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Masters Misc Race Report Thread

Old 05-28-15, 10:42 PM
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2 different MD's opinions are identical: type 1 separated shoulder (not dislocation like I said earlier), and the prognosis is no surgery required, there will be some pain/stiffness for weeks, but subject to pain tolerability, I am able to ride immediately.

So, I rode - easily - outside tonight. There was some light pain, but mostly it was a nice evening and there was much joy. That was an awesome surprise.

The shoulder is far less tender than it was even yesterday. I may even race this weekend. The doc says there is no risk of worsening the injury through riding or even racing....unless I take an identical fall.

None of the docs were worried about the concussion. I had, for about a day, a very light headache; I didn't need aspirin for it. My being unable to remember the fall, and being a bit groggy for a half-day after, wasn't particularly alarming to them, at least after I had passed some routine brain injury testing.

It's pretty obvious that having a helmet on saved me from a far worse fate. Wear your helmets!

Thanks for the goodwill, y'all!
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Old 05-29-15, 05:24 AM
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I have a grade 3 separation, no surgery. Shoulder surgery is risky. I decided against it after two opinions. The downside is that I have to keep the strength up constantly or it sags. A grade 1 should be cake.

Heal up.
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Old 05-29-15, 06:13 AM
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Sounds nasty @rapwithtom. Glad it wasn't worse!
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Old 05-29-15, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by shovelhd
I have a grade 3 separation, no surgery. Shoulder surgery is risky. I decided against it after two opinions. The downside is that I have to keep the strength up constantly or it sags. A grade 1 should be cake.

Heal up.
I feel for you. This injury, plus 2 rotator cuff repairs in my past, make me all too familiar with how tough life is with an injured shoulder.

On the positive side, shoulder muscle strengthening is sort of addictive...almost kinda like cycling. OK not so much, but a little. I have more upper body strength now than I've ever had in my entire life. Sometimes, I even kinda almost remind myself of Rambo Richard Simmons.

Anyway, I wish you and me full recovery and no further shoulder injuries!
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Old 05-29-15, 05:14 PM
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I feel for you, Tom, and for Shovel. The things some of us endure.

Wear your helmet, indeed. I've seen bad outcomes from those who didn't. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly!!
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Old 05-29-15, 06:48 PM
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Tom - that's NOT how you're supposed to use your head in this sport. Heal quickly and well!
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Old 05-29-15, 07:04 PM
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Originally Posted by rapwithtom
I feel for you. This injury, plus 2 rotator cuff repairs in my past, make me all too familiar with how tough life is with an injured shoulder.

On the positive side, shoulder muscle strengthening is sort of addictive...almost kinda like cycling. OK not so much, but a little. I have more upper body strength now than I've ever had in my entire life. Sometimes, I even kinda almost remind myself of Rambo Richard Simmons.

Anyway, I wish you and me full recovery and no further shoulder injuries!
Cheers. Don't feel bad for me. I put myself in these situations and accept the risks.

I agree that lifting to build strength for a compromised shoulder is addicting. I've been cleared to go back to the gym and take it easy. I feel so much better when I don't notice my shoulder weakness. It's not like I'm building upper body strength. Ask anyone who has ridden with me, I'm tiny.

BTW the other side (shattered clavicle) is fully healed. I will get the pin taken out in a month or so. Alignment is very good.
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Old 05-30-15, 04:41 AM
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1st Round - National CX Series - Masters

Warm morning for a CX race, but expected given how far north the Gold Coast is.

Annoyingly got to the start line after most others so was back in the third row! Had a good start and began working forwards when I could. After a few laps the bunch started to splinter making it easier to pick off riders.

Coming towards the last laps there was only one rider a fair way ahead and I had a gap on the chasers which is how it finished. Ended up 2nd overall and 1st MMAS4 so now series leader.

