Wrentham Report

Lined up for the B-Masters, 35+ race on Saturday on a pretty nice day for New England 'cross. This was a huge improvement weather wise over last year, when this race was in mid-December and absolutely freezing. I think I had two sets of leg warmers on and I was still cold! I was in the 5th row and felt pretty good pre-race. The course was pretty rutty in sections, so a half dozen warm-up laps certainly helped me pick out lines to follow.

Whistle goes and I go hard. Considering how crappy last week at Mansfield went (DFL after the MOC, 1 minute into the race) I had to be closer to the front before the grassy turns. I tend to do better on the twisty-turny stuff--I began riding as a moutain biker and I think my handling skills help there. I'm not Coley on the technical stuff by any means (who is?), but I think I can hold my own. Through the twisties and over the first set of barriers. I have worked pretty hard at getting smoother on this skill. Next year I will try to get faster through them. I think I picked off a few guys on the remounts the first two laps.

Through the woods and back out to the open grassy area. At the second set of barriers, literally right in front of me, Steen tried to bunnyhop over. Looks like he caught his front wheel and face-planted. Great attempt! Bigger cahones than me, that's for sure.

Next few laps were typical. I jumped up a bunch of spots....had Mike and Paul in my sites on the bell lap. Couldn't catch Mike and Paul put in a great dig on the last straightaway and I couldn't catch him. My best result ever in a 'cross race....10th out of 70+ starters. I'm pretty happy with that.

I continue to improve and need to keep pushing hard on the intervals.

Big shouts to the MRC winners: Rich won the 4's going away; Anna took the women's 3-4 race, Andrea the women's 1-2-3 (the MRC ladies are just handing to the competition this year!!!). I don't have the full story on Manny yet, but I guess there was a mishap of sorts but he was schoolin' the field...I am so happy to be part of a club where 'cross is a big thing!! On to NoHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I love the 413 and I'm hoping the kids will get to see Dad put up a solid result.

Have you tried this yet???

So we're having some friends over for a little Oktoberfest fun tomorrow afternoon and I was browsing our local packie's seasonal selection. When I came across this one, I just had to try it:

http://www.butternutsbeerandale.com/

This one is going to give Dale's a run for its money. And the name itself is priceless. Head on down to your local purveyor and ask for it. It's slappin' good!

I really want Rival...

My 'cross bike has Shimano 105 9-speed shifters. Hey, I'm a B masters racer, mid-packer most of the time, and we're on a pretty tight budget. But I do ride my bike a lot, and I've been racing more this past year or so, and plan to continue that. Anyhoo, the shifting on my 'cross bike lately has begun to flat out suck. In Gloucester, it literally wouldn't shift at all until I just pounded the shifter with a fist and then it finally clicked down a gear. In Mansfield this past weekend it did it again. Please don't offer advice....I've read the blogs, flushed out the unit with degreaser and carefully hit the pivots with some oil, blah, blah, blah.

I want SRAM Rival shifters. I was goofing around with some fellow MRC bikes the last couple of weeks and I really like the action and the stiff, audible "CLICK" of SRAM shifting. Then being the closet weight dork I am from time to time, I read the differences in between 105 and Rival and was stunned. (335 g. for Rival, and 490 for 105)

Now I just need to come up with the dough.....350 for shifters, 75 for a derailleur, and 100 for a 10 speed cassette and chain.

I did get two of the yellow Monopoly properties in my number 5 value meal today (worth 25k if you get the third property). What do you think my chances are???

Mansfield Hollow report + Why Mapquest sucks.

So the plan this weekend was to race on Saturday at Mansfield Hollow in CT (and sadly miss the big time party at Canton with the MRC crew) so that I could go see Meghan cheer on the Nashoba Pop Warner football team on Sunday. It was her last game cheering and I really wanted to see her.

