I need to gather these rogue fasteners together in one place - round them up and put them in a film container, Advil bottle or some such. Seal them up and keep them, the hundreds of little functional mementos that they are.
For our CXNats race, Sara Katz and I pinned each other with a combined 40 safety pins (2 back & 2 arm numbers each, 6 pins per back number, 4 per arm number). That was no joke, I don't think we would have been able to handle that much pinning day-of. Good thing we hit up the pre-reg!
You know, at the end of last year I said to myself, "self", I said..."you will be better at writing up reviews of your CX races next year as they happen. You will blog them real time so you can enjoy them later." Yet here we are, my season is done, including nationals, and I can only dig up one full-on timely review that I wrote up of my first of 16 cx races of 2016.
Buckle up, I'm about to ramble about bikes A LOT.
First off, lets start with CX camp. I went to the Cycle-Smart Cyclocross camp in August, out in Western MA (my homeland). There were many reasons I decided to go to camp - to shake off the cobwebs, because everyone I spoke to gave it great reviews, to sharpen my skills...but I can trace it all back to the #1 reason why I decided to sign up, the seed that was planted in my head in October of 2015 which got me thinking about it. As a super-newbie to the sport in Oct 2015, only a handful of races under my belt (single digits) and not knowing who anyone "was" in this sport, I watched Adam Myerson tear up the Orchard Cross pump track with a flippin' jack-o-lantern on his head. When I found out this was the dude who ran the organization that put on the CX camp, I thought to myself "yup, I want to learn CX skills from that guy". Done deal, take my money.
Day 1 of camp was fantastic. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to stay hydrated / balance electrolytes, I did not fare well in prolonged direct exposure to sunlight. I remember sitting down on the air mattress in our Airbnb apartment after practice, feeling so seasick and wanting to curl up in a ball and die. I didn't feel well the next AM, couldn't make myself eat, and had to face the reality that day 2 was not going to happen for me. I hope to revisit the camp in 2017, we'll see if it works out. I recommend you go if you're thinking about it - you will get so much out of the experience at any level.
Aaaand on to the race-reviews!
For our CXNats race, Sara Katz and I pinned each other with a combined 40 safety pins (2 back & 2 arm numbers each, 6 pins per back number, 4 per arm number). That was no joke, I don't think we would have been able to handle that much pinning day-of. Good thing we hit up the pre-reg!
You know, at the end of last year I said to myself, "self", I said..."you will be better at writing up reviews of your CX races next year as they happen. You will blog them real time so you can enjoy them later." Yet here we are, my season is done, including nationals, and I can only dig up one full-on timely review that I wrote up of my first of 16 cx races of 2016.
Buckle up, I'm about to ramble about bikes A LOT.
First off, lets start with CX camp. I went to the Cycle-Smart Cyclocross camp in August, out in Western MA (my homeland). There were many reasons I decided to go to camp - to shake off the cobwebs, because everyone I spoke to gave it great reviews, to sharpen my skills...but I can trace it all back to the #1 reason why I decided to sign up, the seed that was planted in my head in October of 2015 which got me thinking about it. As a super-newbie to the sport in Oct 2015, only a handful of races under my belt (single digits) and not knowing who anyone "was" in this sport, I watched Adam Myerson tear up the Orchard Cross pump track with a flippin' jack-o-lantern on his head. When I found out this was the dude who ran the organization that put on the CX camp, I thought to myself "yup, I want to learn CX skills from that guy". Done deal, take my money.
Day 1 of camp was fantastic. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to stay hydrated / balance electrolytes, I did not fare well in prolonged direct exposure to sunlight. I remember sitting down on the air mattress in our Airbnb apartment after practice, feeling so seasick and wanting to curl up in a ball and die. I didn't feel well the next AM, couldn't make myself eat, and had to face the reality that day 2 was not going to happen for me. I hope to revisit the camp in 2017, we'll see if it works out. I recommend you go if you're thinking about it - you will get so much out of the experience at any level.
Beginning of the day - feeling good!
Also here's a pic of most of the core-team that put together the practice course at the Rye Airfield! Good times:
Aaaand on to the race-reviews!
