Can I get a freakin race report?

mbruno

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Okay - now that other people have reported, I feel significantly less awkward reporting also. THX YO. @Mountain Bike Mike @1sh0t1b33r @pearl

Nittany Lion Cross - Day 1
Big day for your boy: first race on a team, first time at Nittany, first time in a field > 50 people, first time racing without my security blanket there (girlfriend). This sounds like an ass-backward "first day of kindergarten" for an adult. I decided to try to make a crazy Instagram story to distract myself from my nerves.

Leave the house at 5:45am after taking selfies with the moon, eat some yogurt and a cranberry muffin in the car while listening to Lil'Yachty, pull up around 7:10ish. Note to self: return to watch races at the velodrome. I've never seen track events in person and my great uncle dabbled back in the day, so I think it would be cool to check that out/channel him a little bit in that way. Walk over to reg, see two teammates (Jon and Ben) and chat, and then head back to the car to pin/dress. Team preride at 7:45, and got two laps in. This is the first time I've actually gotten more than 1/3 of a lap of preriding in ever because I never had any idea as to what I was doing. The structure of the team environment is really good for me in this way (and in countless others). I notice my rear derailleur is shifting kind of funny, like it's slipping when I try to shift in certain parts of the cassette. I use the potty, try to troubleshoot it but can't quite figure it out, and then do a brief out-and-back on the road to keep my legs warm. Again, warming up was something I had never really done before, and there was definitely a difference.

Now comes the excitement...staging. Reg'd somewhere in the 40s, get called and pedal into the grid only to find my bike is now failing to shift. Paddle clicks totally freely and cycles allllllll the way through. Seems like there's cable tension? Derailleur. Won't. Move. Trying really hard to not panic, I back the cable anchor alllllllllll the way out until I get close to the middle of the cassette. Go down to the small ring in front and VOILASINGLESPEED™. Staged right next to another teammate (Chris) with most of the guys in the next two rows deep. Whistle blows and Chris gets shot out of a cannon; I try to follow, but VOILASINGLESPEED™ and I just do what I can. I live that VOILASINGLESPEED™ lyfe until the end of the second lap, where my dumb oxygen-deprived brain realized that SRAM Neutral Race Support was there.

"Not shifting. Rear. Just clicks."
"Okay, hang on man, let me take a look...maybe the cable is broken or snagged in there?"
*panting and shugging*
"Okay, well...wanna ride a bike?"
"Oh. Hell. Yes."

And that's how I wound up on a $4k Canyon with some weird-ass geometry. I now deem the ability to shift to be a blessing purely of the kindness of the Norse gods (thank Odin) and tear out of the pit. Apparently this is the bike that SRAM-homie rides when he does events, so it even had SPDs already on it. I put the hammer down and manage to make up some spots. About 3/4 of the way through the 4th lap, I see a dude wearing Richard Sachs socks and a Stan's Veloclassic kit.....I THINK I KNOW THIS DUDE. TL;DR is that a friend of mine/surfing buddy from high school is a mutual friend/surfing buddy of this dude (Jay), who also happens to be Brittlee Bowman's boyfriend (hence the SachsSox and matching red kit). We have a funny convo at 185 bpm p/b serendipity and wind up finishing within a few spots of each other. I immediately come over the line, head to the drainage ditch, and vom. Hello again, dried cranberries from the muffin! Once I feel semi-normal, I get a photo op with mutual friend dude (Jay) and hang out with the rest of the Jalapenos at the Von Hof tent to cheer on our teammate (Geneiveve) in the Womens 4/5 race. Saw @jShort and @The Heckler, took a matchy matchy sock photo. Also said the hellos to @Harry Hamilton . Talked some other teammates (Ben and Tun) into making a pit stop in Easton at Sole Bar&Bottle for short pours and crowlers on the way back to our respective homes. Beer <333

74/114. I'm really proud of the way that I didn't totally melt down, and salvaged a result. Growth points for ya boi. Bonus points for a chardonnay handup (classy) and a half of a dollar bill handup (I pulled too hard and ripped it - asked for the other half on the next lap but it was gone? WHO PURPOSELY TAKES A HALF DOLLAR?)

