Lewis Morris Challenge - 2016
Around Thursday my lungs started to feel a little phlegmy.
Just a little.
I usually fight stuff off pretty well so I took Thursday off the bike and took 1/4 sick Friday morning so I could sleep in. Seemed to be feeling better. Went on a light MTB shred Friday afternoon with
@rsinger814 and felt fine. Saturday morning was feeling a little stuffy with a light cough. I did my 2 hour ride with openers and felt a little coughy afterwards, no congestion. I spent the rest of the day swapping tires on the MTB and replacing my drivetrain on the road bike. I had leftover pulled pork over rice for dinner and grabbed ice cream around 8:30.
'One scoop please'
*that looks big for 1 scoop*
"$4.85"
*oh, it's because it's two scoops and bro dude is now charging me for two scoops. Guess I'm eating two!*
Bed at 10:30 after watching a for Netflix Paul Rudd movie. FUNNY, don't ask me to remember the name. Recently added. Paul Rudd, Funny.
ANYWAY! BED!
A/C on, too loud, too cold. Get under covers, too hot. Out of covers too cold. A/C off, too warm. Coughcoughcough, phlegm. *sounds of A/C* roll over, *too hot* etc. Speed like dog shit. ***kinda sleep, and what I got was dog shit.
6:30 alarm. YEAH YEAH, I know I live 12 minutes by car from the park but I like to putz around in the morning. COFFEECOFFEECOFFEE
HONEY
ALMOND BUTTER
YOGURT
GRANOLA
BLAMO, TO
THE FACE!
FROZEN FRUIT
HONEY
ALMOND BUTTER
GRANOLA
ORANGE JUICE
FROZEN BANANA
FOR
THE ROAD
WATER
Got to the venue around 8:30, made some rounds, bummed around got dressed and pre-rode the start climb and the opening twisties. Feeling kinda okay on em today. Rad.
Start time was 10:00, we started a few minutes late as some Cat 3 racers were still on course. I've been dreading this start since I pre-rode the course for the first time last Saturday. I knew I needed to take the hole shot and set pace up the first climb. I was also concerned about the twisties and wasn't mentally prepared to get dropped because I suck at steering my bike.
SIREN = GO!!!!!!
SSSPPPRINTY McSPRINTS! Ouch. I get out front and lead up the hill. I look down and only see 177bpm, looks low.. hmmm...
I stay in the lead through the twisties, down orange, across the bridge and get passed 3/4 of the way up the rooty orange climb. The guy is in an Expo kit which I immediately identified as a New England team. I believe they are out of Connecticut, a bunch of their guys race CX. Expo kit guy is named Steve. I found this out later, but for ease of this tale lets share this detail now.
Steve SPRINTS by me on the wide root section by the top, gets in front and starts soft pedaling.
😕
We descend to the fire road, turn right and start up towards the side single track section. Steve still isn't pedaling hard. I make a move, he sprints me, I get back on his wheel.
😕
We dip into the side single track. Steve
still isn't pedaling hard. I think, "well at least I'm recovering for the fire road climb." We both take the "A-line" and hop the log then turn onto the fire road. Steve climbs very well and sets a good pace but I really want to get in front for the single track section coming up. It's time to start moving on these 'non climb sections.' I make my move into the rough gravel.
aaaaand he sprints me.
😎
We rip the red S/T, turn left onto the DT climb. The next section is MY FAVORITE TRAIL IN THE PARK. I named the segment from the bottom of the last switchback to the lot "Kurt Vonnegut" after the Born Ruffians song which is named after the writer SURPRISE. The specific lyric I sing in my mind from said song is "Gotttaaa Flyyyy!!!" This section is fast. Ya gotta fly! I know where I can push my traction and what lines to take and what roots to unweight over. I dig deep to the top and Steve actually says "you got it."
