Glory and slop
This past weekend was another full weekend of races. It's probably my imagination but it seems there have more of these double race weekends this year. The CX season is barely more than two months old but I am starting to want a break.
Even if I was rather slack in training during the road season, it has been nine months of racing. I am not physically tired. More than anything, I feel a little bit of mental fatigue. Thankfully, my results have gradually improved since the start of the season in Hermann. This has kept me looking forward in a positive light toward the State Championships in Kansas City, two weekends from now.
This past Saturday was the premiere CoMO Awesomo race in Columbia, MO. My original plan was to do the usual Cat 3/4 race but I was on call, starting at noon, during an important weekend at work. Friday evening I noticed that this race had a Masters race at 10am. Hmmm... Not perfect but I could be back home near 1pm and not be risking too much by being away.
This turned out to be a low-key event with small turnouts. Not surprising, since it was a first time race in the middle of the state and on a Saturday, when turnouts always seem lighter. When race time rolled around there were only seven of us Masters that showed up to race.
During my warmup laps I was not excited about this course. Everything seemed bland. There was TONS of tape, thanks mostly to a giant spiral of death, and the field it was built on was full of clumpy grass. I never felt comfortable.
With the small number of competitors it was easy for me to get a front row spot. That didn't stop me from being the 6th of 7 riders into the first turn. My starts absolutely suck this year. I wont get into great detail about the race but I moved up quickly in the spiral of death after seeing Trent open a small gap. If I didn't shut that down quick, it was going to get bigger because I didn't trust the guy in 2nd place being able to hold his wheel. I shut down the gap to Trent and the two of us gradually opened up the gap to the rest. Seeing how Trent and I pulled away, I was very thankful for not waiting around to close that gap.
The two of us had a ding-dong battle for most of the race. Trent was more than willing to lead most of the race and that was fine for me. I don't mind sitting on a wheel. I was much better in the turns but he was better on the flat, straight stretches. With 1.5 laps to go, I let him get a little too far away and couldn't shut it down and ultimately finished in 2nd, 20 seconds behind after easing up a little in the last half lap.
Looking back on the race, I really kind of like the course. Strange how a good result can change perceptions.
Sunday's race was at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta, MO. The morning was filled with off and on light rain and the temperatures had taken a serious 20 degree drop from the short sleeve weather of Saturday.
I arrived about 15 minutes before the first race and a few women had already decided not to race because of the course conditions. This wasn't encouraging to me. I walked down to a spot where I could see much of the course which is, largely, built on a hillside. Some of the workers were just finishing up a course change. They had taken out a turn that was apparetnly very treacherous with the wet conditions.
I watched a little of the Women's race and, even with the one course change, saw several crashes in just a couple laps. I went to the car, changed clothes and took a couple laps after the women were done. The course was a little tricky because of some off-camber turns but not so bad... yet. After the women, the "C" racers managed to tear up the course and turn virtually every turn into a slippery, muddy mess.
My new Limus tubulars did pretty well in the mud, in my opinion. The conditions were certainly slick and care had to be taken, but I never felt like I was skating through turns or hanging on for dear life.
My start, like Saturday, was not great but I raced a mostly clean race. I never felt quick but I was as fast as some of the top 5 guys once the race settled in. This race was brutal. Very slick. Tough course, even in ideal conditions. Mud clogging up cleats and pedals. It's hell when you are racing but fun in retrospect. A solid 10th place makes things feel a little better, too.
Here is a humorous, little video of my one crash on a devishly hard off-camber turn.
Even if I was rather slack in training during the road season, it has been nine months of racing. I am not physically tired. More than anything, I feel a little bit of mental fatigue. Thankfully, my results have gradually improved since the start of the season in Hermann. This has kept me looking forward in a positive light toward the State Championships in Kansas City, two weekends from now.
This past Saturday was the premiere CoMO Awesomo race in Columbia, MO. My original plan was to do the usual Cat 3/4 race but I was on call, starting at noon, during an important weekend at work. Friday evening I noticed that this race had a Masters race at 10am. Hmmm... Not perfect but I could be back home near 1pm and not be risking too much by being away.
This turned out to be a low-key event with small turnouts. Not surprising, since it was a first time race in the middle of the state and on a Saturday, when turnouts always seem lighter. When race time rolled around there were only seven of us Masters that showed up to race.
During my warmup laps I was not excited about this course. Everything seemed bland. There was TONS of tape, thanks mostly to a giant spiral of death, and the field it was built on was full of clumpy grass. I never felt comfortable.
With the small number of competitors it was easy for me to get a front row spot. That didn't stop me from being the 6th of 7 riders into the first turn. My starts absolutely suck this year. I wont get into great detail about the race but I moved up quickly in the spiral of death after seeing Trent open a small gap. If I didn't shut that down quick, it was going to get bigger because I didn't trust the guy in 2nd place being able to hold his wheel. I shut down the gap to Trent and the two of us gradually opened up the gap to the rest. Seeing how Trent and I pulled away, I was very thankful for not waiting around to close that gap.
The two of us had a ding-dong battle for most of the race. Trent was more than willing to lead most of the race and that was fine for me. I don't mind sitting on a wheel. I was much better in the turns but he was better on the flat, straight stretches. With 1.5 laps to go, I let him get a little too far away and couldn't shut it down and ultimately finished in 2nd, 20 seconds behind after easing up a little in the last half lap.
Looking back on the race, I really kind of like the course. Strange how a good result can change perceptions.
Sunday's race was at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta, MO. The morning was filled with off and on light rain and the temperatures had taken a serious 20 degree drop from the short sleeve weather of Saturday.
I arrived about 15 minutes before the first race and a few women had already decided not to race because of the course conditions. This wasn't encouraging to me. I walked down to a spot where I could see much of the course which is, largely, built on a hillside. Some of the workers were just finishing up a course change. They had taken out a turn that was apparetnly very treacherous with the wet conditions.
I watched a little of the Women's race and, even with the one course change, saw several crashes in just a couple laps. I went to the car, changed clothes and took a couple laps after the women were done. The course was a little tricky because of some off-camber turns but not so bad... yet. After the women, the "C" racers managed to tear up the course and turn virtually every turn into a slippery, muddy mess.
My new Limus tubulars did pretty well in the mud, in my opinion. The conditions were certainly slick and care had to be taken, but I never felt like I was skating through turns or hanging on for dear life.
My start, like Saturday, was not great but I raced a mostly clean race. I never felt quick but I was as fast as some of the top 5 guys once the race settled in. This race was brutal. Very slick. Tough course, even in ideal conditions. Mud clogging up cleats and pedals. It's hell when you are racing but fun in retrospect. A solid 10th place makes things feel a little better, too.
Here is a humorous, little video of my one crash on a devishly hard off-camber turn.
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