obliged and I eased up just a bit, and tried to prevent anybody from passing me, but a few guys snuck by. I had done several warmup laps before the race, which helped me find some good lines where I could make a few passes of my own. The crowd at the top of the one and only "run-up" was awesome - screaming and heckling us every lap, and I tried to return the favor by catching some air off the kicker nearby.
The pace eased just a bit during the middle of the race, and I more or less maintained my position...then things heated up again on the last 2 laps (I think we did 9 total on this super short course), and my legs were burning as I fought my way through lapped riders. Crossed the line in 18th, and was greeted by friends with miller high life, which reminded me to stop taking things so seriously and enjoy the night. We stuck around for some great racing action that went all the way until 9pm.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Surf City CX - October 26, 2008
Category: B Men
Finally made it to one of the famed surf city events, and it lived up to its reputation as a great event. Lots of awesome costumes, beer and cash preems on the runup, warm sunshine, and loud cowbells - what more could you want? Oh yeah, raced my bike somwhere in there too...
I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet about starts, as I showed up late to the staging area and got a BAD starting position. Oh well, nothing much to do except stomp the pedals hard for the 1st lap, which got me past several guys, but still nowhere close to the leaders. The swirly grass portions of the course were my weak point, and each lap I'd get passed there, but would pick up some spots in the more technical areas and on the long flat dirt sections. The wide course made for fun racing - lots of passing back and forth and good battles for position. I rode pretty smooth, except for getting my seat caught up on the course tape about half-way through while carrying my bike across a deep gully.
All-in-all a solid race for me, finishing 20th (same as last week) of 65 riders.
Finally made it to one of the famed surf city events, and it lived up to its reputation as a great event. Lots of awesome costumes, beer and cash preems on the runup, warm sunshine, and loud cowbells - what more could you want? Oh yeah, raced my bike somwhere in there too...
I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet about starts, as I showed up late to the staging area and got a BAD starting position. Oh well, nothing much to do except stomp the pedals hard for the 1st lap, which got me past several guys, but still nowhere close to the leaders. The swirly grass portions of the course were my weak point, and each lap I'd get passed there, but would pick up some spots in the more technical areas and on the long flat dirt sections. The wide course made for fun racing - lots of passing back and forth and good battles for position. I rode pretty smooth, except for getting my seat caught up on the course tape about half-way through while carrying my bike across a deep gully.
All-in-all a solid race for me, finishing 20th (same as last week) of 65 riders.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BASP CX #1 - October 19, 2008
Category: B Men
The first "big" race of the season for me. was literally BIG - 68 guys in our field! Did some good course re-con on Saturday, including a few laps with Scott, Amy, Chris and Chris...Then showed up early Sunday to see some of the RideOn crew mix it up in the C race. Unfortunately, the B race was the last race of the day, so I went home (gotta love races that are a 15-minute bike ride from home) in between for a second breakfast rather than standing in the cold for hours.
Got a 3rd row starting position and a pretty good jump at the start, which put me about 15th place heading up the run-up. While trying to re-mount in heavy traffic at the top I T-boned a barrier, but no damage was done, just lost a few seconds. The field strung out immediately on the 1st lap due to the narrow course, and I listened to the guy at the pits calling out places as I went by - found out I was sitting in 12th. Felt pretty good for the 1st few laps, despite the brutally bumpy course.
On lap 3 of 6, things started to fall apart - I dropped my chain on the steep bumpy dirt downhill (should've put it in the big ring!), and must have tweaked something as I forced it back on with the front derailleur, because my chain was skipping for the rest of the race. No excuses, but boy was that annoying! Slowly but surely, riders began to pass me, and I did my best to limit the damage. 1/2 way through the last lap, I found some power and picked off two riders, then made it my goal to keep them behind me. I finished in 20th place, which felt pretty good given the size of the field.
The first "big" race of the season for me. was literally BIG - 68 guys in our field! Did some good course re-con on Saturday, including a few laps with Scott, Amy, Chris and Chris...Then showed up early Sunday to see some of the RideOn crew mix it up in the C race. Unfortunately, the B race was the last race of the day, so I went home (gotta love races that are a 15-minute bike ride from home) in between for a second breakfast rather than standing in the cold for hours.
