WORS #5 - Red Flint Firecracker

WORS stop #5 in Eau Claire.  This is close as the racing gets to us in La Crosse so it feels like a home course.  Jane and I still opted to go up Saturday and pre-ride.  She was going to race in the sport category and needed to check out the loop.
The course is flat, fast and flowing.  The rain earlier in the week made it nice and not dusty or too dry.  Only 300 feet of climbing or so per lap.
After last week taking 1st overall I knew I could repeat again.  Although with not much climbing it would be tougher.  The flatness of the course evens the playing field, also the less technical nature makes it harder to break things up (although there were some tricky sections).  I sort of fell asleep during the call ups.  I still don't have a call up which sucks, but I got swarmed from my 1st/2nd row and was starting from 4th row when they yelled GO.

Erik P leading out

Fortunately there was a longer than average lead out of double track and gravel.  After a few turns the pace slowed and I was able to work my way up to the front.  I took the lead and put my head down.  Just before we hit the whoops, singlespeed teammate Erik P came around.  It was us going 1 & 2 into the woods.  We had a small gap and settled down a bit.  We hit a passing section and a Bikes LTD rider came around and took the lead.  I was still behind Erik but he soon let me around to give chase.  Neil from Bikes LTD was riding good.  I was sticking his wheel but he was quick and I was a bit concerned he would gap me.  The last  2 WORS races I've been off the front or by myself and haven't really had someone to follow.  It stayed like this for 2/3 through the first lap.  He started to get a bit sloppy in the singletrack and I figured I would take over.  I pulled though in a passing section and he held my wheel for awhile.  By this point we were off the front together with one other guy chasing.  I told him we should work together in the flats and open to keep our gap.  Well that lasted all of a few minutes because I heard a crash like noise and he was 10 seconds off the back next time I saw him.  We came though for the 2nd lap and he was still 10 seconds.  I kept looking back to see if he was closing in the open parts but he was still back there.  We popped out for another long open gravel section and the gap was slowly getting bigger.  I wanted to get out of sight so the carrot could stop hanging in front of him.  After awhile I saw no one and settled down but apparently too much.  End of the 2nd lap I saw Neil and another rider closing in.  I upped the pace again, sprinting out of corners and putting more power down on the climbs.

navigating a tech descent - steeper than it looks

Came through for the 3rd and final lap and didn't see anyone behind.  If I kept it upright and didn't flat I'd probably take the win.  Entered the woods and a friend told me to keep the pace up.  He was riding all around the course and appeared at the halfway point and told me what I translated as I had dropped them for good.  Was passing the straggling elites at this point which is always a good feeling.

Rolled through for win in my age group and my wave.  There was some waiting to see if I took the overall win again as the 40+ wave had started 3 minutes behind.  At 3:04 the first place 40+ crossed the line.  Took the overall by a small margin - he basically did what I did last week - worked his way through a ton of traffic for a good placing overall.

So 3 races and 1 4th overall and 2 first overall's.  I'm pretty happy to say the least.  People have been asking when I'm going to upgrade.  I've decided to wait until after the Subaru Cup (pro XCT race).  This also serves as the Midwest Regional Championship.  Not sure if it's worth doing it that way or what that really means, but I'll try to be fast for that one.  I've got a good plan and it starts with more miles and hours than I've done recently and ramping up to the middle of August.  It's such mental sport - and I'm in a good place.  I'm only getting faster and I'm confident that trend will continue both from a fitness standpoint and ninja singletrack standpoint.

WORS #4 Battle of Camrock

Good ride yesterday.  WORS #4 outside of Madison.  Excellent course, technical, bumpy, tons of singletrack - the way a MTB race should be.  Probably the best course that WORS has, or at least the best course that I've been to.  Limited passing in the first half of the course made it a bit difficult but I had the best race to date.
Everything leading up to the race went as planned.  Got lots of good rest, ate well, legs felt great.  Thanks for a heads up from Britton at Volker bikes in Kansas City, I made the skratch labs rice cakes.  That stuff just became my new pre-race snack.  I put some down on Saturday as an after dinner snack and then Sunday for a pre-race food after I ate breakfast.  That is some clean burning energy.  In combination with the skratch drink mix - you can't go wrong.  Super fuel!!!  

