The day was beautiful for the sport riders!
I started out my morning by squeezing in a pre-ride just before the Kidscomp and First Timers went out on the course. Now that I have been riding most of these trails for 4 years now I don't always think I need to pre-ride, but I was glad I did. I always seem to remember the fun easy flowing sections, but I forget about the punchy little uphills and the roots and other things that tend to slow me down when I don't know the trail. So the pre-ride was good, because it reminded me of the trail and let me make a few adjustments on my bike before my race.
I always do better in a race with a longer warm-up, but I was done with my pre-ride at about 9:45 and my race did not start until 11. I made the mistake of not getting back on my bike again before the race to warm my legs back up. I was going to and just before our race started it rained for just a couple minutes. I really have no excuse, we'll just call it a lesson learned.
Generally I'm a pretty good hill climber. At the start of the race I got a very good start, there were only 2 women ahead of me and then I quickly started to fade. Suddenly I looked and ladies were passing me left and right. Then I heard one of the ladies getting quite a bit of encouragement from her dad, and it sounded like she was about to pass me too. So I dug a little deeper and sped up a bit. I was able to pass a few people up the second hill after the turn and then I was off. I looked ahead and I saw 6 women ahead of me and I was gunning to pass as many as I could. throughout the first lap I was able to pass 3 of them. So I thought that left me in 4th position. The first lap went great, the pre-ride helped immensely. I was able to shift correctly to get up most of the punchy uphills and I knew when I could kick it for a time because the trail was nice and flowing for awhile. I was happy to not have to walk any of the long uphills and I had no crashes.
I passed by the water tent and grabbed a couple of glasses and drank some and dumped some on my back, Matt was waiting for me just passed the water tent to do a hand off. I drank a bit more from my water and grabbed my Acclerade for the last lap. Then Matt proceeded to spray my back with my bottle, which surprised me a bit because it was so cold but it felt great. He then let me know I was in 5th place. I was confused and I said no I think I am in 4th, he said 1 lady was way out front. So I was a little bummed, because generally the faster women in sport are the ladies who are 35+. So the only thing I could do was ride strong and hope to catch some of them.
The second lap went well. After the hill and then there is a small downhill which leads directly into a steep uphill, I made it up about half way then I had to walk the rest. It's not a very long hill, but just before I hopped back on my bike I glanced behind me and noticed one of the ladies I had already passed was right behind me. I shifted down a few gears and took off, I did not want anyone I had already passed passing me back. A little bit later I caught glance of the next lady in front of me, although she was riding strong and I was never able to catch her. I continued to pass guys who were falling back and I never was passed after the initial climb on the first lap. The second lap was much like the first I stayed strong, my legs felt good, and I was flowing through the trail well.
I ended up with 5 overall for the ladies out of 12 and 2nd in my age group out of 5 and 55 out of 97 for the overall Sport category. I didn't recognize any of the 4 ladies ahead of me 1 of them was a Duluth native I always give expect they will beat me. But I googled some of the others after I got home. Kelly Skillicorn was the 1st overall lady and when I looked up her info I found out that earlier this year Kelly won the American Birkebeiner (a 53 kilometer cross country ski race with over 9000 participants the male winner was from Russia) and the rest of Kelly's info told me she has been an elite athlete for years. The other 2 ladies also had athlete backgrounds including winning or coming close to the top in their racing careers also. So then I didn't feel so bad.
Lately I've been feeling like I just don't have the same strength as last year, and I probably don't many rides have been skipped due to moving (twice), the end of school, a cold spring..... But I have been fairing quite well in the races considering, my singletrack riding has gotten faster and flows more smoothly, but my hill climbs have gotten a bit slower I feel (I have no data to back that up, it's just how I feel as I climb). Matt tells me I'm probably more tired on the hills now because I can push it faster through the rest of the race. I hope that's why. I am now back to keeping to my riding schedule as much as I can. Many Saturday rides still get missed, because of traveling to races and Sunday's being races I usually don't get my long endurance ride in for the week (I think that hurts the most). Last year we started our training just before Thanksgiving and this year we didn't start until after January 1st so we were still in our build phase when the race season started. This year I think I will start again near Thanksgiving, if nothing else it helps the body during all the big eating events that happen that time of year.