Silk City CX:
First of all, right before the race I realized my brake rotor was rubbing and my rear wheel was not spinning freely. I tried to mess with it but was unsuccessful and had NO time left. I had not pre-ridden the course either, a first for me. Those two things were in my head before I was even on the line.
First of all, right before the race I realized my brake rotor was rubbing and my rear wheel was not spinning freely. I tried to mess with it but was unsuccessful and had NO time left. I had not pre-ridden the course either, a first for me. Those two things were in my head before I was even on the line.
I underestimated this race. I was thinking of it as "a cute little CT race that no one would be at". Kind of imagined a Sucker Brook with some extra woodsy stuff. Starting this season a bit overconfident, I guess.
In all actuality, this was a technical dustbowl of a course with some steep grassy hills (one with a manhole cover on it!) and off cambers, and 7-8 times per lap that I was forced off my bike, including barriers, uphill stairs and two steep unpleasantly deep soft silty run ups where I was scrambling for dear life to grab whatever bit of root or branch I could to get myself up the last almost stair-like part of the climb. I felt the powdery mess sink into my shoes and socks and was instantly seething over the dirt in my toes. I felt it mingle with sweat and turn into a "fine grit" slime. Slimy, yet abrasive. Seriously invasive stuff. It was a little dusty through the woods on the first lap, and hard to see. The next few laps were just my own dust as my field was so strung out, and therefore not as bad. I had fun riding things in the woods that I skipped on lap 1 due to too many people running, and having a mini heart attack over not knowing what was coming up.
The oppressive 91 degree direct sun was my biggest and most formidable enemy in this race. Anyone who knows me knows that I whine and complain about the heat, but seriously, I have crappy genetics that don't do me any favors in regulating my heat in that kind of humid hellish weather. So from the start, I didn't want to race, but didn't want to be a DNS. So, I came to terms with getting on the start line and racing until I finished, or til they pulled me off the course dead. Luckily I finished, purple-faced and seeing spots, brain feeling like it was sealed inside a skull-shaped pressure cooker. Felt like I was going to throw up my maple syrup on the last steep climb, as I was yelling "AM I DONE?!" to the officials. Yep, done they said. Scrub speed, get off the course. Find shade, cool down, keel over in grass greedily drinking the last few sips out of my friend Sarah's boiling hot water bottle like it was the best thing on earth...and then remembering that this is exactly why I love the sport, if that makes any sense. I think my face was purple. Sarah must have been questioning if I was going to die, or why exactly I convinced her this was fun. But she is still talking to me, so that's good.
Huge kudos to Sarah for getting out on the line for her first race, playing off the motivation of another cx newbie to finish a full lap of the course in the hellish heat. I will not steal her story though (I need to find it so I can link!). You just can't describe this sport until you jump in and get on the line for yourself.
This race seemed log-scale tougher than last year's first race at Sucker Brook.
Check this one off the list, and let's bring the cooler weather, eh September?
This race seemed log-scale tougher than last year's first race at Sucker Brook.
Result: 17/24 in Women's 3/4, with Pro 1/2/3 lapping us.
Check this one off the list, and let's bring the cooler weather, eh September?
Sucker Brook 'Cross:
I went to pre-ride this one the night before with Kathy. It seemed very similar to the previous year, so I wasn't too worried. This was my first race of the season / ever-of-life last year with Sara Katz, so it has a special place in my heart. Thank you for my addiction, Sucker Brook! I also love this race because it is close, only a 30 min drive. It is close to Mexican food too, not that I think about those things....
What do I remember about this day, back in September? Being SLOPPY! I remembered being better than this at the end of last year. However, I failed to remember what I felt like at the BEGINNING of last year. You can be in good shape, but not be in good "race" shape. The way to get into race shape is to race yourself into shape, and to remember what suffering really is. Lesson learned / remembered.