Back to the race, with the abundant tech sections on the course, I wanted the holeshot and be able to ride the singletrack at my pace, which is usually faster than my peers.  Lined up 2nd row (still don't have a call up) and hammered the grassy uphill leadout that levels out for 200 meters before dumping into the woods.  Took the lead and had a train of 3 on my wheel.  Flossed the trails and kept the pressure on until about 2 minutes later when we hit the back of the 40-44 age group wave.  This was very slow going trying to work through that mess.  Not to mention that the open women who were clogging the flow.  Last race we were the first wave of the comp's to go off - what a difference that makes.

Anyway, I had 1 guy on my tail - 10 seconds back for the first 1.5 lap - this slowly grew larger and larger. The first time through the start/finish Jane told me I was in 18th - she didn't know I was leading my wave and age group.  So I had 18 40+, in front who started 2+ minutes before.  I kept on the pressure and was pinning the climbs - lots of short, punchy singletrack.  Was feeling good, took a gel and new bottle from Jane.  Second time through she told me I was in 12th - still no one from my wave had passed.  On the 3rd lap I caught a brief glimpse of the guy in the blue kit after I slowed it down a bit.  I put a few more digs in and never saw him again.  Meanwhile I was still passing people left and right, and starting to come up on the last of the elite field.
Right before I went out for my 4th lap, a stranger asked if I wanted a bottle - I was running low on my last one (my 3rd) and it was the best hand up ever - the most refreshing bottle of ice water I could ever imagine. I had just taken my 2nd gel and this was icing on the cake.  Came through the start finish and Jane had me in 8th overall.  I knew I was running good and with the starting time gaps had to be close to the overall win.  I kept it upright and ended up passing 4-5 more from the 40+.
Crossed the line at 1:50:36.  First in my age group, first in my wave, and first overall by 30 seconds.  So yeah, I had a great race and have begun to do what I know I'm capable of - and I know I will only get faster.  I'm no jedi knight in the singletrack yet, but I'm getting there.  The good thing is that it's easier to become a true ninja in the singletrack than it is to add 50 watts of FTP.  Maybe thats why I like MTB so much?
I will stay in the Cat 2 Comp category for the remainder of the year and with 5 top 10 overall's in one year will earn an automatic upgrade.  So far in 2 races I'm 1st and 4th.

Next week is another good course in Eau Claire for WORS #5.  I'm looking to do the exact same thing as I did yesterday, and will have the odds in my favor.  Ninja studies continue....

Levis Trow Endurance Race.

Saturday was the second stop on the WEMS (Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series) at my somewhat local Levis Mound.  This was my third time racing here so I knew what to expect - although the course does change up every time.
After a good weekend of racing 1 week prior, I was confident that I could place well, possibly win depending on who shows up.  Weather was hot, hovering around 90 with a big south wind.  Legs didn't feel too good warming up.  Were sluggish and didn't have too much top end.  These races are pretty technical and really don't have any open sections so its more of a tempo race.  25 miles total, 2 laps of the 12.5 course.
Le Mans start - first time I have been forced to run on my leg - surprisingly felt great.  Got to my bike and was off chasing 2 guys up a bit.  Got up to 2nd place before the singletrack.  Settled in and caught my breath, but was anxious to go.  After a mile it opened up for 50 meters and I took over.  Back into the woods we went.  I upped the pace a bit and put in a few small digs and got a gap that kept growing.  I stayed on the gas for the whole first lap.  Struggled a bit in a few sections but was doing ok.  Wiped out at mile 7 in a loose and sandy corner.  I could see that I had a chaser that was about 30 seconds back and regained composure and kept it quick for the remaining of the lap.  didn't really see anyone after that.  Came through the start/finish 2:30 up on my follower.  Grabbed another bottle and chugged half of a Coke.  Was riding really fast for the first couple miles of lap 2.  Passing a lot of the 50 and 100 milers, but never had any pressure from anyone behind.  Once I started hitting the climbs and technical stuff I just put it into cruise control.  Was taking in as much water as I could - tough to do in 100% singletrack.  Made me wish I would have worn my camel back.  Came though the finish 4 minutes slower than my first lap.  2nd place had actually closed the gap and was only a minute behind me.  If he had put pressure on I had some power in the tank go grow the gap - or at least thats how I felt.

