The 2013 Cross season wrapped up this past weekend with the muddy race down at Enumclaw's King County Fairgrounds. This race always tends to be a muddy one, but with the dry and cold lead-up to the weekend, I was wondering if we were in for a cold and dry course instead. Mother Nature had a change of heart mid-week and the moisture came in to restore the thick mud.
After the mud race at Steilacoom for SCX #5, I figured one more muddy race couldn't hurt, and prepared to get dirty. The course was a similar layout to previous years, utilizing the grassy field for some looping corners before sending riders across a muddy stretch and into the large run-up. Once at the top, you then worked through some single-track corners and into the upper section of grooved mud, before a short downhill/180 to uphill/180 to downhill that took you back to the lower level. Here we crossed through the deeper mud field before emerging back into the grass field for some more corners, a set of barriers, and a little muddy section before swinging back to the start and doing it all again. As usual, the course was nicely torn up for our race, and over the hour it would get a little more slick in some spots as riders wore down the last remaining grass sections into the mud.
Due to my decent finishes over the season, I was sitting nicely in 8th overall for the series. This meant front-row call-up! I didn't have a great start, so I hit the first corner at roughly 12th, but worked through some riders and was hanging onto the tail of the leaders as we worked through the infield and toward the run-up for the first time. For the majority of the first lap I stayed with this group as they worked to catch Russell (who had shot off the front from the gun). By the second time up the hill, myself and a few others from this group had fallen back a ways, but continued to work along, sometimes gaining ground on the riders ahead. On the third lap, a pair of riders crashed in one of the corners and I managed to roll past by pushing the course tape out of the way. This bought me some space behind, but cemented a gap to the riders ahead.
For the final 3 or 4 laps I worked with the pair of Dougvascas riders as we worked through the course. We managed to pass a rider who ran out of steam, but otherwise we just maintained the gap behind us for the rest of the race. Shortly before hitting the start line on the last 2 laps, Russell managed to shoot past us, meaning that we would only do one more lap instead of 2. At this point I was definitely getting worn down from the muddy slop, so I wasn't too upset. In the end, we were not passed by any other riders, so I feel like the race was done pretty well. My final race ended with a respectable 15th place, good enough to move up to 7th in the series! Not a bad result for my first season in the 1/2 field.
Now it is time for a little relaxing before the 2014 season begins. 2014 will be a big year, and I expect some good results both on and offroad. See you out there!
Bike Racing, Fit Science, and Physical Therapy
Showing posts with label SCX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SCX. Show all posts
December 17, 2013
November 24, 2013
Seattle CX #4 - Sprinkler Park
Here we are, hitting the latter half of the WA state CX season. Temperatures have dropped, the weather is generally getting more 'Cross style (with mud), and the diehards are out in full force. Since the MFG season has ended, most of the casual racers (even in the Elite field) have hung up their boots and packed it in for next year. The remaining racers tend to come in at the end, covered in mud and with a smile on their faces.
Sprinkler Park tends to be a course I do well at - areas where the Road fitness can play a part coupled with some corners to slow it up. Temperatures were on the cooler side, and to make things even better the clouds opened up during the earlier races, sprinkling a chilling rain for the rest of the afternoon. As a culmination of my increasing performances, as well as the dwindling field, I received a call-up and was in the second line for the start. As the whistle was blown, we shot off the line and attacked the course in full-force. The field moved through the first sweeping corner without much slowing. However, in the sharp 180-degree turn before the barriers, the pinching point occurred. Some riders got caught up in the loose turn, and I managed to sneak by on the outside, making for a top 10 position. I hung on to the tail of the lead group as we hit the first hill and swung back into the woods.
By this point, the leaders had broken the elastic and I was now hanging on the back of the chasing group as we worked through the tight BMX-style inner section of the course. We then flew through the sand-mud and into the second run-up. A few corners later, and I was onto the longest section of the course: a narrow and high-speed path back to the start line. As we started the second lap, I was still hanging with the chase group. We continued to push the pace to try to get to the leaders, but after about half a lap I was now in the no-man's-land behind the chase group.
I was caught by a few other riders and we worked together, gaining on the chase group ahead. After a lap on the tail, I made my move and was now leading the pack. We continued to hustle through the course at our pace and working toward the leaders. I definitely started to feel the work and with the other riders breathing down my neck, I soon found myself making small errors. These caught up with me a lap later and now I was off the back of this group
I managed to get my second wind and start peeling in the pack, and was shortly joined by another racer who had fallen back from the racers ahead. We traded off pulling, and worked our way toward the racers ahead. At this point we only had 2 laps to go. We continued racing along and I could see the racers ahead of us - we were nearly there! I now really put on the pressure, and my companion went too wide in a corner and I jumped past. This was the final lap, and I now had less than half a lap to cement my position and see if I could catch the others. I laid down all the power I had left and raced along the back section of the course and into the final stretch. Topping out my gearing, I raced toward the finish and ended up a solid 13th, just seconds off the tail of the group I was trying to catch.
There were only 22 starters, but I am definitely happy with my 13th place finish, especially when I was only about 3:30 behind local super-star Russell Stevenson.
Next weekend is the WA State championships, so lets see what I can achieve there.
See you out there and keep on racing!
Sprinkler Park tends to be a course I do well at - areas where the Road fitness can play a part coupled with some corners to slow it up. Temperatures were on the cooler side, and to make things even better the clouds opened up during the earlier races, sprinkling a chilling rain for the rest of the afternoon. As a culmination of my increasing performances, as well as the dwindling field, I received a call-up and was in the second line for the start. As the whistle was blown, we shot off the line and attacked the course in full-force. The field moved through the first sweeping corner without much slowing. However, in the sharp 180-degree turn before the barriers, the pinching point occurred. Some riders got caught up in the loose turn, and I managed to sneak by on the outside, making for a top 10 position. I hung on to the tail of the lead group as we hit the first hill and swung back into the woods.
