Judging Self-Worth Through Insignifigant Cycling Achievements

I have driven about 2700 miles in the last two weeks. Well, I didn’t actually drive the whole way, maybe more like half. But I was in the car the whole way and it was an endurance event of it’s own. Two weekends ago Jim and I drove down to Fontana for the first of six NMBS races. If you are unfamiliar with the venue all that you need to know is that they have taken to calling it the “urban assualt”, which it is. The start finish is across the street for a Safeway in some Southern California neighborhood and part of the race is a paved climb. Sound like no fun? WRONG, it was a blast this year!
 
Last year I crashed a whole bunch and got third in single speed, unhappy. This year I crashed a little and got 9th in Semi-Pro, happy!! I was actually in the top 5 after the first lap but slowed a little toward the end. Partly because I went out too hard and partly because my back was starting to give me a little trouble. Now that I read that it looks like I’m making excuses. I GOT NINTH BECASUSE EIGHT OTHER PEOPLE GOT AROUND THE RACE COURSE FASTER THAN I DID THAT DAY, there now I feel better. Jim proved to all of us that his shoulder injury last month is a non-issue and pulled off a 5th place finish! On the podium at the first race of a National Series is a good place to be. The short track was on sunday and I’m a little bitter about how this turned out. Jim and I both got off to bad starts (Jim espeically) and had to pick people off the whole time. With 3 to go I was alone chasing down the front group of 4 but decided to fall over instead. At that point I was more worried about what was going on behing me, which was Jim coming to pass me. After he passed me on the final lap I tried to sprint by him to get into some single track ahead of him. That did not work and I fell again, this time blocking 3 other guys from setting up for a sprint finish. Jim ended 5th and I think that I was 8th or 9th but I’m not sure because I didn’t get a result for that race. That’ll teach me to take off before the results are posted, right?

Then we drove home after the short track on sunday evening and I worked monday through wednesday. After work on wed. we started driving to Phoenix and ended up stopping for sleep half way. We made it to Fountain Hills (where the race was) on thursday at about 2 and pre rode the course. Not much climbing, very rocky, lots of cactus and a lot of loose fast cornering, different to say the least. The race was a stage race which consisted of a Super-D (Time Trial is more accurate), a short track race, and a cross country race. The super-d was all fire road with a slight down grade, some sand and a couple little climbs at the end, pedaling the whole way. If you’ve ever ridden with me then you know that going down fireroads fast is not something that I pride myself on. I ended 23rd and got chicked by Georgia Gould, not a proud moment. The next day was short track and I didn’t get a call up because of my lackluster performance in the super-d. I was in the BACK of a field of 50 when they said go and pretty much lost a minute on the leaders just waiting for everyone to get up the run-up. I started picking people off and ended up somewhere in the low 20’s that day also. This I was okay with because I felt strong that day and would have done better if it weren’t for the bad start. Lastly we have what matters to me, the cross country. I got off to a good start and we all lined up and rode the first lap like a bunch of roadies. I mean really, the entire field of 60 was in a single file line. Then people started getting tired and there was carnage! Everybody started getting flats and crashing into rocks and cactus and all kinds of nonsense. Somewhere in there I started to come apart and had to let people by, not my weekend. This time I really started to slow and my back was bothering my a lot. I think that I ended 25th out of a field of 60, which is not where I want to be in a cross country race. Jim kept it together and ended up 12th ( I think) after washing out right at the end of the race and giving up a few spots. I think that he finished maybe 11th or something in the stage race and I was   17th, not our best results but not by any means horrible.

I was a little cranky during the drive home (sorry Jim) and probably kept talking about my back. I was still sore on Monday and a little on Tuesday so I deciced that something must be done. I remembered that the first time that it had bothered me was at the Cool race. I had figured that it was because my seat had slipped down a little during the race but then I remembered that I had taken off my riser bars and put a set of flat bars on right before Cool. Hmmmm, maybe that was the problem all along. I put the risers back on and went on some pretty hard rides on wednesday and thursday (today) without any pain at all!! I think that we’ve figured it out ladies and gentlemen and I am really happy about this. Napa Valley Dirt Classic is this sunday and I think that it’ll be a good warm up before Sea Otter the following weekend. Sea Otter is kinda a weird race for me because I seem to be fast there but have no desire to ride around that race course at all. Please remember that 24 Worlds was held there last year and the course was similar, I am tired of riding around those fireroads. It is also the first mountian bike race that I ever did WAYYY back in 06′ as a beginner on a full suspension geared bike, I got second place in my age group. Then last year I raced single speed and ended up 4th in pro/expert, Travis Brown won. I wonder what’s gonna happen this year?