I pre-rode smarter and portioned my energy out smarter than last year on this same course. The pictures below give the highlights of what I remember from 2016's edition:
I went to pre-ride this one the night before with Kathy. It seemed very similar to the previous year, so I wasn't too worried. This was my first race of the season / ever-of-life last year with Sara Katz, so it has a special place in my heart. Thank you for my addiction, Sucker Brook! I also love this race because it is close, only a 30 min drive. It is close to Mexican food too, not that I think about those things....
What do I remember about this day, back in September? Being SLOPPY! I remembered being better than this at the end of last year. However, I failed to remember what I felt like at the BEGINNING of last year. You can be in good shape, but not be in good "race" shape. The way to get into race shape is to race yourself into shape, and to remember what suffering really is. Lesson learned / remembered.
I pre-rode smarter and portioned my energy out smarter than last year on this same course. The pictures below give the highlights of what I remember from 2016's edition:
I am trying SO HARD, but this kid can't be bothered to look up. He is probs catching Pokemon. Hope I didn't ride over his Jigglypuff. j/k I hope I did.
That is my butt going by. The woman to my right is not interested.
So hard guys, so hard....this sport....I remember it all now. Piloting my little 2-wheeled fighter jet...
Did this bike get heavier? I think it did. Either that or the barriers got taller. Probably both.
Super awkward remount shot.
PASS on the outside line! Hey, this race had it's good moments.
Put this in the book for most stellar moment of the race. I snuck in SO uncomfortably close to the edge here, dismounted, and muscled my way past this girl, as my friends were there cheering me on & yelling to take her out. Ok, that last part was just Gary.
Result: 30/44, Women's Cat 3/4
Restroom review: there are REAL RESTROOMS inside the school, along with running water. There are SHOWERS IN THE GYM. You can use them. I did this year and I was a happy camper! Bring soap, flip flops, a towel, shampoo & a comb.
Food review: Stop at Gordos off of exit 5 (off 101) on the way home for some excellent fast Mexican cuisine (also great post FOMBA mtn biking). My recommendation? Try the Gordos plate with shrimp & pinto beans (they're cooked w/ bacon). Add guac. Get the fish tacos if they're on special. Hey, get the poutine too. Nobody's judging.
Otherwise, plan on bringing a cooler and some PB&Js because there ain't no taco truck at this race!
Midnight Ride of Cyclocross:
I had been to this venue before - but not for Midnight Ride. The Lancaster Fairgrounds are also the venue for Minuteman CX.
I was familiar with the main aspects of the course (sand, woodchips, etc), which helped. Sara, Nate and I also signed up for the pre-race clinic with Mo Bruno Roy. It was so immensely helpful to talk about tactics right before the race. I absolutely crushed as much as I am capable of crushing, with my best race result to date.
Photo ops!!! Mo asked if we had any more questions, and the only thing I could think to ask was "where can I get a decent cup of coffee around here?!" Answer - the Bolton Bean (I ended up not having time to stop. Next time, though).
Check out my lap 1 gopro footage here!
Result: 17/35, Women's Cat 4
Restroom review: Port-a-potties! Bring your hand sanitizer to this one! However, you can use the restroom at Bolton Orchards, on the left about a mile or two before the venue. If you go to the Subway just past the 495 ramp, be aware that there is no restroom inside - just directions to visit the port-a-potty behind the building. I was foiled there before, and I will be again, I'm sure.
Food review: BOLTON ORCHARDS. Stop here before/during/after - whatever you need to do to make this happen. There are so many delicious things - apple treats, pies, a bakery w/ all sorts of Italian cookies you can mix & match, birch sap, fresh pressed apple cider shots out of the wall for 5 cents a piece. This place has a veritable grocery store inside, and an ice_cream _stand (which may or may not be open). Like I mentioned above - come here before & after to use the restrooms - located around the back & you don't need a key! For coffee, stop at the Bolton Bean (I haven't yet but it's on my list).
I absolutely need to give props to the Sheherazad food truck here that fed us AFTER they had closed down. Having gone off as the second to last race, I didn't have an appetite until it was too late. Sara and I went to the side door like asking "do you still have food??" They asked us "are you really hungry?" to which I replied "yes!!!!" They gave us food, they tried to give it to us for free, but we insisted on paying them. They saved me from a late night Subway stop, or perhaps a gas station finding. I love them. Give them your business.