By this point, the leaders had broken the elastic and I was now hanging on the back of the chasing group as we worked through the tight BMX-style inner section of the course. We then flew through the sand-mud and into the second run-up. A few corners later, and I was onto the longest section of the course: a narrow and high-speed path back to the start line. As we started the second lap, I was still hanging with the chase group. We continued to push the pace to try to get to the leaders, but after about half a lap I was now in the no-man's-land behind the chase group.
I was caught by a few other riders and we worked together, gaining on the chase group ahead. After a lap on the tail, I made my move and was now leading the pack. We continued to hustle through the course at our pace and working toward the leaders. I definitely started to feel the work and with the other riders breathing down my neck, I soon found myself making small errors. These caught up with me a lap later and now I was off the back of this group
I managed to get my second wind and start peeling in the pack, and was shortly joined by another racer who had fallen back from the racers ahead. We traded off pulling, and worked our way toward the racers ahead. At this point we only had 2 laps to go. We continued racing along and I could see the racers ahead of us - we were nearly there! I now really put on the pressure, and my companion went too wide in a corner and I jumped past. This was the final lap, and I now had less than half a lap to cement my position and see if I could catch the others. I laid down all the power I had left and raced along the back section of the course and into the final stretch. Topping out my gearing, I raced toward the finish and ended up a solid 13th, just seconds off the tail of the group I was trying to catch.
There were only 22 starters, but I am definitely happy with my 13th place finish, especially when I was only about 3:30 behind local super-star Russell Stevenson.
Next weekend is the WA State championships, so lets see what I can achieve there.
See you out there and keep on racing!
November 6, 2013
Seattle CX #3 - Silver Lake
For the second time this season, we made the trip to Silver Lake in Everett, this time for the 3rd round of the Seattle Cyclocross series. Despite some crazy weather on Saturday, Sunday was relatively mild with only a little chill to alter the otherwise sunny Autumn day.
Since we had already raced at Silver Lake this year in the MFG cyclocross series, the Seattle CX team really upped the ante and modified the course to feature some additional single-track sections to pair with the sand and hills. The initial runs through the course showed that it would definitely be a lot of climbing, but I did feel like things were running well.
As we lined up, I was surprised to actually be part of the call-up (even if it was at the end). Just goes to show that my continued efforts are paying off. I had a decent start and managed to stay with the lead group until we hit the first hill, when the leaders split the group and turned up the gas. From then on, it was about metering out the gas and moving forward as possible through the field.
At the top of the first climb, we turned around the small concrete building at the top of the park before shooting into some single-track corners and a small uphill before cutting to a set of barriers. After the barrier it was full gas before flying down a hill and into a tight corner before the first blast across the sand. Climbing up through the hill on the other side of the course, we then hit another section of single-track before hitting the sand for the second, longer stretch. At the end of the sand straight, there was a choppy sand corner before another section of hills and some challenging off-camber descending before flying to the start-finish again.
After just the first lap, the challenging course began taking casualties in the form of mechanical troubles. Although, unlike the first time through (when Silver Lake took 11 riders out of the race), many racers were able to get going again and only 2 were DNF'd from the course. I continued my run of clean races, and made my way past racers who suffered from the course.
At the end of the race, I managed to finish a very nice 17th of the 25 starters. I did unfortunately get passed by the 4 leaders of the race, so I finished a lap down, however I did manage to finish well and even passed a rider on the last lap.
Seattle Cyclocross will resume at Sprinkler Park in two weeks, but this coming weekend will be the big series-finale of the MFG series at my local Woodland Park course. It should be a great race, so it is time to really gear up and finish that series with a big result.
See you out there!
Since we had already raced at Silver Lake this year in the MFG cyclocross series, the Seattle CX team really upped the ante and modified the course to feature some additional single-track sections to pair with the sand and hills. The initial runs through the course showed that it would definitely be a lot of climbing, but I did feel like things were running well.
At the top of the first climb, we turned around the small concrete building at the top of the park before shooting into some single-track corners and a small uphill before cutting to a set of barriers. After the barrier it was full gas before flying down a hill and into a tight corner before the first blast across the sand. Climbing up through the hill on the other side of the course, we then hit another section of single-track before hitting the sand for the second, longer stretch. At the end of the sand straight, there was a choppy sand corner before another section of hills and some challenging off-camber descending before flying to the start-finish again.
After just the first lap, the challenging course began taking casualties in the form of mechanical troubles. Although, unlike the first time through (when Silver Lake took 11 riders out of the race), many racers were able to get going again and only 2 were DNF'd from the course. I continued my run of clean races, and made my way past racers who suffered from the course.
Seattle Cyclocross will resume at Sprinkler Park in two weeks, but this coming weekend will be the big series-finale of the MFG series at my local Woodland Park course. It should be a great race, so it is time to really gear up and finish that series with a big result.
See you out there!
October 16, 2013
Seattle Cyclocross #2 - Tall Chief Golf Course
This past weekend was the second event of the Seattle Cyclocross series for 2013, hosted at a new venue in Carnation - the Tall Chief Golf Course. This golf course has been closed down for over a year, but somehow the SCX crew managed to get it opened up as a cross venue. They spent a good amount of time cutting out a course, and it definitely worked out! The course was very large and covered some climbing, off-camber mud sections, steep hills up and down, a lot of slow mud and deep mud too. Bikes were coming in with large chunks of mud and grass, and many racers were going to be making trips to the LBS this week to fix broken parts as a result.
