Killer 3 MTB race

This past Sunday I raced in Sumter, SC at the Killer 3 MTB race.  From guys from BikeSource that ridden it, there was going to be a lot of off camber riding and then a lot of sand covered road (that part of the course we did last year, so I knew what to expect there).  It was cold, low 40's at the start of the race, so warming up wasn't a whole lot of fun, but eventually got warm, and got all set to line up for the start. 

The Pro/Cat 1, 19-29 guys went off and then a woman who was still racing from the earlier races came around the start finish, which meant we would be having to go around riders from other categories the ENTIRE race; usually you are able  to get at least 20 minutes or so into the race before you have to start dealing with slower traffic. . . oh well, it's the same for everyone.

Got a good start off of the line, felt really good about that since it's been a little while since that had happened, instead of being a bike length behind as everyone started I was right in line with the other guys that got good starts.  I continued going hard and got into the woods first, this wasn't necessarily my goal but I was hoping to go into the woods in the top handful of guys.  I probably rode for about 5 minutes in the lead, I wasn't confident of the pace I was keeping, whether it was too slow or too fast, I knew Bobby Bryson (also BikeSource) was in 2nd so I let him get around me, Justin McLean also went around me as well which was ok.  Behind me was another teammate Chris Audet.  Within a few minutes of Bobby taking the lead, we had opened a substantial gap up to the rest of the field, I couldn't see who was in 5th place when I looked back.

The four of us continued to lead the rest of the first lap together.  Five or 10 minutes into the second lap, I was riding in 2nd behind Justin McLean (I'm pretty sure at least), I had a bobble in one of the many of camber turns.  I didn't crash, but Bobby and Chris were able to get around me and the three of them opened a little gap as I got back clipped into the bike.  I felt like I could probably catch back up to them.  Unfortunately within a minute I wadded it up in a sandy section and went down.  I got back up and on the bike, but the gap had grown.  I tried to pull back to the other three, but I couldn't seem to get any closer.  Unfortunately I knew that once they got to the road section the three of them together would be able to go faster than me by myself.  I continued to push but was never able to close the gap noticeably, occasionally I could see them ahead one or two turn, but never closer.

I rode the next two plus laps in no man's land in 4th place hoping the three leaders would slow up, and I'd be able to catch some or all of them.  Unfortunately this didn't happen and I ended up finishing 4th.  This wasn't the quite the result I was hoping for, but at the same time I had ridden pretty well except for my two bobbles that came one right after another.  Major congratulations to Bobby who came in 1st, Justin 2nd, and Chris 3rd.  Each had really good races.  Matt Moosa, also from BikeSource, one the Pro race as well, so it was certainly a good day for BikeSource.

Results

Rudolph's Rampage Dec 2012

It's been a while since this race, but there were enough "interesting" things that happenned in the race I think it's worthy of a blog post.

Race was December 16th in Harbison National Forest SC, about an hour and a half from home, so not a bad drive.  Nothing unusual happenned in getting ready for the race during the morning (always a good thing).  Got lined up for the start, it was pretty warm that morning so I didn't need arm warmers or leg warmers for the race which was nice. . .especially for the middle of December.

Got a bad start (nothing new there), but since there's about 0.25 miles of gravel road until you get into the woods I knew it didn't matter, and I'd have plenty of time to get into the position that I felt good about.  Got into the wood fourth, and felt really good about where I was, about 10 minutes in I moved into 3rd and rode there through most of the rest of the lap.  As we were got to the last substatial climb of the first lap, the 2nd place rider started to slow and I took the opportunity to push and move into 2nd place.  We openned up a gap to third, I was working hard (it is a race afterall), but felt like I could maintain that.

Came through the start finish line and headed back into the woods. . . but something was wrong.  It took us a minute to realize we had turned into the woods in wrong place, I had actually done the same thing on my warm-up, the loop wasn't too long fortunately (2-2.5 minutes extra, I rode it after the race to check how long we'd gone after the race).  When we got back to the road we didn't know if anyone else had gone the way we did, maybe some all of the other guys followed us, maybe some did, maybe none.

