tl;dr short track race, didn't get
completely lost, cookie-pocalypse
2016 MTBNJ NO SNOW SHORT TRACK RACE #1
YO! RACE DAY!!! I was super stoked about this race and have been
since I was the first Open class rider to register. NBD, don't make a big deal out of it.
BREAKFAST!
Had a banana at the house, and picked up a 16oz coffee and a poppy bagel with butter from jersey boy.
Nutritious.
Got up to the venue around 8, picked up my number and was totally blown away by the ninja medal cookie men
@muddybike made for the event. I NEEDED to win one.
Got dressed and did a couple laps. It's been interesting how the CX people and MTB people have been converging. I was stoked to see
@keithgarrison but then everything got a little serious when Dan Chabanov showed up. Not a chance on those cookie man medals.
Lined up second row,
@Norm lectured us and I got the sensation known as "I'm about to vom," I didn't Norm hit the siren, and WE WERE OFF. The hole shot went for the length of the fireroad and was a pretty brutal sprint. I had missed my pedal on first strike and fell back a few positions.
I like this 1 mile track format, there were people ALL OVER the woods spectating, heckling, taking pictures and cheering. Made the energy MUCH better then a XC format MTB race.
I had a couple strong laps but started to fade wayy early. I haven't done any intensity in a looong time. I've been on my bike 5-8 hours a week all winter and have just enough pep to be around, but no sauce when I really need it. The ST climb after the turn around hurt pretty good. My click looking gum wall ardents aren't exactly
light weight. I think my Epic is weighing in around 29 pounds right now. The last rock at the top crushed my soul lap after lap. The following fast downhill section was SUPER fun. I was cutting gaps there every lap which is cool because I can sorta still steer a bike!
@utah caught me midway through the race and coached me a little.
"That was a bad shift, shift on the downhill!"
"ride with your pedals flat, you hit that rock cause you pedal was down!"
"Jesus it's like I'm riding behind
@pearl"
@jShort came around me with a few to go. Him and Nick totally dropped me after about a lap of riding close to them.
When I came around and saw three to go I almost cried.
I caught Matt Erchull with a 1/4 lap to go which surprised me because he passed and dropped me on the third lap. He said he worked up to third but flatted. womp.
I finished 10th/35. The good news was I had a sandwich waiting in the car, so I grabbed that and stuck around to watch the sport race which was
VERY entertaining.
@rsinger814 and
@muddybike ripped off the front,
@Flaubert biffed the turn around
twice,
@MadisonDan was riding a small bike, Andres was racing on flat pedals with a loaner helmet and Dan's running shoes, a few doods ripped monster wheelies and the turnaround generally became braaap central. So much fun to watch.
Afterwards I did a short partial H2H course loop with Utah and Ryan. Utah got us lost, the trails were a bog, Ryan flatted and Utah had to dip. We were with at the top of the climb (bitch slap?) which was all familiar to me so we managed to get out after pumping with my GD micropump for 20 minutes. I lost my high volume pump, I should buy a new one..
Overall fantastic day, beautiful weather, great people, fun course.
I got home, showered then headed to my parents who were hosting "Italian Shiva" for my mothers best friend "Aunt Dee," whose mom just passed away living in Indiana. Long complicated story ends with her being unable to travel so my mom hosted a nice little thing for her. All of her friends came and it was a really pleasant afternoon. It seemed like everyone brought a dessert. I ate WAY too many cookies. Seriously, I have a problem.