Our race started about 30 minutes late, to give you an idea at how the racers were trickling in. As with every race so far this year, I was starting in the third row, so it definitely is important to move up quickly! When the bell rang, we hit the gas. Despite having only a moderate jump off the line, I was able to pick a very clear line into the first corner and moved up into the tail of the lead group. As we made the second corner and into the off-camber straight section, I continued to hold my spot. We hit the big downhill and everyone braced to make the corner at the bottom. I cut through the mud and started gassing it up the short gravel climb to continue holding with the leaders.
At this point we flew into the front stretch of the course - a series of straightaways and looping corners in a variety of bumpy grass and slow-n-tacky mud. This was the section of the course that really killed your legs, as it was very difficult to keep up momentum in this mud. This is where the elastic finally snapped and we who were holding onto the leaders' tails were ejected. I continued to push along, trying to catch back on, but realizing I would be spending the rest of the racing doing so.
Hitting the mud in front of the pit, I jumped aside and started running while I watched others struggle through the deep mud. Once you reached the other side, it was back on the bike and full-power to get up a short muddy hill before looping back for a second shorter hill and then shooting out onto a nice hard path for a minute. The final part of the course was a loop through the grass and then into another mud field. This field was far more rideable, but I still felt I was faster dismounting and running the last half, gaining ground on some of the riders who persisted in riding the entire thing. Once you were through the mud, a short trip over the barriers and then you were right back to the starting stretch and hitting the gas again.
In the end, I had a decent race, ending up 17th of 25 starters. Definitely showing some form improvement again, so I am looking forward to another week of build-up before MFG's Magnusson Park race next weekend - an event I have always done well at and won as a Cat 3 last year. As for the new course? Well, it is definitely a challenging set-up, but I think that it was a well designed course. If we race here again next year, I think they will have things changed a little, but overall it was a great challenge to the riders and a good way to spend the day at the races.
At this point we flew into the front stretch of the course - a series of straightaways and looping corners in a variety of bumpy grass and slow-n-tacky mud. This was the section of the course that really killed your legs, as it was very difficult to keep up momentum in this mud. This is where the elastic finally snapped and we who were holding onto the leaders' tails were ejected. I continued to push along, trying to catch back on, but realizing I would be spending the rest of the racing doing so.
September 25, 2013
Seattle CX 2013 #1 - McCollum Park
This past Sunday was the first race of the Seattle CX series for the year, and to make things interesting they used a brand new course. The weather was cloudy but dry for most of the day but the rain rolled in around noon, just as I was getting to the venue. The course was a mix of fast grass sections with some tricky off-camber sections and tied together with a run through the BMX park and on the opposite side of the course was a brief trip through the woods. A very large course, but with lots of fun little sections that kept you going full-steam and paying full attention to the course. The rain added an additional element by turning much of the course into deeper mud or slick grass.
While warming up and riding around the course in the rain, the layout was definitely going to keep your focus and use your handling skills. Shortly before the start of the Elite race though, the rain stopped and the ground started drying a little. This made for tacky, thick mud and would cause some trouble.
During the call-ups I ended up in the 3rd row of the 29 starters, so not that great, but I did set myself up behind Zack McDonald who is consistently fast. My plan paid off and I had a great start, hitting the first corner roughly around 10th. I was able to grab the wheels in front of me and hang with the lead group through the next few corners and into the BMX park. We then flew into the twisting off-camber back section and then dropped onto the asphalt and headed back toward the front of the course. I remained in great position as we entered the single-track forest and back onto the grass fields.
At this point I knew I was in great position and continued to work to stick onto the wheel in front of me, holding to a top spot. We hit the barriers and then swung back onto the front stretch to start the second lap. I managed to move up as a rider started to fade, however some other riders were still neck-to-neck with me, so there was no letting up.
We powered through the course again without incident, however just before the final corners, disaster struck. The thick mud had started coating my chain and it was enough to pop the chain of the chainring when I shifted down into the low gears to handle the tight corners. I jumped off to get the chain reset, but quickly lost 5-6 spots to the riders who were on my tail. I finally got going and started racing away, actually making up one of the spots again during the early section of the lap. I continued through the course and then coming into the same corner I dropped the chain again! Again riders went past and now I was getting quite frustrated, however I now figured out that the drop was only happening when I was in the lowest 2 gears. I continued racing along and trying to claw back my lost spots.
Through the next 4 laps, I only dropped the chain one more time as I accidently shifted into the low gear, but got back going much quicker now that I knew what was going on. During my final drop I ended up behind Zack who had now lapped me. I got a nice few corners on his wheel to see his lines before being back in my race to make up positions.
As I rolled across the finish line, I still felt great, ready for more laps. I ended up 25th, so far back, but not last. I was 9 minutes behind Zack, but was only lapped by the two leaders who are both Pros, so not terrible. I only wish I was able to use up some of the energy in holding onto a great spot further up the field, but at least I know that the mechanical was caused simply by the lack of a chain catcher on my bike. A cheap and easy fix, and then it will be back to me to make the race work. Time to get ready for Lake Sammamish next weekend, since I know I can do well there.
While warming up and riding around the course in the rain, the layout was definitely going to keep your focus and use your handling skills. Shortly before the start of the Elite race though, the rain stopped and the ground started drying a little. This made for tacky, thick mud and would cause some trouble.
December 18, 2012
Glimpses of Cyclocross
My girlfriend just forwarded me a collection of Instagram photos she took this past Cross season. Even though the racing is over, it is fun to look back and remember the races. Enjoy!
December 13, 2012
SCX #7 Monroe Fairgrounds
Well, the main season is finally over - next weekend is the state
championship and then the cross bike gets a good clean and hung up until
summer (unless it gets super snowy again this year).
