X-Bar, Eldorado......one of the more technical trails we race. It is a great finishing venue as it comes down to sheer skills and endurance. Lots of stairstep decents and sharp swithbacks at the beginning......with some good climbs/stairsteps at the end. The temps are usually up there by this time as was the case this year. We had to do 2, 9.5 mile loops in a pretty good heat.
Got off to a good start in the front 3 pack. Made one move as we rounded the last corner heading to the singletrack.....this put me in 2nd. The guy in front and I had a pretty good lead and tapped our brakes getting ready to hit the first set of drops in the singletrack. The only guy close comes barreling by and cuts in up front.....we both back off because we know this guy........he can't handle the technical stuff and we do not want to be right behind him when he goes down. Sure enough, he bobbles real bad and almost goes down but saves it and comes to a stop going down the second tech area. We have room, and fly by him on his right......now we pick it up a notch.....trying to put distance between us and the rest.
I am not running at 100%, having worked hard all week.....so I lose a little ground on first. I see my friend Guy not far behind.....he's trying to make up time.....so I focus and dig a little deeper for a little more speed. Guy's hanging tight about 50-60 yards back but not getting any closer. We are now close to 5 miles into the first lap and hit some good technical stuff......I hit it with all I have. As I come out of it and hit a level area......I do not see Guy. Some climbs, more stairsteps......then a long fireroad.......I am going all out now......have lost all sight of Guy. Make the last climb out to the feed zone and grab a water......start heading for lap 2....no sight of the racer in 1st.
Pass a lot of racers the first lap, and start to encounter more the second. Passing here is tricky, lots of places and ways to get hurt......but I'm good at it....and feel like I'm in good shape. The heat is starting to be an issue........muscles are sore and I bobble a couple of climbs.....going down once. (hit my elbow hard) Pass a lot of guys on the side with cramps.....some with flats and other mechanicals. I might be hurting.....but my ride is preforming like a true champ.....LOL. I top the last climb and see the finish......go all out here.....got to look good going across the line.....LOL.
Well, I finish in second.........and that gets me 3rd for the whole series. The guy behind me in 3rd grabs overall 2nd......I needed him to finish 6th for this race for me to have gotten overall 2nd.
Both the 1st and 2nd series finishers have 5 top 5's and will be catted up to Expert. I have 5 top 5's, but one doesn't count because there were less than 10 racers at the start. So, I could race Sport class next year..........but I'll move to Expert anyway.
Looks like I'll have to step up my training to compete next year........Ok, I mean start training....LOL. This year I just rode when I could and went to races.....not much of a training routine.......LOL.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Double Lake Race
This has never been one of my favoites. It tends to draw the roadies out as it is mostly flat and non-technical. I tend to do better the more technical a trail is.....and have done Ok but not well at this venue. I have this and one more race left and need to finish well if I wish to be on the podium with a top 3 in the series. A friend named Guy from San Antonio has been coming on strong the last few races.....and he's in in a position to knock me down a few places. (which would most likely tickle him to death...LOL)
Well, the whistle blows I'm in 5th gear....and get a great jump. I hit 6th, 7th, and 8th sitting, when I hit 9th.....I stand and power it up the start road and hit the singletrack a good 30ft in 1st. Of all the race venues, Double Lake is the one were position going into the singletrack is hugely important. You transition from a park road taking a sharp left, down into and out of a swale. The single track starts as you come up out of the swale and is very sandy and tight. This spot has seen many, many pile-ups as guys jocky for postion......being out in front, I missed it all!!!
The only technical part of DL is maybe the tight trees. There are a bunch on the first couple miles and I am powering through them scraping my shoulders against a few. I am going all out the first of 3 laps....trying to put some distance between myself and the rest of the field. It is about here that I start to encounter racers from other classes. I reallize that every time I get held up......it gives the guys behind me time to close the gap. On the other hand, if I can make clean fast passes....maybe I can gain some more ground. So, it now becomes a timing thing, as I approach a rider I call out "lead S8 rider behind" and start looking ahead for the first safe place to pass.
As I come though the start/finish line, I grab a sport shake that Alex has waiting for me. I get about 3/4 of it down before I have to dump it going into the trail again. I take a quick glance back....and can't really tell if anyone in my class is close.....so I keep hammering it. I'm still hitting a lot of traffic....but making good fast passes. Legs are starting to hurt, as is my back.
Still in first after 2 laps.....I come flying through the start/finish line and grab another shake from Alex. No need to look back.....this is the last lap.....8.5 more miles and I'm hurting.....but surprisedly still going pretty fast. There is still some traffic, but not as bad as before and now most of the guys are tired and moving over pretty fast to let me by. I know my compitition......and they are as fast as me....so, they can't be far behind. I am sore and tired, but keep pushing with all I have.....someplaces this is fast.....some of the short climbs slow me down. When I finally break into the open at the finish.....I get a glimps of another rider still just inside the treeline. I had just passed a couple of guys before reaching the clearing....but didn't know if it was them right behind me. I stand on it and hammer it the last 150 yards to the finish. I take 1st place....just 8 seconds in front of the 2nd place guy, 55 seconds in front of 3rd. Both of these guys are in the running for 1st in the series with me. They both are in a better positition to take it......but I'm not out of it yet......LOL. X-bar should be interesting, but no matter the results, I'll be racing as an Expert after this series.
I've had several 2nds......multiple 3rds, etc.......but this is my first, 1st place finish. Guy finished 4th which will keep the pressure on me to finish well at X-Bar.