Mt. Du Lac gave me back some of my confidence though, I remembered how to push hard to try to catch people and how to keep the ride clean to stay ahead of people. I'm looking forward to Mt. Kato this weekend, it is one of my favorite trails.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
MNSCS #3 Dirt Spanker Classic
This year continues to be a struggle, but I can sense my fitness starting to turn for the better. Things have been very busy this spring with the move and combined with the cold spring the training is a little behind. Either way the season is long enough and there is still time to finish strong.
I really like the course at Mt. Du Lac and it fits my riding style very well. I can climb well and ride the technical sections efficiently. My plan was to get a decent jump off the start and settle into a rhythm on the long first climb. I lined up in the second row directly behind Chris Fisher with the Moore brothers, O brothers and Paul Hanson on either side of Chris. In the typical pre start chat between riders many of the discussions were about tire choice and the threat of rain. Barry Tungseth, who was lined up on my left, made the comment that if it did rain it would be short lived and pass quickly.
At the start, the leaders quickly jumped to the lead and by the first steep section had a 8-10 bike lead. I held my position in the middle of the pack until the second steep section before the turn where I started to fade towards the back of the pack. The legs were burning and I had to slow a little to not completely "blow up". On the shallow climb after the turn I allowed a few more riders by, but regained a few positions on the final steep section before the top. The first section of single track I was riding behind a group of 6-8 riders but they slowly pulled away because I was still recovering from the initial climb. I was able to recover slightly and started to regain a respectable pace in the single track and could see the large group in front of me. Things were flowing nicely and I was settling into a decent pace and I could see nobody behind me. Then the rain started to fall, easy at first and we probably all thought it would be very short lived. The rain, however, was not short lived, but rather started to fall harder and the trail started to fall apart quickly. The open sections were starting to get greasy and by the time I hit the back side climb I spun out and had to run up the steep sections. As I started the second lap the rain continued to come down even harder. It was getting difficult to maintain traction on the punchy uphills.
As I approached the third down and up section I heard Eric Guse yell as he was picking himself off the side of the trail. "The downhill section was as slick as glare ice." I tapped my front break to line up for the downhill and skated straight toward the trees on the right. I went OTB instantly and landed with the bike on top of me. Eric and I struggled to push our bikes up the greasy hill and once back on the flat I couldn't get clipped into my right pedal. I stomped hard a couple of times thinking it was simply mud clogging the pedals. A closer look, however, revealed that the cleat was still attached to the pedal and had ripped out of the bottom of the sole. I was thinking how far I needed to ride to get back to the start/finish line and dreading the last climb with only one foot clipped in.
As I have stated before, I hate to DNF and I really love the Dirt Spanker course. I made the decision to make the best of it and finish the race. The rain slowed then stopped and for the remainder of lap 2 the trail started to improve. Not being clipped in was difficult on the technical sections because it was hard to keep the foot on the pedal.
Lap 3 went well and I was able to catch back up to the trailing experts and pass a couple before the start of lap 4. On the final lap the rain made another appearance and by the end of the lap the downhills were almost unrideable again. It was halfway through the final lap that Troy caught up with me. He had been closing the gap for a while and there was nothing I could do to pull away. I had to jump off on one of the steep climbs and he was able to motor on by.
It was good that I finished, but I was a little bummed at the dumb luck I seem to have.
I look forward to next weekends race at Mt. Kato.
I really like the course at Mt. Du Lac and it fits my riding style very well. I can climb well and ride the technical sections efficiently. My plan was to get a decent jump off the start and settle into a rhythm on the long first climb. I lined up in the second row directly behind Chris Fisher with the Moore brothers, O brothers and Paul Hanson on either side of Chris. In the typical pre start chat between riders many of the discussions were about tire choice and the threat of rain. Barry Tungseth, who was lined up on my left, made the comment that if it did rain it would be short lived and pass quickly.
