It's the last race of the 6-race series. Best 4 results count, and I was sitting precariously in third place. Now there's at least half-a-dozen racers in my Expert 40+ class that are a level beyond me in fitness, and usually finish 10-15 minutes faster in a 2.5 hour race. And they all showed up today ! The organizer even recognized this showdown, and put them all in the front starting line so they could duke it out. Well hopefully another half-dozen slower riders showed up so I can finish mid-pack.
The weather is nicely temperate : low 60's, much better than the 100F we suffered through last year. The expert course is basically 2 laps. Start on some double track, then onto winding flat single track, then up the Wall, a steep fire road climb that usually separates the men from the boys. The first time up, go all the way to the top of the mountain, and enjoy a fast but buttery smooth old-growth descent. Then down some tarmac and miscellaneous trails, and start the 2nd lap. But this time don't have to climb as high up the Wall, and get to take another fun steep winder down. The Sports and Pros do this fun little techy grinder section on the side of the river before they do the wall. This is my kind of trail - rooty, rocky, and slippery - I can make some ground here... But today have to stick to the mostly smooth stuff.
Well the race was relatively boring, so I'll be brief. The most exciting thing was this innocent looking puddle that ended throwing up a buttload of mud (with a cement-like consistency that was very difficult to remove later). With the low temps I didn't get that tomato-head phenomenon I experienced last year, and finished the race feeling pretty fresh. In fact, could easily have done another lap - so conserved a bit too much I guess. Most of the 'Group of 6' finished in a clump about 7-10 minutes ahead of me. But #6 was only 30 seconds ahead. Hmm, I wonder what it would take to get 10 minutes faster in a 2.25 hour race, and win against this group. Lez see that's an improvement of 7.5% - seems like a lotta work. Spending $ would help! From some tests I did last year, 5 lbs of extra weight costs you about 5 minutes in a 2.5 hour race with a normal amount of climbing. So if spent like 10 grand on an uber light bike that would buy me a few minutes :) (in fact I overheard that #6 guy talking about his bike a few races ago - some 21.5 lb full suspension model he imported from Europe - we're talking 5 grand plus for that). But what's the weight of a full water bottle ? A lot of these guys only carry 1 per lap, and get a hand-off. Anyways, I don't care that much... only 1 more race to go and then can get back to slacking off and riding for fun.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Global Cooling Race
It's the first race of the year up at SkiBowl - on the flanks of Mt Hood - with its own special microclimate. Most other parts of the world are experiencing global warming - but not here. Only 500 feet higher in elevation then Bend, but 10 times as cold. The forecast isn't great - showers in the morning and a high of only 58F. There's a weather web cam up at the pass near the race, and at 8am it's showing 38F and the road is glistening wet from showers. As usual in the morning, I am not too disposed to driving to a race when the weather is questionable, so this seems like a good excuse to skip it. I can go for a ride around here in the balmy sunshine instead. But I check a little later, and can see bright sun reflecting off the road - OK I'll go, might not be too bad.
On the road, and sure enough it's sunny just about everywhere. I can even see the mountain, so should be clear there. But near the end of the 2 hour drive, as gain elevation near the summit, I am plunged into the soup of thick cloud cover, and it is raining. The thermometer on the car shows 4C - so hasn't changed at all since that 38F reading a few hours ago - and it's raining on top of that. I sign it, and putter around the inside of the van, taking my time layering up. Not looking forward to a cold wet race at all. I do a bare minimum 10-minute warm-up, and get into the start chute with the unsurprisingly small crowd. Only about 30 Pros and Experts. The Pros and young Experts take off first, then the 40+ crowd a minute later, with the single-speeders and women.
The trails are actually nice and tacky, as there had been no rain prior to today. The rain lets up shortly, and after 10 minutes I start pushing ahead to the front. Only 2 are ahead of me - one I know that usually finishes a good 10 minutes in front, and another who has been pretty close in time to me, and has beaten me before this year. I slide by him, calling out a greeting - but he barely emits a grunt. This guy must probably hate me I guess - in the last race I followed him for an hour, and then passed him decisively 15 minutes before the finish. I keep the #1 guy in sight for the first lap, but never see him again after that. Ok, gotta hold down the #2 spot. Second lap, up the steep Horse Trail climb, which is usually sandy and loose, but tacky and grippy today. No one in sight behind. The top of the course is now shrouded in fog, with visibility maybe 50 feet. I might easily get lost if I didn't know the course (in fact I did get lost last year in perfect conditions).