Thinking I'll have a target on my back tomorrow for round two in Brisbane.
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Old 05-30-15, 05:18 AM
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Nice job. Around here a third row start would be right up front. Our Masters fields typically have 10+ rows. Riders are lined up according to series points.
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Old 05-30-15, 05:43 AM
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CX is still a new sport down under... Even the Elites field including U19 riders had only 34 racers!
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Old 05-30-15, 08:51 AM
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Yeah I was like third row is bad? A bad callup here is where you hear the front of the field behind you as you're clipping in.
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Old 05-30-15, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Dalai
...Ended up 2nd overall and 1st MMAS4 so now series leader.
Sweet! Congrats!

Hey, isn't Aussie CX sort of like Jamaican bobsledding? Australia isn't exactly known for it's Belgique weather! "CX on the Gold Coast" sounds almost like the Colorado Surfing Championships!
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Old 05-30-15, 05:12 PM
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City Park 50+/4's Crit - 3rd of 27ish

Owing to my crash last weekend, I was feeling slightly timid about today's race, and even questioning whether I should sit it out. (A lot of my male friends, and 100% of my female friends, thought I should take a weekend off).

I decided to race but committed to take a flier - I could avoid the last lap mayhem and minimize risk of another crash, but still race, hang out with my peeps, and perhaps learn how to be successful in ways besides a final sprint.

Mid-race, after the prime, I rolled off the front, as I had done in another race. My speed for the next couple of minutes was a couple of mph higher than the pack speed prior to my attack, and I got a gap, but it only lasted a few minutes before they upped their speed reeled me back in. Some schmoe busted his butt to drag everybody up to me. Then they settled back down to a slower speed. There were no counter attacks.

I tried a couple more times, but nobody was letting me get away. I can create a separation but cannot keep it.

I screwed up the finish; the last corner was only 150m before the finish line, and obviously first into the corner was first across the line. For some lame reason I was satisfied being 3rd into the corner...maybe I was a bit tired from the attacks or maybe I was skittish from my recent crash, but whatever I didn't have the cajones when it mattered.

I'm not strong enough to ride away from the field. I am strong enough to be bored riding laps amongst the field.

Perspectives valued.
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Old 05-30-15, 05:20 PM
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@rapwithtom: It's great getting a podium in a race that you almost skipped. Cheers.
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Old 05-30-15, 05:41 PM
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Nice Dalai!
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Old 05-30-15, 05:42 PM
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Excellent, rapwithtom! I'm glad you were able to race that crit, as I knew it would suit you pretty well. The long course is a whole different animal than the short one, but they both have that double apex as the final corner. Last year, someone overcooked that corner every lap, and there were many, as it was the short course. It's just good you survived and podiumed, to race another day.
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Old 05-30-15, 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by robabeatle
@rapwithtom: It's great getting a podium in a race that you almost skipped. Cheers.
I like your style.
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Old 05-30-15, 07:40 PM
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Nice ride @rapwithtom. Good call not listening to your female friends.
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Old 05-31-15, 02:02 AM
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Solid work rapwithtom!

Mild winters is probably why CX is such a new craze here; especially in Queensland! 26 yesterday and was forecast for 28 today - fortunately it clouded over so didn't get that hot... Next weekend is a double header back south in Victoria. It has snowed at the ski resort above the venue so expecting more typical CX conditions.

Race two today - rather than order us by series points it was by masters categories. So after rolling up super early and getting pole I am again a couple of rows back. Get a pretty good start threading a tight gap bumping elbows but still over 12 places back into the first corner. Again slowly picked off riders till only a few in front. Pulled back time on rider two (rider one in Masters 3 would still be competitive in Elites) but not enough by the end.

So today was third overall and 2nd Masters 4. Given the winner was third yesterday I am still series leader by 5 points. Unfortunately they messed up the scoring thinking today's winner was 2nd yesterday and gave him the series leaders jersey even though we were both protesting the result. Got is sorted but not before the group photo for the different category leaders.
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Old 06-01-15, 07:50 AM
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Deer Trail RR 42 miles, senior co rr championships SW3, 10th/15 failed to defend the title.