As soon as we got out onto the road section the guy that was leading just dropped me without appearing as though he was really working hard, there was no hope that i'd be able to stay with him if he continued at that pace.  After finishin I found out this was one of the Jamis Factory riders: Jason Sager.  Someone who makes his living by riding his mountain bike fast.  I continued to ride hard and felt pretty good, I was never really sure when I passed someone if it wasa lapped rider, someone in my category or someone else.

With about 5 minutes left on the last loop, I caught up to someone I knew was also in the expert race.  I recovered a little behind him and then passed him, I continued to push because I wasn't sure if there might be another expert that I could catch.  Unfortunately I caught up to a slower rider from another class in a section of really tight trail, I asked to go around, but there wasn't anywhere really for him to let me get around, unless he stopped--which he didn't.  This allowed the guy that I had passed and openned up a pretty decent gap, close back to my rear wheel.  He was right on my rear wheel and just barely outsprinted me, for what turned out to be 4th place.

I felt like I rode really strong the whole race, not slowing down noticably, which for a race that was 1:50 long, with a LOT of pedalling.  Jason managed to finish 4:30 head of me, doing all of that in the last 1:25 of the race, which is really impressive.  I finished less than a minute and a half behind second place, which meant that I would have been in the race for second if I hadn't taken the wrong turn.  This isn't to say I necessarily would have finished in second as 2nd place might have been taking it easier because he knew he had second in the bag.

Results
Pictures

 

Back to blogging

I signed in and saw that I haven't posted in almost a month. . . that is terrible, we rent out the house I used to live in and we've been doing projects to get it fixed up to rent again, and that has taken up some of my time for blogging.  Several things have happened since I last posted I hope to post about them more in depthand over the next week (in no particular order):

-Race from December
-4th short track race
-2013 Goals
-Upcoming race
-Building up new bike
-Resolutions both February and March

My thoughts on New Year's resolutions

It's a little funny that I'm posting about resolutions when it's almost Feburary and many people have already given up on their resolutions.

I've never really been a fan of New Year's resolutions.  I saw from a young age how infrequently people were successful with their New Year's resolutions, whether it is losing weight, getting in shape, quitting smoking, or other things.  It's the YMCA effect, they Y is super busy in January because people are all excited about getting in shape and losing weight, but gradually (or frequently quickly) how those new people stop going to the Y to exercise.

I think many times people try to make resolutions that are dramatic changes from what they are currently doing.  I think a much better approach is too make regular small sustainable changes that you can successfully accomplish.

Many people that make a New Year's resolutions of getting in shape will try to go all out and not eating any junk food or candy and trying to exercise everyday . . .this is almost certainly a recipe for failure you'll almost certainly go back to some of your old habbits at some point, feel like you've failed, and give up.  We are creatures of habbit and once we start doing things regularly it's hard to change that.  Instead I'd recommend making a couple small stustainable changes to start with; for example: exercising two times a week and only have fast food 3 time a week (instead of 5 or 6 times).  You'll be much more motivated to continue to your goal if you are able to succeed, even if it's a smaller acheivement.

Then once your new behavior has become a habbit for you and isn't too difficult look at what you're doing and pick a couple new things to improve on, maybe reducing the amount of soda you drink and walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.  These small changes will add up and it won't feel hard or that you're having to make big sacrifices.

For 2013 I'm planning on making a couple small resolutions every month, that will help me get faster.  My January resolutions were to eat more vegestalbes and work on being able to do track stands.  I've been successful at getting much better at both, which is really cool.  For Febuary my resolutions are to always have healthy snacks available to eat at work and get better at bunny hopping.
 

Short Track Race #3

What a difference a week can make. . . After a race that I wasn't very happy with even though I placed well (but felt slow).  After warming up got to the start, a pretty big field 17 experts (7 of which were from BikeSource) and 12 super sport (who would go off one minute after the experts).  Lined up in middle of the front row.  Got a bad start and went into the woods (probably 6 or 7).  Even though this wasn't what I was hoping for, I stayed calm and just rode in the position I was in since there's no where to pass (at least safely) unless someone is letting you by.

