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Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I'm super stoked! Hell yea man, best dogs ever!
At $5 a dog it's probably the cheapest food in Reykjavik. I may have survived off of hot dogs during my first stay there. Fortunately, a friend invited us over for dinner at his parents place for lamb dinner. Holy shit was that good. Now I need to go back...
 

rsinger814

Well-Known Member
This past weekend my wife and I were in Ithaca. We hit some wineries with my family and friends on Saturday. Cooked everything over the fire, mountain pies galore!

Then we packed up and head north to the Adirondacks. Such a beautiful place anytime of the year, but I think fall takes the cake.
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This is the outlet of an old dam on the west side of the ADKs. We arrived at our AirBnB, grabbed showers and went for dinner at Big Slide Brewery. I highly recommend. Food was great and beer was awesome. They just opened earlier this year, but all beers were on point. The stout, berliner, and sour pale ale topped the list for me.

Monday we hiked Algonquin peak. It's the second highest peak in NY state at 5115 ft. It's a steep, technical hike. It's about 4 miles to the summit with a little over 3000' elevation gain, 1300 of which comes in the last mile.
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The start is mostly evergreens, which smell amazing!
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Don't mind the hand, but the last mile is steep and 95% slick rock like this. It's an even slower decent. But it's worth the views.
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It took 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the summit and about the same amount of time to descend. I had rubbery chicken legs for the whole decent. I need to do some more hiking! After that we ate at Lake Placid Brewery.
 

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rsinger814

Well-Known Member
Another race weekend in the books. Probably going to be one of the last. Still have Bubble on the schedule though.

Saturday - Whirlybird - CAT 3/4
@The Heckler arrives at my place around 10am we pack everything into my car and head out. Stop and grab subs and we get to the venue a little after noon. We register and head out to the course for a few laps. It's muddy in some turns, not what I wanted to deal with today. I sit in the car most of the time to stay out of the wind and rain. CAT 1/2/3 goes off and we cheer on Matt for a few laps. I watch the last S-turn before the s/f line because it was giving me troubles during warm up. After watching a lap there, I figure out the line I should be taking. Matt is out there killing it, so I'm stoked on that! And I'm watching a sprint finish unfold between Sean and Matt B. What a great finish to watch, gets me excited to race.

I line up 3rd row of 4. Not the best start. I'm probably 16-18th of 27. I just focus on finding the grass through the muddy sections, being quick over barriers, and fast through the roots in the woods. I'm sitting fourth wheel going across the open field straight, it feels good to sit in behind some people. This isn't hurting though. I can go faster. I sprint and take over the lead of the group, through the two turns at the pits, hammer through the woods and I have myself a nice gap. I stay aggressive through the turns and zone out on the straights. I'm solo for a little bit. Coming through the start finish with 2 to go, Matt lets me know "The guy in front of you has skinnier legs than me, you can beat him." So I dig, I catch skinny guy and pass him through the woods.

Final lap. I've had a guy on me about 7 or so seconds behind me for the past few laps. I notice he is a little closer now. I stand and sprint on every hill. I'm in the drops on the straights. Can't shake him. I see we are closing in on another guy who is in the final S-turn. I'm smooth through the turn, check my rear, I have him beat. But I stand and sprint for all I have. Pick off one final guy with 15 meters to go.

12th of 27 CAT 3/4 - I'm happy with how today went down. I don't have any pictures at the moment. So you have to deal with words.

Strava is here.
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
it sounds like you are very close to graduating from killing it 10000% for 45 minutes to starting to be tactical, which is when this becomes really really fun. good words.
 

rsinger814

Well-Known Member
Sunday - Marty Cross CAT 4
Sunday started with something that usually doesn't happen before a cross race for me. I relax. Eat breakfast, drink coffee and hang with Keb. It's was nice having already pre-rode the course and a late start. We head to the venue which is only 20 minutes away around noon to catch the Elites and cheer on @The Heckler. Bump into @seanrunnette and chat with him a little.

@The Heckler is crushing and is in 3rd when we show up, which you already know is where he ended the day. Great riding!