One more fun anecdote - don't ride to Bolton Orchards as a warm-up ride, unless you have some sort of deathwish. That is not a nice road. Ride out back behind the parking lots, on the fields. Good stuff back there.
KMC Cross Festival, Days 2 & 3 (Day 1 was Friday - the Madison etc. which I didn't do)
This'un was at the Thompson Motor Speedway in Thompson, CT. It was the first time at the new venue, after moving from Providence. I have never raced the venue in Providence so I can't make any comparisons between the two. The course wound around the speedway, and the start grid allowed for occasional views of race cars. Pretty unique here given that most cross races are held in parks.
Sara and I met very early Saturday at the Irving in Epping. Fresh off a long shift, I am not sure how she managed to drive at all, but she did a great job mindlessly following my tail lights down the highway in the dark, pouring rain through three states. One thing I will never forget about this venue - when you get close, there is no gas station / convenience store close by. Part of my routine is to stop at a gas station nearby the race venue (within 20 mins usually), change into kit / use real restroom & running water, and buy a gallon of water on the way out. We were unable to do that before entering this venue. I need to plan a better stop for next year! It was like crisis mode by the time we finally did find a rest room in the venue.
Upon entering the speedway, I was able to put my newfound skills from the pre-race clinic w/ Mo Bruno Roy @ Midnight Ride to good use. Not only did we talk about tactics, we were given advice on how to navigate venues and speak with authority to get to where you really want to go / best parking spaces. Needless to say, it worked and I found myself over the bridge and in a no-man's land of pavement where our team tent was set-up. Great. Excellent. Did I mention we were both desperate to pee? We ultimately ended up going back over the bridge to ditch our cars, but it was fun to see that if I spoke with enough authority I could get someone to let me through.
This was my first "back-to-back weekend" race experience, and my first really muddy race experience. Last year's weather was quite mild. I was thrilled to race in the mud and get my bike dirty. The technical aspect is something I enjoy most about racing. However, mud adds a level of complexity that makes it quite hard when you are far from home. I pre-rode in my brand new civilian muck-boots, but found it extremely nerve wracking as they were slick on the sole & had zero traction. They kept my feet dry but were fumbly on the bike, tough going on technical spots on the course & the flyovers. I went to grab a hose to blast the mud off my bike after my pre-ride, but technical difficulties at a new venue meant that there was no water to the hoses. Plus, for a reason I missed, the hose by the restrooms mysteriously disappeared when I needed it! By the time the hoses had water in the pit, there was an epic line. So, you can make all the routines you want, but be prepared that it isn't always going to work out the way you planned. Yet another reason to get to the races at least 3 hours in advance.
The course itself was challenging & fun. There were some big run ups, a couple of flyovers, a few fast straightaways, and plenty of mud mud mud! I was very grateful to have mechanical support from Erin Mace at this race. First, he installed spikes on our shoes - which helped immensely on the run-ups. This was the first and only race that I've used spikes on. Second, he took Sara & I's bikes measurements, set up his OWN bikes to these measurements and manned the pit for us during our races. Also, when I was pacing around belly-aching about my routine being thrown off and not being able to hose the mud off my bike, he was able to grab a bucket of water and give it a quick scrub down. I don't know what we would do at these races without him. Each time I passed the pit I got some calm tactical words of wisdom - plus I knew someone was watching me, which keeps me honest & trying harder.
Chris getting his number spray-glued on.
Bike covered in mud & Tim's still smiling!
During Sunday's race I ended up going back and forth with a woman named Sue from Team Spark who I had beaten on Sat by 24 seconds (note: I don't know any of these details til after on crossresults). It all came down to an all out sprint at the finish line where she took 24th and I took 25th. First time I tried a bike throw to nudge me across the line with the last ounce of energy I had left. This is the kind of moment that makes racing so exciting for me - even mid-pack there is a race wtihin the race. Afterwards we introduced ourselves and congratulated each other, both riding high off the adrenaline rush of our fierce battle!