At the start, the leaders quickly jumped to the lead and by the first steep section had a 8-10 bike lead. I held my position in the middle of the pack until the second steep section before the turn where I started to fade towards the back of the pack. The legs were burning and I had to slow a little to not completely "blow up". On the shallow climb after the turn I allowed a few more riders by, but regained a few positions on the final steep section before the top. The first section of single track I was riding behind a group of 6-8 riders but they slowly pulled away because I was still recovering from the initial climb. I was able to recover slightly and started to regain a respectable pace in the single track and could see the large group in front of me. Things were flowing nicely and I was settling into a decent pace and I could see nobody behind me. Then the rain started to fall, easy at first and we probably all thought it would be very short lived. The rain, however, was not short lived, but rather started to fall harder and the trail started to fall apart quickly. The open sections were starting to get greasy and by the time I hit the back side climb I spun out and had to run up the steep sections. As I started the second lap the rain continued to come down even harder. It was getting difficult to maintain traction on the punchy uphills.
As I approached the third down and up section I heard Eric Guse yell as he was picking himself off the side of the trail. "The downhill section was as slick as glare ice." I tapped my front break to line up for the downhill and skated straight toward the trees on the right. I went OTB instantly and landed with the bike on top of me. Eric and I struggled to push our bikes up the greasy hill and once back on the flat I couldn't get clipped into my right pedal. I stomped hard a couple of times thinking it was simply mud clogging the pedals. A closer look, however, revealed that the cleat was still attached to the pedal and had ripped out of the bottom of the sole. I was thinking how far I needed to ride to get back to the start/finish line and dreading the last climb with only one foot clipped in.
As I have stated before, I hate to DNF and I really love the Dirt Spanker course. I made the decision to make the best of it and finish the race. The rain slowed then stopped and for the remainder of lap 2 the trail started to improve. Not being clipped in was difficult on the technical sections because it was hard to keep the foot on the pedal.
Lap 3 went well and I was able to catch back up to the trailing experts and pass a couple before the start of lap 4. On the final lap the rain made another appearance and by the end of the lap the downhills were almost unrideable again. It was halfway through the final lap that Troy caught up with me. He had been closing the gap for a while and there was nothing I could do to pull away. I had to jump off on one of the steep climbs and he was able to motor on by.
It was good that I finished, but I was a little bummed at the dumb luck I seem to have.
I look forward to next weekends race at Mt. Kato.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Late evening ride a Murphy
We packed the family in the van and headed over to Murphy for a nice trail ride. Unfortunately we got a fairly late start because of my commute home and the now routine stop at Home Depot for more "house stuff".
We arrived in the parking lot a little after 8:00 PM and it took a few minutes to get all 6 bikes either off the top or out of the van. Andrea, Jordan, and myself set off leaving the kids to tear around the beginner loop for a while. Part way into the intermediate loop, however, Andrea had to turn around because we heard one of the kids crying. I found out later that it was Devon and he was upset because he didn't want to follow Taylor any more around the beginner loop. I think he will be spending the morning in his room for that one.
I let Jordan lead the way and she was moving nicely through the single track. There are very few weaknesses to her riding. She views the trail very well reacts to the changing trail conditions with ease. She maneuvers through the turns quickly and maintains here momentum. She is learning to stay seated a little more on the extended climbs to utilize all of her leg muscles, but still knows when to stand to get that extra effort when cresting a hill. She could have a little more endurance for the longer races, but for 10 years old she is flying.
1 full lap at Murphy without pushing too hard in 1:01. We will see how she improves as the season progresses. Still trying to keep things simple and let her enjoy all that life has to offer.
We arrived in the parking lot a little after 8:00 PM and it took a few minutes to get all 6 bikes either off the top or out of the van. Andrea, Jordan, and myself set off leaving the kids to tear around the beginner loop for a while. Part way into the intermediate loop, however, Andrea had to turn around because we heard one of the kids crying. I found out later that it was Devon and he was upset because he didn't want to follow Taylor any more around the beginner loop. I think he will be spending the morning in his room for that one.