In the grid with Chris:
View attachment 57695

Suitcasing a bike that's probably worth as much as my car:
View attachment 57690

Surfer Dude Jay looks like a Surfer Dude even at a cross race:
View attachment 57691

Chillin' in the tent with Big Man Ben and Genevieve:
View attachment 57693


p.s. Here is why my bike wouldn't shift:
View attachment 57692

Race report for Bridgeton being drafted right now!
I've had this same issue with SRAM shifters in the past. The teeth (usually on the lower end) will shear off. Your cables are probably sticky thereby making you press the paddle really hard. At least that was my issue. Time for a new shifter, maybe SRAM will warranty it?

Nice race report.
 

StayHydrated

Swedish Chef
Is that a motor?

Finishing is important when it counts towards an upgrade!
Naw dawg, just some super sad shifter internals. The teeth involved with engaging the lever/actuation mechanism are nonexistent, and what used to be them are ground up and well distributed throughout the grease. BUMMER.

I would run the whole course if it meant I didn't get a DNF.

What's up with the fancy new bike!? I hope it doesn't shift on Saturday so we can be on equal terms.
SRAM Neutral Race Support! I'll be back on the Giant and able to shift on Saturday, don't you worry.

THOSE CANYON'S ARE SO GROSS.

saw them at the pit and actually Vom'd.

Good to see you and way to stay at it!
THX. Everyone in the tent loved the noise you emitted at the start of your preride when I yelled to you.

The top tube-seat tube-seat stay junction looks like some poor schumck failed trig multiple times.

gr8 story 10/10 would read again
I've heard that race reports make great bedtime stories for the kids. Try it and report back.

I've had this same issue with SRAM shifters in the past. The teeth (usually on the lower end) will shear off. Your cables are probably sticky thereby making you press the paddle really hard. At least that was my issue. Time for a new shifter, maybe SRAM will warranty it?

Nice race report.
Thanks. Already bought a new shifter - if I'm the 3rd owner and the bike is a 2011, would SRAM still warranty it? When I did the swap, I lubed the cables with T9 Boeshield so that wouldn't be a future issue. Shifts like a DREAM now; had I known what was happening, there were probably warning signs that it was coming, but my adventures in wrenching are part of the journey and I appreciate them.
 

StayHydrated

Swedish Chef
Bridgeton Cross

Yo, this one is going to be a HAUL. So, the night before, we go to a show at Carnegie Hall and don't get home until 12:30am. I need to be up early to drive again, but I've started to get the packing thing optimized, I think. Open the garage right as we get home, and get to it. I staged everything just inside the door before we left so within 5 minutes the rack is back on the car, trunk is loaded, and bike is secured. Side note, ordered a new shifter and swapped it out Saturday morning, so we're back in business.

A 2hr 15min car ride makes for listening to too much alt-J for 5:30am way too loud and getting way too weird. Pull into the lot, grab my spare wheels (to make an appearance later in the day's performance), and ride over to reg. Get my number, drop wheels in the pit, and see Andrew, so we hop on the course for a quick preride lap. Probably had time for 1 more lap before juniors, but I didn't want to push it and so I went off to change and pin. Moved onto the road for some warming up, and then before you know it we're ready to stage. Tun and I both rep Jalapeno on the front row. I see @funkfreshington in the Hb kit at the other end of the row, so I psych him out with the evil eye. Super serious start grids prior to the "30 seconds" make me sad; gotta live a little, people.

Damn this is a long start, but Tun and I are 4th and 5th heading into the woods. Bleed a few spots in the first wooded section, but close up the gaps on the 5.14 run up. It was basically free-soloing El Cap with a bike, Alex Honnold style. I try to hang tough, and stay in the top 8 or so into and through the beach. Shades of Superprestige Geiten, that beach was. Loved it. If I'm back at that race next year, I bring the kayaks and a megaphone to heckle from the water. EPIC.

So we're up the stairs and man, I need to run more as part of training. A little gassed from the sand and so I overcook the remount. Hard and sideways. The unmistakable rrrrrriiiiiipppppp of tire treads sliding across pavement. This must have pulled the bead off and allowed the tube to try sneaking out, because three pedal strokes later the rrriiiippppp was to be followed by a psssssssshhhhhhhh. Dude next to me, who was working the AWESOME coffee trailer goes "OH SHIT", and your boy was flat. Since the first entrance to the pit was a few hundred feet away in the wrong direction, I had no choice but to run about three quarters of a mile to the other pit entrance.