Monroe is a challenging course that always taxes you with mud, tons of technical corners, and a steep (although thankfully short) run-up. This year's course was a little altered from last year and removed the painfully long slog through ankle-deep mud but added some tacky but slippery mud section at the top of the run-up. With the light rain through the day and from the week prior, the sand section was well-packed and handled like a shallow banking in the corners.
I have been running a great season and was
hoping to cap it off with a series win after this race as I entered with
a slim lead (40 points, which would normally be tough to beat, however Monroe is double-points). As we started I again had a great position and was about
4th as we were headed into the sharp 180 to climb to the back section.
This is when my race took a turn for the worse - As we slowed to make
the corner, a rider tried to squeeze through on the outside despite
myself being right near the tape. As a result he knocked me and my bike
sideways and sliding across the gravel into the front of a truck parked
near the course. OUCH!!
As I picked myself up and determined I was ok, I
quickly straightened the bike and sped off to try to catch the back of
the pack. Now, just like at Enumclaw, I was racing from the back to try
to catch back up. From the single incident I was almost a minute behind the leaders.
Over the rest of the race I slowly picked up places
and climbed up to 12th place, although in the final sprint I was a
little slow to gain speed and finished a decent 13th for the day. Not
great, but better than many expected given the crash. I was happy to
hear that most of the riders felt really bad about seeing the crash and
were happy that I was ok. I was not confronted by the rider who caused
the incident however, hopefully he feels bad though. Pretty silly to push so hard at the start of a Cat 3 race with $0 on the line for the winner.
So, battered and bruised I ended up doing well enough to hold onto 2nd overall in the series, which I think is pretty nice given that this series has seen me race sick once and also have two starting-lap crashes requiring a mad-chase from the back of the field.
I just now need to heal up good and hopefully I can snag the states race next weekend to crown off the season.
Great racing was done by:
Dave Matthews - Singlespeed Men - 22nd for the day - 15th in the series!
Kevin Raymond - 1/2 Masters - 15th for the day - 21 in series
Roy Colven - 1/2 Masters - 8th for the day - 12th in the series
Monroe is a challenging course that always taxes you with mud, tons of technical corners, and a steep (although thankfully short) run-up. This year's course was a little altered from last year and removed the painfully long slog through ankle-deep mud but added some tacky but slippery mud section at the top of the run-up. With the light rain through the day and from the week prior, the sand section was well-packed and handled like a shallow banking in the corners.
So, battered and bruised I ended up doing well enough to hold onto 2nd overall in the series, which I think is pretty nice given that this series has seen me race sick once and also have two starting-lap crashes requiring a mad-chase from the back of the field.
I just now need to heal up good and hopefully I can snag the states race next weekend to crown off the season.
Great racing was done by:
Dave Matthews - Singlespeed Men - 22nd for the day - 15th in the series!
Kevin Raymond - 1/2 Masters - 15th for the day - 21 in series
Roy Colven - 1/2 Masters - 8th for the day - 12th in the series
SCX #6 Steilacoom 2
Here we are, just a few weeks left in the season. Boy that went by quickly!
Back to Steilacoom for race #6 of the Seattle Cyclocross series, this time with a new course layout and much different weather to challenge riders. Now in the middle of November, the temperature has dropped into the 40s and the course is now a complete mix of fast grass and dirt, loose gravel, oily mud, and even some deep gooey stuff. Once again the Pro/1/2 field hosted special guest Tyler Farrar to keep things interesting (although he didn't fare as well this time, finishing 12th).
As we lined up for the 2:30 race, the temperature dropped a little more and the light rain started up. Off the line I managed my best start of the season (roughly 4th off the line) and then pulled to the front for the holeshot into the weaving lines of the front section of course. As we shot into the barn area I was passed by Miles from Hammer and quickly grabbed his wheel. We worked our way over to the run up and stuck together through the climbing sections along the upper course. As we shot down into the lower section I remained tight, but the work was getting to us both and we soon had additional challengers in the form of Tyson from Mafia and the spritely Evan from JL Velo. The 4 of us worked the front for the next 2 laps before a small collision slowed Tyson and Miles. Tyson was able to recover quickly and now he and I chased after Evan who had rolled through the quickest. Miles unfortunately took longer and would lead the chase group for the rest of the race trying to bridge to us. After another short while of chasing, we caught Evan, and Tyson actually managed to jump past to take the lead.
Finally, 2 laps to go. I was working hard to stay tight to Evan as we worked through the front of the course and Tyson continued to put in distance up front. As we hit the run-up I caught up to Evan and we were neck-to-neck up to the top of the climbs. I passed Evan in the downhill and was actually able to bridge to Tyson on the front stretch. Unfortunately as we hit the tight winding section leading into the final lap Evan was once again in front of me. It was time to put in all I had. I screamed up the run up, getting to the top just as Evan did and was on the bike before he was pedalling. I threw down on the climbs and gained some ground and pushed a bigger lead on the downhill, again starting to approach Tyson, but not quite close enough to bridge up. As we hit the winding corners for the last time I was pushing to make ground as Evan started to reel me back in. Finally we hit the straight and he was breathing down my neck, however I punched it on the sprint and stayed a bike-length ahead to take 2nd for the day.
This strong showing was enough to put me back in 1st place for the series with one race remaining. I will definitely have to work hard at Monroe to keep the series, but at least I have a slight margin for the time being!
One race left - next weekend the 25th at Monroe Fairgrounds - this race is always a wet and muddy affair, so it could be a real crowd-pleaser!
