warcricket
Like a Jerk
im sooooooo bummed i didn't go. i suck.
SSAP 2011 Recaps
- Thread starter kush
- Start date
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Spent the last 12 miles without brakes, and I'll be cleaning mud out of my clothes and gear until next year's race. That was one of the most fun races I've done in I don't know how long. The conditions were just ridiculous. I don't know what was the most memorable trail feature -- the foot-deep puddle-ponds or that insane peanut butter section in the first non-prologue singletrack. I do know that by the time I reached that last drop in section that bottomed out in that last water section and had to run down the drop because I really had no stopping power at all by then, all I could do was laugh because I was re-mounting just to pedal through water up to my axles. That's a day you don't get to live all that often. Darkhorse gave us one hell of a day. HUGE thanks to them!
Well said. It all seemed pretty ridiculous at the time but it's some shit you'll never forget.
this was my first race event and I finished 55th 
the course could not have been better marked there was no issue with getting lost. Darkhorse did an outstanding job with putting this together I will think on doing it next year as well as getting back to this park to ride again.. this was a test for myself for the extra miles and I am happy that I finished towards the middle of the first lap I had my doubts but it was a good time for sure...can't wait to see the pictures to show my wife how I spent my Sunday..
the course could not have been better marked there was no issue with getting lost. Darkhorse did an outstanding job with putting this together I will think on doing it next year as well as getting back to this park to ride again.. this was a test for myself for the extra miles and I am happy that I finished towards the middle of the first lap I had my doubts but it was a good time for sure...can't wait to see the pictures to show my wife how I spent my Sunday..
maddawg
Member
i'm pretty sure James Pearl liked it!!!
mandi
Well-Known Member
I wish I had more of an exciting story to post up, but I really don't. I got out in front for the prologue, with one girl in front of me. There was so much chaos that everybody was walking their bike and keeping their place. 2 ladies I will not name decided to cut everybody off, which to me is ridiculous. James tells me that's racing... but if that's racing I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. We get to the section that shoots down and back up and the first girl eats it. Second girl ended up getting tripped up. I hate to say karma, but it was. Once we get out to the road I ask the girl next to me if she thinks she can keep the pace. I figured we could really work together. She tells me "not if the mud is like that" so I said "have a good race."
I knew I was out in front for the first lap but I wasn't too sure. I rode with the same dudes the whole time. Past Lisa and Jamie who told me James was "an hour" in front of Dustin & Capers... that made me happy. I was confirmed to be the first girl, so now my strategy was stay with these guys and don't lose my place.
Right when we dipped back into the ST I realized my brakes were gone. By the way, that first section of mud was intense. On the first DH section I prepared for my crash, and man, it felt worse then I thought it would. Big shout out to the guy in the blue kit who actually stopped to help me while 4 guys past him. I got back up as fast as I could. There was no freaking way I would lose my first 1st place because of my stupid brakes. The next DH it finally clicked, brake BMX style. It worked, on every single downhill. I started noticing people and realizing how close I was to the end. Once I popped back out onto the road I saw a Dark Horse guy who I asked "is this it?!" He said "this is it baby!" This was the best feeling of my life. Getting to see all my friend's reactions made it so much better. I rode by with a big number 1 in the air and a smile. Swollen bruised foot and all.
Thanks to everybody that spent those hours sitting and cheering. The encouragement that one person could bring is amazing. Thanks to Luke (I didn't even know it was you, I was so in the zone) who stood out there getting soaked for 4 hours. Congrats to all my friends for how well they did, 2011 is going to be a good year for everyone!
I knew I was out in front for the first lap but I wasn't too sure. I rode with the same dudes the whole time. Past Lisa and Jamie who told me James was "an hour" in front of Dustin & Capers... that made me happy. I was confirmed to be the first girl, so now my strategy was stay with these guys and don't lose my place.