I'm finding it hard to push, as there's no one in sight to chase, and no one chasing me. The occasional Pro sneaks up behind and passes, as they are doing longer laps. I keep thinking they're someone in my class, but nope haven't seen anyone in that crowd for a while now. Here's me struggling to keep pace with the Pro eventual winner as he passes me :
I do the foggy, rocky twisting downhill run for the third and final time - and have a nice little crash, as my hands are starting to cramp in the cold. But no one behind to take advantage, and cross the finish line in under 2.5 hours - only 4.5 minutes behind the first place. Well I needn't have worried about getting caught, 3rd place comes in almost 18 minutes later.
Now the temperature is real balmy - why it's almost 6C ! It's hard to enjoy the cold Pilsener what with all the shivering standing around afterwards. But the racing in the cold was actually quite pleasant - I'll have to try to remember that the next time I start to whine about crappy weather conditions going into a race.
On the road, and sure enough it's sunny just about everywhere. I can even see the mountain, so should be clear there. But near the end of the 2 hour drive, as gain elevation near the summit, I am plunged into the soup of thick cloud cover, and it is raining. The thermometer on the car shows 4C - so hasn't changed at all since that 38F reading a few hours ago - and it's raining on top of that. I sign it, and putter around the inside of the van, taking my time layering up. Not looking forward to a cold wet race at all. I do a bare minimum 10-minute warm-up, and get into the start chute with the unsurprisingly small crowd. Only about 30 Pros and Experts. The Pros and young Experts take off first, then the 40+ crowd a minute later, with the single-speeders and women.
The trails are actually nice and tacky, as there had been no rain prior to today. The rain lets up shortly, and after 10 minutes I start pushing ahead to the front. Only 2 are ahead of me - one I know that usually finishes a good 10 minutes in front, and another who has been pretty close in time to me, and has beaten me before this year. I slide by him, calling out a greeting - but he barely emits a grunt. This guy must probably hate me I guess - in the last race I followed him for an hour, and then passed him decisively 15 minutes before the finish. I keep the #1 guy in sight for the first lap, but never see him again after that. Ok, gotta hold down the #2 spot. Second lap, up the steep Horse Trail climb, which is usually sandy and loose, but tacky and grippy today. No one in sight behind. The top of the course is now shrouded in fog, with visibility maybe 50 feet. I might easily get lost if I didn't know the course (in fact I did get lost last year in perfect conditions).
I'm finding it hard to push, as there's no one in sight to chase, and no one chasing me. The occasional Pro sneaks up behind and passes, as they are doing longer laps. I keep thinking they're someone in my class, but nope haven't seen anyone in that crowd for a while now. Here's me struggling to keep pace with the Pro eventual winner as he passes me :
I do the foggy, rocky twisting downhill run for the third and final time - and have a nice little crash, as my hands are starting to cramp in the cold. But no one behind to take advantage, and cross the finish line in under 2.5 hours - only 4.5 minutes behind the first place. Well I needn't have worried about getting caught, 3rd place comes in almost 18 minutes later.
Now the temperature is real balmy - why it's almost 6C ! It's hard to enjoy the cold Pilsener what with all the shivering standing around afterwards. But the racing in the cold was actually quite pleasant - I'll have to try to remember that the next time I start to whine about crappy weather conditions going into a race.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Pickett's Charge Sufferfest
Another hot dry and dusty Bend race. It poured for a while the night before, but the bone-dry terrain just sucked it up and spit out more dust-balls. The temp barely made 90F, but with the additional effect of air-borne particles clogging up the air passages, it felt like worse or something.
Not much elevation gain in the 20-mile loop that we had to do twice, but on the first little hill I was gasping and wheezing and watching my heart-rate climb into zones I'd never seen before. Just a low point in the cycle I guess. A few days before I'd been doing Pilot Butte hill repeats, and slapping myself on the back for feeling so awesome. But now, not so good, and somewhat nauseous, which I never get.
