The weather has been nice the past week and I have been taking advantage of it, hitting the trail often and riding until it's too dark to see anymore. My next race on tap was to be the Keep Calm and Race Cross Cyclocross Race presented by Treehouse Racing in Madison, TN at Cedar Hill Park. It was a Sunday race. I probably needed to rest up for it, but the weather was just too perfect on Saturday to pass up on a long ride. I hit the trail at home for over three hours, burning in the line in the leaves. We've managed to keep the leaves beat down as they fall after that initial round of using the leaf blower. I'm finally making it up the Hill of Doom consistently. My hardtail carries so much more speed into the hills than any of my full-suspensions. It makes the Doom not so doomy.
Shannon riding the trail on a beautiful Fall day
Snoop enjoying the pond
Following Shannon as she flies through the woods
The bad part of the day came when I realized my phone had slipped out of my pocket. It was an old beat-up flip phone that was about to be retired out of its misery. I already had bought a replacement, but it still made me mad to lose it while riding. I had on a new jersey with loose pockets and I guess it flipped right out. I searched for it for a while, then gave up. I'll never find a phone lost over 4 miles of deep leaves. Maybe next year we will find it when we rake. Or maybe Snoop will use it to call her dog buddies.
My parents even came out for a few laps today
My trusty stead
The trail was perfect!
Me rounding the turn at the top of the Hill of Doom
Video of me playing on the Hill of Doom
The cross race came in the middle of the day on Sunday. I went out for an easy spin early in the morning, dropping off our water bill payment on the way. The race course was a tough one. There was a lot of climbing and most of it was steep. We have raced at Cedar Hill several times in the past, but this course was on the opposite side of the park from where we usually race. I like this park and it has been good to me before. I won the State Championship here back in 2008.
A big grassy hill climb kicked off the loop, followed quickly by a fast descent in the grass where a right 180-degree turn awaited before a steep uphill bank that was followed immediately by an off-camber area on the side of a dam that formed a small lake in the middle of the park. More grass over a false-flat next to a softball field sent you onto the road for a few quick turns. Then came the transition back to grass where a telephone pole laid across the course for a barrier. It was up off the ground and quite high for bunny-hopping. I was able to clear it in practice, but it made me nervous so I dismounted in the race. A small climb came next before a sharp ditch took you onto a long run-up. A barrier was located at the bottom of the run-up, then logs were across the course every few feet all the way to the top. A fast, flowy section through the trees came next, then a small, rough descent took you back to the lake. A lap around the lake on a paved path led back to the start/finish area to end the lap.
Race course as recorded by my Garmin 305
I did very little warm-up in order to save my legs which I knew would be tired after yesterday's long trail ride. I no longer have a dedicated cyclocross race bike so I would be on my hardtail mountain bike for the CX 1/2/3 race. I wasn't liking the feel and size of my old cross bike, so I gave it to my Dad earlier this year because it has a more upright position that suits his injured back and shoulder better. He has been dealing with a torn rotator cuff and just recently had surgery to repair it. I put the light Maxxlite 310 tires on the Sette which gave me a lightweight bike that would roll fast enough to be competitive with cross bikes on a course this tough.
I registered for three races. They all came in succession starting with the CX 1/2/3 race for 60 minutes. The CX 3 class was racing with us today, which made for a big field of about 30 riders. I started in the back and planned to ease into the pace. I didn't want to waste my legs too early. My main focus of the day was the Singlespeed event. I really had no expectations for any of the races today. I have been getting my butt kicked in cross races the past few years and I expected more of the same today. My start was slow and I was next to last through the first few corners and onto the hill. It took about half a lap before I started picking off riders who were already having difficulty holding the fast pace.
CX 1/2/3 start
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
I was held up behind some crashes on the off-camber dam and in the ditch before the run-up, but I was able to pass most of the group in the first two laps. I made up most of my time by riding the run-up. I would remount after the barrier and then ride over all the logs.
First lap pile-up
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
Riding the run-up while the others run
Photo by Photography by Bryan
I almost ran over Jeremy Nagoshiner on lap 3 when he washed out right in front of me on an off-camber turn. I moved into 6th by the time we reached 2 laps to go. I then missed a turn that was hard to read because of the massive amounts of tape used. There were several strips of tape and it was hard to see which two strips we were supposed to be going between. People had been missing the turn all day. My turn came with 2 to go when I was drinking while on the paved path around the lake. I looked down to put my bottle in the holder and looked up just in time to fly through the tape. Way misjudged that one!
