xc62701
Well-Known Member
Because I raced in Massachusetts
No the way I was feeling yesterday I would have been a speedbump for you.
Because I raced in Massachusetts
I saw I came in 7th. I was kinda eh with that, even though I was picked to come in 19th.
I know may be meaningless (or is it?) but my cross results number is way too high. (I was predicted to come in NINETEENTH in this race).
There’s a nervous energy in the parking lot as I slip off pants
Nice job. Have you considered hiring @Norm as a coach?This weekend, I lined up with some powerful and fast ladies at the Northampton CX 40+ Women race. Although I gave it all I had and fought hard, I got crushed and ended up 23 of 25. Obviously, this result is not surprising as I do not “really” train… and only get to ride or go the gym when there are no kids’ activities, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was not disappointed and thought I would have done better. I find myself in a spot where I’m too fast for the beginner class but too slow for the next category up. I guess the question is whether I keep racing and get mediocre results or take a break until I can actually train for these races?
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Can you train during the week at all? 2-3 days a week(for about 75 minutes) doing intervals with a pwr meter. To be more competitive you have to train. Or just avoid races with 25 strong womenguess the question is whether I keep racing and get mediocre results or take a break until I can actually train for these races?
I wasn't feeling it. But now I see masters 40 goes off at 830 in njcx, I'll have to start doing some actual training
Day 2, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Sleeping in was lovely. Out the door at 730ish, quick stop at the new Whole Paycheck on the way to Trexlertown for some post-race vegetarian noodles, some pre-race nosh and a super-tasty cappucino, and I'm parked two spots from @Magic. (There are some plusses to this brave new world where no one cares about cx anymore.)
There are some pics out there somewhere, but since I was only just arriving in time (9ish for an 1130 start) I was already a bit on the back-foot.
Talked with @Magic about his race: slippery and fast. I bet it felt faster on his own actual bike
Reg'd, attached the TNR tape (which was a DISASTER yesterday - full spinnaker mode throughout the race), kitted up and jumped in for a coupla easy laps. Found myself bullshitting with Schlauch for a bit, but realized I don't speak fast-racer, so tagged along as he and Freifelder broke down yesterday's racing. I hate them. What makes it worse is how nice they are. Quandry.
Edwin Bull, our Van Dessel guru, showed up in his Hakuna Matata kit and shredded a bit durning the 1030 40+ outing. His "I've got one good lap in me" turned out to be a strong 10th. This from someone who occasionally does the Rahway crit and rides to work.
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I hate him too. If only he wasn't so nice.
I used the lil 1 mile track across the street to get my warm up started, then switched to the street for the bigger efforts, cause kids on training wheels shouldn't have to see the faces I make. Then some stretching (Pigeon Pose FTW), a Clif Shot and a 4th row. Gulp.
(Noticed the guy in front of me had his chain on the 13, which meant he was gonna brick the start.)
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Solid mid-pack start. No bumping, no elbows. 13T went left, so I get shot into the middle line, where I wanted to be left going into the not-mud pit, which is a bunch of sharp 180 drops and climbs, but whatchoogonedo? I go with it and am able to salmon up to Ray Zeimet, Barry Jones et al. Also known as those guys who're above my pay grade.
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Ray, pretending he's nice.
Somehow, someway, I'm staying with them. Ray and I even start bullshitting coming out of the not-mud-pit the second time. 1 minute later, sitting on his wheel, it's like someone drops the Posterize filter on my glasses, and I realize how effing pinned I am this early. But with some fast sweepers, barriers and root section coming up, there are enough bottlenecks that I keep it together and start using my eyeholes correctly.
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Wait, Ray, did you hear the one about the horse?
Until that last tight 180 at the road, where I lose the line in the shade and wash out my front tire. All of five seconds lost as I remount, but bye-bye guys. I get back to the other dudes that I blocked when I dropped, but the front end is giddidy-gone.
Spend the next lap recovering a bit from the effort of rejoining, and notice the carpet is starting to fray at the edges. Eloy and and I are trading off, but he's killing me on the stairs into the woods. With two to go, I know I've gotta get that sorted, which means making him do the work through the sweeper to the barriers next lap so I have one or two extra efforts in me at the end of that tortuous section.
Which *gasp* works. I gap him going into the woods and tag onto a skinny tire MTB dood who's railing the roots. Until he isn't and I'm on the pointy end of this little parade. I start making weird line choices and hear Eloy behind me. Full gas through the chicanes, DON'T blow the 180 at the road and I've got the gap back.
The 60+ monsters are starting to come through, so I jump on a Horst Horse for a bit, til I can't anymore, but that gets me another few feet through the not-mud-pit. Then it's full gas through the fast backside, listening to the tubulars squirm and trying to be smooth enough not to fold them.
Bell lap and somehow I'm still ahead of Eloy into the woods, but Chris Long, a MAC assassin back in the day, is coming, with Eloy hanging on like Tom Cruise from a plane in any movie Tom Cruise has ever been in. Chris is scary-fast, and can cut corners like coroner. I'm now officially in panic mode. Which is too bad, 'cause there's nothing left to give. Holding on for dear life through the drop to the finish, I give it three stomps and fold up like a pillbug.
And it's enough for 23rd.
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Spent some time doing what I should've yesterday: warming down. Then scarf the noodles and bail. Would loved to have stayed, esp as the 1/2/3 Women's race was looking like it was gonna be a fistfight, but real life called.
Next up, Bubble CX. Which is to Nittany what a terrarium is to a lake.