I pushed as hard as I could on the flats, and just tried to survive the little grunt-ups. There was some amusement from the other racers, as the heat appeared to be generating a high percentage of cranky people. I was 2nd in a group of 3 as we approached a somewhat tricky-looking but actually quite easy diagonally oriented log pile. I cranked it a bit to get some momentum going over it, when the guy in front of me got stuck or panicked and jammed on his brakes at the top of the pile, and I ram into his bike. Whatever, that's racing, right ? But this guy lets forth with a verbal spew of profanity at my transgression - like yeah I get my kicks trying to play bumper-bikes. I just ignore him, but not his jersey, which proudly proclaims him as sponsored by the bike shop who runs the race - hmm that's not good advertising. We'll call him ShadySide. The guy behind me now starts muttering at me in my defense : "I knew that was going to happen, c'mon, show him by kicking his ass in the race. Take him, let's get him !" Well he passes him eventually, but I have absolutely no kick, and plod along with the now growing line of racers. However 15 minutes later he does seem to be waning, and I get by him, which is somewhat satisfying.
Start the 2nd lap, which is no less dusty or hot. I am following 2 other racers, and figure out that they are in my class. They drift into the distance occasionally, but I always reel them in, though I am actually doing no reeling whatsoever and just trying to survive. Hmm, maybe they are a bit tired too ? DaveM appears behind me, also in my class. I ask him how he's feeling - "Great" he says. So I explain how I'm feeling like crap, and he should really pass me and kick the butt of those 2 other guys in our class ahead. He follows me for a while, then bursts ahead and gets by the other 2 quickly. Then I notice #2 ahead overtakes #1 - aha someone is weakening. I feel a stirring, and hmm what do you know, I appear to be getting my first wind, after almost 2.5 hours of racing. I get close behind weakening "Knock-knees", and as soon as I see an opening, I scooch off to the right of the trail into small underbrush, and try to pass. But the trail starts veering left, so looks like I have to abort. But wait, I can see the trail veering back right again, so I employ a little 'trail-cut' manoeuvre and cross through to the trail and get ahead. And what do I hear but a bunch of bitching from this guy about how what I did was not cool and I should only do 'proper' passing on the trail. Whatever buddy, I don't think this 40-mile race is going to be decided by a few feet, and what are you pissed that I circumvented your blocking manouever ? Yeah, so this guy is also sponsored by a local shop - hmm when you're wearing the colors I think you need to present a somewhat sunny disposition... of course now they think WebCyclery riders like to ram other racers and cut trails ! :)
I go off in pursuit of SkinSuit - you don't see many mountain bikers wearing these, and I guess it is more satisfying to pass a guy whose attire proclaims "I am so cool and fast they gave me this awesome looking skin-suit!" - and he's not too far ahead. I am starting to feel great and I really don't understand it. Maybe cuz the last half of the lap is mostly on a slight downhill. I catch up to SkinSuit on a dirt road, and squeeze past him just before the single-track begins, yelling "On your right!", as I get there half a wheel before him. Except, that wasn't really the start of the singletrack, just more doubletrack. Oops - man these glasses are dusty, I can't see a thing!:)
Next I see if I can chase down DaveM, and finally I see his dust cloud way ahead, and I'm gaining. 10 minutes later the gap is down to 10 seconds, and it's looking good for a showdown sprint to the finish. But then I come around a corner a bit too hot, the front wheel loses grip, and in a fraction of a second I am slammed down viciously onto the hardpack trail. Stunned at the suddenness and ferocity of this mishap, and surprised by the blood-flecked pain, I scramble to get back in the saddle as fast as possible, not knowing how far back SkinSuit and KnockKnees are. But my muscles are doing weird spasmodic jerking and cramping, and it takes a while to get back up to my previous velocity. Only a few minutes to go, and looks like I blew my chance to catch up. It's close, but at the end I'm 12 seconds short.
I get off my bike, and immediately both legs lock up - all I can do is stand there frozen, willing my muscles to relax, but they obstinately refuse. I ran out of fluids about 10 minutes ago, and I desperately need to get to the water station, which is only 50 feet away. After several minutes of stiff legged shuffling, during which I contemplate just throwing the bike down and lying in the dirt, I manage to get there, using the bike as a crutch.
Well overall an interesting race. Usually the 'feeling like crap' part happens near the end when you're wasted, but I got it reversed this time.
How some deal with the dust :
Not much elevation gain in the 20-mile loop that we had to do twice, but on the first little hill I was gasping and wheezing and watching my heart-rate climb into zones I'd never seen before. Just a low point in the cycle I guess. A few days before I'd been doing Pilot Butte hill repeats, and slapping myself on the back for feeling so awesome. But now, not so good, and somewhat nauseous, which I never get.