This was my dark time.

The tape was so tempting to duck under, but I made it around on foot for a wheel swap and got back out for my last 2 laps. Needless to say, I was totally blown up from the run. Went a lap down, but 2 dudes DNF'd and I didn't, so there's that. Was tired and sloppy on the last few, with a crash here or there to load up my brand new shifter with sand for good measure. Snagged a cookie hand-up from @MadisonDan since my day was shot. That was a pretty dry cookie for a 90-degree day.

Hung around long enough to cheer on Genevieve, Chris, and Kate. Podiums for Chris and Kate, so a pretty solid day for the team! Also did some hollering at @MadisonDan and @jimvreeland . Loaded up and start heading home. The bum-out factor hits 11 around Exit 5 on the Turnpike. I call my better half and she reminds me that this is part of the sport, part that is acknowledged both by the fact that a pit exists in the first place and that I have spare wheels, and that I actually finished. She keeps me grounded #myrock

23/25, no DNF club, need to run higher tire pressures.

Front row callup shenanigans with Tun:
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On belay + bicycle, dudes in front of me are #calfgoals:
6241698800_IMG_2308.jpg


Too spent to process how sad I'm going to be later, but still crushing it:
6241698800_IMG_2317.jpg



This team has been really amazing so far. Everyone is super supportive, and Andrew & Kate are phenomenal teachers and stewards of the sport. I can't say enough good things about them, and part of the disappointment in a poor finish is that I want to produce a result that corresponds with how much they've invested in the team. Next stop: Hippo. The fire in my belly is real, boys and girls.
 

hotsauce

Well-Known Member
@StayHydrated, keep that bike securely on your shoulder! You won't drop it down the hill if you slip. See example:
Hoogerheide_011-659x440.jpg


You were in prime DNF position but good job for keeping tough! I had moderate success with latex tubes last season, worth considering.
 

StayHydrated

Swedish Chef
@StayHydrated, keep that bike securely on your shoulder! You won't drop it down the hill if you slip. See example:
Hoogerheide_011-659x440.jpg


You were in prime DNF position but good job for keeping tough! I had moderate success with latex tubes last season, worth considering.

When looking at photos for the post, I noticed in both the hill photo and another photo coming up from the beach where I didn't get my arm around the underside of the downtube. It worked to my advantage on the hill, since I threw the bike up and used the front wheel to help pull myself up on the first lap, but I looked and felt so awkward.

I still haven't grown into my body from my teenage years. If you think that's great, you should see me dance. Hooooooooo boy.
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
That wall was steep. I found it easier to roll the bike up. Either way, it sucked. Was pretty awesome.
 

The Heckler

You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
Bridgeton Cross

Yo, this one is going to be a HAUL. So, the night before, we go to a show at Carnegie Hall and don't get home until 12:30am. I need to be up early to drive again, but I've started to get the packing thing optimized, I think. Open the garage right as we get home, and get to it. I staged everything just inside the door before we left so within 5 minutes the rack is back on the car, trunk is loaded, and bike is secured. Side note, ordered a new shifter and swapped it out Saturday morning, so we're back in business.

A 2hr 15min car ride makes for listening to too much alt-J for 5:30am way too loud and getting way too weird. Pull into the lot, grab my spare wheels (to make an appearance later in the day's performance), and ride over to reg. Get my number, drop wheels in the pit, and see Andrew, so we hop on the course for a quick preride lap. Probably had time for 1 more lap before juniors, but I didn't want to push it and so I went off to change and pin. Moved onto the road for some warming up, and then before you know it we're ready to stage. Tun and I both rep Jalapeno on the front row. I see @funkfreshington in the Hb kit at the other end of the row, so I psych him out with the evil eye. Super serious start grids prior to the "30 seconds" make me sad; gotta live a little, people.

Damn this is a long start, but Tun and I are 4th and 5th heading into the woods. Bleed a few spots in the first wooded section, but close up the gaps on the 5.14 run up. It was basically free-soloing El Cap with a bike, Alex Honnold style. I try to hang tough, and stay in the top 8 or so into and through the beach. Shades of Superprestige Geiten, that beach was. Loved it. If I'm back at that race next year, I bring the kayaks and a megaphone to heckle from the water. EPIC.