Right when we dipped back into the ST I realized my brakes were gone. By the way, that first section of mud was intense. On the first DH section I prepared for my crash, and man, it felt worse then I thought it would. Big shout out to the guy in the blue kit who actually stopped to help me while 4 guys past him. I got back up as fast as I could. There was no freaking way I would lose my first 1st place because of my stupid brakes. The next DH it finally clicked, brake BMX style. It worked, on every single downhill. I started noticing people and realizing how close I was to the end. Once I popped back out onto the road I saw a Dark Horse guy who I asked "is this it?!" He said "this is it baby!" This was the best feeling of my life. Getting to see all my friend's reactions made it so much better. I rode by with a big number 1 in the air and a smile. Swollen bruised foot and all.
Thanks to everybody that spent those hours sitting and cheering. The encouragement that one person could bring is amazing. Thanks to Luke (I didn't even know it was you, I was so in the zone) who stood out there getting soaked for 4 hours. Congrats to all my friends for how well they did, 2011 is going to be a good year for everyone!
Dude, you're one BMF! Good work!
pedals
Well-Known Member
Well I was lucky not to fall, but I did bang my pinkie--ouch !! Getting stuck behind so many in the beginning section hurt too, but I felt very lucky that my bike was working so well for me. Never expected to get 3rd and it felt great. What a great day all around !! Someone owes Luke a t-shirt... i will try to steal one from Matt.
Dusty the Whale
Mr.Chainsaw
I have Hopes and they were there the whole time. My rear pads are shot but I have a set Jeremy "the wicked" gave me a while back
mandi
Well-Known Member
You just wedge your foot in between the seat and the rear tire. Once my foot was 90 percent crushed I started using my heel. It didn't stop as quick, but it was effective enough at slowing me down gradually rather then dead stopped. Please save yourself and only try it if you need it... the aftermath is not cool.
I’m glad to see the longer recaps are back. I’ve had some time to let my memories marinate a bit, so I’ll tell my side of the story.
It’ll be quick, I promise. Ha ha ha
I’ll start with a little phone conversation I had with Ben on Thursday. It was a normal Coach/athlete conversation with getting caught up on training. We were going over race day prep, race nutrition tips, etc. He asked me what my goal was and I told him I wanted to win. I like to think Ben was smiling when I’m telling him this, but he’s kind of hard to read…especially over the phone…
But why else would you race? I know not everyone shares my attitude of: “Winning is #1, Fun is a distant #2”. And this may not be the healthiest attitude, but I didn’t spend half my winter stuck on my trainer in my basement watching Friends and Everybody loves Raymond re-runs on TBS while making sweat puddles on my floor for fun. I did all that shit to win… so of course that was my goal.
On Friday I snuck up to High Gear on my lunch break so Jim to undo something I broke. While he is fixing it he sees a crack in the Frame. Its right above the rear brake caliper on the seat stay. Boo. They are good at warranties, but not that good. All he could do was slap some epoxy on there and wrap it with electrical tape. The crack wasn’t all the way through; it was only about 50%. I really didn’t have a choice if I wanted to race.
On to Race day
There’s just something cool about being the only car on the road, and then coming up on somebody with a bike on their roof, and you know they are going to the same place you are. In this case it was Mr. Capers. After I fly by him I start thinking about what his pre-race drive is like and how it’s probably a lot different than mine. He’s probably sitting in his car jamming out to some Phish or some other hippy stuff and meditating. I on the other hand have my hood on, head banging, and blasting some All That Remains at a level way too high for 6AM. Different folks, different strokes I guess. (I admit I have no idea what capers listens too, nor do I really know him well enough to make these judgments)
I also passed some other weirdo who was blowing me kisses, and then started following me. That turned out to be Dustin /Chainsaw.
Fast forward to the race now. I was a little late to the start line for multiple reason, none of which important enough to mention. But I got there and it was packed. I slid in next to Pearl, because I know he likes me. I’m not sure if the other racers around cared that I was late and went right to the front or not. I’m not sure about that etiquette. I didn’t lose any sleep over it though.
Off we go and it’s like a million hamsters spinning in their wheels but not going anywhere. The difference a few teeth make is pretty miniscule here. It’s a big pack and nobody is gapping by that much…especially when you’re not really warmed up. I just made sure I didn’t get a pedal in my spoke and stayed near the front.
