Bubba #8

The week before the race went by quite fast before I knew it, it was saturday and I did not manage to ride once since the week before. Got to the race on sunday and knew I was in for a hurtin, it was going to hilly and painful. Decided to once again get my beating in B instead of racing out front in the C's (why I do this I dont know) Went out for some pre ride laps and it seemed to me the course was a level playing field for mountain bikers and road racers it had some surprising technical parts and long soft hills that seemed to get bigger and bigger after every lap. Race started fast and once again I found myself in the back praying to atleast finish without a mechanical. First couple laps went by slow before I began picking people off. I gained gaps on almost every hill except the monster where I had to dismount and walk up along with all the other riders but my calfs were so tight every step got slower and I would lose time on people ahead of me. There was not one easy part on this course, ended up finishing 35 out 45 alright I guess.........kinda sucks but see you next week.

St. Vincent CX

So coming into this race it was like starting the season over, I decided to move up to the B race to get more experience and learn more figuring I could follow some different lines at a much faster pace.....didnt turn out so well. I made my way to the back for the start so I could figure out where I could hang without getting run over by the fast guys. Well, race started and I was almost in dead last, it was only half way through the first lap and I was struggling to not be dropped by the whole field. I managed to make up some time on the staircase as some of the other riders dismounted and ran instead of riding the side. By the end of the first lap I was beginning to pick people off, I was still in the back but probably 9 or so riders up. Fourth lap comes around and I'm going through a wooded rutted out muddy section the guy behind tried to pass so we were two wide, slid off the course and slammed my back wheel into a tree tried to make a quick fix but the wheel are derailleur were so bent the wheel would barley move. So i threw the bike on my shoulder and finished the lap walking to DNF myself. It appears my lack of mechanical in the mountain bike season is beginning to catch up with me, or maybe it's that my bike is a piece of sh**. Put the bike in the stand when I got home but with my lack of mechanical expertise I quickly decided I didn't know what I was doing and to take it to Mesa so that it will be ready by Sunday. Turns out it was just a bent derailleur hanger and bent wheel so with a new hanger and trued wheel I should be good to go for Mt. Pleasant.........See you there!

BUBBA XI

Coming into the race I was feeling good, my mind was in the right spot and my legs where feeling awsome. After my hour long drive to get to the race I got out of my car and almost imidiatly broke a sweat, it was some crazy temperatures for a mid november day. Conditions were perfect for me, long course not muddy and border line hot. Since I'm still a newb to this sport and weak I signed up for C once again. Made sure to get to the line first for staging so I would get stuck in the back like always, some how I still managed to get half way back.....oh well. Race started and I managed to get up closer to the front before the first turn. Things were finally starting to fall in place. Found a wheel to sit on but I could not manage to stay there for long. It seemed like it was attack, attack, attack maybe it was cause of my inexperience but I could not stay in one spot. With around 2 laps left I found my self hunting down the third place rider. Got within 10 feet from him on a small uphill when I droped my chain, dont know how this happen and had to stop to fix it lost about 3 places for this small little fix. 2 laps left now it seemed like I was running out of time I felt like I could be running with the top 2 guys but didnt have enough time to get there. Last lap I was in a chase group with 3rd place rider me (4th place) and 5th place rider, couldnt chase down leaders but made up a lot of ground. Last turn neck and neck for a battle with 3rd place I went inside he went outside came out of the turn spinning much too high of a gear and he beat me. Oh well ill take a fourth place finish on my fourth race any day.

Overall it was a good day and good finish. Although I was frustrated with my little mechanical not bad for going the whole mountain bike season and cyclocross with just one small one. Next week giving B a shot........seeyou there!

Cyclocross begins

Mountain bike race season is officially over for me so now it is time for some cx. I went into this weekend with only one other cyclocross race under my belt so I was pretty confident racing in the C race. Well turns out I was wrong.

Saturday night I came with a fresh set of legs, since I had the Bt Epic last weekend I made sure to take some rest days so my legs wouldn't be fried. Got to the race and relized it was cold and muddy to say the least, which I was fine with considering I spent 7 hours in it last weekend this was nothing. I managed to get in a couple of warm up laps in before the race began. Lined up and ready to go, I was staged about half way back in the group with at the time I was fine with because I had not yet raced any cx on the stl scene, I was wrong. Race started and being inexperienced I started it same as a mtb race at a pace, bad idea. It wasn't until about 2 laps in that I stepped up the pace. From then on it was a matter of picking off the next rider in front of me. I had clue where I had finished hoped for a top 10. Found out sunday I was 4th, not bad.