Once we finished the single track section and popped back out into the open I was able to get around a couple guys through the first gravel road section and was able to into to get into 3rd a couple seconds behind Matt Moosa and Robert Fish (two fellow BikeSource guys).  I was able to close back onto the two of them by the end of the second lap.  The three of us continued riding together (alternating who was leading each lap), and gradually openned up a gap on the rest of the field until the 5th lap where Matt upped the pace and Robert and I stayed together, we both knew that we couldn't pick up it up to the pace Matt was going. 

Robert and I continued riding together, swapping back and forth who would lead each lap.  Last week I never once caught up to lapped riders in the woods (when I caught up to them they were always on the open section where passing was easy).  Unfortunately the opposite seemed to be the case during this week's race, over the last handful of laps we caught up to several groups of riders just entering the woods. 

I was hoping I would be able to open a little bit of a gap on Robert during the last lap in the woods, but we were stuck behind slower traffic and just had to follow through the woods.  I continued to lead Robert as we came out of the woods, about half way through the open section Robert put in a surge and was able to open a small gap.  Unfortunately I couldn't get back into his draft and he kept maybe and 10 meter gap, even as we sprinted through the finish line.

While I finished third (jut like last week) I felt so much better about how I rode than I did last week.  Overall I was super happy with how I rode, it was too bad that I didn't out-sprint Robert for second.  But I felt much fast and better all through the race.  I've tried to think what I did differently between the two races and there really wasn't that much that I did before or during the two races that was too much different.  The short track series will take a week off before the next race on February 9th.

Photo courtesy of Paul Cunningham

Results Expert results down almost all the way down

 

Short Track Race #2

Did my first short track race of the year (it was the second short track race of the year, but I didn't do the first one).   Felt pretty good going into the race, both in regard to my fitness and to my handling:  I had ridden the course enough that I was comfortable on it.  I was nervous heading into the race, really because I was worried, but because I always get a little nervous for the first race of a season or series.

Lined up in the middle of the front row, and got into the wood behind Matt Moosa (one of four other teammates in the race, BikeSource was pretty well represented in the expert race).  Matt finished third last week even though he had to stop twice to pump up his rear tire that had lost some air.  Felt really good the first lap and was able to stay close to Matt.  Matt was able to slowly pull away from me on the second, I just couldn't keep on his rear wheel. 

On about the 4th lap Bobby Bryson (another fellow BikeSource rider) caught up to me and pulled in front of me.  Unfortunately I just couldn't stay on his wheel through the technical section, and unfortunately he pulled away from me on flats and I just wasn't able to pull him back.  Two-thirds of the way through the race Rick Pyle pulled even with me, but I was able stay in front of him through the finish.

Matt and Bobby both had great races and were just faster than me (both through the technical section and the flats).  Matt even put in a super fast lap on his last lap, going about as fast as he and I went on our first lap, which is super impressive.  I wasn't super happy with my race as a whole, but I can't be unhappy finishing 3rd.  It was also super cool to sweep the podium with Matt and Bobby, guys I've been racing with for the last four years when we were all racing sport call, now to sweep an expert race really is cool.

Thank you Wayne Holden for the pictures

Results

 

Mark Cavendish's new bike

Here's what Mark Cavendish will bike sprinting on this coming year, Cyclingnews has a nice article and more pictures:

He'll be riding a Specialized S-works McLaren Venge (the name's long, but the bike is crazy fast, not to mention it will have the fastest road racer in the world aboard).  Unlike in the last couple years where he's been riding Di2, this year he'll be Sram Red, it's always interesting to check out his bike because he values stiffness much more than weight and he has typically used a "heavy" (at least by the standards of the pro pelaton).  It looks like the bike displayed is pretty stock, it'll be interesting to see if there's any small components changes when it comes to the when he's racing on it.