I did the first cyclocross race of the season. It was not a good showing for big D. I was out of town all week on business and was feeling my lack of sleep and over-eating. In addition, I've got a little bit of a cold.
The cross course at the Olympic Sports Park is brutal when you have a bad day. It is very moutain bike like and I might race my MTB there the next time. It has a steep, long climb each lap as you drop down below the ski jump.
In an effort to search for the positives in life, here's what I've come up with for last night's race. Due to darkness, the race was only 30 minutes. I got lapped just before the leaders started their last lap thus eliminating one lap for me. I wasn't dead last. Chris Pietrzak on my team won impressively. I was able to chear Chris on as he passed me. I did well on the barriers. There are more races.
Tanner and I are planning on racing in Ogden next Saturday. AT, you should do it. We could probably get my old cross bike together. You should do the next race at the Olympic Sport Park on your MTB.
Daren
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Good Day at the Races
Yesterday was the Harvest Moon Crit in Ogden. It was a great atmosphere for a bike race. A big street festival with a race in the middle of it. It probably had the most people I've ever raced in front of. The family was well respresented. Adam and Doug in the Cat 4/5's (Doug was guilted into the 4/5's after passing on the master's race) and me in the Cat 3's.
Adam and Doug did really well. It was pretty fast and Doug made it through about half the race. A guy in front of him let a gap open and that was it. In a short, 4 corner crit, it is difficult to catch back on when gaps go. AT looked comfy in the front thrid of the pack the whole race. I was warming up and riding back and forth in a parking lot to see him twice a lap. I was more nervous for AT than for me. He moved up at the right time and battled it out on the last lap. AT ended up 3rd in the 5's and 4th overall. At little better placing on the last lap and he would have won. On this course, you had to 1st or 2nd out of the last corner. For a first crit, he did awsome. He's now amped up to race next season and will be racing with me in no time.
The Cat 3 race was fun. Glen and Eric on my team raced and the plan was to try to launch them for a 1,2 finish. Eric has been very strong this year (he's the overall Utah Cat 3 champ) and Glen is well, Glen. If a break wasn't going to stick, which became clear early, the plan was for me to lead out Glen and Eric in the last couple of laps. Only problem with the plan is that I've never been on the front of a Cat 3 race with a few laps to go.
I was just hanging on the first 15 - 20 mins and wondering if I would survive. My heart rate was above AT the whole time and we were sprinting out of every corner. Fortunately, it calmed down, I improved and found a much better line around the course. Glen and I hung out in the back 1/3 of the pack for 15 minutes then started to move up. When we got the 8 laps to go call, I moved up just ahead of Glen and Eric and got to 3rd then 2nd wheel. I closed gaps and tried to stay right there. With about 4 to go, a bunch of guys attached and Glen and Eric got a head of me. I thought I was done, but hung in around 10th place. On the second to last lap, I was moving up a little and decided to go for it. With half a lap to go I jumped and got Glen and Eric on my wheel out of the last corner (I had the full 2 wheel slide going). I went to the front and drilled it as hard as I could through the first corner. Glen and Eric launched off my pull with 2/3 a lap to go and easily finished 1,2. I avoided the 2 crashes on the lap and rolled in a very pleased 14th. I was pumped to have actually helped in a high level race. It has been a long time coming and is a huge confidence builder for next year.
There is one more crit next Saturday, but I think we're going to break out the MTB's instead. The first cross race is Friday night and I don't think I'll do the double. I'm going to be out of town most of the week and that might be a bit much. I'm really excited about the cross race. I didn't race at all last year and I missed it. In cross, you send the whole race in the pain cave, but it is somehow fun.
Later,
Daren
Adam and Doug did really well. It was pretty fast and Doug made it through about half the race. A guy in front of him let a gap open and that was it. In a short, 4 corner crit, it is difficult to catch back on when gaps go. AT looked comfy in the front thrid of the pack the whole race. I was warming up and riding back and forth in a parking lot to see him twice a lap. I was more nervous for AT than for me. He moved up at the right time and battled it out on the last lap. AT ended up 3rd in the 5's and 4th overall. At little better placing on the last lap and he would have won. On this course, you had to 1st or 2nd out of the last corner. For a first crit, he did awsome. He's now amped up to race next season and will be racing with me in no time.
The Cat 3 race was fun. Glen and Eric on my team raced and the plan was to try to launch them for a 1,2 finish. Eric has been very strong this year (he's the overall Utah Cat 3 champ) and Glen is well, Glen. If a break wasn't going to stick, which became clear early, the plan was for me to lead out Glen and Eric in the last couple of laps. Only problem with the plan is that I've never been on the front of a Cat 3 race with a few laps to go.
I was just hanging on the first 15 - 20 mins and wondering if I would survive. My heart rate was above AT the whole time and we were sprinting out of every corner. Fortunately, it calmed down, I improved and found a much better line around the course. Glen and I hung out in the back 1/3 of the pack for 15 minutes then started to move up. When we got the 8 laps to go call, I moved up just ahead of Glen and Eric and got to 3rd then 2nd wheel. I closed gaps and tried to stay right there. With about 4 to go, a bunch of guys attached and Glen and Eric got a head of me. I thought I was done, but hung in around 10th place. On the second to last lap, I was moving up a little and decided to go for it. With half a lap to go I jumped and got Glen and Eric on my wheel out of the last corner (I had the full 2 wheel slide going). I went to the front and drilled it as hard as I could through the first corner. Glen and Eric launched off my pull with 2/3 a lap to go and easily finished 1,2. I avoided the 2 crashes on the lap and rolled in a very pleased 14th. I was pumped to have actually helped in a high level race. It has been a long time coming and is a huge confidence builder for next year.
There is one more crit next Saturday, but I think we're going to break out the MTB's instead. The first cross race is Friday night and I don't think I'll do the double. I'm going to be out of town most of the week and that might be a bit much. I'm really excited about the cross race. I didn't race at all last year and I missed it. In cross, you send the whole race in the pain cave, but it is somehow fun.
Later,
Daren
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Last Crit
Well, it was the last crit of the year. I attacked to try and get a breakaway started and push the pace. The first attack me and another guy broke away, but he died out and I ended up pulling for 5 laps before they finally caught us. The second attack I got four riders. Only one of them would pull. One guy even told me he wouldn't pull, he said he was "riding for his team." It was frustrating, I guess that is why people join teams. With 2km to go I decided for one last try to attack, but got caught with 1/2 a km to go and ended up taking 6th. Avery got to ride in her first road race. She had fun, but got tired riding the 2 km's.
I wanted to ride the Eugene Celebration this year because it was before Lotoja. It is a four stage, three day stage race. I wanted to ride the Sat. road race, but it was $80 for all three days and they wouldn't let me ride only one day. So I was a little disappointed, but it keeps me fresh for Lotoja. It was a good year, and I learned a lot more about racing. I know I need to be more patient before I attack.
4 days to Lotoja! Hope were all ready.
Talk to you all later,
Bubba
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