I entered the prologue singletrack in the 4th spot. It wasn’t long until we were up on the Expert Women. Luckily there were only 5 or 6 so not too many to pass. By the time I exited the prologue I was in 3rd. I looked back and nobody was in sight. There must have been a traffic jam which I avoided. Nice.
I’m cruising up the road getting ready to get into the race course. I started talking to the Guy in 2rd as we were tight next to each other. His name was Jeff and was one cool guy. We chatted for next 2/3 of the race course. The guy in first was out of site, and we both assumed (hoped) he would burn out. Jeff reminded me that at the KSVP race we were in a similar spot and he was calling me “one more” because every time he passed someone I (being right behind him) would say “One More” as I made the same pass. Good times.
I followed Jeff for a long time. Along the way we came up on RNG. Rob’s attempts at distracting Jeff while admirable, failed in the end. (hey man how are you? Nice bike. Is it new? When did you get it? Do you like it?) Jeff wasn’t about to succumb to Rob’s mind games. Soon after were in in a line and making our way through the course.
We came up to 1 spot where Jeff took a bad line and I got around him. I was now in 2nd and pushing to find first. Jeff and Rob were still close behind for a little bit, but eventually I lost them. After the race I asked Jeff what happened. Not to be a dick, but because he was riding so strong I was surprised I was able to shake him at all. It turned out it was a cyclocross re-mount after a spot where we all had to get off the bikes. He said I got back on and started pedaling so smooth I put a gap on him right there. It pays to race different disciplines.
From this point on, I was racing myself. I was passing a bunch of the Cat 1 guys and still searching for the “guy with the orange pack” AKA the guy in first place.
It was a little chilly out and a few times I thought I felt a cramp coming on, luckily it never did. I was drinking often and munching my mud and dirt covered Cliff shot blocks which I had loosely in my jersey pocket.
Half way through the second lap I started to accept the fact I may have to settle for 2nd place. I was following the same Cat 1 guy for a while when in the corner of my eye I saw the Orange pack. Go time. I knew we were close to the end of the race, but because my Garmin rebooted halfway thought the first lap, I wasn’t sure exactly how much time I had left. I reached in my jersey and grabbed a handful of my Stewart mud flavored gummy things, took a swig of Gatorade, and made my way towards 1st. I caught him surprisingly easy. I rode a few feet behind him for a little bit to recover enough so that once I passed him I had enough to put a gap on him. We came up to rock that required a dis mount so I hopped off, shouldered my bike and ran past him. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but I’m pretty sure he looked over his shoulder and saw my number plate and knew he was giving up the lead. I had another cyclocross remount and I was off. I was running on pure adrenaline at this point. I pushed HARD for the next 5 minutes after which I looked back and nobody was near. I’m not sure if the guy gave up, didn’t care, or didn’t have enough left to chase.
Soon after I hit the pavement and started spinning like a hamster again. A couple look backs and I was confident I had 1st in the bag. Mission accomplished. I was off to the kegs to rehydrate and inhale some hot dogs.
It’ll be quick, I promise. Ha ha ha
I’ll start with a little phone conversation I had with Ben on Thursday. It was a normal Coach/athlete conversation with getting caught up on training. We were going over race day prep, race nutrition tips, etc. He asked me what my goal was and I told him I wanted to win. I like to think Ben was smiling when I’m telling him this, but he’s kind of hard to read…especially over the phone…
But why else would you race? I know not everyone shares my attitude of: “Winning is #1, Fun is a distant #2”. And this may not be the healthiest attitude, but I didn’t spend half my winter stuck on my trainer in my basement watching Friends and Everybody loves Raymond re-runs on TBS while making sweat puddles on my floor for fun. I did all that shit to win… so of course that was my goal.
On Friday I snuck up to High Gear on my lunch break so Jim to undo something I broke. While he is fixing it he sees a crack in the Frame. Its right above the rear brake caliper on the seat stay. Boo. They are good at warranties, but not that good. All he could do was slap some epoxy on there and wrap it with electrical tape. The crack wasn’t all the way through; it was only about 50%. I really didn’t have a choice if I wanted to race.