Wish I had my suspension set up softer.  I was a bumpy race and I could have used the comfort - I think I def would have been faster on the 2nd lap if I wasn't getting so beat up.

Next week is WORS #4 at camrock.

WORS #3. Finally.

Finally confirmed to myself that I'm capable of racing MTB somewhat fast.

Jane and I went up to Wausau, WI for the third stop of the WORS series.  Drove up Saturday and got to check out the course.  Lots of open sections, ski trail and double track.  Good for passing, bad if you're faster in single track.  I'm not quite sure where I fall in that category.  Probably a good all rounder.  I ride my home singletrack really fast but in other places I still do too much brake checking - but apparently it was good enough this weekend.  Couple singletrack sections had some big rock gardens - but the full suspension 29er made those not much of an issue.  Couple good climbs, 400 ft vertical per lap.  Knocked out 2 laps on saturday and called it good.

Sunday came and Jane was lining up for her first ever MTB race.  She totally killed it.  She was racing in the Cat 3's where they only do 2 laps of a shortened course.  She worked her way to the front before going into the woods and never looked back.  She knocked out 26-27 minute lap times.  If she was racing in the Cat 2 women and kept her pace the same for a 3rd lap she would have placed 2nd overall of the cat 2's!  There actually was another rider who did give her a run for her money.  They traded places the whole race until Jane attacked on the final open section and put 20 seconds on her before the finish.  The rest of the cat 3's were 7-8 minutes back.  So both her and the other chick were sandbaggin.  She says she will be racing more WORS races and in the cat 2's next time.

I warmed up ok, was feeling good, but not super.  Got to the line early and waited.  After call ups there were only a couple spots open on the second row.  Me and some other guy sprinted the 15 meters to the spot and tangled bars.  Luckily I didn't crash because that would have been embarrassing.  So I lined up on the 2.5 row.  They yelled go and we were charging for the first 90 degree turn, I was probably 10 back.  A few more turns and more double track and I was 4th wheel into the first single track.  The guy in front of me was going a little slower than I would have liked and by the time we came out, there was 1 off the front.  I was able to jump him and second place but also, my teammate racing the SS category came around with another SS.  I settled in.  A few more sections and the eventual winner came around and bridged to the leader.  Looking back I should have jumped the 2 SS guys and stuck his wheel but I stayed.  At the end of lap 1 it was us 3 with the 2 up the road and out of sight.  At this point my teammate was blowing up and I left him.  I was riding ok but my 2nd lap was probably my slowest.  A bit later I caught the other SS'er and left him for good.  I was riding alone in 3rd place for the remaining of lap 2 and going into lap 3.  This is where I started passing cat 1 riders.  I passed minimum 10 of them.  I was rolling steady and feeling good.  I never knew how much further they were up the road though - there are too many waves and people on course to know who's who.  No one ever passed me though and I rolled to the finish about 1:30 behind the the 2.  When it was all said and done 1 racer from a later wave and different age group had a faster time and bumped me down to 4th overall.  2nd in the 30-34 age group behind the overall winner.  so yeah, first mtb race of the season was good.  I know i can go faster too.  I haven't done any structured intervals yet - i can add some speed to the tank.

