Pace Bend Race Fest

What a great race I had last week!

Like I said in my previous entry, I decided to stop doing the pro race and go back to the Cat 1 race - well, I don't know if "back" is the right word, since I tried skipping from Cat 2 to pro, but whatever. As the race approached I was feeling pretty worn out. Maybe I'd over trained; I'm not sure. I hadn't rode the course at Pace Bend since last years race, so I really wanted to pre-ride. The weather stopped me the previous weekend, and with my legs feeling like they did, I decided I was better off resting rather than pre-riding the day before.

I caught a ride with my buddy, Ben, the morning of the race. He also races for the Peddler. He was doing the single-speed open race, so his start time was just before mine.

It's cool doing the Cat 1 race now. As we lined up, everyone I'm friends with from Cat 2 last year was there. It's a funny balance being friends with half the guys you're competing against. You want everyone to have a great race and feel strong, but... well, you also want to win, right?

There's a major difference with the Cat 1 race, and that's the third lap. Last year, we sprinted out two laps like it was nothing, and now, we have to consider energy levels and pace for one and a half times what we were used to. Everyone's pace starts out, of course, at 9 or 10 (out of 10). Once we hit the single track, I'd say everyone dropped to 8, with maybe the exception of the guys that ended up winning. From there, though, everyone fluctuated wildly. Some guys slowly drop in pace for the rest of the race. Several of us got stuck behind a guy that dropped to like 5 by halfway through the first lap. I caught a friend late in the race that I think was a steady 7 the entire time - a consistency that I envy.

To continue my completely fabricated 1-10 pace scale, I'd say that I struggled to hold 7 for the first few miles, got stuck behind Mr. 5 for the middle of lap one, and after we got around him, I was able to gradually ramp it up to 8 for the rest of the race. With well rested legs and a good plan for maintaining my energy levels, the extra lap meant I had time to make up for the mistakes that I still make technically (I was off the bike at least twice a lap). I whittled away at the guys ahead of me and slowly increase the gap between me and the guys behind me. Pace Bend is a really rocky course. Last year, I threw my chain, shouldered a couple trees, and got kicked off the bike a few times. It really broke my spirits, and my pace suffered from that. This year, I threw my chain, shouldered a tree, and got kicked off my bike several times, but I didn't care. I'd run my ass off until I could jump back on the bike, and then, I'd go right back to hammering the pedals.

I placed fourth...

... and I actually won my registration fee back.

I've got another race this weekend out at Comfort. I can't expect to get the same results. I don't know the course hardly at all (I've only ridden a small section of it once), and I have no idea who will show up. But, I did a lot of training the last few days, and I think I've figured out my nutrition during the race. I feel confident, at the very least, that I'll be putting my best foot forward.

2014 Mellow Johnny's Classic

This past weekend was the Mellow Johnny's Classic. It's a part of the US Cup Pro XC Tour. The pro race was on Saturday and the TMBRA race was on Sunday.

Let's start by saying that it was a blast watching the pro race on Saturday. There was a handful of guys I knew competing in it, so it was exciting seeing and cheering for people I knew.

It was also hot. I mean it was dripping sweat hot. It was probably brutal for the racers because it was uncomfortable just sitting there, but it's Texas. After the race was over, my friend that I rode with and I headed back to Austin because we'd come out the weekend before and did a fair amount of pre-riding (four laps).

The next morning he picked me up again, and it was about 70 degrees. He commented in the car that the outside temperature was dropping. I hadn't really brought anything for cold weather, so I was starting to worry. By the time we got to the venue, it was in the high 30s and raining off and on. After the heat the day before, all I had brought was a summer kit. I managed to borrow arm warmers from a co-worker who was there, and then, a cycling cap from a friend on the Mafia race team. It was not enough to stay warm, and at least a dozen of us huddled under a tent talking about how bad of an idea it was to go out, underdressed, and race in those conditions.

The moment came to stage and we all rolled out and lined up to race. I did the pro/cat 1 race again (which I won't be doing again this season - I'll explain why soon). I ended up standing next to another guy named Adam while we waited for the start, and we talked about how terrible the weather was. They finally blew the whistle and off we went. In the start loop I got mud in my eye. I blinked through it and kept pedaling. I slipped and slid around, and finally, I just thought "These conditions suck. It's dangerous. I'm not going to be all that competitive in this class anyway." So, I decided to hang back and do the first lap and then pull out. Then, the strangest thing happened: I started having fun.

Notice the dumb smile on my face - despite the conditions.

I think it was because there was zero pressure at that point. I wasn't worried about my position or my results; I just thought I should finish and enjoy the ride. Some juniors caught up with me, so I pulled over and let them by. I got a huge glob of mud in my right eye, and I had to stop and flush it with Cliff sports mix that was in my bottle. Eventually, people from my age group caught up, and I let them by. I caught back up with some people, and lost other people again. My pace was probably really inconsistent. There were as many DNFs as there were finishers in the pro/cat 1 race, but I was one of the ones that finished.

Right after this, an amazing, generous, beautiful woman wrapped me in a blanket. I was very thankful.

Thus brings us to the subject of which race I'll be doing the rest of the spring series. Generally, I have a pretty good race mentality. I'm always willing to turn my guts inside-out to push the pace. It's a good quality to have, I think. It helps you make up for little mistakes. Did you crash? That's okay. Just push yourself so hard you almost go blind for a few minutes, and you'll make up for it. But as I said above, when something goes wrong in the pro/cat 1 race, I chill out. If I'm going to finish toward the back anyway, why push hard?

Therefore, starting next week with the Pace Bend race, I'm racing Cat 1. I think I can be much more competitive with those guys. I might not be on the podium, but I can push for a top ten finish and maybe even top five by the end of the season. Here's hoping!