I hadn't been on the bike since the Dirt Crits on 10/5 and thought it was high time to break free and double up on the weekend. Work has been nuts lately and I've been regularly putting in 12-15 hour days so suffice it to say I would be in "less-than-perfect" racing form. Saturday our team hosted the area's mtb race finale at Spanish Lake and Sunday was the official opening to the Bubba Cross series. I planned on racing both. The heck with official training plans, let the games begin.
The first game I had planned was to start at the back of the Sport class in the mtb race and then see how many rider I could pick off. We started with 21 or 22 and I proceeded to reel in over 1/2 the field before having an epic wipeout in the slick, long grass. I was running a Kenda Small Block 8 in the back and when I grabbed a little rear brake to set-up the 90 degree right-hander, all hell broke loose and the next thing I know I'm flying through the air and then slamming my head into the ground. In flight I must have punctured the side of my knee cap and it was swelling and bleeding for the rest of the race. I then bridged back up to 8th place or so and ran in a train with several other racers (one of them Sam Yount of Ghisallo) who were running very well. Just as I was setting up Sam for what I hoped was the last time, I sucked my chain and away the 4 of them went. I charged as hard as I could on the final lap to catch them. I did catch onto the back of them at the top of the final gravel climb, but it was too late. They had started their initial decent and it was directly into where I had crashed earlier. No need to tempt fate twice, so I let it be and settled for 12th. All credit to Sam and the others. They rode strong and kept me pressured the entire time.
Sunday, Bubba Cross #1 was laid out at JB Park and the course was painful. 3 decent climbs in the day and it proved to be too much for me and the single 42T chainring to handle. I didn't start fast (knowing this was a day to suffer, not race in the front) and tried to pass some riders. Out of the 35-40 that started the race, I think I made it as high as 22 or so before giving a lot of it back late in the race. I really had hoped to avoid getting passed, but that wasn't happening either. I got passed with 2 to go by the race winner, and then passed by the chasers 1 lap later. Right about the time Drew Black and the others came through, my shoe decided to let loose and I was trying to stay out of their way, cross the barriers, and keep my shoe from flying off. I kept the 'wheels' on and made it back to the start finish. Exhausted, I called it an officially hard weekend.
I'm glad I didn't wuss out and not race because of my work-induced layoff. Won't get back into form watching races, so the time was right. Thanks to my wife and son for coming out to watch me race! Sorry I stunk, but thanks for helping me turn the pedals over. Great cowbell ringing!!!
My knee is quite sore, as is my neck, but they're better when iced down and I'm getting ready for week #2 and Spanish Lake. Perhaps a little relegation to the C race until my fitness resumes. Look out LC and gang, I may be paying you a visit!
2 comments:
Nice work BOZ! Spanish lake seemed like a hard course fitness wise. Way to stick with the cross race. They are hard, but the reward is huge.
Have fun at Spanish Lake on Sunday. I've decided to hit Council Bluffs and skip the cross race.
LC
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