So let's start with Mansfield-absolutely great course with the exception of the Monster Off Camber (MOC) that was a minute into the race. Unfortunately for me, this obstacle essentially decided the final selection. I got bogged down behind a couple of guys that bobbled at the top and by the time we got it sorted out, the lead group was gone for good. I felt like I had decent legs that morning, so opportunity lost. The course itself deserves some space here though. No less than 5 or 6 dismounts PER lap dependent on one's fitness. There was a single barrier before the MOC at a hairpin left turn, a log barrier right on another hairpin left turn (bunny hoppable, but the sharp turn made that a suspect strategy IMO); two sand runs, a steep run-up with a barrier at the top, and finally a double barrier (regulation height) just out of the woods. The good news is that I felt pretty smooth on my dismounts and mounts-I feel like my skills are improving there. I am beginning to get the feel for what Myerson refers to as "merging with the bicycle" and immediately stomping on the pedals. I hit the sand runs at almost full speed without having to scrub speed ahead of time. My running sucks though and remains a weakness. Because my back has been so torqued for so long I am having a tough time sprinting-big time core strengthening once 'cross ends. In any event, I finished 20th, just behind Gewilli. I was able to stay and watch the first half of the women's MRC team have at the course. Spent some time with Christina, Anna, and Andrea--they're dominating the women's fields right now and stepping onto the podium at most events. I think Anna and Andrea won on Sunday at Canton.

As for Sunday....well, let's just say that Mapquest officially SUCKS. Why on earth that program had us going to Worcester (Holy Cross exit) then driving in a couple of cirles (though now I know where Bicycle Alley is...) to get to Spencer is beyond me. Truth be told, I should have read through all the directions before even leaving the house but hey-we're a busy family, Ryan had a tough night, we were tired and just wanted to GET THERE. Well, we missed the damn game and I missed the Canton race because of it. Ah well....

The MRC race is this weekend, followed by Beer Cross in Dayville, CT on Sunday (same guy that promoted Natz Schmatz last year).

Gloucester report!

I've been wondering lately why the hell I get SO nervous before the start of virtually any athletic endeavor I'm about to begin. I mean seriously, I had a customer golf tournament last Friday and I was practically hyperventilating on the first tee (I banged it 250 and straight btw). Saturday morning was no exception. Racing is a funny thing....there's wicked fast guys out there with minimalist kits and piece meal bikes and there's old frumpy dudes with bikes worth more than my car. I guess everyone just does their own thing. But I was SO damn nervous!!! I think the show of cycling bling gets me thinking bad thoughts....

Anyway....I'm in the 4th row and when the whistle blows, I hit the gas hard. My goal is try and get to the dirt in the top 20 or so guys. Considering that in the 4's lots of guys falter on the "all so important clip-in" this seemed a reasonable goal. Things started stringing out really quickly though and groups started to form. I think I was sitting in the second or third bunch.

Ran into Rich just off the pavement on lap 2 or 3 (can't remember...) and he was running....it was HIS chain that I had seen on the pavement 200 yards prior. I knew he was in the hunt and offered him my bike (that may be against da rules??) but he declined. Guess he didn't realize that we both run Eggbeaters...

By lap 4 I'm sort of at that spot where I'm really tired, but also wondering if I can push the pain away and catch some more guys (insert State Farm commercial here) when I roll up on Mike Cook and a few guys. Cookie is fast so I'm pretty psyched that I'm here. BUUUUUT, I lack any sort of finishing kick and when we hit the pavement at the end of the bell lap, I don't get a top 25...ah well, something to work on, right? 27th for the day 1.

Day 2 was tough-first time I've raced on consecutive days and the course had some new stuff. A pretty steep run up (but the footing was AWESOME so I didn't lose too much time each lap) was added as were a couple of wicked slippery turns. I felt like complete ASS on the first couple laps but then started feeling better....until lap 4, the long uphill by the baseball field when Scott the dumbass decided to try and downshift under pressure. POP goes the chain and ZoomZoom goes the 8 guys I'm racing with....by the time I caught back up with them I was shot, and yep...once again we hit the pavement and I've got no snap. DFL in the sprint and 31st on day 2.

All things considered, I'm improving and I'm happy about that. Had I not blown my chain at Quad 'Cross I would have been top 20. Gloucester fields have 120+ guys in them so at least my number of top 25% on Colin's site will no longer be bagels!

See ya' in CT this weekend! No Canton for me....Meghan's cheering squad's last football game is Sunday and I have to be there!