Sunday, July 19, 2009

Seriously, I think that was the hardest XC race I have ever done.


I rode the course quite a bit during the week, including Friday with Newby, afterward I soaked in the creek for 30 minutes (I hear that is a no no though).
Lyna and I got there early enough so I could meander my way to getting kitted up for the warm up. Before the race Chris B said he was retired. I hope that isn't true, I like chasing him. Ty and I headed out up the pavement for a small lap warm up, plus some other openers. I got a good warm up, well it was warm too.

Sam and I had a gap going up the short dirt road/paved road section, I let off the gas as he came around me into the singletrack, not wanting to blow up. Honeycomb and Quenn Bess are painful and I did not want to blow up with the upper service road climbs ahead. BK got around me on Queen Bess. I just setted in, it was gonna be a long day. I made it over the top and headed down Kruzr, BK was on the side of the trail with a flat tire, I told him to get moving and kept going.

I never saw Sam again and never saw anyone behind me either, I just kept trying to pass people in other categories to keep motivated. The curse was brutal, about 4400 feet of climbing in under 22 miles. The DH was rough and my arms were pretty pumped halfway through the race, then my quads got pumped on the DH, on the last 1/2 (really 3/4's) lap I was actually DH'ing alot in teh saddle, The Zaskar absored it well, my quads needed the rest. We had over 10 at the start and only 5 finishers, rough day at the office.

I ended up in 2nd, 3rd year in a row, this time though I was 9 minutes out of 1st, crazy, Sam is on fire right now. The new course is a Brute, not going up the road on the first lap changes the race strategy, the road, while painful, exposed and not fun, did play into my strengths, oh well, it will make me stronger.

Sunday met up with Shannifer, Ryan, Jenelle, Carl and Ty for an extended Mill D loop (3400 feet of climb in 17.7 miles), new Onetrack off the top of Guardsman was a blast, then up Puke hill. Part way up, Ty passes me and grabs my rear brake HARD, well I did it to him earlier on the road. Shannons front wheel then plows into my Rear D and my chain pops behind the cassette, we get it out, adjust the shifting and keep going, then on the last little up before the Spine I shift behind the cassette again, By that time Ty had left us 'to go work on a school paper' whatever, he was scared. Payback is gonna be hell.

3 comments:

Rick Sunderlage said...

nice finish. You have a great trend going. 2nd is a long way from the chair.

Oh, and I have your bottle.

Grizzly Adam said...

Wish I could have been there. Brutal races are fun, if you can finish them.

primetime formerly known as slyfox said...

what about throw up fest in fruita