Big rollers, L shaped course with 3 u-turns, finish is false flat after a good size roller. Last year I was one of the stronger riders in the pack and held on to win the bunch sprint. This year, competition was stronger. The first 2/3rds of the race was quite moderate with only a few attacks, but each hill found me hurting pretty bad to stay in the group, so I didn't do anything to make it any harder. Sat in and stayed out of the wind.

On the last leg, as expected, attacks started (some by my teammates, good for them!) and I was able to stay in the pack but with difficulty. On the last u-turn a masters men's pack passed us and it got messy and then we re-passed them, which resulted in me burning a few extra matches trying to get around riders in the other race.

Last hill before the finish, the pace was really high and i was dropped. Another dropped rider caught me shortly after, and I latched on to her wheel, and outsprinted her for 10th, a little over 30 seconds behind the winner. Fitness is not where I wanted compared to the other cat 3s. On the bright side, the last hour of the race my NP was LT, and I spent 17 minutes in zone 6, so at least there's an explanation why I got dropped: it was really hard.
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Old 06-01-15, 09:14 AM
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@Dalai: Your "reverse" seasons always throw me off. Nice racing.
@rapwithtom: Where is the podium shot? I can completely empathize with: "I'm not strong enough to ride away from the field. I am strong enough to be bored riding laps amongst the field. Perspectives valued." My problem is I generally can't do anything in a field sprint.
@valygrl: Really smart racing. I understand the match burning related to getting around a slower field. Have been involved with situations like that while hanging on for dear life. Generally I get dropped though.
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Old 06-01-15, 12:31 PM
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Very nicely done, valygrl. Just a tough and strange place to race.
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Old 06-03-15, 06:41 AM
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@rapwithtom - dang, all beat up, not sure you want to race then podium. Well done sir, well done. @Dalai - Again puts the smackdown down under; @rapwithtom - "Aussie CX sort of like Jamaican bobsledding" @valygrl - NP = LT for an hour. Awesome! Did you leave stuff out on the course?
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Old 06-03-15, 09:32 AM
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@racerEx sorry about the crash...glad it wasn't worse...I'm guessing this doesn't change anything for your training/goals?
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Old 06-03-15, 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by robabeatle
@rapwithtom: It's great getting a podium in a race that you almost skipped. Cheers.
This. Thank you.

But.

[story time]
My experience racing bikes for the last few years (before this year) has been that every race has been an ass-whooping. Before, every race was so hard for me (including the once or twice that I podiumed) that after the race I would have to spend hours napping on the couch.

This year is different - the races aren't hard. I did train super hard over the fall and winter, like never before, and maybe this is my reward; but still, the difference is surprisingly profound. This year, I can easily hang with the pack, and even go for a ride after or do a second race.

In my field/category, I like my chances in a field sprint, and I think that if I don't win then I must have screwed up my positioning, and this part of my frustration about Sunday's race, because I completely screwed the pooch. (I do think that I screw up my positioning more often than not, so this apparently is my current limiter.)

Also, I'm a bit frustrated by my failure - so far! - to find alternative ways to success. Specifically, I can create a gap at will, but I can never get somebody to join me, and I have been unable to stay away on my own, so I'm left with competing in a field sprint, which is fine, but just defaults to my familiar strength instead of my learning something new.

(I note the irony of a confident sprinter being frustrated by his inability to make the finish anything but a field sprint).

Anyway, back to robabeatle's point: it's been a dream season, far better than I ever expected given my prior seasons, and getting a podium in a field sprint a) while being injured and bruised from a recent fall, and in a race which I almost skipped, and b) in a race during which I spent all kinds of energy trying to keep it from becoming a field sprint, is an example of just how good this season has been for me.
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