The mistake cost me a spot and I never could get it back. The rider behind me must have gotten a second-wind because he not only held me off, but he also caught another rider ahead of us. On the last lap, I was close to catching back up, but missed my bike when remounting from the first telephone barrier and that was just enough to make the gap too big to close by the finish. I took 7th overall and 5th in the CX 1/2 class.
Photo by Marsha Williams
Photo by Marsha Williams
Nago bites it right in front of me
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
The corner claims another victim
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
Photo by Photography by Bryan
Photo by Photography by Bryan
Topping the grassy climb
Photo by Marsha Williams
Me nearing the finish as Patrick Harkins walks out with a mechanical
Photo by Marsha Williams
Heart rate and elevation profile for the CX 1/2/3 race
I had a good start in a big group of SS and Juniors. The initial hill was a bit much for my gears and tired legs. I dropped like a rock to the back of the field, but then pulled myself back up in the group by the end of the lap. My run-up advantage was gone as I couldn't turn my big gear enough to get over the logs. But I was running fast and eventually caught the pair of leaders up front.
Chasing hard early in the race
photo by Pump Track Jim Simms
Photo by Photography by Bryan
The attacks came often the last 3 laps, both from myself and from Matt Thompson, who tried really hard to get rid of me. We passed each other numerous times, including once when he ran me into a tree on the fastest downhill of the course. It was a bit of an aggressive move I thought with still 2 laps left to go.
Matt Thompson and I stayed together
Photo by Marsha Williams
Me trying to put the hurt on him up the run-up
Photo by Photography by Bryan
I managed to squeeze out a small gap before the start of the final lap. I knew I would need that gap to hold him off over the first hill because my gear was too big and I couldn't hold the speed up it that he could. I was cramping up the climb, but I held the gap. I thought the win was a real possibility now and I dug deep. But Thompson dug deep too and bridged the gap to me after the off-camber dam section. He came storming by and I had no answer at that moment. I stayed smooth and then bridged back to him just before the run-up. But Thompson had one kick left and he let it loose on the run, getting a gap on me. I rode like a maniac on the descent and managed to catch him as we hit the paved path around the lake.
Thompson hit the run-up hard the last lap
Photo by Photography by Bryan
Me chasing hard on the final lap
Photo by Photography by Bryan
I had a chance to stuff him in the final corner, but decided not to. I really wanted to do it after he had raced me so aggressively earlier. The scratches on my face from that tree told me to stuff him, but if I had done it right there in front of everyone I am sure that I would've been the one viewed as a douche. I always seem to lose that battle. So I took my chances with the sprint, but that final corner was only about 50 meters from the finish line. I got a good run, but came up a wheel short in the sprint, taking yet another second place finish in a Singlespeed cross race. I needed 10 more meters and I could've gotten him!
Heart rate and elevation profile for the SS race
SS podium. Not really in the right order, but we did get the top 3 up there.
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
They decided to do an Open race at the end of the day. It was a 2-lap shootout open to all categories. It was sort of a bragging rights race. Entry fee was just $5 so I took advantage of the opportunity to pummel myself. I hopped back on the mountain bike for this race. I got maybe a few minutes break between races, which was just enough time for my legs to feel like crap and for me to cram a bar into my mouth. I was still chewing when we took off!
Start of the Open race
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
Photo courtesy of Echelon Photos
I had a good start, but my legs were junk the first lap. It took me a full lap to move back to the front. I got up to 2nd, but it was clear that I wasn't going to catch the leader. Dylan Vance, who had just destroyed the Junior race, was long gone. I did my best to catch him, but I couldn't even make a dent in his lead. I held on to take 2nd. Not a bad end to a long day of racing. I left with a top 5 in CX 1/2 and a pair of 2nd places. The 5th earned me $15 in payout, which sadly was the first time I have earned any payout this year. I got some nice swag as well, which was worth far more than the $15 cash.
I pushed hard during the Open race
Photo by Tammy Richardson
It was a fun day and it felt good to get back to cross racing. I plan to do several more cross races before the year is done, so stayed tuned for more!
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