😱
I ride the DH, rip my fav section
🙂, ride through the lot, down over the bridge and homie sprints by me to the top of the next climb. Dudes got some solid high end. He stays on it a little and opens a 6 bike gap. I don't sweat it, recover and connect by the Yellow trail. I'm curious if Steve is going to drop me on the new DH twisties. We hit the section and I stay on his wheel *yay!*
rollers then rip through the S/F. A large dog takes a lunge at Steve but the owner arrests their hound and nobody gets mauled. Woo!
Steve opens a few bikes up by the top of the hill. Homie has a good power climb, but he stands a lot. I used to stand a lot, now I'm lazy and try and stay in my saddle forever and ever. Just an observation.
Up the twisties, down the orange, up rooty orange, down rooty orange, onto the fire road. Side single track, Steve takes the B-line, I hop the log. He leaves the door open and I try and pass on the inside turning onto the firetrail climb.
Sprints me.
🙄
Up the fire road, down gravel, across red, up the DT, over the log at the top, the hard climb pace slows down at the top. Man, I wanna get around for my section. I make a move up the left. and he sprints me.
😵 I make an
explosive move up the right, get halfway by before Steve decides to pinch off my move while countering. Sweet, bro. Whatever keeps me behind you.
😡
I decide it's time to start chatting. This is where I get his name. I offer "Hey, how about I pull the flats and you set pace on the climbs."
"Nope."
"C'mon dude, I'm bored and I know the lines. Just follow my wheel."
"Nope, not how I race."
"When are you planning on attacking?"
"Don't know."
I look down and see avg HR 171. To put it into perspective my race exertion at bulldog was 177 avg. I guess this is good because I should have some sauce left to rip the last lap but if this guy won't let me by I'm either going to have to make a shitty dangerous pass on a DH (which is not preferred) or sprint my face off on the gravel and make a shitty asshole dangerous pass on the last corner (also, not preferred.) The ideal scenario is he pops and can't counter one of my passes. Ugh, all of these scenarios are lame. Whatever, I guess second is cool. Though, my HR might be suppressed from this cold and I could be on the verge of popping.
Well, here we go. I sit in and get ready to just ride this last lap on his wheel.
Coming down yellow just before the last bridge before the cinder and the rollers. Steve is bouncing around on his HT and I notice something.
HOMIE'S CHAIN IS DANGLING ON HIS PEDAL. He pulls off inside of the corner and I pass on the outside. This is either going to be a 5 second fix, or a 30 second fix. Time to kick it into high gear!!!!
I love race day down the rollers because I can ride them full bore without fear of a head-on with another rider.
I'm looking back down the hill on the twisties and don't see him. Big gap! okay.. okay.. don't blow this Matt. Keep it smooth, don't crack yourself, defo don't crash, don't flat. ohhhh faaakkk.
Up the fire road I feel my right calf start to act up a little. I ease up and pedal through it. Noted. Lets hold this together.
As I hit the last DH twisties I start thinking I might actually win this. I "shred the berm" in front of
@gtluke and clear the section cleanly. Still nobody in sight. ohhhh mannnnnnn, don't mess this up.
Down yellow, over the bridge, rollers, hard right, ON THE GRAVEL. Nice pace to the line, I did it!!!
I started racing in 2011 and have only missed one Lewis Morris Challenge and that was the year I broke my hand. I've always wanted to win this race, I would ride Lewmo or Chimney rock back then and theres no race at Chimney rock. I moved into Morristown in 2013 and it
really became my local race. Two years ago as a Cat 2 I had a shot but a guy came out from the midwest on business. We rode with the Marty's Wednesday night ride and hung. ON HIS MOUNTAIN BIKE. He decided to reg Cat 2 and blew me out of the water. Last year was a building year with my entry to Cat 1, but this year...
Beers with my dad, and all y'all rad people. Made sure
@1sh0t1b33r had a cage on his bike. Changed, chilled, put down a couple hot dogs. Podium!
Lunch at Famished Frog with Ryan and Keb and ICE CREAM. Today, sprinkles are for winners!!!!
Good to see erryone, huge thanks to Marty's for the great event!
Congrats to
@rsinger814,
@Dominique,
@MissJR &
@pooriggy on their podiums!