So we're up the stairs and man, I need to run more as part of training. A little gassed from the sand and so I overcook the remount. Hard and sideways. The unmistakable rrrrrriiiiiipppppp of tire treads sliding across pavement. This must have pulled the bead off and allowed the tube to try sneaking out, because three pedal strokes later the rrriiiippppp was to be followed by a psssssssshhhhhhhh. Dude next to me, who was working the AWESOME coffee trailer goes "OH SHIT", and your boy was flat. Since the first entrance to the pit was a few hundred feet away in the wrong direction, I had no choice but to run about three quarters of a mile to the other pit entrance.

This was my dark time.

The tape was so tempting to duck under, but I made it around on foot for a wheel swap and got back out for my last 2 laps. Needless to say, I was totally blown up from the run. Went a lap down, but 2 dudes DNF'd and I didn't, so there's that. Was tired and sloppy on the last few, with a crash here or there to load up my brand new shifter with sand for good measure. Snagged a cookie hand-up from @MadisonDan since my day was shot. That was a pretty dry cookie for a 90-degree day.

Hung around long enough to cheer on Genevieve, Chris, and Kate. Podiums for Chris and Kate, so a pretty solid day for the team! Also did some hollering at @MadisonDan and @jimvreeland . Loaded up and start heading home. The bum-out factor hits 11 around Exit 5 on the Turnpike. I call my better half and she reminds me that this is part of the sport, part that is acknowledged both by the fact that a pit exists in the first place and that I have spare wheels, and that I actually finished. She keeps me grounded #myrock

23/25, no DNF club, need to run higher tire pressures.

Front row callup shenanigans with Tun:
View attachment 57699

On belay + bicycle, dudes in front of me are #calfgoals:
View attachment 57700

Too spent to process how sad I'm going to be later, but still crushing it:
View attachment 57701


This team has been really amazing so far. Everyone is super supportive, and Andrew & Kate are phenomenal teachers and stewards of the sport. I can't say enough good things about them, and part of the disappointment in a poor finish is that I want to produce a result that corresponds with how much they've invested in the team. Next stop: Hippo. The fire in my belly is real, boys and girls.
boooooo flat...

BUT!

YEAH RUNNING TO PIT!

YEAH FINISHING!
 

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Cross weekend over and no race reports!?
First true Cat 4 race (not 4/5).
Went out with WAY too low of tire pressure in the rear which caused me to lose my rear around a fast turn and have a decent crash.
Lost lots of spots and was in sort of a no-mans land which makes it hard to get the initiative to really push.
Road at 80% after the crash instead of spending the time to swap the rear wheel in the pit. I was getting bounced around a lot and constantly slamming the rim into the ground. That course is kind of rough.
Got lapped not too far from the finish so I was -Lap. If I had known they were coming I definitely had enough in me to push them off, not sure with the tire though.
Did 4 laps in roughly what would have put me as mid-pack in Cat5 that also did 4 laps, and I was expecting a 5th lap. I wasn't last, had a bunch of people finish behind me, not including the DNFs when I was expecting DFL.

So overall, I was actually pretty happy with how I raced, not happy with how I prepared. Need to pay more attention to tire pressures and realized a hot pre-ride lap is necessary. What was fine for slower course inspection was not fine for race pace.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Pack Fodder 40+ 2/3/4 Report.

Start from front row. Go into course nowhere near front row. Spend 2 laps breathing in dust. Spend next couple laps moving through pack by making good use of my 40c tires. Inside lines, off course passes, etc. Lap 5 I make a good push to catch a group that has been working together all race. Turned myself inside out on the back straight after the climb to get around them. Use the sketchy downhill and 40c tires again to open a gap. Bell lap some random Depot guy bridges to me. We switch places every corner. He went into the flyover in front of me but I was able to re-mount faster and squeeze him into the tape on the last corner. Head down and sprint for the line to hold him off for 9th place.