Got a 3rd row starting position and a pretty good jump at the start, which put me about 15th place heading up the run-up. While trying to re-mount in heavy traffic at the top I T-boned a barrier, but no damage was done, just lost a few seconds. The field strung out immediately on the 1st lap due to the narrow course, and I listened to the guy at the pits calling out places as I went by - found out I was sitting in 12th. Felt pretty good for the 1st few laps, despite the brutally bumpy course.
On lap 3 of 6, things started to fall apart - I dropped my chain on the steep bumpy dirt downhill (should've put it in the big ring!), and must have tweaked something as I forced it back on with the front derailleur, because my chain was skipping for the rest of the race. No excuses, but boy was that annoying! Slowly but surely, riders began to pass me, and I did my best to limit the damage. 1/2 way through the last lap, I found some power and picked off two riders, then made it my goal to keep them behind me. I finished in 20th place, which felt pretty good given the size of the field.
Friday, October 17, 2008
LARPD CX#3 - October 11, 2008
Category: B Men
After a few weeks of traveling (and NOT riding a bike), I was feeling refreshed but also had that sinking sensation that my fitness might be non-existent. I decided to head over to Livermore for another edition of LARPD CX...luckily the temps were 30 degrees cooler than the last race I did, but the wind was whipping and the B-Men field attracted a few more riders.
I finally got around to building up my new Kona Major Jake the week before the race, and broke all the rules by racing it without more than a few miles of test-riding...amazingly there were no major mechanical failures, though the shifting was a bit finicky. The bike was noticeably lighter and stiffer than my old Kona (circa 2001), and the new Maxxis Raze clinchers felt really fast both on the grass and in the loose stuff. Shane's course was nearly identical to the 1st race of the year, very fast, with lots of zigzagging turns.
All was going according to plan until about the 3rd lap, when Mark from Vertical Pandas? (who beat me in the 1st race) clipped a PVC course marker and went down hard right in front of me...the PVC pipe flew into the air, and time seemed to slow down as it drifted just over my head like a javelin. My heart skipped a beat, but there wasn't much to do except keep pedaling. For much of the rest of the race I was riding alone, thinking perhaps I was leading (though I later learned there was a group of 3 ahead). I rode a smooth race, but perhaps not the smartest one - the last 2.5 laps two guys sat on my wheel, which was a significant advantage for them, especially in the long straight-away into the wind. I thought about letting them by to trade pulls, but I couldn't tell how strong they were, and decided to take my chances riding in the front and hoping I could wear them down. No such luck - with 1/2 a lap to go, I got passed by both, and I had no gas left for the final sprint, so I had to settle for 6th place. Amazingly, Mark was one of the guys who beat me, after recovering from his crash earlier...
This was good tune-up race for the real fireworks, which I expect will begin at the first BASP race next weekend!
After a few weeks of traveling (and NOT riding a bike), I was feeling refreshed but also had that sinking sensation that my fitness might be non-existent. I decided to head over to Livermore for another edition of LARPD CX...luckily the temps were 30 degrees cooler than the last race I did, but the wind was whipping and the B-Men field attracted a few more riders.
I finally got around to building up my new Kona Major Jake the week before the race, and broke all the rules by racing it without more than a few miles of test-riding...amazingly there were no major mechanical failures, though the shifting was a bit finicky. The bike was noticeably lighter and stiffer than my old Kona (circa 2001), and the new Maxxis Raze clinchers felt really fast both on the grass and in the loose stuff. Shane's course was nearly identical to the 1st race of the year, very fast, with lots of zigzagging turns.
