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Masters Misc Race Report Thread

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Masters Misc Race Report Thread

Old 10-08-14, 06:54 AM
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Originally Posted by IBOHUNT
A mere 4 hrs from me or an hour from the home place (Dayton PA). Lets drown some minnows (and shine)
I could do that, but I'll do beer since I have a little more experience with portion control. I'm finding some interesting places to ride my cross and mtb on the local undeveloped rail trails. The Redbank Valley Trail seems to be a good place to ride on ballast for many miles. That's close to Dayton.
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Old 10-19-14, 04:47 PM
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It wasn't a race, just a darned good metric century, ridden at a fast pace. 62.8 miles, avg. speed was 16.8 MPH. No idea the avg. power, I was aboard my Bianchi. RedRider and Cgallah were there with their tandem, and I stuck to them like glue. I pulled them up a few climbs, but they sat on the front for the rest of the ride. At one point, when we were blowing along at 25 MPH and going around a curve, I looked back and saw that we were dragging at least 20 other cyclists along with us! What was so cool was the reminder of how relaxed a good organized ride really is. There were none of the pressures of a race, there was lots of laughing, lots of smiles, and just a good time. It was also a study in contrast as to how far I have come in the last couple of seasons. This is in no way bragging, because I know where I stand when I pin on a number (and that's what counts), but compared to 90% of the cyclists I encountered on that ride, including the ladies from my race team's home club, I am head and shoulders above them in ability, stamina, strength, skills, and speed. I saw many cyclists out there, who, while I admired their gumption for "getting out and doing it!", I wondered how in the heck they were going to get back to the start of the ride. On the final leg of the trip, the last 15 miles, I was the domestique, constantly dropping back to pull dropped riders back up to our pack, as well as offering advice and encouragement to struggling riders. It was so nice to give back like that, and even nicer to Be Able To Do It!

What a fun day it was.
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Old 10-19-14, 07:19 PM
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Sounds like a great time, Sara. It's why I love this time of the year, the offseason.

I had a similar ride on Saturday with the club. The route was flat, so I did my best to keep the power under 300w and the HR below 160. I still have to take it easy as there are three stitches left in my eye. I had to let the strong guys ride away on the rollers, but I'd catch them by keeping the power on steady. We did a paceline on the flat sections. We had a lady with us that doesn't race. She reminds me a lot of you when you first started out. So much to learn, but the potential was there. She's been riding steadily all year, and just bought herself an Evo (with DA 9000 booyah). She wouldn't stay on the front for long but she never slowed us down, not once. So we're on our way back, and we pass this pair of riders on fancy bikes all kitted up, and they jump on our paceline. One guy lasts a minute and sits up. The next guy does the same. Of course it's our gal's turn and she buries it to stay on front as long as she can. Chicked those guys good, she did. The result was that we dropped one of our group. I went back twice to tow him back up but he couldn't stay on. He knew where he was and just chose to ride home alone. 5 hours ride time, 94 miles, and just a 255 TSS.
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Old 10-19-14, 08:00 PM
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Dang, Sara and shovel, sounds like some great riding! I envy you. The weather here has been picture perfect, damn near makes me grind my teeth in frustration. I'll just have to make up for it later!
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Old 10-19-14, 08:16 PM
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Shovel, ye-aaaah! Fun, it is. I loved hearing about the lady on your ride. I'll bet she's stronger than me! I hope she keeps with it.

Chuck, I hear you. I guess the good part is that it IS the offseason, and you'll have plenty of time to come back and be ready for that first whistle.
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Old 10-20-14, 05:09 AM
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Yeah, she's a good one. In the future, though, we should put this stuff in the training thread, since that's what it is.
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Old 10-20-14, 08:06 PM
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My first post in this section. Cross posted on MFP in a cx group.

MFG #4 at Seattle's Magnuson Park what was a WWII era naval air station. I just love the course and it varies slightly from year to year but always has plenty of sharp turns a bit of mud and just enough hill to make it heart pounding. While I was warming up and watching my son's race I saw a buddy that this summer moved over to Seattle to further his and his GF's opportunities. She is a first year teacher and he is a Cat 1-2 roadey. Any way I waved and then did a too tight u-turn on some old rough cement and due to not enough air in my tubbies the tires slipped out and I went down. I scraped my left knee, left elbow and somehow bruised my ribs.