Yay, cross sucks. Slowly but surely my high end fitness is coming back and I'm able to react to "some" accelerations instead of just riding it like a TT but, not really.
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hippo seemed like a tire eater. I saw a bunch of people either stopped and looking at the bike, or running most of the course to try to pit. The tubulars have been fantastic so far. I felt a few rim dings, running around 26psi, but the PDX's have been gold otherwise .

Interesting start, no calls ups. It was just a mosh pit. I filed in somewhere mid pack. At the whistle, I seemed to accelerate a bit faster than others and tried to take some inside lines to get to a good spot through the first section of turns. Getting caught up in low Cat traffic sucks when some people can't even clip in. I need to try to get some @StayHydrated holeshots.

My first lap wasn't too hot and had a rough hit through one of the pits on the back straightaway sections. It felt like my fork was gonna snap. After that, I tried to keep it light over the ditches and pits on the course. Wherever I was in the pack, I seemed to get up with steep, hill section faster than others on the SS. I tried to mash up it as fast a possible, then slightly recover while mashing the gradual climb afterwards. I always feel better throughout the race, which always has me thinking that my warm ups suck. By my last lap, 4, I was hoping for a lap 5.

Every lap I got a few feet closer to @StayHydrated, my carrot for this race now that @Santapez is racing with the big boys. Lap 4 I was right on his ass for almost half the lap. He gained leads on the straight flats and downhills because gears, but I could catch up on the turns and the climbs. I finally came right up on him on the steep climb section, and then passed on the gradual climb after which I tried to rail some turns and keep on the gas. I found some pictures online of Tim right behind me over the barriers, which are my weakness, but luckily I was able to jump back on before he could show off some remount skillz. I thought I had a larger gap, but apparently it was only a 6 second difference between us in 22nd and 23rd.

The starting mosh pit.
22096019_10214465377251019_6932208150705547078_o.jpg


Passing on the hills.
hippo1.jpg


@StayHydrated and myself on lap 3, when I got close enough to suck wind.
IMG_0619.JPG
 
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Mountain Bike Mike

Well-Known Member
You can’t just copy and paste the whole thing in here?

Hippo cross fell in to that local within 30 minute drive from my house category + the promoters created an exciting buzz leading up the event and the list of things they did to make it a fun event had me pumped to bring the family and race this race. I’m friends with the promoters and supporting Robin and Lance Dunn (Cognition family and Hippo cross race promoters) was an important thing for me as well. The week leading up to the race, I found out BiknBen (Owner of Cognition Coaching) was reg’d to race which was cool to see since it’s been a while since he pinned on a cyclocross race #. There was a chance my buddy Kevin was planning on making an appearance which is super rare and a pretty big deal which also added to the stoke pile. There were a bunch of our Princeton Progression families there to support the event and cheer us on. I registered early so I had a decent call up which I believe ended up biting me in the ass in the long run, I’ll get to that in a minute. To say I was excited to race this race was an understatement – STOKE WAS WAY HIGH!

My race was scheduled for 1:15pm and that made for a tight schedule at home since Stef went to Yoga from 10-11am… By the time she got home, we got ready and hit the road by 11:45, I arrived closer to 12:30 which didn’t give me much time to get my act together. I ran in to ALL the familiar faces, I was running my mouth more than I usually do, I was all caught up in the excitement and social aspect of the event and just like last race I didn’t do a decent warm up and never prerode the course. On one hand, I knew I should of made an effort to do all the race prep things and be all serious racer guy who wants to be competitive… and on the other hand, cyclocross racing for me is not that serious so I just winged it which hurt me in the actual race. So I failed to do all the prerace routines and end up having fun talking to people and stuff.

I got my # from registration and I drew lucky #13.. Oooof… The rules state when you draw the evil #13, you must turn it upside down to reverse the bad juju. I contemplated the decision and chose to keep it right side up against rules and my gut feeling. I didn’t want to be in staging and have the official tell me I needed to flip it which would cause a last minute prerace / start line anxiety attack. So my early registration scored me some bad juju that lingered in the back of my mind and eventually hit me unexpectedly late in the race.