All was going according to plan until about the 3rd lap, when Mark from Vertical Pandas? (who beat me in the 1st race) clipped a PVC course marker and went down hard right in front of me...the PVC pipe flew into the air, and time seemed to slow down as it drifted just over my head like a javelin. My heart skipped a beat, but there wasn't much to do except keep pedaling. For much of the rest of the race I was riding alone, thinking perhaps I was leading (though I later learned there was a group of 3 ahead). I rode a smooth race, but perhaps not the smartest one - the last 2.5 laps two guys sat on my wheel, which was a significant advantage for them, especially in the long straight-away into the wind. I thought about letting them by to trade pulls, but I couldn't tell how strong they were, and decided to take my chances riding in the front and hoping I could wear them down. No such luck - with 1/2 a lap to go, I got passed by both, and I had no gas left for the final sprint, so I had to settle for 6th place. Amazingly, Mark was one of the guys who beat me, after recovering from his crash earlier...
This was good tune-up race for the real fireworks, which I expect will begin at the first BASP race next weekend!
Monday, September 8, 2008
LARPD CX #1 - September 6, 2008
Category: B Men
First race of the 2008 cyclocross season, and I couldn't resist going, despite the 100+ degree heat out in Livermore. BMX promoter Shane Huntoon puts on this low-key race series, where the focus is on fun, and fields tend to be smaller than some of the other NorCal CX series.
The B-Men race only had about 15 guys, so the start wasn't as chaotic as the typical 50+ field sprint fo the hole shot. Still, we kicked up enough dust on the 1st lap to make breathing difficult, and as the field strung out, I moved up into 5th position. The course wasn't too technical, and there were no real run-ups...but there were a few tricky sandy corners, a 100-yard section of deep wood chips that sucked the life out of my legs, lots of twisty grass sections...all in all a good intro course for the season, and very fast.
With 2 laps (of 7) to go, I was sitting on the wheel of 3rd place, and feeling pretty good...unfortunately I picked a really bad line though the wood chip section, and lost some ground and momentum, which spelled doom for my hopes of passing anyone. Ended up in 4th place, and nearly melted while sitting on the grass near the finish - thanks to Russell who threw me a bag of ice. I was glad to get in one race before heading out of the country on vacation for the next few weeks - hopefully when October rolls around and the season heats up I'll be ready to rock.
First race of the 2008 cyclocross season, and I couldn't resist going, despite the 100+ degree heat out in Livermore. BMX promoter Shane Huntoon puts on this low-key race series, where the focus is on fun, and fields tend to be smaller than some of the other NorCal CX series.
The B-Men race only had about 15 guys, so the start wasn't as chaotic as the typical 50+ field sprint fo the hole shot. Still, we kicked up enough dust on the 1st lap to make breathing difficult, and as the field strung out, I moved up into 5th position. The course wasn't too technical, and there were no real run-ups...but there were a few tricky sandy corners, a 100-yard section of deep wood chips that sucked the life out of my legs, lots of twisty grass sections...all in all a good intro course for the season, and very fast.
With 2 laps (of 7) to go, I was sitting on the wheel of 3rd place, and feeling pretty good...unfortunately I picked a really bad line though the wood chip section, and lost some ground and momentum, which spelled doom for my hopes of passing anyone. Ended up in 4th place, and nearly melted while sitting on the grass near the finish - thanks to Russell who threw me a bag of ice. I was glad to get in one race before heading out of the country on vacation for the next few weeks - hopefully when October rolls around and the season heats up I'll be ready to rock.
Monday, July 21, 2008
100-Mile Mixed-Terrain Enduro
I heard about this ride on the bayareacyclocross list, and figured it would make for some good base training in preparation for the cyclocross season. So I foolishly headed out to GGP Saturday morning on my cross bike with a bag of dry clothes in my backpack, ready to meet my maker... I knew this going to be a tough event - especially considering how little off-road riding I'd done recently, but it turned out to be a real back-breaker. Of the 30+ of us that lined up, only 8 finished! So I didn't feel so bad finishing second-to-last (or too bad that the only guy I beat was on a single speed!)...simply finishing seemed to be enough today. To sum it all up: 11,000 feet of climbing, lots of dirt, some boneshaking descents, a fair amount of walking on the steep climbs, 1 apple pastry, 1 gu, 7 barz, 2 mini donuts, some fig newtons and a handful of doritos, and 1 budweiser.