Congrats on the strong showing by the Bikesale racers -
Pam Massey - 9th Place - Women's 4 Masters
David Matthews - 16th Place - Men's Singlespeed
Roy Colven - 5th Place - Men's 1/2 Masters 45+
Kevin Raymond - 17th Place - Men's 1/2 Masters 45+
Back to Steilacoom for race #6 of the Seattle Cyclocross series, this time with a new course layout and much different weather to challenge riders. Now in the middle of November, the temperature has dropped into the 40s and the course is now a complete mix of fast grass and dirt, loose gravel, oily mud, and even some deep gooey stuff. Once again the Pro/1/2 field hosted special guest Tyler Farrar to keep things interesting (although he didn't fare as well this time, finishing 12th).
As we lined up for the 2:30 race, the temperature dropped a little more and the light rain started up. Off the line I managed my best start of the season (roughly 4th off the line) and then pulled to the front for the holeshot into the weaving lines of the front section of course. As we shot into the barn area I was passed by Miles from Hammer and quickly grabbed his wheel. We worked our way over to the run up and stuck together through the climbing sections along the upper course. As we shot down into the lower section I remained tight, but the work was getting to us both and we soon had additional challengers in the form of Tyson from Mafia and the spritely Evan from JL Velo. The 4 of us worked the front for the next 2 laps before a small collision slowed Tyson and Miles. Tyson was able to recover quickly and now he and I chased after Evan who had rolled through the quickest. Miles unfortunately took longer and would lead the chase group for the rest of the race trying to bridge to us. After another short while of chasing, we caught Evan, and Tyson actually managed to jump past to take the lead.
Finally, 2 laps to go. I was working hard to stay tight to Evan as we worked through the front of the course and Tyson continued to put in distance up front. As we hit the run-up I caught up to Evan and we were neck-to-neck up to the top of the climbs. I passed Evan in the downhill and was actually able to bridge to Tyson on the front stretch. Unfortunately as we hit the tight winding section leading into the final lap Evan was once again in front of me. It was time to put in all I had. I screamed up the run up, getting to the top just as Evan did and was on the bike before he was pedalling. I threw down on the climbs and gained some ground and pushed a bigger lead on the downhill, again starting to approach Tyson, but not quite close enough to bridge up. As we hit the winding corners for the last time I was pushing to make ground as Evan started to reel me back in. Finally we hit the straight and he was breathing down my neck, however I punched it on the sprint and stayed a bike-length ahead to take 2nd for the day.
This strong showing was enough to put me back in 1st place for the series with one race remaining. I will definitely have to work hard at Monroe to keep the series, but at least I have a slight margin for the time being!
One race left - next weekend the 25th at Monroe Fairgrounds - this race is always a wet and muddy affair, so it could be a real crowd-pleaser!
Congrats on the strong showing by the Bikesale racers -
Pam Massey - 9th Place - Women's 4 Masters
David Matthews - 16th Place - Men's Singlespeed
Roy Colven - 5th Place - Men's 1/2 Masters 45+
Kevin Raymond - 17th Place - Men's 1/2 Masters 45+
SCX #5 Enumclaw
Well, even though it didn't really rain all day, the ground was still
quite saturated from the week of rain leading into this weekend. We are
getting into the last few races of the season. Here comes the Enumclaw mud-race.
I entered this race only 1 point off the lead and with a solid front row position. As we launched I was about 6th heading into the first corner when one of the riders slid out right in front of me and I flew off the bike. I quickly got back up (about mid-pack now) and realized the chain had dropped and the brake was dragging. I popped the chain back in place and got the bike rolling but now I was at the back of the pack, starting in 40th place. Not exactly the position I wanted...
As we made it through the first lap I managed to claw back a few places and would continue to fight tooth-and-nail to get back toward the front for the rest of the race. It was quite slick and some of the quick corners required smart maneuvering to navigate.
By the end of the race I was within sight of the top-10 and I pushed it hard to try to catch them. Heading into one of the last tricky corners I carried a bit too much speed and skidded a bit, losing one of the riders I just passed seconds before, however I gassed it to the line and ended up finishing 13th, about 2 minutes off the pace of the leader. I am a little disappointed that I finished so far back, but at the same time it is pretty good to know that I was able to claw from 40th to 13th over the race. Just need to watch these errant riders to make sure I can stay on the bike and in contention for the win.
As a result of that unfortunate incident I am now 3rd overall in the series, 16 points back from #1 with 2 races left. Just need to shake it off and gear up for Steilacoom in 2 weeks and put the placings back in my favor.
Unfortunately it looks like I was the only one flying the team colors this weekend, but hopefully we will be out in force at Woodland Park next weekend!
I entered this race only 1 point off the lead and with a solid front row position. As we launched I was about 6th heading into the first corner when one of the riders slid out right in front of me and I flew off the bike. I quickly got back up (about mid-pack now) and realized the chain had dropped and the brake was dragging. I popped the chain back in place and got the bike rolling but now I was at the back of the pack, starting in 40th place. Not exactly the position I wanted...
As we made it through the first lap I managed to claw back a few places and would continue to fight tooth-and-nail to get back toward the front for the rest of the race. It was quite slick and some of the quick corners required smart maneuvering to navigate.
By the end of the race I was within sight of the top-10 and I pushed it hard to try to catch them. Heading into one of the last tricky corners I carried a bit too much speed and skidded a bit, losing one of the riders I just passed seconds before, however I gassed it to the line and ended up finishing 13th, about 2 minutes off the pace of the leader. I am a little disappointed that I finished so far back, but at the same time it is pretty good to know that I was able to claw from 40th to 13th over the race. Just need to watch these errant riders to make sure I can stay on the bike and in contention for the win.
