State CX Championships @ Sylvan Springs- Master 40-49

After the slaughter fest at Spanish Lake and all the running on vacation I knew the only thing left to do before the last race of the season was to recovery and try to stay sharp. I snuck in some short rides with bursts through the week and then went out and rode hard the Saturday before the race to tune up. Given my fitness level, preference for morning workouts and the realization that I'm 45 years old now, I decided to give the masters race a shot. 

The course was hilly again but more punchy then the reverse direction a few weeks prior and the downhill section was like a slalom course, which suited me well. It was grippy but slightly wet but I had pretty good confidence with the pressure I had reduced to. 

I didn't last long in the front group, nor did I try, and settled into mid-pack, which is where I stayed for most of the race. I was passed by the 50+ winner, Mike Morgon,  Quindry and Bobelak. After the first few laps I was putting time on the 40+ field chase group, dangling in the same position with Quindry and trading blows with Bobelak, who had hit the deck hard early on and seemed to be riding conservatively. Bobelak definitely had the power on the paved climb but I found I was able to catch him and ride his wheel back down to the base. In hindsight, I should have gone around him on the descent portion of the last lap but in my old age I must be losing testosterone and was happy just to be racing a race within the race. I never used to think about passing when I had a chance, but for some reason, confidence probably, I found I was doing this a lot since I started back... that's going to change. Anyhow, I rode Bobelaks wheel all the way to the barriers and we went through at about the same speed. He made the turn first, click, click and that was that. Felt good to be racing but where is the asshole I used to be? Need to aquire that fire again.

Bubba at Spanish Lake

My first cross race ever was at Spanish Lake in 2007. I was coming off an exceptionally strong season of 6-12 hour endurance mountain bike racing with some expert races thrown in. I had won 6 of the 13 races I finished and finished 2cd or 3rd in the rest. I had 5 years of racing and massive training volume in my legs and was training with a purpose. I did my last mountain bike race of the season in Late October, bought a cheap cross bike and lined up with no experience whasover in the A's the next weekend at Spanish Lake. My love of cross began with a 2cd place finish (to Chris Harre) and a sprint finish with my good friend "Rico" aka, John Matthews. 

I only had the chance to ride once the week after Faust and then ran myself into the ground while down in Key West because it felt good and I thought it would keep my fitness rolling. I hadn't ran that kind of volume or intensity in quite some time but I was feeling pretty sharp and the weather was great so I kept pushing. We got back to St Louis at 1 am on Saturday after our last day drinking at the pool and while I knew it was a bad idea, it was only right to move up to the B race.

The track was pretty much the same as I remembered it from 2007- dry, dusty, fieldy, flat with a few "roadie sections." I got in a good long warm and it was clear my legs were torched from all the running. It was reasonably warm and very dry. I started pretty well and was feeling reasonably relaxed for the first lap or two and then place by place I started sliding backwards. My mouth got dry, my legs were twinging and I was suffering. People were going down in nearly everycorner as it was dry and there were acorns all over. I stayed up but waterfalled all the way to the back, 2cd to last I believe. 

I had a white chalky residue all over my mouth and I was happy to be done. 

I rounded out November with 160 miles on the bike, many of which were racing. 

Bubba @ Faust Park Saturday and Sunday

 Saturday-

Off the top of my head I thought I recalled that Faust wasn't one of my favorite tracks and as it turns out I had only raced there once in 2007 and it was miserable. I squezed in two rides after the races at Sylvan and was looking forward to getting after it again. It was chilly and raw but I got a good warmup. The track was mostly grass, which was really dry,  with lots of turning and moderate climbing compared to Sylvan. It was pretty much as I recalled and not really all that exciting. I went out hard and heard Grman telling me to save some for later in the race but it was too late. I started going backwards pretty quickly and any effort felt hard and I was tentative in the corners. My Raynauds became a problem and I had lost most feeling in my outer three fingers on both hands which was more of a distraction than anything. I found a race within the race with Vito and ultimately he poached me and I finished 6th again. I took extra effort to cool down and eat to recoer for Sundays race which paid off.

Sunday-

I woke up to rain on Sunday morning and was pretty fired up. Unfortunately it stopped but it had wet the track well which was soft and tacky. My legs we're super sore but I got a good warm up in and had that good feeling. When I used to be fit the second race was always my best but I had no idea how my body would respond with little to no fitness. I coached myself not to go out too hard and play it smart. 

The race started and I stayed in 2cd for the first half of the race or so but it was coming too easily. The track was perfect and I was able to rail the turns without slowing and the legs never felt fatigued. I found myself in the front and riding away pretty easily and waited for a younger rider to try to coach him to a win. I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't try to win a C race but wanted to push this rider as hard as I could. We stayed together without any real pressure for most of the race but he started to bog down with 2 to go and I started cat and mousing with him to urge him to finish strong. On the last lap he couldn't stay on my wheel and I sat up to wait for him when someone passed, who I thought we had lapped. I was urging the rider I had been with to finish strong and take the win when he told me we had just been passed. I wanted this guy to win and did everything to coach him back up to the lead rider but he said he couldn't and I set out on my own to see if I could close the now large gap. I came within 5 seconds of catching him and was amused at my rookie like mistake but seriously inspired that my legs were coming back so quickly. Sadly, I knew I was going to miss next weekend while we were in Key West and would only be able to run that week but commited to racing the day we got back. 

Bubba at Sylvan Springs

Apprently blogs aren't a thing anymore and neither is my cycling fitness. I pinned on a number after over 11 years of not owning a bike and riding. My expectations are different and fairly easy to achieve; build fitness, enjoy racing and have fun. My new bike arrived Monday and after a bit of tinkering I got it pretty well setup. I rode for an hour on Thurs and then another 1.5 hrs off road on Sat at Creve Couer with former MESA A TEAM rider, Matt James. 

I had only ever raced "A" CX races and really had no idea what my I was capable of so I singed up for the C and B race, which provoked some raised eyebrows and heckling. As it turned out, it's right where I belong now. I lined up in in the C race and had to do everything I could to reign it in. Fast starts have always been my thing and even though I had little to no fitness the speed of a C race start was far slower than I was used to and I found myself in the front pretty quickly. Soon after, the climbing began and the fun was over. I was able to make up ground anytime there was a flat or corner and through the barriers. I went backwards quite a bit in the middle of the race but somehow found the late race adrenaline surge and moved up about 4 spots on the last lap, which I felt good about, and finished 6th in the C's.

 After a brief cool down I lined up for the B race, because I had paid for it in advance, but had nothing left. I was on the verge of cramping anytime I had to apply any power and my back was pretty well shot. Suprisingly, I was able to coach myself to finish and avoided getting lapped. As I approached the finish the front two riders came up behind me to sprint it out. That close. 

The fire was stoked and it began.