On to Race day
There’s just something cool about being the only car on the road, and then coming up on somebody with a bike on their roof, and you know they are going to the same place you are. In this case it was Mr. Capers. After I fly by him I start thinking about what his pre-race drive is like and how it’s probably a lot different than mine. He’s probably sitting in his car jamming out to some Phish or some other hippy stuff and meditating. I on the other hand have my hood on, head banging, and blasting some All That Remains at a level way too high for 6AM. Different folks, different strokes I guess. (I admit I have no idea what capers listens too, nor do I really know him well enough to make these judgments)
I also passed some other weirdo who was blowing me kisses, and then started following me. That turned out to be Dustin /Chainsaw.
Fast forward to the race now. I was a little late to the start line for multiple reason, none of which important enough to mention. But I got there and it was packed. I slid in next to Pearl, because I know he likes me. I’m not sure if the other racers around cared that I was late and went right to the front or not. I’m not sure about that etiquette. I didn’t lose any sleep over it though.
Off we go and it’s like a million hamsters spinning in their wheels but not going anywhere. The difference a few teeth make is pretty miniscule here. It’s a big pack and nobody is gapping by that much…especially when you’re not really warmed up. I just made sure I didn’t get a pedal in my spoke and stayed near the front.
I entered the prologue singletrack in the 4th spot. It wasn’t long until we were up on the Expert Women. Luckily there were only 5 or 6 so not too many to pass. By the time I exited the prologue I was in 3rd. I looked back and nobody was in sight. There must have been a traffic jam which I avoided. Nice.
I’m cruising up the road getting ready to get into the race course. I started talking to the Guy in 2rd as we were tight next to each other. His name was Jeff and was one cool guy. We chatted for next 2/3 of the race course. The guy in first was out of site, and we both assumed (hoped) he would burn out. Jeff reminded me that at the KSVP race we were in a similar spot and he was calling me “one more” because every time he passed someone I (being right behind him) would say “One More” as I made the same pass. Good times.
I followed Jeff for a long time. Along the way we came up on RNG. Rob’s attempts at distracting Jeff while admirable, failed in the end. (hey man how are you? Nice bike. Is it new? When did you get it? Do you like it?) Jeff wasn’t about to succumb to Rob’s mind games. Soon after were in in a line and making our way through the course.
We came up to 1 spot where Jeff took a bad line and I got around him. I was now in 2nd and pushing to find first. Jeff and Rob were still close behind for a little bit, but eventually I lost them. After the race I asked Jeff what happened. Not to be a dick, but because he was riding so strong I was surprised I was able to shake him at all. It turned out it was a cyclocross re-mount after a spot where we all had to get off the bikes. He said I got back on and started pedaling so smooth I put a gap on him right there. It pays to race different disciplines.
From this point on, I was racing myself. I was passing a bunch of the Cat 1 guys and still searching for the “guy with the orange pack” AKA the guy in first place.
It was a little chilly out and a few times I thought I felt a cramp coming on, luckily it never did. I was drinking often and munching my mud and dirt covered Cliff shot blocks which I had loosely in my jersey pocket.
Half way through the second lap I started to accept the fact I may have to settle for 2nd place. I was following the same Cat 1 guy for a while when in the corner of my eye I saw the Orange pack. Go time. I knew we were close to the end of the race, but because my Garmin rebooted halfway thought the first lap, I wasn’t sure exactly how much time I had left. I reached in my jersey and grabbed a handful of my Stewart mud flavored gummy things, took a swig of Gatorade, and made my way towards 1st. I caught him surprisingly easy. I rode a few feet behind him for a little bit to recover enough so that once I passed him I had enough to put a gap on him. We came up to rock that required a dis mount so I hopped off, shouldered my bike and ran past him. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but I’m pretty sure he looked over his shoulder and saw my number plate and knew he was giving up the lead. I had another cyclocross remount and I was off. I was running on pure adrenaline at this point. I pushed HARD for the next 5 minutes after which I looked back and nobody was near. I’m not sure if the guy gave up, didn’t care, or didn’t have enough left to chase.
Soon after I hit the pavement and started spinning like a hamster again. A couple look backs and I was confident I had 1st in the bag. Mission accomplished. I was off to the kegs to rehydrate and inhale some hot dogs.