As a result of that unfortunate incident I am now 3rd overall in the series, 16 points back from #1 with 2 races left. Just need to shake it off and gear up for Steilacoom in 2 weeks and put the placings back in my favor.
Unfortunately it looks like I was the only one flying the team colors this weekend, but hopefully we will be out in force at Woodland Park next weekend!
SCX #4 Sprinkler Park
What a difference a day makes!
After the gloom and muck of Saturday (Starbucks GP at Marymoor), Sunday was warmer, dryer, and brighter!
Sprinkler park is usually a faster style course with long stretches of mashing with tight, technical segments and some challenging rolling sections. After the mediocre finish yesterday I was ready to make amends. I was in third place in this series and a good finish could boost my standings. I made sure to preride the course a bit, and check out how some of the tough sections were riding (Watching the 1/2s duke it out first, you can really figure out where the make-it/break-it sections are).
At the start I easily had my best launch this season and was 4th onto the dirt and through the sweeping right/left corner. As we plunged toward the first hairpin I jumped past the rest of the group and was leading the race. I carried the field through a few more corners before falling to 2nd place after the barriers. I stayed tight to the leader's wheel and soon enough the course opened up and I squeezed by again heading into the first technical section. I rode up the small hill and through the sand pit and carried my small lead through the rolling section. As we hit the run-up I was back into 2nd place but stuck there until we were on the back-stretch and heading into the start-finish line.
I was back in front at the line and through lap 2 led for most of the lap before being over-taken on the hill as I tried to ride it again while the rest ran up. For the next few laps the group was myself, a junior from Rad racing, and the two Soft-like-Kitten riders. We duked it out, swapping attacks and temporary leads, while gaining ground on the rest of the field. With about 2 laps to go the Rad racing kid and I had a small gap formed and tried to increase our lead on the Kittens. I led for most of the lap but in a technical section at the start of the final lap the Rad rider shot by. I was now chasing hard to stay on his wheel, although his gap was looking pretty strong...
As we hit the rollers I was still a few seconds back, however suddenly the Rad rider stopped just ahead of me. He had dropped his chain as he had tried shifting while dropping into the last of the rollers. I powered past before he could get it back in action and now I was leading with a gap. Rad was back on his bike quickly and was chasing hard to stick to me as the Kittens got closer. We carried on through the remainder of the course in this fashion, however as we hit the back stretches I kicked up the pace - there was only a few moments left to seal the race! As we carried through the chicane toward the finish line I chanced a glimpse back - I had a gap still between myself and Rad. Figuring he would drop everything left to try to pip me I also jumped from the corner and carried my gap all the way to the line for my first SCX win of the season! It turns out that in the finale of the race the Kittens were finally caught by another rider and both were left off the podium.
Once the dust had settled I am now 2nd in this series with only 1 point separating me from the leader! This series has 3 more races left to decide the victor, starting with Enumclaw and the huge run-up next weekend. If I can hold onto my form for the remaining month I could theoretically take both series this year! That would definitely be a great way to end the season before moving to the Cat 1/2 races.
Congrats also to our other racers!
Pam Massey - 6th Place - Women's 4s 35+
Dave Matthews - 27th - Men's Singlespeed
After the gloom and muck of Saturday (Starbucks GP at Marymoor), Sunday was warmer, dryer, and brighter!
Sprinkler park is usually a faster style course with long stretches of mashing with tight, technical segments and some challenging rolling sections. After the mediocre finish yesterday I was ready to make amends. I was in third place in this series and a good finish could boost my standings. I made sure to preride the course a bit, and check out how some of the tough sections were riding (Watching the 1/2s duke it out first, you can really figure out where the make-it/break-it sections are).
At the start I easily had my best launch this season and was 4th onto the dirt and through the sweeping right/left corner. As we plunged toward the first hairpin I jumped past the rest of the group and was leading the race. I carried the field through a few more corners before falling to 2nd place after the barriers. I stayed tight to the leader's wheel and soon enough the course opened up and I squeezed by again heading into the first technical section. I rode up the small hill and through the sand pit and carried my small lead through the rolling section. As we hit the run-up I was back into 2nd place but stuck there until we were on the back-stretch and heading into the start-finish line.
I was back in front at the line and through lap 2 led for most of the lap before being over-taken on the hill as I tried to ride it again while the rest ran up. For the next few laps the group was myself, a junior from Rad racing, and the two Soft-like-Kitten riders. We duked it out, swapping attacks and temporary leads, while gaining ground on the rest of the field. With about 2 laps to go the Rad racing kid and I had a small gap formed and tried to increase our lead on the Kittens. I led for most of the lap but in a technical section at the start of the final lap the Rad rider shot by. I was now chasing hard to stay on his wheel, although his gap was looking pretty strong...
As we hit the rollers I was still a few seconds back, however suddenly the Rad rider stopped just ahead of me. He had dropped his chain as he had tried shifting while dropping into the last of the rollers. I powered past before he could get it back in action and now I was leading with a gap. Rad was back on his bike quickly and was chasing hard to stick to me as the Kittens got closer. We carried on through the remainder of the course in this fashion, however as we hit the back stretches I kicked up the pace - there was only a few moments left to seal the race! As we carried through the chicane toward the finish line I chanced a glimpse back - I had a gap still between myself and Rad. Figuring he would drop everything left to try to pip me I also jumped from the corner and carried my gap all the way to the line for my first SCX win of the season! It turns out that in the finale of the race the Kittens were finally caught by another rider and both were left off the podium.
Once the dust had settled I am now 2nd in this series with only 1 point separating me from the leader! This series has 3 more races left to decide the victor, starting with Enumclaw and the huge run-up next weekend. If I can hold onto my form for the remaining month I could theoretically take both series this year! That would definitely be a great way to end the season before moving to the Cat 1/2 races.