I don't feel like warming up too much today. Another brisk and windy day. I finally go ride the parking lot for a little bit about 30 minutes before start. Get my HR up and loosen my legs. Good enough. My number says "You're starting in the back today."

Whistle.

I find the gaps and take them. I'm not sure but I think I'm mid pack after first couple of turns. I take Matt's advice and crush any up hill I can and rip the few corners. I make a few pass in the lower turns. I lose a few spots on the straights in between, but I know what gear I need to be in for the hill. I downshift and power up the hill making a pass or two. I'm able to ride the off-chamber well and keep the turns sharp, staying high using gravity for some free watts. I pass a guy on the downhill just after the s/f and rip the turns. Dude makes a super aggressive pass on the last turn before the second down hill into the lower section. I have to dab to stay upright.

I stick to my plan, hammer the hills and be smooth in the turns. I make a few more passes on the off-chamber section. I hear some fans telling people behind me "You're doing great, you're in 6th." Sweet, I'm top 5! I recognized the guy in front of me as someone who I have beat at the last few races. He gets a target on his back and I pass him, but don't drop him. There is a third guy on his wheel (Aggressive pass guy). I lead this group of three for another lap.

2 to go! I hold them off for most of this lap. We are in the back section near the baseball field. Right after the last uphill there is a 180 left and then a 180 right to the off-chamber section before the barriers. We make the 180 left and there is a short straight. This is where both guys make the pass. I'm riding the tape and Team Health Warrior guy makes the pass. Aggro dude from Bicycle Habitat comes around too. He gets parallel and out comes his knee and elbow, he steers left, ON A FUCKING STRAIGHT GOING INTO BEFORE A RIGHT HAND TURN, and pushes me into the tape and into a post. I go down and yell a few choice words. Once I gather myself. I chase again. But it's over, they probably too far ahead. I push hard for a little but give up, one more lap of just mulling over what just happened.

I'm glad 4th place in CAT 4 is worth intentionally putting people into the tape and causing a crash.

So I ended up 6th of 32. I would have been happy with 6th, but not under these circumstances.
 

The Heckler

You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
Sunday - Marty Cross CAT 4
Sunday started with something that usually doesn't happen before a cross race for me. I relax. Eat breakfast, drink coffee and hang with Keb. It's was nice having already pre-rode the course and a late start. We head to the venue which is only 20 minutes away around noon to catch the Elites and cheer on @The Heckler. Bump into @seanrunnette and chat with him a little.

@The Heckler is crushing and is in 3rd when we show up, which you already know is where he ended the day. Great riding!

I don't feel like warming up too much today. Another brisk and windy day. I finally go ride the parking lot for a little bit about 30 minutes before start. Get my HR up and loosen my legs. Good enough. My number says "You're starting in the back today."

Whistle.

I find the gaps and take them. I'm not sure but I think I'm mid pack after first couple of turns. I take Matt's advice and crush any up hill I can and rip the few corners. I make a few pass in the lower turns. I lose a few spots on the straights in between, but I know what gear I need to be in for the hill. I downshift and power up the hill making a pass or two. I'm able to ride the off-chamber well and keep the turns sharp, staying high using gravity for some free watts. I pass a guy on the downhill just after the s/f and rip the turns. Dude makes a super aggressive pass on the last turn before the second down hill into the lower section. I have to dab to stay upright.

I stick to my plan, hammer the hills and be smooth in the turns. I make a few more passes on the off-chamber section. I hear some fans telling people behind me "You're doing great, you're in 6th." Sweet, I'm top 5! I recognized the guy in front of me as someone who I have beat at the last few races. He gets a target on his back and I pass him, but don't drop him. There is a third guy on his wheel (Aggressive pass guy). I lead this group of three for another lap.

2 to go! I hold them off for most of this lap. We are in the back section near the baseball field. Right after the last uphill there is a 180 left and then a 180 right to the off-chamber section before the barriers. We make the 180 left and there is a short straight. This is where both guys make the pass. I'm riding the tape and Team Health Warrior guy makes the pass. Aggro dude from Bicycle Habitat comes around too. He gets parallel and out comes his knee and elbow, he steers left, ON A FUCKING STRAIGHT GOING INTO BEFORE A RIGHT HAND TURN, and pushes me into the tape and into a post. I go down and yell a few choice words. Once I gather myself. I chase again. But it's over, they probably too far ahead. I push hard for a little but give up, one more lap of just mulling over what just happened.

