I'm that grumpy old retired guy next door who wags his finger and knows what's best for everybody else.
Chronicles of a Cat 3 Schlub
- Thread starter MadisonDan
- Start date
I'm that grumpy old retired guy next door who wags his finger and knows what's best for everybody else.
I'm that grumpy old retired guy next door who wags his finger and knows what's best for everybody else.
What number is on your license??
Hang in there. That was a very fast (and hard) race and the type of course that would normally favor a CXer who is coming over from road racing (rather than from MTB racing). As opposed to a series of On/Off efforts like a typical cross race, the course required jumping hard at a few spots and then holding that effort for a long time. For example, coming out of the very last chicane in the first field, you needed to get on the gas hard and then hold that effort all the way to the long straightaway, all the way through the long straightaway, and all the way to the woods. You got a little breather through the woods and then you needed to get on it again and keep pedaling through the sweeping downhill turns all the way up to the barriers. Very few opportunities to rest for more than 1 or 2 seconds before the lap was done. The wind only added to that dynamic and made drafting pretty important. You also needed to be prepared to burn a few matches to get on wheels to take advantage of the draft. MTB does not prepare you (or put you in the mindset) for those types of efforts.
Neither does beer drinking!
Thanks Rich, yeah, that assessment is spot on about the difference in on/off the gas. First time for me at that venue. This weekend will being more of the same pain.
It's impressive to watch you guys out there from outside of the tape, and almost more so from inside as you're lapping me.
Like I alluded to earlier, I have no delusions of my own fitness and skill set, I'm out there to bury myself for 45 minutes and see where things shake out. Progression is the name of the game this year. Push hard, get better.
See ya Sunday prolly.
Here's what the Master's 35+ field at Whirlybird looks like from the back....
I couldn't figure out how to get the Garmin dials synced up with the right timing.
I couldn't figure out how to get the Garmin dials synced up with the right timing.
StayHydrated
Swedish Chef
+1, Boss got shot out of a cannon
Duh... why didn't I think of that...
Felt like I got shot BY a cannon...
Nittany CX - Day 2
Men's Masters 35+
Not much to report here. Similar to previous race. By the time we started at 12:00pm, 98.763% of the course was bone dry and FAST and hot. I participated in 5 of 6 laps, only getting caught in the flat field chicaines after the barriers... so close. I also was one lap away from consuming an entire beer. Three hand ups from Eric @Hb that were smooth AF. The last lap would have been for the last quarter of the beer.
I finished 23 of 25, but that's only because Mike Yozell and Angelo Mascelli DNF'd.
My lap times were negative negative splits.
8:02
8:17
8:56
9:01
9:12
Next up is Bridgeton on Sunday. NJBA CX Race #1.
Men's Masters 35+
Not much to report here. Similar to previous race. By the time we started at 12:00pm, 98.763% of the course was bone dry and FAST and hot. I participated in 5 of 6 laps, only getting caught in the flat field chicaines after the barriers... so close. I also was one lap away from consuming an entire beer. Three hand ups from Eric @Hb that were smooth AF. The last lap would have been for the last quarter of the beer.
I finished 23 of 25, but that's only because Mike Yozell and Angelo Mascelli DNF'd.
My lap times were negative negative splits.
8:02
8:17
8:56
9:01
9:12
Next up is Bridgeton on Sunday. NJBA CX Race #1.
Bridgeton CX
Master's 40+ 2/3/4
God damn that was long drive. This course had sand, lots of sand, stairs, pavement, and loose dirt/dust trails, and very short/steep climb up.
I felt meh the whole time.
Lap times.
1) 9:20
2) 9:24
3) 9:49
4) 10:06
5) 10:06
I finished on the lead lap, barely. 14th of 17.
Here's a photo of @Harry Hamilton on that run/climb up.
The aftermath....
187..... Cause I got murdered....
Master's 40+ 2/3/4
God damn that was long drive. This course had sand, lots of sand, stairs, pavement, and loose dirt/dust trails, and very short/steep climb up.
I felt meh the whole time.
Lap times.
1) 9:20
2) 9:24
3) 9:49
4) 10:06
5) 10:06
I finished on the lead lap, barely. 14th of 17.
Here's a photo of @Harry Hamilton on that run/climb up.
The aftermath....
187..... Cause I got murdered....
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
If you draw a #13 - flip it and pray for no bad luck
If you draw a 187 - pack your shit and go home cause you about to get MURDERED IN DA FACE
If you draw a 187 - pack your shit and go home cause you about to get MURDERED IN DA FACE
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Hippo CX
Men's Masters 40+ 2/3/4
I was looking forward to Hippo since the beginning of the season. This may not be the best course around, but the good folks at Pure Energy Velo that put this race on really go above and beyond to make this and event, not just a race. The Hippo did not disappoint! As has been the case so far this year, training is minimal, beer intake it moderate, and the stoke factor remains high.