As we sat on the polo field bleachers talking about strategies and the dos and don'ts of the checkpoints and how to play nice with the horses and hikers we were sure to encounter, we were kindly reminded that this was NOT a race, but simply a RIDE. That didn't stop people from taking off in very race-like fashion as soon as they received their 1st map with 3 SF checkpoints. Luckily the three checkpoints were reasonably close together (though one did involve going down a long flight of stairs), and at the last one we were given detailed maps of the route through Marin with 8 more checkpoints conveniently located such that we were going to have to hit some loose dirt and some serious climbs.
Heading into the Presidio, I jumped on a Hans/Tim train going over the GG Bridge, but that didn't last long, cuz they were moving pretty good and I was barely warmed up and was thinking it was going to be a LONG day. I actually stopped in Sausalito to study the course maps and bought a camelback when I realized that I would likely be riding for several hours without access to water at some points along the course. It turned out to be a lifesaver...by the time I hit Mill Valley I was ready for a snack and some advice from the locals as to where the railroad grade trail was, so I stopped in Peet's for a pasty and some directions. Found railroad grade and started climbing with Jared and Jeremiah - after about 1/2 mile we realized we were on the wrong trail, and double-backed to find a group of about 7 just hitting the base of the right climb. Our pace wasn't anything more than steady, but the sun came out it got hot quick. I started to wonder how many riders were ahead of us - I was mostly just interested in surviving the day, but my competitive side was curious to know...
As we sat on the polo field bleachers talking about strategies and the dos and don'ts of the checkpoints and how to play nice with the horses and hikers we were sure to encounter, we were kindly reminded that this was NOT a race, but simply a RIDE. That didn't stop people from taking off in very race-like fashion as soon as they received their 1st map with 3 SF checkpoints. Luckily the three checkpoints were reasonably close together (though one did involve going down a long flight of stairs), and at the last one we were given detailed maps of the route through Marin with 8 more checkpoints conveniently located such that we were going to have to hit some loose dirt and some serious climbs.
Heading into the Presidio, I jumped on a Hans/Tim train going over the GG Bridge, but that didn't last long, cuz they were moving pretty good and I was barely warmed up and was thinking it was going to be a LONG day. I actually stopped in Sausalito to study the course maps and bought a camelback when I realized that I would likely be riding for several hours without access to water at some points along the course. It turned out to be a lifesaver...by the time I hit Mill Valley I was ready for a snack and some advice from the locals as to where the railroad grade trail was, so I stopped in Peet's for a pasty and some directions. Found railroad grade and started climbing with Jared and Jeremiah - after about 1/2 mile we realized we were on the wrong trail, and double-backed to find a group of about 7 just hitting the base of the right climb. Our pace wasn't anything more than steady, but the sun came out it got hot quick. I started to wonder how many riders were ahead of us - I was mostly just interested in surviving the day, but my competitive side was curious to know...
We reached the West Point Inn and stopped for a few minutes before blazing the mostly downhill section of trail toward Pantoll. The "officials" at the 1st checkpoint informed us that 17 riders had already come through - damn, we were lagging! I started to push the pace up the road from Pantoll to Ridgecrest, and again along the "7 Sisters" to the next checkpoint at the junction with Bolinas Fairfax Road, where the "officials" were kind enough to share their cooler of cold beer. As I began the next section of dirt (the Bolinas Ridge Trail), carnage began to appear...first Andreas came down the trail going the wrong way with a cracked frame. A few miles later I passed Tim from Roaring Mouse who had a broken derailleur hanger. The trail made me wish I had a suspension bike - the roots and rocks were giving me a beating. I tried my best to keep up with Jared, but his full suspension bike was a big advantage through the rough spots, and eventually I settled into my own rhythm and just tried not to lose too much ground. Unfortunately, I forgot to keep a close eye on the map, and missed the turn onto the Jewell Trail - I ended up riding all the way to the junction with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard just outside Olema. I wasn't the only one - Jared, Jeremiah, and I regrouped there and consulted the map, still not realizing that we had missed a turn. We knew the next checkpoint was in or near Samuel P. Taylor Park, so we took off down the road and onto the paved Cross-Marin Trail. We hit the next checkpoint just as the group who had been behind us came down the Jewell Trail and met us. At this point I mentally committed to keeping a closer eye on the map so I wouldn't continue to waste precious energy pedaling in the wrong direction!