I'm glad 4th place in CAT 4 is worth intentionally putting people into the tape and causing a crash.

So I ended up 6th of 32. I would have been happy with 6th, but not under these circumstances.
Wes Tillman. https://www.crossresults.com/racer/111198

Negativity aside you did a ton of great work to get up to where you were when you got crashed, that's the key takeaway!

You had a good race for what you could control, KEEP UP THE GOOD RACING!
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Sunday - Marty Cross CAT 4
Sunday started with something that usually doesn't happen before a cross race for me. I relax. Eat breakfast, drink coffee and hang with Keb. It's was nice having already pre-rode the course and a late start. We head to the venue which is only 20 minutes away around noon to catch the Elites and cheer on @The Heckler. Bump into @seanrunnette and chat with him a little.

@The Heckler is crushing and is in 3rd when we show up, which you already know is where he ended the day. Great riding!

I don't feel like warming up too much today. Another brisk and windy day. I finally go ride the parking lot for a little bit about 30 minutes before start. Get my HR up and loosen my legs. Good enough. My number says "You're starting in the back today."

Whistle.

I find the gaps and take them. I'm not sure but I think I'm mid pack after first couple of turns. I take Matt's advice and crush any up hill I can and rip the few corners. I make a few pass in the lower turns. I lose a few spots on the straights in between, but I know what gear I need to be in for the hill. I downshift and power up the hill making a pass or two. I'm able to ride the off-chamber well and keep the turns sharp, staying high using gravity for some free watts. I pass a guy on the downhill just after the s/f and rip the turns. Dude makes a super aggressive pass on the last turn before the second down hill into the lower section. I have to dab to stay upright.

I stick to my plan, hammer the hills and be smooth in the turns. I make a few more passes on the off-chamber section. I hear some fans telling people behind me "You're doing great, you're in 6th." Sweet, I'm top 5! I recognized the guy in front of me as someone who I have beat at the last few races. He gets a target on his back and I pass him, but don't drop him. There is a third guy on his wheel (Aggressive pass guy). I lead this group of three for another lap.

2 to go! I hold them off for most of this lap. We are in the back section near the baseball field. Right after the last uphill there is a 180 left and then a 180 right to the off-chamber section before the barriers. We make the 180 left and there is a short straight. This is where both guys make the pass. I'm riding the tape and Team Health Warrior guy makes the pass. Aggro dude from Bicycle Habitat comes around too. He gets parallel and out comes his knee and elbow, he steers left, ON A FUCKING STRAIGHT GOING INTO BEFORE A RIGHT HAND TURN, and pushes me into the tape and into a post. I go down and yell a few choice words. Once I gather myself. I chase again. But it's over, they probably too far ahead. I push hard for a little but give up, one more lap of just mulling over what just happened.

I'm glad 4th place in CAT 4 is worth intentionally putting people into the tape and causing a crash.

So I ended up 6th of 32. I would have been happy with 6th, but not under these circumstances.

That sucks about Aggro Dude. Matt'srigjt though. You did some solid work. Kick ass on on the things you can control, and make the best of the parts you can't.
 

hotsauce

Well-Known Member
It seems like there are a lot of jerks, for lack of a better word, out there. Or maybe it seems that way since the low points stick in your mind. I've had minor run ins at Cooper River and twice at Whirlybird that were totally unnecessary. If your race tactics involve chopping lines and not winning/placing well based on skill or power, I don't want to be any where near you. Being new to cross this year and hearing how it's the most friendly set of cyclists out there I didn't expect situations like that to happen, though I guess there are a few bad apples in every bunch.

Sometimes being a little angry can make you dig a little harder, its not super zen but just channel it into an extra kick on your sprint at the line. Luckily you have enough points to upgrade, hopefully there are less goons in the cat 3 fields.
 
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