Congrats also to our other racers!
Pam Massey - 6th Place - Women's 4s 35+
Dave Matthews - 27th - Men's Singlespeed
December 10, 2012
SCX #3 Silver Lake Park
And just like that, Autumn is here in full force.
The rain came out this weekend to remind us that it is indeed the middle of October already. Every year, the Seattle-area cyclocross racers drag themselves up to Silver Lake in Everett for the crazy Silver Lake cross course. With loads of sand, steep climbs and steeper descents, and more sand, this course really puts a beating on riders and equipment.
The 1/2 race was a show of pure power as local powerhouse Logan Owen of Redline shot off the front of the pack and would lead for the entire race while Gian Dalle (who has been having a great season) was working at max capacity to keep within sight of the Red and white Redline jersey. The remainder of the pack was struggling to keep pace with these guys, and it definitely showed how important having a clean line through some of the sections could be.
My early season consistency put me in the front row for the poorly organized call-up (they gave us about 10-15 feet to pack all the riders into, resulting in an odd bunching rather than organized lines), but the rushed start had me about 15 riders back on hitting the sand for the first trek across the beach. I got stuck in some of the pile-up as riders forced into the 2 defined paths through the long beach section, and the next thing you knew I was about 20 riders back from the leader. Not a great way to start this race.
For the rest of the race I was dragging back riders as I could, but that initial sand-trap created the separation for the leaders that would last the entire race. By the end I had managed to get within 20 seconds of the trailing group of the lead pack and settled with a decent 16th for the day.
Luckily I suffered nothing more than mediocre finishing, as many riders rolled tires, flatted, or broke parts on there bikes due to the grueling sands and off-camber bumpy descents. This finish puts me in 3rd for the series right now, with 4 more races until the finish in November. Luckily we drop one race, so hopefully 16th is my worst finish of the season.
Great job David Matthews on 24th in the Men's Single-Speed race
Next weekend will be Magnuson Park in Seattle which last year featured slick grass and deep mud. If the weather keeps up, we may be in for a repeat of those conditions. See you there!
The rain came out this weekend to remind us that it is indeed the middle of October already. Every year, the Seattle-area cyclocross racers drag themselves up to Silver Lake in Everett for the crazy Silver Lake cross course. With loads of sand, steep climbs and steeper descents, and more sand, this course really puts a beating on riders and equipment.
The 1/2 race was a show of pure power as local powerhouse Logan Owen of Redline shot off the front of the pack and would lead for the entire race while Gian Dalle (who has been having a great season) was working at max capacity to keep within sight of the Red and white Redline jersey. The remainder of the pack was struggling to keep pace with these guys, and it definitely showed how important having a clean line through some of the sections could be.
My early season consistency put me in the front row for the poorly organized call-up (they gave us about 10-15 feet to pack all the riders into, resulting in an odd bunching rather than organized lines), but the rushed start had me about 15 riders back on hitting the sand for the first trek across the beach. I got stuck in some of the pile-up as riders forced into the 2 defined paths through the long beach section, and the next thing you knew I was about 20 riders back from the leader. Not a great way to start this race.
For the rest of the race I was dragging back riders as I could, but that initial sand-trap created the separation for the leaders that would last the entire race. By the end I had managed to get within 20 seconds of the trailing group of the lead pack and settled with a decent 16th for the day.
Luckily I suffered nothing more than mediocre finishing, as many riders rolled tires, flatted, or broke parts on there bikes due to the grueling sands and off-camber bumpy descents. This finish puts me in 3rd for the series right now, with 4 more races until the finish in November. Luckily we drop one race, so hopefully 16th is my worst finish of the season.
Great job David Matthews on 24th in the Men's Single-Speed race
Next weekend will be Magnuson Park in Seattle which last year featured slick grass and deep mud. If the weather keeps up, we may be in for a repeat of those conditions. See you there!
December 9, 2012
SCX #2 Arlington Airport
Another race down, and it was another warm and dry (read that as dusty!) weekend.
Returning to Arlington Airport, the site of last year's state Championships, was this years second installment of the SCX series. The course was a little altered with multiple passes through a sand field that had been dumped on the grounds, but it was still mostly the same - flat long straightaways punctuated with grassy corners and dusty, bouncy forest sections.
Coming off the race from last week I thought I would be able to pull a good result here, however this past week I managed to get a cold and hadn't put in much in the way of training, so it was going to be a crap shoot. Warming up I felt good and got a good starting placement from my 5th place finish last week. After a very long 15 minutes of sitting in the start grid due to some course trouble we were off! I entered the first corner in 4th place and manged to stick with the leaders until the first trip through the sand hills (about 2/3 of the way through the lap). At this point I was just red-lined even though it wasn't that far into the course - the sickness had taken it's toll. I struggled to stay within sight of the leaders for the remainder of the race, slowly losing position as racers would sneak past and I was unable to expend more energy to stay with them.
By the start of the last lap I had fallen to 12th place but still had a decent gap to the next group. Coming into the long back drag-strips I was passed by the leaders of the master's race that had started behind us. I figured now was as good as any time to kick up the gas and leave it all on the course. I jumped into their wind-shadow and before coming back into the course we had passed one of my riders (so I was now in 11th). We cut through the remainder of the course and almost managed to catch another rider before the end. I don't remember feeling so completely spent at the end of race before, and I hope that with the sickness past I can get back on track for next weekend. The 11th place today was a little disappointing given how close I was to winning the race last weekend, however due to upgrades and riders skipping races I am 2nd overall in the series so far, so can't be upset about that!
