2nd place


Sport 45-54


20 miles


3,590' of climbing


2:26:29




I'm here!




So maybe I race best on more technical courses with lots of climbing. This one was a beast, 20 miles, two 1,000'+ gut busting climbs and white knuckle descents with lots of sweet single track linking everything together.




The rain preceding the race knocked down the dust, creating perfect conditions. It was sunny and mild in the 70°s with a slight breeze.




I knew that previous winners times were in the 2:30 range, so I set out with that in mind. I changed tires from 1.9 knobby front, 1.9 semi slick rear, to 1.95 WTB ExiWolfs. I never would have made it down in one piece on Gas Can or Couch with the semi slick. Just for the record, Gas Can descends 1,200' in 1.9 miles and Couch drops 800' in 1.2 miles.




We arrived Friday afternoon, checked in at the race venue and only had enough time to preview the short course. The single track descent down Brandy Creek was sweet, and I anticipated major beginner carnage that luckily didn't occur.




There was one single track section along the hill that required a dismount. I carried my bike on high side (wrong) and started pedaling on the low side (wrong again). I slipped, unclipped and put my foot down the hill to arrest my fall. My saddle got caught on a sapling as I fought to free myself and my bike, cursing all the while.




On the final hike a bike (for me and other mortals), it was refreshing to see pro's struggle up the hill in their granny gears. I didn't feel so weak for walking.




After five consecutive weeks of racing, I'm looking forward to fresher legs for the Santa Ynez Valley National in three weeks.

Sport 45–49


1:52:48


77/108


21:31 off the leader



Almost there.



I climbed the corkscrew for my warmup and saw my group's sign after descending. So, I decided to line up at the front and forgo the rest of my warmup. I don't think it mattered as it was cold and windy enough to cool you down quickly. Increasing the starting intervals to five minutes between groups really reduced the backup in the first two single track sections.



The race was uneventful until the final climb. It's completely exposed fire road into the teeth of the wind. I didn't have any drafting partners, as everyone was either faster or slower than me. It was close to freezing with the wind chill factored in.



I made a strong push on the climb just short of the raceway and started to gain on a small group ahead of me. As I crossed the pedestrian bridge, we were diverted onto the short track course for our finish. It was trampled down grass and off camber turns, making for a difficult sprint. I closed the gap within six seconds before running out of course at the line. I should have tried harder, as two riders in my group were just within reach.



I finished ahead of a few riders that had been beating me soundly this season and reduced the time differential with another. I just wasn't in pain the entire race. I backed off after the start to save myself for something that didn't happen. Next week, I'll just have to redline the entire race and see what happens.



Almost there.

Sport 45-49, 13th place, 2:09:20




My knee is better.




It was in the 90s, dry and dusty. I got off to another fast start but couldn't keep up with the leaders. I forgot my heart rate monitor and did my best to maintain 8 to 9 out of 10 on the perceived exertion scale the entire race. What I really missed was a clock. This was my 3rd time here, and I was fairly familiar with the course, but in retrospect, no time reference probably made me hold back a little more in reserve.




My rear tire was already a semi slick, but the worn knobs made it perform like a road tire on the course. I went down once on a loose dusty switch back, and dismounted on another descent when the tire released unexpectedly. It really got hairy on the rutted jeep fire road descent. The loose over hard combined with the worn tire made it like riding over marbles on a waxed floor. The rider behind me called out "nice save" after that section.




After that descent, I finally had my bearings and started pushing the pace even more. Unfortunately, the weather combined with my fitness, caused me to walk more than last year. Although, I still managed to pass people on foot.




I had the same placing as last year but was 7 minutes slower. It looks like I'm getting back on track.




Now it's time for Sea Otter with new tires.

Sport 45-54, DNF




Ouch.




I've have pain on the inside of my left knee since my return from 3 weeks of vacation (inactivity) in February. I did two races within weeks upon returning, one poorly, one OK. But the pain still persisted. Physical therapy was helping, but not improving the situation.




I started this race with the leaders, only to be passed after about a mile. My knee was hurting, but not enough to stop—until I finished the first lap and noticed my pitiful split time. There was no sense in completing the race slowly (I'm just here for the training), so I pulled off and went home to reevaluate my situation. I know everyone has an additional three weeks of training on me, but they shouldn't be dropping me like a bad habit.




Back to basics time.




On one of my subsequent training rides, my neighbor mentioned that his seat post was slipping. I did the quick heels on the pedals test and was hyper extending my legs to the point of rocking my hips. Last season, I started raising my saddle as my fitness improved. Once I lowered my saddle, my knee pain dramatically subsided. So much so, that I dropped my neighbor on one of the climbs. I just had to test it.




I was planning on racing CCCX #5, but skipped it to rest and recover in preparation for the Napa Valley Dirt Classic.