We woke up nice and early and on our way we saved a turtles life (pictured above). I thought that this was going to be the highlight of my day. I grab a bagel and a soda (this is why this isn’t a training thread) and head on up 206.
9 people in my cat 3 19-29 class. I could of swore I heard Brandon/Sean say that this class is always the biggest, but I guess not anymore.
Mandi and I pre rode the first section of the course and instantly knew it was going to be faster to run up. Knowing this I knew I had to be towards the front of the pack in order to not get clogged up.
The race start goes for a nice long stretch in the fields. Seeing this makes me feel like I’m f’d for the start. Once we took off I realized my gearing was JUSTT enough to keep up with the pack as we enter into the pavement section before the ST. I go in midpack (4th or 5th) into ST.
I see Dustin with a camera and a flash goes off. WHADDAP HOMAYYY! I’m a celeb.
I followed Doug (who should be signing up soon) through this section. of course the guy in front of him unclips and gets hung up on the climb. I knew this was coming. Both Doug and I jump out of saddle and charge up this little elevation change. He keeps looking back as I know he can’t hear me with my SS ninjaness. We get to the top of this section and boogie on out. I tail him for a section to let my body get used to what we are doing.
We hang the right up the fire road and I know that this is where I HAVE to pass him. I have to get people on the hills. He takes the right line and I go up the gravely left shoot of this climb. Bad idea. I waste a lot of energy spinning out in the rocks to pass him. We talk as we climb up and give each other kudos. I don’t see him again.
I try to relax after that little sprint up the hill and in between the next paragraph and the last one I just wrote, I eat it hard. I end up taking this line that ends up going off the trail and fall hard on my side. I have it on video, it was pretty interesting. I get up, look back, and to my surprise I don’t hear anything. I always fear the worst as if someone crashed behind me, (last year at Jungle) High on adrenaline I ‘cross back onto my bike and head on. My legs are shaking from either being nervous or the fall, I can’t remember.
I take a second and count the people, I’m in second place right now. I think I can keep this up.
I come up on Zach who was moving through the flower turns of the course. He asks if he wants me to go around him, and I say I’m okay. I couldn’t spin any faster on the flats anyway. We chat about this being his first race. I knew he had to be spent, especially because I was breathing super hard.) I caught my breath for the next mile or so. Zach said would be happen to finish top 5. I told him it wouldn’t be a problem if he keeps up this pace. We eventually come around a nice berm turn and he stays inside, almost as if he ran out of steam of me chasing him. I pass him on the left and chug along.
Now I’m on my own. No one is front of me. I’ve ridden by myself in races but its usually mid pack and I know I’m chasing someone. Now I’m setting the pace. I knew that once I was by myself, I’d act like Norm and be a zombie. In a bad way. I was totally unfocused and not riding as fast as I should. I think this may be because of the fall I took or the fact that I knew this place was going to be deadly with how moist the rocks were. Either way I just kept on my bike.
I peak back and I see someone behind me. Who is the guy? He’s flying. No way I can let him pass me at this point. Then I realize who it is, and without saying too much on this forum, I realize he isn’t in my class. Before the last big rooty hill I had to stop. I was smoked. I got off my bike and walked up in defeat up this climb. I let 3 guys (guy in 3D jersey and two MTBNYC dudes) in the 30-39 go up past me. The last guy is on a single speed and is cursing and hurting as he walks his bike up this climb. Before he gets to the top he says “That was the last one!” I was so out of breath I couldn’t even utter a reply.
Now that I have someone to chase (or so I thought) I’d be better off. I don’t see these guys until the finish. I churn past Luke and my face looks like a mutant. I don’t know what exactly I was thinking at that point.
We come out of the last downhill and I see Dustin. He yells something as any thug ass Cat2 SS guy would about the 3 guys in front me. For about 5 seconds I forget that they are not in my class and try to chase them. I come back to reality and settle in. I lost 3rd place last race at LM here, I don’t want to drop first because I got smoked on the fields. I try and keep my RPM’s up and end up catching the last MTBNYC guy that passed me. He must have shit his pants too because all the sudden he stands up and mashes. I tell him to settle down and I end up passing him and giving him a smack on the ass. I realized about 3 hours later that it may have been a little homo, but whatever. It felt right, blow me.
I roll up through the pavement and finish. It was weird because they sent you on this little reroute to the end, and I was by myself. Talk about being pumped and being alone. I catch my breath and ride as slow as possible through here.
Towards the end Zach (first timer) comes up behind me. He finished :20 seconds behind me, So props to him. He used to race motocross so I know his bike skills are above park.
I spin around and plop down and talk to Larry and Doug at the end. I wait to cheer on Mandi and see 2 girls pass before her. That’s okay. I know she is riding for fun and not too worried about being super competitive. Then in the distance behind some seven foot dude she pops out. I yell my ass off, mostly because as far as I can tell she is in 3rd! You go girl!
She comes around and seems pretty upset. She thinks she’s towards the back. I keep telling her she did awesome and is not in the back of the field. She was so excited to murder people on the singlespeed I forgot to tell her how I did.
The results go up on the truck and she’s in 4th! I’m so proud of her. She is a wild lady and totally throws it down on her bike. We keep going back to the “what if I had gears” talk, but taking 4th is a great start for her. Yay!
Now What?
I finished first in a cat 3 event. I saw the onslaught that Jimmy got about 2 or 3, So I am totally prepared for what you guys are going to say. I won this race, but I didn’t pull out and stand alone on this race. Everyone finished within one minute of me on the podium. I didn’t perform as well as I thought I would to win a race. Does that mean I’m ready for Cat 2?
I know racing 2 is going to make me faster and spending 20 dollars for one lap seems kind of silly. Seeing Dustin throw up a 87 minute total race time makes me quiver in my pants. I did a lap at that pace but I know for a fact I would be smoked for the second. I know I will get wooped on in 2 a couple of races (hopefully only a couple), but I will also become faster, faster. Being in 2 also means I get to race later and cheer on Mandi. 2 will also keep me motivated to get faster and actually ride more.
I know racing 3, I’m not a clear cut winner every time I go out. I know the courses get harder and LM and KVSP were walks in the park compared to races that are going to be held later in the year (blue, ringwood). Do I stick it out and finish the series or move up and get ready to spank children for next year?
As of right now I’m on the fence. The next h2h race is a month away and a lot can happen in that time.
Upcoming events for Peezy and Deezy
Mandi and I plan to do the DH40 (which we didn’t sign up yet) and dress up as a tag team duo. I hope she does more races as I know her riding skills are better than the field she is in, she throwing down on her singlespeed and holding her own.
Larry was talking about doing the Fair Hills race. I was thinking of either doing this as 2 or 3, If I race 2 and do okay (Not DFL 2nd to DFL) I know I can be somewhat competitive and hang on in h2h. If I race 3 and kill it, I know its time for me to go. Or If I race 3 and get spanked, I know its time.
Regardless of all this cat2/3 talk, I am still having fun riding my bike. Isn’t that what it is all about? I’m looking forward to Tuesday’s Allaire ride. Riding my bicycle without being competitive.
jamespearl 