Gloucester Day 1 and Day 2 - Cardiac Carnage

I had a pretty good registration number and got pretty close to the front during the line up. The announcer called 30 seconds, and luckily I was clipped in and she blew the whislte...no ten to go, nothing, a few people were caught off gaurd. The race up the road was pretty good, had a good position going into the dirt/grass and maintained that until the first little uphill twist downhill to the barriers. I remember seeing a few people get tangled and made it through the first few sections unscathed. Lap 2, more riders were going by me on anything that was flat, but the downhills were easy and the twistys before the sand pit was fun and the tires held up well, great grip and I could carry a fair amount of speed into almost all turns.

The sand pit was my undoing though. Not only can I not run but I could not get that stuff out of my shoes. The soles of my shoes were so caked with sand that i couldn't clip in that entire back section. I would go into the ride up and down hill before the ball field backstop with out having a shoe clipped in, what a pain. I even removed some of the tread a few nights before in hopes that it would shed dirt/sand easier. I hooked up with the crazy Keltic rider (he road through the sand pit twice) and exchanged positions with another rider (Dave - he had a good support chearing section - Zoo?), for the remainder of the race. I was at the limit just about every lap, a few times I would sit on and try and control my breathing and that helped but also at the same time, I would give up positions. I had set pretty liberal goals, not to get lapped and not to DNF. So in that regard, I met the goals. The bike help up well, no mechanicals, still shifting crisp despite the whole drivetrain being beat up.

Sections that i could have improved up would have been the run up, i kept taking a wide line through and then having to regain the lost spot or two on the downhill to the back stretch by the pit. A few times I was able to sneak back a few riders on the twisty section by the ball field, only to loose those spots back on the road. It was a solid day.



GLOUCESTER DAY 2

I really have to improve upon these race reports: here it goes
Woke up early enough to get the car packed, but then the little tornado and lady decided to go, so I had to unpack the one car and pack up the Family Truckster and head out albiet a few minutes late. Registration today was a breeze. Was able to get in two warm up laps and the course layout was identical but for whatever reason, the course seemed slower if that was possible. My starting position was pretty good, 2nd row. The whistle goes off and my start today was better than the previous days. Had a great entry into the grass and even held that going into the rocky path by the water but thats when the slide backward began and I was redlined. I couldn't be cooked this early. All those minutes of training, the week and a half off the bike..lungs filled with flemmy crud...crap. The little uphill I got rear ended the then crashed on the barriers) but no mechanical damage and going downhill toward the run-up, one rider really over cooked the turn and took out 20 feet of tape. Hit the run-up with pretty good speed but bobbled the clip in and lost more spots, was able to maintain my position past the pit area but that back stretch i think another 20-30 riders got past like i was standing still. Got into the twistys before the sand pit and got passed on the inside which threw my line off and more riders got past...sand pit, would I be able to clip back in was all over my mind. Cleats / pedals were good. (I siliconed the soles of my shoes the night before...smaht thinkin'). Still sliding backwards but not as fast. 2nd and 3rd lap were pretty similar, my legs were going good but definately lacked power and my HR would sky rocket too quickly so every few sections I had to back off to keep from vomiting, I was going into survival mode. Got passed by Dave (same guy from yesterday) and others who looked to be on good form. I did my best to sit on and hold wheels but certain sections played to my strengths but other sections just killed me. It wasn't until the 3rd lap that I noticed the wife and kid cheering, it was a pretty good feeling ( i think he had fun just yelling). On the 2nd to last lap I was with pretty much the same bunch of riders for a while just fighting to hang on and follow, you could definately see where each rider had better skills, some had power on the straights but couldn't turn with speed while others would clear the barriers with easy while others smacked each barrier with their rear wheel. While riding with that group I managed to gain on the last section by the ballfield and we hit the pavement for the final time. I got by one rider and clicked to a higher gear and really pushed it up the hill inching closer to another rider, who was going all out as well, clicked over to the big ring and got him at the line, fighting for such a lowly position may not mean much on paper but it was a mental victory none the less. Crossed the line, rolled through and almost passed out as two riders were off by the boulders getting rid of breakfast. Wasn't lapped, didn't DNF and managed not to finish last!

Pneumonia goes to Gloucester

Yupp...says it all. Been sick ever since last week. The Doc thinks its pneumonia, how the hell did i get that. Either way, i can't breathe without coughing up some interesting color. I get winded walking up three steps, thinking about biking and my legs shake, I am in amazing shape. Ha. However I'm hoping to still make Gloucester, and have fun...albiet in last place. Just listen for me bringing up the rear. 125 competitors....I am setting my goal for 100th and not to suffocate on my own lung flem. NICE. Will this be my undoing...most likely. I haven't touch the bike in over a week, talk about shock to the system. Pain cave, i don't think so...Pain abyss, most definately

Amesbury Pigpile

Got to the race with plenty of time to register, kit up and pre-ride the course. Where did all the roots come from! The first off camber descent was claiming riders during the practice laps so it was decided that before to many riders left their blood on it, the course was re-routed to the second descent which was measurably safer (if thats the correct word for it). Started in the back row, right side, Right from the start, moved up pretty well BUT then there was a pinch by the first tree and some hay bails. I don't remember where the hay bails came from. I don't know what happened but wheels locked up in front of me, riders hit the dirt, my bike was sideways and the front of the field was gone. Collected my bike and got going again. I immeadiately knew that I had too much pressure in the tires and I should have been 5 psi lower, easily. I was bouncing all over the roots. THe barriers, I had good form getting off the bike but due to my HR being sky high, I stutter stepped the remount and a few riders got passed and when one rider when down, it put us further back. Yeah, Yeah I know...starting position is everything. Saw one ECV crash twice in the same spot, guess it wasn't his day. After the first lap, things were strung out and in the techincal sections I could stay with most riders but it was the grassy sections where i couldn't put matching power down. Third lap I finally got around mr motobecane red, he had a good cheering section, and kept going only to be passed by the ECV guy i passed on the stairs. Tried getting back up to him but he would pull away on the straights. I could only latch back on to him in the halfpipe, quick downhills and tight turns. The maxxis mimo's held their ground well despite being balloons. The roots really took a toll on my hands, I Gripped the hoods while in the woods and road in the drops on the grass when i could, just to break up the positioning on the bars. This worked pretty well. I really like the twistys, the section leading up the barriers, and the stair run up. I did have one nice bail out when I over cooked a turn, I refused to touch the breaks and the front wheel slid out but I ended up on my feet (I believe CTodd got a nice view) so I was able to get back up and going pretty quickly only allowing one other rider to bridge up and eventually pass me on the last lap. Finished in the back of the field somewhere, don't know where as I didn't have the time stick around for the results to be posted. I'll check later this week for an update. I think if I can hold a better start position and maintain the HR redline a little longer while the field sorts itself out, it will definately help. I think I can maintain my 178 bpm HR for 40 minutes, its whether or not I can hold 185 bpm for 6 minutes till the field strings out that is another questions.....a whole lot of "ifs"....either way, the race was fun, had fun, looking forward to the next one

Over all the bike handled really well. The frame is super stiff (laterally stiff, and vertically compliant-bikesnobnyc), the brakes held up ok considering one of the pads got loose on the post (shite manufacturing but). They will be swapped out for ritchey reds this week. The eastons SL's are still true and rolled really well. They definately lightening the bike up a bit. We'll see what i can do to get ready for gloucester, till then.......