Congrats to our Bikesale riders today -
Dave Matthews - 28th in Men's singlespeed
See you next weekend for Starcrossed at Marymoor!
December 7, 2012
SCX #1 - Steilacoom
Alright, SCX 1 is officially in the books! What a warm and dusty cross
race (very similar feel to Finn Hill last year, breathing in dirt and
sweating so much you finish with a dusty brown complexion)!
Congrats to all our Bikesale Riders:
Pam Massen - 3rd Women's Cat4 Masters 35+
Jenny Dallas - 4th Women's Singlespeed
Melissa DeSimone - 12th Women's Singlespeed
Where are all the guys on this team?
My race started a little later than anticipated due to a crash in the race before us resulting in a broken collarbone, but that is more of a freak occurrence than the norm (most cross crashes are just scrapes and cuts). Once we did get rolling it was a fast and hectic rush into the twisting dry grass. The lower section of the course was a twisting circuit of s-curves and 180s. I managed to hold onto a nice position until the first 180 degree corner when a rider crashed and blocked a few of us, but I managed to stay in the low teens through that ordeal. Once we got around the incident I was able to cut through a few more riders during the remaining twisting flats before we hit the forest section. The forest is basically a long straight stretch but it is narrow and full of loose wood-chips so passing was a little tough. This was a good place to squeeze by though, as many riders seemed to use the straight section to recollect after the hectic section before. Then after a sandy 180 degree corner you start the first half of "the climb" followed by another 180 and then a brief rest before the second half of "the climb". Through this whole section I managed to stay on the wheels in front of me and get a good run down of how the course was racing. Once we reached the top of the hill we turned into a fast downhill with loose gravel followed by a short but very technical section of curves through some trees and then a short climb gravel and dirt climb. Following that section was a rutted out dirt downhill and sharp corner heading into the paved downhill section. From here was a sharp and loose left turn off the asphalt onto rocky dirt and then some bumpy grass heading into a short sweeping section through the barns. Finally you were shot through a set of barriers into the paved starting track. By the second lap I had climbed to about 8th place and was slowly dragging my way forward. There was a particularly difficult opponent from Olympic Orthopedic who kept passing me in some of the fast straights and downhills but I managed to always cut back around him through the corners. We both worked past a group of Soft Like Kitten riders and were working toward the lead group of 4, basically trading back and forth at least once per lap. Occasionally a young rider (white/grey jersey on a red Ritchey) would pass by on the uphill section only to have us work past him elsewhere. The rest of the race continued in roughly this manner with me 6th or 7th until the last lap when we managed to get caught up to the young rider again after he had blown past with his final spurt earlier in the course (on the hill). He had worked his way into 5th and then crashed causing a backup allowing me to sweep through. I was back in 6th place heading into the last few corners. As I came around the barn, there was #5. Heading into the last set of sweeping corners I tucked under the 5th place rider and heading into the barriers managed to pull away and take it to the line! Very happy with a 5th place today as a great start to this 7 race series.
So far I am well off in both series and hopefully can pull at least one overall at the end of the season.
Check out this sweet picture of me hurdling the barriers!
Congrats to all our Bikesale Riders:
Pam Massen - 3rd Women's Cat4 Masters 35+
Jenny Dallas - 4th Women's Singlespeed
Melissa DeSimone - 12th Women's Singlespeed
Where are all the guys on this team?
My race started a little later than anticipated due to a crash in the race before us resulting in a broken collarbone, but that is more of a freak occurrence than the norm (most cross crashes are just scrapes and cuts). Once we did get rolling it was a fast and hectic rush into the twisting dry grass. The lower section of the course was a twisting circuit of s-curves and 180s. I managed to hold onto a nice position until the first 180 degree corner when a rider crashed and blocked a few of us, but I managed to stay in the low teens through that ordeal. Once we got around the incident I was able to cut through a few more riders during the remaining twisting flats before we hit the forest section. The forest is basically a long straight stretch but it is narrow and full of loose wood-chips so passing was a little tough. This was a good place to squeeze by though, as many riders seemed to use the straight section to recollect after the hectic section before. Then after a sandy 180 degree corner you start the first half of "the climb" followed by another 180 and then a brief rest before the second half of "the climb". Through this whole section I managed to stay on the wheels in front of me and get a good run down of how the course was racing. Once we reached the top of the hill we turned into a fast downhill with loose gravel followed by a short but very technical section of curves through some trees and then a short climb gravel and dirt climb. Following that section was a rutted out dirt downhill and sharp corner heading into the paved downhill section. From here was a sharp and loose left turn off the asphalt onto rocky dirt and then some bumpy grass heading into a short sweeping section through the barns. Finally you were shot through a set of barriers into the paved starting track. By the second lap I had climbed to about 8th place and was slowly dragging my way forward. There was a particularly difficult opponent from Olympic Orthopedic who kept passing me in some of the fast straights and downhills but I managed to always cut back around him through the corners. We both worked past a group of Soft Like Kitten riders and were working toward the lead group of 4, basically trading back and forth at least once per lap. Occasionally a young rider (white/grey jersey on a red Ritchey) would pass by on the uphill section only to have us work past him elsewhere. The rest of the race continued in roughly this manner with me 6th or 7th until the last lap when we managed to get caught up to the young rider again after he had blown past with his final spurt earlier in the course (on the hill). He had worked his way into 5th and then crashed causing a backup allowing me to sweep through. I was back in 6th place heading into the last few corners. As I came around the barn, there was #5. Heading into the last set of sweeping corners I tucked under the 5th place rider and heading into the barriers managed to pull away and take it to the line! Very happy with a 5th place today as a great start to this 7 race series.
So far I am well off in both series and hopefully can pull at least one overall at the end of the season.
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