I rolled into the venue at about 8:00am, with the MTBNJ team tent and all sorts of other crap. With some help from @Santapez @MissJR and FunkFreshington the tent was set up along the finish straight, between the Hb tent and the ProPower tent. Donut and cookie hand-ups began immediately with much cowbell, megaphone yelling, and vuvuzela-ing. I did one preride lap at some point. Rode the trainer for 20 minutes right before my 12:20 race, which started late.
The vibe here was what we all want to see at the races. Beer tent, a demented flyover, TONS OF KIDS racing, heckling, and all around good times. Lots of peeps hanging around.
Oh yeah... the race.
Staging had apparently been a mess all day, and ours wasn't that much better. We were staged 8 across, with 11 in the front row. I was second row. Some dude up front started complaining that we were all too far to the right, and the guys on the left side had a clear advantage. He then called out the fact that there were 11 guys ( @jShort ) in the front row. Once that got squared away, it felt like she just said fuck it, 1 minute, 30 seconds, then blew the whistle all with about 15 seconds. I could be wrong.
I actually had a good start, and was 5th or 6th coming out of the first turn, and stayed there for about 1/3 of the first lap. I could hear @seanrunnette calling out names and positions thru those first turns, and I swear he sounded shocked to see me up there. SO. WAS. I.
I think Jeremy was one of the first guys to pass me, and then the slow bleed commenced. I actually felt pretty good, just not fast. Having some of those out and back sections was key to judging how far ahead/behind I was during each lap. I rode everything clean, with the exception of the last lap where I almost washed out the front on a few off camber turns. One cookie handup on lap 3 or 4, and on the final lap, I stopped infront of the tent, picked up a donut froma failed handup several hours earlier, and stuffed it in my face hole. I crossed the finish line, Sean said something and I sprayed most of the donut out in his general direction.
23rd of 29
Lap times.
1/2) 15:04
3) 7:49
4) 7:51
5) 7:54
6) 8:01 (came to full stop and picked up food off the ground and ate it, mostly)
I'm very happy with the consistency of these lap times.
Awesome day. Great to be out there with everyone.
Thanks for the cookie Joy!!!
Instagram video from Jeremy
https://instagram.com/p/BZraDwBnYJD/
My race results may suck, but I'm still having fun....
Men's Masters 40+ 2/3/4
I was looking forward to Hippo since the beginning of the season. This may not be the best course around, but the good folks at Pure Energy Velo that put this race on really go above and beyond to make this and event, not just a race. The Hippo did not disappoint! As has been the case so far this year, training is minimal, beer intake it moderate, and the stoke factor remains high.
I rolled into the venue at about 8:00am, with the MTBNJ team tent and all sorts of other crap. With some help from @Santapez @MissJR and FunkFreshington the tent was set up along the finish straight, between the Hb tent and the ProPower tent. Donut and cookie hand-ups began immediately with much cowbell, megaphone yelling, and vuvuzela-ing. I did one preride lap at some point. Rode the trainer for 20 minutes right before my 12:20 race, which started late.
The vibe here was what we all want to see at the races. Beer tent, a demented flyover, TONS OF KIDS racing, heckling, and all around good times. Lots of peeps hanging around.
Oh yeah... the race.
Staging had apparently been a mess all day, and ours wasn't that much better. We were staged 8 across, with 11 in the front row. I was second row. Some dude up front started complaining that we were all too far to the right, and the guys on the left side had a clear advantage. He then called out the fact that there were 11 guys ( @jShort ) in the front row. Once that got squared away, it felt like she just said fuck it, 1 minute, 30 seconds, then blew the whistle all with about 15 seconds. I could be wrong.
I actually had a good start, and was 5th or 6th coming out of the first turn, and stayed there for about 1/3 of the first lap. I could hear @seanrunnette calling out names and positions thru those first turns, and I swear he sounded shocked to see me up there. SO. WAS. I.
I think Jeremy was one of the first guys to pass me, and then the slow bleed commenced. I actually felt pretty good, just not fast. Having some of those out and back sections was key to judging how far ahead/behind I was during each lap. I rode everything clean, with the exception of the last lap where I almost washed out the front on a few off camber turns. One cookie handup on lap 3 or 4, and on the final lap, I stopped infront of the tent, picked up a donut froma failed handup several hours earlier, and stuffed it in my face hole. I crossed the finish line, Sean said something and I sprayed most of the donut out in his general direction.
23rd of 29
Lap times.
1/2) 15:04
3) 7:49
4) 7:51
5) 7:54
6) 8:01 (came to full stop and picked up food off the ground and ate it, mostly)
I'm very happy with the consistency of these lap times.
Awesome day. Great to be out there with everyone.
Thanks for the cookie Joy!!!
Instagram video from Jeremy
https://instagram.com/p/BZraDwBnYJD/
My race results may suck, but I'm still having fun....
now you tell me...
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
You were warned
#truth
Notes FTW