After a few miles of much-needed flat paved terrain, we reached another checkpoint outside Lagunitas, and it was time for more dirt, and more climbing. Several riders decided to drop out at this point, and clearly they knew something that I didn't - the next section of the course was a series of fire roads that I had never ridden, and it was vicious. The climb up San Geronimo Ridge was steep, forcing me to walk my bike in some sections. Once at the top of the ridge, I was riding all alone for what felt like forever. The fire roads along the ridgetops around Mount Tam have a way of transporting you to another planet. Riding alone, it felt as if I might be hundreds of miles from civilization. If it weren't for the leaders having placed some primitive trail markers made of sticks indicating the turns, I probably would have gotten lost...the climbs were hard, but so were the descents - my shoulders, back, and arms actually hurt more than my legs by the time I reached the next checkpoint at Alpine Dam. What a relief to be back on pavement! The checkpoint crew offered up some tasty treats (if fig newtons and doritos count?), and when I learned that only 7 riders had come through so far, my motivation for pushing on to the finish was renewed. I climbed back up to Ridgecrest, probably slower than I ever have in my life, and then it was back across the "7 Sisters" (or as the organizers reminded us they would be on the 2nd go-around, the "7 Bitches").
Back down to Pantoll, and now it was decision time - this would be the last real place to bail out and ride the roads back to SF. The fog was rolling in, it was starting to get cold, and I was exhausted, but I couldn't stand the thought of not finishing, and with only 1 more checkpoint left, I decided to soldier on. So onto the Coastal Trail I went for some sweet singletrack down to Highway 1 and the Pelican Inn. This was the final checkpoint, and I never felt so relieved to know that I was about to ride 20 miles mostly in the cold and dark! The sun was dropping low over the ocean as I made my way up the last off-road portion of the course toward Tennessee Valley. In my delirious state, I managed to miss another trail junction, and ended up having to shoulder my bike and hike up a narrow trail for about 1/2 mile. Normally I would have been cursing my bad luck, but I think I was so tired that I simply couldn't expend the energy to be mad - I just put my head down and schlepped myself onward. The site of Tennessee Valley Road, and then Marin City, brought be back down to earth. By the time I was back on the Golden Gate Bridge, it was dark and downright freezing - but beautiful. I love riding across the bridge at night without the gaggles of tourists and packs of roadies out on training rides.
I arrived at the finish to find the party in full swing - the leaders had finished more than an hour ahead of me, and almost everyone had gathered for BBQ and beer. One of the toughest days I've ever had on a bike, but also one of the most fun. I've got to get a mountain bike.
Back down to Pantoll, and now it was decision time - this would be the last real place to bail out and ride the roads back to SF. The fog was rolling in, it was starting to get cold, and I was exhausted, but I couldn't stand the thought of not finishing, and with only 1 more checkpoint left, I decided to soldier on. So onto the Coastal Trail I went for some sweet singletrack down to Highway 1 and the Pelican Inn. This was the final checkpoint, and I never felt so relieved to know that I was about to ride 20 miles mostly in the cold and dark! The sun was dropping low over the ocean as I made my way up the last off-road portion of the course toward Tennessee Valley. In my delirious state, I managed to miss another trail junction, and ended up having to shoulder my bike and hike up a narrow trail for about 1/2 mile. Normally I would have been cursing my bad luck, but I think I was so tired that I simply couldn't expend the energy to be mad - I just put my head down and schlepped myself onward. The site of Tennessee Valley Road, and then Marin City, brought be back down to earth. By the time I was back on the Golden Gate Bridge, it was dark and downright freezing - but beautiful. I love riding across the bridge at night without the gaggles of tourists and packs of roadies out on training rides.
I arrived at the finish to find the party in full swing - the leaders had finished more than an hour ahead of me, and almost everyone had gathered for BBQ and beer. One of the toughest days I've ever had on a bike, but also one of the most fun. I've got to get a mountain bike.
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