Race time

I lined up second row which is ok but not front row. I knew if I had a front row, I could do my usual BMX race snap start and could have a significant advantage over the rest of the field. Since I was second row, I needed to be a little more careful and patient. The whistle blew and I quickly clipped and snapped and almost slammed in to the back of Owen… so I coasted and soft pedaled and my timing was horrible and I got jammed in to the middle of the pack going in to the first corner pinch point.

img_2674.png


Then patiently conga lined through all the twisty taped sections…

img_2110.jpg


…and as we made our way to the back side of the course, I was flying blind, lots of dust, lots of bumps, lots of overwhelming claustrophobia kicking in and since I didn’t preride, I got a really nice introduction to the course at a CAT 3 HAMMER YOUR FACE OFF PACE! It wasn’t a good situation to say the least.

As the course opened up to the power sections, I realized quickly that I was not warmed up and I was pushing WAY TOO HARD too soon and all kinds of pain and discomfort overtook my entire self and I hemorrhaged a ton of positions like I was standing still….My “MTBNJ.com proclaimed nemesis – Hotsauce” passed me and said – “Hey it’s blue helmet guy” (He’s orange socks guy from Whirlybird if you recall). I was blowing up really bad and I am pretty sure I went from mid pack to last place in the blink of an eye. As I rode through the team tent section, I was hurting bad and I see Jim Vreeland as he yelled at me “20 MORE LAPS TO GO” which was funny and soul crushing at the same time, a few more feet and announcer Sean commented that my nemesis Hotsauce was doing a good job staying in front of me – another kick in the nads.

As I rode in to lap two, I was in a terrible place mentally and wanted to quit but the thought of giving up was embarrassing. As I passed my wife, I yelled “I’M IN LAST PLACE!”…

img_2108.jpg

“Hey Hun – I’m in last place”

As I rode in to the back side of the cource, I dialed it back and made an effort to keep pace with hotsauce and keep him in front of me until I got myself back together and was able to ride smooth again. I can’t recall which lap it was, lap two or three but I eventually picked up a pattern with Hotsauce riding and I knew I could make a move on the back side of the course where there was a short steep pitch. So as the course started to climb, I attacked and passed him on the steep part and then turned myself inside out on the long flat section leading in to the next fun flowy downhill section.

As I rounded lap two in to lap three at the beginning of the team tent section, I see my buddy Kevin with a protein shake hand up (CLASSIC).. I snagged it, immediately thought, “BAD CHOICE –WOULD CAUSE STOMACH ISSUE” and I tossed it backwards at him and saw it hit his son in the back. For the next 10 seconds, I felt like such a dumb-ass for spilling chocolate Muscle Milk on the poor kid.

image1.gif

Protein Shake Handup

At that point, I was recovered from the pain cave and able to start figuring out how to ride this bike and course. My kids were cheering me on and I’m feeling like I could actually make something of this effort. As I continued, I was now riding better and was able see carrots to chase. I began picking off riders and moving forward and with each overtake, I was getting more aggressive and confident using less brakes and carving corners and getting in to a good rhythm plus all the familiar faces cheering me on pumped me up even more.

img_2128.jpg
img_2134.jpg


UNTIL – I pedal striked on the backside of the course and almost crashed and lost two positions – UGH… I regained my composure and got back in to the rhythm…. a minor set back.

img_2131.jpg


Two laps to go, I chased one guy through the start area chicanes and the entire backside power sections and I noticed I would gain on him in the techy corners. I turn myself inside out again on the long backside flat section and entered in to the fast flowy down hill and I remembered Jeremy telling me to jump in to the beginning part of that downhill as it helps carry a ton of speed through the remainder of that part. So I took his advice and aired it out and landed on the backside with a ton of speed in to the blind right handed off camber. With that momentum, I attacked and over took that position and I came around the uphill straight to the barriers with a nice head of steam and I see Tommy Shapiro ahead.