Next up is an endurance race at the IMBA epic Levis Mound trails.

countdown

First big race of the year is Sunday.  WORS #3 in Wausau, WI.  I'm getting pretty anxious thinking about it.  I know my fitness is good and I'm more focused than I have been in 2 years.  Got 100 miles in during the last 2 days.  Monday rode 50 with the wife going easy.  The 20mph winds made it tough at times but not too bad.  Rode the TNWC ride last night and got another 50 in. Feeling good and I was able to hold some decent power up until the last 5 miles.  I'm going to get 1 more ride in 45 min - 1 hour of hard stuff and call it good.

Saturday Jane and I will make the drive up in the AM.  get there, probably eat a bit and then pre ride the course.  Surprisingly I've never pre-ridden a MTB course the day before a race.  But if I'm going all out and want to do well it's a must.  We'll stay overnight and jane might do the cat 3 womens race.

New kits are in for team 360/LaX Velo.  The Mt. Borah stuff is very nice and comfortable - we got hooked up.

flying right now

La Crosse Omnium was a bust for me.  In the road race 200 meters from the finish, a crash happened 5 feet in front of me.  25 mph.  It hurt pretty good.  Lots of rash, a busted open elbow, Rash deep enough on my knee that I could see veins.  I found out they were veins because I thought it was dirt when cleaning things out and ruptured it.  Blood was squirting out.  Went to the ER to get my elbow stitched.  I'm good now, just lots of healing wounds.  The guy who started it had: Broken scapula, broken arm, broken collarbone, broken ribs, collapsed lung.  He made a very stupid move and really had it coming.  The second before the wreck, I thought "this doesn't look good, this guys going to crash"

My bike was destroyed.  Literally.  Frame broken in 2 separate pieces.  Broken bars, a whole bunch of other shit.  Thank god I still have a friend who own bike shops.  Britton at Volker Bikes had a frame for me.

So I sat out a week while I was healing and got back going 6 days later on the MTB.  I was feeling like I should take it easy, but on the Friday night MTB rides we usually let er rip.  2 minutes into the ride and I was back to normal with my riding confidence.  I've just been riding the MTB all week, which is fine with me.  It doesn't feel like a workout though because I'm having more and more fun on it.  I don't think I've ever gone this fast on the MTB.  I've been playing around with wheels, tires and air pressure and I'm having some good discoveries.  A few small changes and I have been just ripping shit up.  It's crazy good riding right now.  So good that when you suffer up the climbs it doesn't hurt like it used to and when I would ride with too much brakes on the tech descents, I'm now letting it fly wide open and literally skipping across rocks/roots/logs that I used to pick my way through.  I literally feel like yelling "yeah" and "wooooo" when I'm riding.  Maybe it's because I've learned my home trails so well now, I don't know.  But other people notice it too, and when you get compliments on your riding it feels good.

Regarding the wheels, I used to ride stock Stans Crest rims with their hubs.  The wheels are light, but are not that stiff.  I didn't notice how much they flex until I got the Specialized carbon roval control sl's.  More spokes, slightly lighter than the crest's but way stiffer.  Those wheels point in a direction and just flat out go.  I put some heavier tires on the stock wheels that came with the bike.  DT Swiss 450 SL's.  I'm running these with tubes and stan's in the tubes for some extra resistance.  leaving the air pressure up a bit to not pinch flat, I'm riding faster with these wheels than I was with the Crests.  Stiff rim, more pressure = great feel and tracking through corners.  So all along I've probably been running the pressure in the Crest's too low thinking that I was getting better traction, but probably compromising overall handling.

Tonight I'm going to ride with the rovals and play around with pressure.  It's funny because I never know the actual pressure.  The gauge on my pump doesn't really read the low pressures - I've always gone by the squeeze test.

First actual race in WORS #3 on June 3rd.  I'm busy all of May and will just keep riding and start getting more intervals the last week of May.