I pushed as hard as I could on the flats, and just tried to survive the little grunt-ups. There was some amusement from the other racers, as the heat appeared to be generating a high percentage of cranky people. I was 2nd in a group of 3 as we approached a somewhat tricky-looking but actually quite easy diagonally oriented log pile. I cranked it a bit to get some momentum going over it, when the guy in front of me got stuck or panicked and jammed on his brakes at the top of the pile, and I ram into his bike. Whatever, that's racing, right ? But this guy lets forth with a verbal spew of profanity at my transgression - like yeah I get my kicks trying to play bumper-bikes. I just ignore him, but not his jersey, which proudly proclaims him as sponsored by the bike shop who runs the race - hmm that's not good advertising. We'll call him ShadySide. The guy behind me now starts muttering at me in my defense : "I knew that was going to happen, c'mon, show him by kicking his ass in the race. Take him, let's get him !" Well he passes him eventually, but I have absolutely no kick, and plod along with the now growing line of racers. However 15 minutes later he does seem to be waning, and I get by him, which is somewhat satisfying.
Start the 2nd lap, which is no less dusty or hot. I am following 2 other racers, and figure out that they are in my class. They drift into the distance occasionally, but I always reel them in, though I am actually doing no reeling whatsoever and just trying to survive. Hmm, maybe they are a bit tired too ? DaveM appears behind me, also in my class. I ask him how he's feeling - "Great" he says. So I explain how I'm feeling like crap, and he should really pass me and kick the butt of those 2 other guys in our class ahead. He follows me for a while, then bursts ahead and gets by the other 2 quickly. Then I notice #2 ahead overtakes #1 - aha someone is weakening. I feel a stirring, and hmm what do you know, I appear to be getting my first wind, after almost 2.5 hours of racing. I get close behind weakening "Knock-knees", and as soon as I see an opening, I scooch off to the right of the trail into small underbrush, and try to pass. But the trail starts veering left, so looks like I have to abort. But wait, I can see the trail veering back right again, so I employ a little 'trail-cut' manoeuvre and cross through to the trail and get ahead. And what do I hear but a bunch of bitching from this guy about how what I did was not cool and I should only do 'proper' passing on the trail. Whatever buddy, I don't think this 40-mile race is going to be decided by a few feet, and what are you pissed that I circumvented your blocking manouever ? Yeah, so this guy is also sponsored by a local shop - hmm when you're wearing the colors I think you need to present a somewhat sunny disposition... of course now they think WebCyclery riders like to ram other racers and cut trails ! :)
I go off in pursuit of SkinSuit - you don't see many mountain bikers wearing these, and I guess it is more satisfying to pass a guy whose attire proclaims "I am so cool and fast they gave me this awesome looking skin-suit!" - and he's not too far ahead. I am starting to feel great and I really don't understand it. Maybe cuz the last half of the lap is mostly on a slight downhill. I catch up to SkinSuit on a dirt road, and squeeze past him just before the single-track begins, yelling "On your right!", as I get there half a wheel before him. Except, that wasn't really the start of the singletrack, just more doubletrack. Oops - man these glasses are dusty, I can't see a thing!:)
Next I see if I can chase down DaveM, and finally I see his dust cloud way ahead, and I'm gaining. 10 minutes later the gap is down to 10 seconds, and it's looking good for a showdown sprint to the finish. But then I come around a corner a bit too hot, the front wheel loses grip, and in a fraction of a second I am slammed down viciously onto the hardpack trail. Stunned at the suddenness and ferocity of this mishap, and surprised by the blood-flecked pain, I scramble to get back in the saddle as fast as possible, not knowing how far back SkinSuit and KnockKnees are. But my muscles are doing weird spasmodic jerking and cramping, and it takes a while to get back up to my previous velocity. Only a few minutes to go, and looks like I blew my chance to catch up. It's close, but at the end I'm 12 seconds short.
I get off my bike, and immediately both legs lock up - all I can do is stand there frozen, willing my muscles to relax, but they obstinately refuse. I ran out of fluids about 10 minutes ago, and I desperately need to get to the water station, which is only 50 feet away. After several minutes of stiff legged shuffling, during which I contemplate just throwing the bike down and lying in the dirt, I manage to get there, using the bike as a crutch.
Well overall an interesting race. Usually the 'feeling like crap' part happens near the end when you're wasted, but I got it reversed this time.
How some deal with the dust :
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