Chicago Cross Cup - Revelotion Cross
Chicago Cross Cup race today. I always hate the part where you have to get up early as the A Women race at 10am. Life is tough when the alarm clock goes off earlier than my work wake up time. Suffice it to say that I am not a morning person.
Anyway, I was feeling sufficiently recuperated from my concussion to do the race so off we were to St Charles to race. The course was cool. It started out in a bumpy grass field, then rounded a corner before a dismount and jump over a ditch. Then up a gravel path to a little climb. Some more grass and then a barrier with a potholed up hill run. There was some more gravel and then into the woods with a log obstacle. Then there was a tiny bit of sand before some barriers and some grass with corners before the start/finish.
I decided that it wouldn't make any sense to lead out the race this week although I did enjoy it at the last Chicago race. But I'm realistic and I know that I'm just going to get dropped if I do that. Instead I let the Team Kenda rider take the lead and just stayed at a nice pace. I then let Patti and Sam go by as well as I know I can't hang with them either. When Katie went by I jumped on her wheel. Already we had a bit of a gap on the rest of the field by the run up. Going into the woods I was thinking I would have to dismount to go over the log but it didn't seem like anyone else did so I bunnyhopped it even though I had swore earlier that I wouldn't risk having a crash today. Start the second lap things are going pretty well and I'm maintaining a good position only a little back from Katie which is much better than my average race. Second time through the woods I bunnyhop the log again since it went well the first time. Start the third lap and Diane is gaining on me but that is pretty normal as I tend to slow in the middle of the race and then pick it back up at the end. Diane passes right after I get lapped by the master's men but I'm expecting to get a little faster as the race goes on some I'm still feeling like I might be able to get 5th. Then on the third time through the woods I bunnyhop the log but I don't quite make it. I go down hard and when I get up my brake levers are all screwed up. I get out of the way and start tugging on them trying to get them in place . . . and I'm tugging and I'm tugging and I can't get the right one to move. Dave goes by at that point and yells out to me that no one is riding the log and instead are going around it on the side. Great! But I'm still tugging on the brake lever and now I'm bracing myself against a tree to get more force. Finally I get it moved so I get back on but at this point it seems that all the women have long since passed me by. So I'm back on and trying to see if any of the women are even in site. I get to the sand/barrier combo and I realize that my adjustment of my brakes has left me with no stopping power. I stop again to yank the brake into a useable position and one last woman goes by. Finally I get the brakes into a good spot and I start chasing and chasing and chasing. I do finally catch one woman but everyone else has much too big a gap by this point . . . and then what happens? I get lapped by Patti and the Kenda Tire gal. This time it doesn't bother me as it was unavoidable given how much time I spent yanking on my brake levers. Plus I'm feeling a little nauseous again which is one of the most annoying side affects of my concussion and seems to have returned after I bumped my head on the latest fall. I guess I'm a bit of a danger to myself this week.
Anyway, I'm not that bummed about the race as I am pretty happy with an above average first half of the race. I think it showed some progress and if I can just get it all together by Nationals that will be cool as I'd prefer to not spend the whole race there only worried about whether I'll be lapped or not.
After the race Dave and I had an excellent dinner with Matt and his girlfriend Beth. Matt very kindly loaned Dave his 2nd bike to race at Estabrook since that race sucks on a mountain bike. We brought it home with us and I'm hoping Dave actually puts it to use . . . he usually worries too much about "breaking" things to borrow anything nice from someone.
Anyway, I was feeling sufficiently recuperated from my concussion to do the race so off we were to St Charles to race. The course was cool. It started out in a bumpy grass field, then rounded a corner before a dismount and jump over a ditch. Then up a gravel path to a little climb. Some more grass and then a barrier with a potholed up hill run. There was some more gravel and then into the woods with a log obstacle. Then there was a tiny bit of sand before some barriers and some grass with corners before the start/finish.
I decided that it wouldn't make any sense to lead out the race this week although I did enjoy it at the last Chicago race. But I'm realistic and I know that I'm just going to get dropped if I do that. Instead I let the Team Kenda rider take the lead and just stayed at a nice pace. I then let Patti and Sam go by as well as I know I can't hang with them either. When Katie went by I jumped on her wheel. Already we had a bit of a gap on the rest of the field by the run up. Going into the woods I was thinking I would have to dismount to go over the log but it didn't seem like anyone else did so I bunnyhopped it even though I had swore earlier that I wouldn't risk having a crash today. Start the second lap things are going pretty well and I'm maintaining a good position only a little back from Katie which is much better than my average race. Second time through the woods I bunnyhop the log again since it went well the first time. Start the third lap and Diane is gaining on me but that is pretty normal as I tend to slow in the middle of the race and then pick it back up at the end. Diane passes right after I get lapped by the master's men but I'm expecting to get a little faster as the race goes on some I'm still feeling like I might be able to get 5th. Then on the third time through the woods I bunnyhop the log but I don't quite make it. I go down hard and when I get up my brake levers are all screwed up. I get out of the way and start tugging on them trying to get them in place . . . and I'm tugging and I'm tugging and I can't get the right one to move. Dave goes by at that point and yells out to me that no one is riding the log and instead are going around it on the side. Great! But I'm still tugging on the brake lever and now I'm bracing myself against a tree to get more force. Finally I get it moved so I get back on but at this point it seems that all the women have long since passed me by. So I'm back on and trying to see if any of the women are even in site. I get to the sand/barrier combo and I realize that my adjustment of my brakes has left me with no stopping power. I stop again to yank the brake into a useable position and one last woman goes by. Finally I get the brakes into a good spot and I start chasing and chasing and chasing. I do finally catch one woman but everyone else has much too big a gap by this point . . . and then what happens? I get lapped by Patti and the Kenda Tire gal. This time it doesn't bother me as it was unavoidable given how much time I spent yanking on my brake levers. Plus I'm feeling a little nauseous again which is one of the most annoying side affects of my concussion and seems to have returned after I bumped my head on the latest fall. I guess I'm a bit of a danger to myself this week.
Anyway, I'm not that bummed about the race as I am pretty happy with an above average first half of the race. I think it showed some progress and if I can just get it all together by Nationals that will be cool as I'd prefer to not spend the whole race there only worried about whether I'll be lapped or not.
After the race Dave and I had an excellent dinner with Matt and his girlfriend Beth. Matt very kindly loaned Dave his 2nd bike to race at Estabrook since that race sucks on a mountain bike. We brought it home with us and I'm hoping Dave actually puts it to use . . . he usually worries too much about "breaking" things to borrow anything nice from someone.
posted by MadCross at 9:30 PM
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