Sunday, planned on not racing until about 10 am was trying to hold off and wait til next week to pay another race fee (this stuff is expensive!) but just couldn't resist it. Got to the race to pre ride and conditions were almost perfect, the course was mostly dry and tacky except a few muddy spots. I was excited to race but my legs were not. The race started and again I blew it on the start and had to start picking off riders. I was feeling it big time once towards the front of the field I tried to ride on wheels but just couldnt keep it up, 2 laps left and I bonked. I signed up for the C race but got scored under juniors which I was not thrilled about. But after a little guessing I'd say I finished around 12 or 13 in class C.

I have a lot of work ahead of me if I want to get competitive at this. Have the technique down but really need to work on mashing for 40 minutes straight no brakes and mainly my start. Hopefully next weekend will be better.......

Bt Epic

I came into this event not knowing what to expect at all. Since this was my first big solo endurance race I did not know what to expect so the night before all I did was get as much advice as possible. Woke up sunday morning early to get everything packed and ready, I was feeling good because there was no pressure to finish good in this race like there were in every other race this year. I started off the day with one goal and that was just to finish this would be my longest race ever on the bike so finishing was all I was concerned about. Before I knew it, it was time for the race to start. I started off slow which turns out was a good thing because there was some big congestion on the trailer/bridge going over the deep creek. Once over that I just got into a zone and pedaled trying to find a pace I could keep for the rest of the day. Once I hit the single track I was feeling awsome, by the first checkpoint at berryman trail I was feeling so good. I rolled in and up to some friends from GORC who had extra water bottles and food waiting for me. Didn't stay long stopped to get a gel and put on my ipod to give me something to keep me occupied cause I knew it was about to get tough, took off to start the berryman loop about 2 miles in it was almost like I hit a wall I was confused on what caused this since I had been drinking and eating plenty anyways it took awhile to get out of it. I came up to a jeep road crossing where I saw a couple momentum guys on their way down back to berryman campground after a motivational highfive from brian busken I was determined to get up to the top of the trail as soon as possible. I had no idea where I was at in the field but expected that I was a little farther back then half the field, which I thought I would be. Once on the jeep road back to the camp ground I made sure to get some food in me and try and regroup. I rolled into berryman and before I could stop I had my water bottle's in my hand and the one and only Jim Davis and Scott Whitaker cleaning my chain and trying to work out a little shifting issue. After a little pep talk from kirby about the upcoming section of technical single track I was off.

I was improving I had a good pace while keeping my heart rate down. This was a cructial part in my ride in was the last section and it was tough. It was all I could do to get to the top of the hills and try and keep up with my bike on the downhills. When I thought it couldnt get any worse.......it started raining and raining hard. I tried to stay calm and keep pushing on cause I knew this could be a breaking point. Crossed another jeep road where I saw Jim Davis in his truck he threw me a totse roll and told me just what I wanted to here "Hard parts over from here on a little up hill, a lot of downhill." Those words sounded amazing, I hit it I was determined to finish. I was so happy when I came out on the road where I started the ride back to Bass River. I was taking it one pedal stroke at a time, I came up to the deep creek crossing that I was at about 7 hours before except there was no bridge, I started pedaling as fast as I could right through the deep cold water, it was awsome. Well my first edurance race was over, I came in at 7 hours 40 minutes, 90th place. I was a little disapointed but after considering the fact that my only goal was to finish I did a good job. Can't wait til next year so that I can crush my time. I realized in the next couple following days that this is what I want to do, I want to focus on edurance racing......there's a lot of work and training to be done this winter to say the least. Cant wait!

Hello!

Many of you probably don't know me, I race mountain bikes and cyclocross. The 2009 mtb season was my first full season of racing. I raced in the junior category, got first place overall in points, so next season I will be moving up to sport category which im super excited about. Just trying to meet more local racers and get my name out there, I will try and post on here weekly about whats goin on. Feel free to follow me and read!