Well, the whistle blows I'm in 5th gear....and get a great jump. I hit 6th, 7th, and 8th sitting, when I hit 9th.....I stand and power it up the start road and hit the singletrack a good 30ft in 1st. Of all the race venues, Double Lake is the one were position going into the singletrack is hugely important. You transition from a park road taking a sharp left, down into and out of a swale. The single track starts as you come up out of the swale and is very sandy and tight. This spot has seen many, many pile-ups as guys jocky for postion......being out in front, I missed it all!!!
The only technical part of DL is maybe the tight trees. There are a bunch on the first couple miles and I am powering through them scraping my shoulders against a few. I am going all out the first of 3 laps....trying to put some distance between myself and the rest of the field. It is about here that I start to encounter racers from other classes. I reallize that every time I get held up......it gives the guys behind me time to close the gap. On the other hand, if I can make clean fast passes....maybe I can gain some more ground. So, it now becomes a timing thing, as I approach a rider I call out "lead S8 rider behind" and start looking ahead for the first safe place to pass.
As I come though the start/finish line, I grab a sport shake that Alex has waiting for me. I get about 3/4 of it down before I have to dump it going into the trail again. I take a quick glance back....and can't really tell if anyone in my class is close.....so I keep hammering it. I'm still hitting a lot of traffic....but making good fast passes. Legs are starting to hurt, as is my back.
Still in first after 2 laps.....I come flying through the start/finish line and grab another shake from Alex. No need to look back.....this is the last lap.....8.5 more miles and I'm hurting.....but surprisedly still going pretty fast. There is still some traffic, but not as bad as before and now most of the guys are tired and moving over pretty fast to let me by. I know my compitition......and they are as fast as me....so, they can't be far behind. I am sore and tired, but keep pushing with all I have.....someplaces this is fast.....some of the short climbs slow me down. When I finally break into the open at the finish.....I get a glimps of another rider still just inside the treeline. I had just passed a couple of guys before reaching the clearing....but didn't know if it was them right behind me. I stand on it and hammer it the last 150 yards to the finish. I take 1st place....just 8 seconds in front of the 2nd place guy, 55 seconds in front of 3rd. Both of these guys are in the running for 1st in the series with me. They both are in a better positition to take it......but I'm not out of it yet......LOL. X-bar should be interesting, but no matter the results, I'll be racing as an Expert after this series.
I've had several 2nds......multiple 3rds, etc.......but this is my first, 1st place finish. Guy finished 4th which will keep the pressure on me to finish well at X-Bar.
Riemers Ranch Race
This was my 4th race....but it is the 5th in the series. I will also miss the next one due to work.....therefore, I will have to make the last 2 no matter what.
This is a great trail, very rocky and technical up front, with a fast down hill last section. I showed up pretty tired as I had driven over from working 5 14-16 hour days shooting in Houston. I got a good start.....entering the singletrack in 2nd or 3rd, but start feeling weird going into the first couple of climbs. I didn't want to bonk completely, so I let a few guys by and dropped in behind them. As I was nearing the end of the first lap, I began to feel better. So, I started to overtake and pass the guys ahead of me.
I passed a few more heading into lap 2, then started picking them off one by one. As we hit the fast downhill section, I was in 4th, but quickly moved into 3rd. I got held up behind a couple of racers from another class, I could have made the pass, but didn't want to risk it at the speeds we were going. I finally got by one guy, and as I was passing the second, he bobbled trying to make a rocky turn, and I got held up for about 5-7 seconds trying to get around him. We are now on the final stretch and it is fast. There is a short section of double track before you hit the last piece of single back to the finishline. It is here that I get passed by another guy making his move on the last lap also. I follow him in and finish 10 seconds in 4th.
Had I passed when I first caught the two guys earlier.....I wouldn't have been behind the one that bobbled.....and would never be caught...and would have finished 3rd. Will not make that mistake again.
This is a great trail, very rocky and technical up front, with a fast down hill last section. I showed up pretty tired as I had driven over from working 5 14-16 hour days shooting in Houston. I got a good start.....entering the singletrack in 2nd or 3rd, but start feeling weird going into the first couple of climbs. I didn't want to bonk completely, so I let a few guys by and dropped in behind them. As I was nearing the end of the first lap, I began to feel better. So, I started to overtake and pass the guys ahead of me.
I passed a few more heading into lap 2, then started picking them off one by one. As we hit the fast downhill section, I was in 4th, but quickly moved into 3rd. I got held up behind a couple of racers from another class, I could have made the pass, but didn't want to risk it at the speeds we were going. I finally got by one guy, and as I was passing the second, he bobbled trying to make a rocky turn, and I got held up for about 5-7 seconds trying to get around him. We are now on the final stretch and it is fast. There is a short section of double track before you hit the last piece of single back to the finishline. It is here that I get passed by another guy making his move on the last lap also. I follow him in and finish 10 seconds in 4th.
Had I passed when I first caught the two guys earlier.....I wouldn't have been behind the one that bobbled.....and would never be caught...and would have finished 3rd. Will not make that mistake again.
OC Challenge
Due to weather conditions, they changed some of the course. The route was about 52 miles this year. I ran it as a guide......helping make sure everyone was Ok and on track. I took off at the head of the pack....then dropped back to find a group a Dallas riders to join. I wound up riding with a guy named Alex (bigdaddy) on the forum. The fireroad climb up to the singletrack wasn't as bad as I thought it woud be. The first part was pretty wet here and there, even had water flowing down the trail in a few spots. But once we got to the Womble it got much better. We made all the check points with time to spare, and Alex was riding strong. He did experiance some cramping, but was able to ride it off. I took some great pics and a lot of video.......unfortunately, it seems to have not downloaded right and I lost it all.....CRAP!
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