I let Jordan lead the way and she was moving nicely through the single track. There are very few weaknesses to her riding. She views the trail very well reacts to the changing trail conditions with ease. She maneuvers through the turns quickly and maintains here momentum. She is learning to stay seated a little more on the extended climbs to utilize all of her leg muscles, but still knows when to stand to get that extra effort when cresting a hill. She could have a little more endurance for the longer races, but for 10 years old she is flying.
1 full lap at Murphy without pushing too hard in 1:01. We will see how she improves as the season progresses. Still trying to keep things simple and let her enjoy all that life has to offer.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Live and Learn!
Note to self: After a long couple of weeks ending in a move to our new house followed by a week of little sleep, poor nutrition, and a complete absence of time on the bike... DO NOT RIDE THE SINGLE SPEED, especially at AFTON.
OK, I am done making excuses. I will say that dropping out of a race for non mechanical reasons doesn't sit well with me and this is the first time I have done so. I will use this feeling to be better prepared for the next race at Mt. DuLac.
I knew it was going to be a long day when I started to feel a little dizzy before the race. The first lap started out fairly controlled and although the leaders got a fairly good jump they weren't that far ahead before the pill up leading the first section of single track. I managed to get by 4 or 5 riders on the low side before ducking into the single track. I managed to muscle the single up the rubber tread on the bridge loop but had to dismount on the step switchbacks leading into shady lane. I soon found out that I neither had the gearing nor the legs to handle the steep climbs out at Afton. I found myself using so much effort to simple keep the legs turning over that by the end of lap one I felt like I had rode a complete race. I stopped near the water tent after lap one to grab a hand off from Andrea and contemplated my choices. I decided to push on for one more lap and see how I felt. Although I didn't feel any worse on lap two, I also didn't feel any better. I was walking most of the steeper climbs which helped the legs out a little, but I could feel them starting to cramp up when I would stand and climb. After lap two I decided to shut it down and watch the "true" experts finish.
Great job to all those who pushed on and raced a long race.
Andrea, also had bummer luck by flatting only 15 minutes into the race. Since I haven't had time to apply the Stan's to her tires yet and she didn't carry a tube and pump meant she was out for the day. She is really bummed because Afton is one of her favorite courses. Crazy nut!
On a brighter note Jordan had a very good race easily finishing first overall for the citizen women. She made the comment after the race that the race was too short, finishing up with a time a little over 54 minutes. Despite the slick conditions she keep the bike upright the entire race and finished strong.
OK, I am done making excuses. I will say that dropping out of a race for non mechanical reasons doesn't sit well with me and this is the first time I have done so. I will use this feeling to be better prepared for the next race at Mt. DuLac.
I knew it was going to be a long day when I started to feel a little dizzy before the race. The first lap started out fairly controlled and although the leaders got a fairly good jump they weren't that far ahead before the pill up leading the first section of single track. I managed to get by 4 or 5 riders on the low side before ducking into the single track. I managed to muscle the single up the rubber tread on the bridge loop but had to dismount on the step switchbacks leading into shady lane. I soon found out that I neither had the gearing nor the legs to handle the steep climbs out at Afton. I found myself using so much effort to simple keep the legs turning over that by the end of lap one I felt like I had rode a complete race. I stopped near the water tent after lap one to grab a hand off from Andrea and contemplated my choices. I decided to push on for one more lap and see how I felt. Although I didn't feel any worse on lap two, I also didn't feel any better. I was walking most of the steeper climbs which helped the legs out a little, but I could feel them starting to cramp up when I would stand and climb. After lap two I decided to shut it down and watch the "true" experts finish.
Great job to all those who pushed on and raced a long race.
Andrea, also had bummer luck by flatting only 15 minutes into the race. Since I haven't had time to apply the Stan's to her tires yet and she didn't carry a tube and pump meant she was out for the day. She is really bummed because Afton is one of her favorite courses. Crazy nut!
On a brighter note Jordan had a very good race easily finishing first overall for the citizen women. She made the comment after the race that the race was too short, finishing up with a time a little over 54 minutes. Despite the slick conditions she keep the bike upright the entire race and finished strong.
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