After a good 4 days of rest after Platte City, I went out Thursday night for some quick interval work. Wasn't looking to kill myself but get a quick tune up prior to this weekend's races. Soft pedaled Friday and took a nice long warm up prior to Saturday night's race....
The race was at Heartland Park in Topeka. Course was centered around a dirt oval race track. Part dirt straightaway, grassy infield, usual off camber hills and turn and a couple sets of stairs. Pretty good course. Had a blast racing and it was a course that suited me relatively well. Oh yeah, it was also at night under the lights - pretty cool. Our cat 3 race was the last to go off at 7:45. Group of at least 20, not really sure how many total yet. Took off and settled into my usual 5th-6th place. Still in the first lap on the back half of the course and my chain hops off my chainring. I dismount, make the fix and am back at it. Got passed by almost 10 people and am sitting in 14th after the first lap. Didn't get too bothered and just started to ride with the people in front of me.
As opposed to the past 2 weeks where I was sucking big time, I was feeling good. The only direction I was going was up. Made a few passes early on and got into 11th. Stayed there until the last lap. Had a racer from Manhattan, KS in front of me that I was following much of the time. Together him and I passed his teammate to fall into 9th and 10th place. Climbed the first set of stairs and on the backside of the course he fumbled a bit and I made the pass and didn't look back. Crossed the line in 9th. I was as happy as I could have been for that race. Felt good to race in a groove again and not go into blow up mode after lap 1. Finished in sight of 7th and 8th place. Definitely felt that had I not had a chain issue could have maintained a top 7 or 8 finish.
Jane wasn't mentally or physically in it for her race and finished in 7th place.
Today was vet cross in Leavenworth, KS on the campus of St. mary's university. Good course, a bit bumpy on the backside with a couple tough climbs. Legs a bit tired from the day before but still got a decent warm-up in and was feeling good. Underestimated my condition for the race because it was one of those days where I was on. Had a poor start and spent the first lap finding a good wheel to get on. Lot of racers today- probably 35 or so. Was in a good rhythm, sticking the climbs and recovering where I needed to. Worked all the way up 6th place by the 4th lap. Joel Terry from SKC started to pull away and I was quick on his wheel with teammate David N. right behind me. David and I were trading positions for the first part of the race. Got to the second set of barriers and heard the sound of my chain dragging behind my bike. Looked down and it was hanging off my cassette with either a broken quick link or a quick link that somehow came undone on the rough course. That was the end of my race right there. I looked back and teammate David was pulled over pulling course tape out of his cassette. I ran back to give him a hand and got him on his way.
It sucks to have a mechanical when you're racing so good. Joel T. ended up coming in 3rd place. Who knows what would have happened but I would have had my best finish in the 3's. David managed to work his way back to about 6th place. Great job there. Good news is I'm on track to have to have good legs and fitness for next Sunday - back at St. Mary's U (although the weather is saying possible rain).
New teammate Andy Wiens locked up the win in the Cat 4's with a few other top 10's by Colavita/Parisi riders. Not sure of the full results. Erik Elving took 2nd in the master's 55+. Wiens also doubled up and raced in the 3 race with a solid result. Dan O. had a bum ankle or something like that and put a temporary end to his cross domination. Jane opted out for a temporary leave of absence.