Sara's trashed derailleur! She ended up realizing she had a mechanical just past the pit and was in for a loooong run. Since I'm in the same race - I don't hear about these things til after!
The absolutely indispensable Erin Mace giving our bikes some love after we played hard in the mud.
Exhausted from the mud & the cold, I headed back to my parents house an hour north in Western MA to wash my gear/bike and get a good night's sleep. Well, writing it like that, I don't think you get the full picture of how much of an ordeal this actually was. Being an amateur racer with limited gear - I had one bike, one pair of cx shoes, one longsleeve thermal jersey, one pair of race gloves, one mud-splattered helmet and one muddy pair of glasses. All of this needed to be clean & dry so that I could be out the door early the next morning to immediately get it muddy again.
Just looking at these pictures again gives me great anxiety. Get out the hose!
I made it to my parents house, immediately put all my gear into the washing machine and hosed/scrubbed the stuck on mud off my bike, bouncing as much water as I could off and wheeling it into the garage to dry off while I showered. I also blasted the mud off my cx shoes and wrung them out.
After showering, I had to go down to the local liquor/convenience store (yes, an odd combination) where I bought two newspapers. They asked me if I knew I had picked up multiple copies of the same newspaper. I explained that yes, I had meant to grab two. I did not bother explaining any more than that. Got home to my parents house and stuffed my hosed off shoes chock full of newspaper & put them in front of a fan near the pellet stove. Had to change out the newspaper 1-2 more times to expedite the drying process, but it worked a charm.
Ate pizza from Francesco's, which hit the spot! Always a favorite growing up in Brimfield. Then back to the dryer - retrieve clothes, fold and pack "after" clothes - lay out kit for the next morning. Back down to the garage to lube the drivetrain of my bike and attempt to deal with unraveling bar tape. Back upstairs to fill water bottles and my mom made me a PB&J sandwich so I wouldn't starve the next day! Off to bed early, absolutely beat. I honestly don't know WHAT I would have done if I tried to stay in a hotel room and deal with this nonsense. I know the Katz' did that, but I do not pretend to understand how they made it work!
In case you do not understand the sheer ridiculousness of transporting a Francesco's pizza...
Day 2!! Up bright and early to have a nice b-fast, pack the car, say bye to my parents & trek back down to Thompson, CT. We were in for another rainy / muddy day. My legs felt tired. It was still early in the season, and like I mentioned, my first back-to-back race experience. Finished the race, packed all my muddy gear up and headed back to NH to start the vicious cleaning cycle again. I tried to sleep but woke up several times, my metabolism was on overdrive and I had to get up several times during the night to graze (e.g. spoonful of maple syrup, pistachios, dried cherries and the like) just so my heart would stop pounding and I could get some rest. It was rough. Weds-Sat-Sun races back to back as races 3, 4 & 5 of the season.
Day 2 Result: 28/41, Women's Cat 4
Day 3 Result: 25/32, Women's Cat 4
Restroom Review: This one is important to remember - there are NO gas stations / fast food joints to stop at once you get off the exit for Thompson Motor Speedway! Make absolutely sure you get off an exit or two before, or you will be in for this same unpleasant surprise. As far at the venue itself - there were real restrooms with running water. There were also hot showers! My advice - find them, have an after bag packed so you can ride over the bridge, and beat everyone else over there. There were two stalls and a long-ish wait once folks figured out where they were. BRING FLIP FLOPS. They were muddy gross & full of wet grass after a few women had showered. It ws SO WORTH IT to be warm and clean.
Food Review: Maybe it was because this festival was in it's first year at the new venue - but the food and beer garden left much to be desired. Not many food choices - got a mediocre steak and cheese. The beer tent was off in a remote location at the edge of a parking lot, so I didn't hang out there. Will give it another chance next year, see if they figure things out from the feedback received. I'll be packing a cooler just in case.
----------------------------Intermission--------------------------------------
OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO LONG!!! I may write the other 12 race reviews in two more parts, if for nothing else than my own posterity, and just get this up online now. If there is any interest in reading about the other 12, let me know cause that may spur on some motivation.
