Race Report...
So today was my first cross race...I pre-reg'd on Friday for the C race...Saturday I started to get a cold, I pounded vitamin C like it was going out of style!! I went to bed feeling like complete poop and woke up this morning feeling no better...Again I started to pound vitamin C and had my traditional pre-race meal consisting of MetRX and Monster!! Still felt like poop though, not wanting to waste $30.00, I figured I'd just roll around and hope I get a flat...
I met the Rutgers team at 9am and we carpooled up to Mahwah...I pre-rode the course a few laps, still sorta dizzy from my head cold...The course was awesome though and I started to get really excited about the race...I sorta forgot about my cold and how crappy I felt...There were rocks and ruts, climbs, sketchy downhills, barriers after a 180 degree turn and lots of other cool CX poop...
The race started and I sat in about half pack just to see what happened...A few guys took themselves out pretty quickly and I picked up some spots just from people making mistakes and flatting early...
Lap #2 I turned up the juice and passed then entire field except 1 guy during the first two climbs...That of course took a lot of effort so I sat on the leader to regain my composure...
Lap #3 I still couldn't get around the leader, I tried, but he would shut me down...He would even pull away on me through the barrier sections...My lack of CX technique and/or cold was obvious!!
Lap #4 the leader slipped up a bit through the 180 barrier section and I snuck by him on the inside, it was the ONLY time I got those barriers right!! Hopped up from being in the lead, I started to push hard and tried to put some time in the bank...
Lap #5 I took a section too wide and got tangled up in the tape, I kept pedaling as the guy now slid by me on the inside, the tape broke and I sprinted to get the lead back...
Lap #6 I stayed out front and tried to just maintain my lead, me and 2nd place had almost a 5 minute gap to 3rd place, so we could relax a little...He let me sit in the front...We began to lap the field at this point, and I got some cheers as I went through my Rutgers and Hermes buddies...
Lap #7, Bell lap...As soon as I heard the bell it was on like it was a matter of life and death!! I dropped the 2nd place guy in the climb, but he got back on and tried to pass on every corner...I rode defense and took lines that made it impossible for him to pass me...The back stretch into the finish opened into a full blown sprint...I maxed out my biggest gear to hold off the 2nd place guy by about 2 bike lengths...I was zonked!! Just under 38 minute race time...38 minutes at 200% effort, with no water, because apparently you can't feed in a CX race!! Now I was being reminded that I was still indeed sick, my head was pounding!!
So I won my FIRST CX race!! Woo-hoo!! Granted it was in the C's, but I'll take it!! My fellow Watchung Wheelman team mate took 3rd place, Ralf won the master's race, Don from Rutgers got 7th in the B race...CX is a blast, so come out and race!! I'm going to bed now because now I'm really sick and I need to recover...See you out at CX practice on Wednesday if I feel better....
-Jim.