I'm riding with the newly developed Team 360/LaX Velo team.  We're a MTB specific team with pretty much the fastest guys in the area.  Got some good sponsors, like 360 Real Estate and Mt Borah - the clothing manufactorer which is based in Coon Valley, WI - 20 minutes away.  We limited the number of racers to 12 to keep us in the medium team size category.  We will try and take the overall team title for that size.  We will have a good shot too.

Personally, I'm getting a series number for the Comp category.  I've previously raced in this group but never done spectacular.  If how I'm riding is any indication of how the rest of the season goes, it will be good.  My goal is to force them to make me cat up to the 1's.  Which takes 5 top 10 overalls.  Out of an average 100 comp racers per race it will be tough.  There are plenty of fast riders in WI.  Just ask anyone who has ever raced a WORS race.

overdue update

Lets see how much I can remember from the last 4 months?
Winter came in Wisconsin, but not in the usual way.  It was a mild one and the cross country skiing was less than ideal or non existent for most of the winter.  We did make a few trips up to Hayward and Cable, WI to ski on the Birkie trail - which was great.  That trail is a bitch though.  Constant up or down.  You get really good at climbing on skis though.  It's a great leg workout and really helps you carry some strength through to the cycling season.
Jane and I did ski Kortelopet (the half birkie for you non skiers) at the end of February.  Similar to a lot of my adventures in new sports/events I go into a race like this with a laid back attitude.  "I'll just get out there and see how I feel" So I was content to start at the back of wave 9 with all the other first time racers.  But once you start moving you can't help but want to go fast and pass people.  The race was so congested from that far back that you had to go the pace of the person in front of you on the climbs.  Halfway in it opened up a bit and I could move around better.  At this point I felt I was really skiing fast and was feeling good.  I did take a couple falls and one was pretty spectacular.
Considering all the above I had a respectable time.  Good enough for a wave 4 start next year which is probably where I should be.

I've been hitting the gym up a bit trying to build some strength back into my left leg.  At the end of fall it was still noticeably weak.  Leg workouts and core strengthening classes have definitely made me more solid all around. So far this season I can notice a difference.  Hopefully I can maintain good strength throughout the summer and stay in the habit of lifting weights and core workouts.  I did get the hardware removed from my left leg.  It has set me back a bit in limiting my riding for about 2 weeks, but it's been almost a month now and things are great.  I can jump on my left leg and not have it feel "weird."

So on to riding and racing.  I'm basically trying to attempt what I wanted to do last summer.  Which is simply race a lot of MTB races and have fun.  There will be a road race or two thrown in for fitness, but I want to get the epic 29er flying this summer.  Really fast.

Here is the tentative schedule:

4/29  Decorah, IA MTB TT
5/5-5/6  La Crosse Omnium
6/3 - WORS - Wausau
6/9 - WEMS Endurance Series - Levis Mound
6/17  WORS - Camrock
6/24  WORS - Eau Claire
7/1  La Crosse YMCA RR/Cedar Rapids MTB race?

7/4-7/8 Vacation.  Camping/MTB/Kayaking in Hayward/Cable
7/14-7/22  Vacation again.  Copper Harbor Camping/MTB/Kayaking followed by Madeline Island and Bayfield

8/12  MN MTB - Border Crossing
8/18-8/19 WORS - Subaru Cup - Pro XCT stop

9/15-9/16 Chequamegon 40

So from the looks of it, June will be really busy.  July will have a bunch of down time, but hopefully still getting in lots of good miles and hours.  Then in the middle of August is the big race - the Subaru Cup.  Would like to podium for the overall there.  I'd like to fill in the schedule with something early August to help ramp up to Subaru Cup.  We will see what develops.

I did get into Chequamegon again.  The good thing is that they now have starting gates instead of leaving your bike at the start line at 5am to preserve a good spot.  So based upon last years result, I'll be in wave 3. Which would be about 300 people deep instead of 1000 like I started last year.  Also I'll have the fitness of a season of racing and I won't be coming off a broken leg.  On paper I should be a lot better than my 2:36 from previous.