I’m so glad I made the last minute decision to do this race. The event was so well run and the teams from all over the country are really cool to see and to compete against. As a cross team we need to have a good showing next year. It is way worth the trip. I’ve spent 13-14hrs in the car driving the last 2 days to race for 45min and it was the right move.
I decided to roll over to the course and ride a couple laps before the racing started to get a feel for it . The whole course was really icy and the corners were mostly off-camber. It was so hard to keep your bike under you and on course at the same time. I was a bit cocerned what it was gonna be like when there was 100 of us screaming around the place. Oh yeah, it was about 34 degrees and sunny by the time we were lining up.
Your starting position was determined by registration, and I registered at the last minute, so I was placed in the 12th row dead last in line. I knew that getting the hole shot was vital because of course conditions and the size of the field. I did the best I could but the deal was everyone knew this so it was one bad ass sprint up the pavement to the 1st turn onto the grass. I settled in somewhere in the middle of the pack and just started racing as hard as I could. It was so hard to pass people because the ice was melting fast where we were riding, but if you hopped out of the groove to pass someone it was like trying to gas it on a hockey rink. I did that alot!! 90% of the time it worked and 10% of the time I went sliding wildly this way and that way. The course never really gave you a moment to rest. you were whit-knuckling it all the way except for 30 seconds a lap that was paved. The mud was so thick and slick that you had zero speed coming into the barriers and stairs. I felt like the fastest way around alot of the corners was with one foot unclipped and ready to put down. Pretty much everyone had to do that a couple times a lap.
I ended up 27th, which may or may not sound good, but I’m more pleased with that finish than almost any other finish this year. I went forward the whole race and was passed by only one person that I can remember. I worked my ass off from start to finish and it was a good cap on the season.
I gotta register much earlier next year.
A couple cool things about today. First, watching a 14 year old kid throw down an attack in the 29-under race.He almost pulled it off and ended up 3rd I think. Secondly, the other guy that was in the 12th row with me asking where Jared was. He recognized the kit from CO. Our captain is a national cross icon. Well, that’s it, I’m going to bed.
cj