2017-hippo-cx-race-6-166.jpg

Attack to bridge to Rad Racing – Tommy Shapiro

I clean the barriers and I stayed on the gas and bridged to Tommy’s wheel, came around him on the right, gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and made my pass. I tucked in and hammered the next straight, looked up and saw a ton of carrots and at that very moment, a wind gust blows the course tape in to my handlebars, snagged my right shifter hood and immediately ejected me over the handlebars and sent me sailing through the air. In mid air, I tucked into a fetal position and land solidly on the gravel path with my right hip and forearm and I skid to a stop. I opened my eyes and looked up and I see Tommy on top of me trying not to run me over as his bike got tangled up with mine.

img_2595.png

Spotting the race official

I laid there for what felt like an eternity as I embraced the hurt that is now taking over the right side of my body. As I picked myself up, riders from both directions were asking if I was ok, telling me to get up and keep going and I slowly picked up my bike, untangled it from the tape and remounted. I saw the photographer who asked me if I was ok and all I could think was how could he just stand there and not offer help…. As I pedaled on, I was overtaken by anger, frustration and adrenaline and targetted my anger at the fact that the tape and stakes were blowing all over the place and how dangerous that was. I rolled around to where Kevin was heckling and stopped for a moment to explain what happened and then I rolled through the rest of the lap and as all the hecklers said something, my anger got worse. I pulled over to the first race official I saw and explained what happened and suggested that someone needs to address the tape mess. As I pulled away and through the start / finish line, announcer Sean delivered the final blow – “And there goes Mountain Bike Mike, yelling things at people who couldn’t care less”.

I made my way over to my wife and kids and let them know what happened and then tucked my tail between my legs, buried my bruised ego and tried really hard to bite my lip as I limped back to the car to assess the carnage that was radiating from my hip.

As I took off my jersey and threw it in the car, I stopped for a moment and stared at the number 13 and thought – Bad luck got me good this race.
img_2549.jpg


As the day went on, it took a long time for my anger and frustration to subside and as the adrenaline wore off, the sting and the aches increased.

img_2551.jpg

Blood stained kit with a few tears – Ben says it add character if you race with holes in your kit.

Why do I do this to myself?…. BECAUSE I LOVE IT! I’m addicted to it and its good for me.

Next race is in two weeks in Cherry Hill NJ…. Maybe I won’t be such an idiot and prepare a little better… Or not..

Thanks for reading!
 

StayHydrated

Swedish Chef
Town Hall seemed like a tire eater. I saw a bunch of people either stopped and looking at the bike, or running most of the course to try to pit. The tubulars have been fantastic so far. I felt a few rim dings, running around 26psi, but the PDX's have been gold otherwise .

Interesting start, no calls ups. It was just a mosh pit. I filed in somewhere mid pack. At the whistle, I seemed to accelerate a bit faster than others and tried to take some inside lines to get to a good spot through the first section of turns. Getting caught up in low Cat traffic sucks when some people can't even clip in. I need to try to get some @StayHydrated holeshots.

My first lap wasn't too hot and had a rough hit through one of the pits on the back straightaway sections. It felt like my fork was gonna snap. After that, I tried to keep it light over the ditches and pits on the course. Wherever I was in the pack, I seemed to get up with steep, hill section faster than others on the SS. I tried to mash up it as fast a possible, then slightly recover while mashing the gradual climb afterwards. I always feel better throughout the race, which always has me thinking that my warm ups suck. By my last lap, 4, I was hoping for a lap 5.

Every lap I got a few feet closer to @StayHydrated, my carrot for this race now that @Santapez is racing with the big boys. Lap 4 I was right on his ass for almost half the lap. He gained leads on the straight flats and downhills because gears, but I could catch up on the turns and the climbs. I finally came right up on him on the steep climb section, and then passed on the gradual climb after which I tried to rail some turns and keep on the gas. I found some pictures online of Tim right behind me over the barriers, which are my weakness, but luckily I was able to jump back on before he could show off some remount skillz. I thought I had a larger gap, but apparently it was only a 6 second difference between us in 22nd and 23rd.

The starting mosh pit.
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Passing on the hills.
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@StayHydrated and myself on lap 3, when I got close enough to suck wind.
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I hope we race together again more than once this season, that was really fun. I turned it on at the end and emptied the tank - I caught my teammate Tun, but you were out of reach. I even added in a bike throw at the line after I passed Tun but saw I couldn't get you. The gap had been a lot bigger than 6 seconds at one point, you're right.

I also experienced a similar bomb hole on the back straights. I hit so hard that the front wheel QR loosened up and squeaked the entire last lap. I thought I had broken my fork and launched the headset bearings into orbit.

That holeshot sprint was was too fun, I don't even care that I was totally cooked for the next half lap, what a blast.
 
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