Once they did the call ups I ended up in the third row on the outside. We were off on a fast paved flat that was not wide enough since I was bullied nearly off the edge, mostly because I race clean and conservatively. A position or two imho is not worth a crash, hell I do enough of that on my own. Then onto a grass section and the first 180° turn just barely off camber. It is worth noting that it had been raining all week in Seattle and things were a bit wet Sunday morning, although the paved parts were mostly dry. Another very short downhill and hard turn then between a couple of old bunkers and then onto a longish grassy section that this year had bunch more tight turns. The course snaked a round a bit more over mixed surfaces and into the barriers. I learned later that when I first went past the finish line and my series usually starts a hundred yards or so from the finish line, I was in 28th place. Between the finish line and barriers I lost a few spots then held my own for a while. We were still riding pretty closely along some tennis courts where it is always muddy and then into a short steep ride-up and then another 180° also very soft rain soaked grass. For some reason I lost momentum going up and had to get off. Over one single barricade. Followed by a short run-up and an off camber muddy decent with hard turn at the bottom. Then onto a gravel path and up the hill. I was keeping my heart rate at max. I felt strong enough to follow my race plan which was pretty much go as hard as I could for the whole race and really attack the hill. I did and even passed some riders each lap on the hill. Crest the hill then a quick descent on gravel with a 150° right turn at the bottom from pavement onto more gravel, a slight left onto the start/finish straight.

I hammered every lap trading spots with a few other riders. On lap 3,4 or 5, I do not really recall I heard my chain drop while crossing the barriers. I calmly while moving forward after looking down and saw it was off inside shifted to the big ring and tried spinning the cranks but my front wheel did not track straight and I went ***** over tea-kettle. I quickly got up and while stopped spun the pedals fixing my chain. Jumped back on and kept racing. By then my ribs were hurting. I finished 56th out of 70. On the lead lap and only 5:32 back from the leaders. Raced for 48:02 minutes. One rider that I passed each lap on the hill only for him to pass me on the other side did not catch me in the final stretch. I was trying to catch and pass one other rider in the finish straight, sprinted hard and got beat by a wheel. Another successful race. Now that I survived hammering the climb in a race I'll not be timid to do so again.
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Old 10-20-14, 08:21 PM
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Good job. In cross its all about the holeshot and getting to turn one. Don't be timid. Crush it. Minimize the damage then ride your race.
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Old 10-20-14, 09:48 PM
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Good job wallnut. I really want to get over to PDX and SEA for some wet conditions cross. Someday.


This was my second or third "Come to Jesus Moment" before the end of the second lap. Just shut it down after that. 4/4.


I'm pretty much done with this venue. This makes me sad, but it's the same place that derailed my season last year, and I like my clavicles just the way they are, thank you much.


Bonus points if you can guess what I was saying here. It's pretty obvious what the first word was.
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Old 10-21-14, 07:59 AM
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Black Wallnut and Nacier22. Booyah.
@shovelhd, I am extremely happy for you that your eye is better and you are back. Three stitches in the eye sounds just nasty.
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Old 10-21-14, 11:46 AM
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@IBOHUNT well done! How much time do you think you lost in the two short delays?
@Allegheny Jet nice fish!
@sarals enjoyed both reports!

Thanks for the feedback. @nacler22 2 races that are likely worth a trip: MFG Woodland park on 11-9 and our State championships in Spokane 11-22,23. My speculation is that both weekends will have real cx weather.
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Old 10-21-14, 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Hermes
Black Wallnut and Nacier22. Booyah.
@shovelhd, I am extremely happy for you that your eye is better and you are back. Three stitches in the eye sounds just nasty.
There were more. The rest were taken out, either with forceps or blasted out with a laser. Vision is improving weekly but the drugs do a number on it. It's scary at times riding on the roads, but the time changes soon and that will only be on weekends. I see the doctor next Monday. He knows I want to be cleared to train. He gets it.
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Old 10-22-14, 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by shovelhd
There were more. The rest were taken out, either with forceps or blasted out with a laser. Vision is improving weekly but the drugs do a number on it. It's scary at times riding on the roads, but the time changes soon and that will only be on weekends. I see the doctor next Monday. He knows I want to be cleared to train. He gets it.
Ow! Ow! Ow!
Glad it getting better. Prayers out to you for a full and quick recovery.
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Old 10-22-14, 08:35 AM
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@black walnut. Well done.

As for how much time I lost; maybe enough to make up the delta to the next spot up but I was 2:18 from the top step. End of the day I secured the series jersey and had a decent season. Now to mull things over to see if I want to continue. Leaning towards it
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Old 10-22-14, 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by shovelhd
Yeah, she's a good one. In the future, though, we should put this stuff in the training thread, since that's what it is.
You're right! And I will.
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Old 10-22-14, 06:26 PM
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Black Walnut, welcome - and thank you!!!
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Old 11-03-14, 12:57 PM
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Sunday 11-2 @ Marymoor Park, Redmond,WA. Stop #5 in our series of 6. First afternoon/evening race of the season and also finally (eek) CX weather of drizzle and mud. The first race of the day was beginners and Jr's, and since I also happen to have a pre-Jr. 8 yo that races one lap I had to watch at least part of his race rather than get a good warm-up. We also arrived with only enough time for one course preview lap. I knew before even showing up that I would not do well. The course would likely be muddy and featured lots of off camber and short steep hairpins on the ends of a velodrome on the outside. Hindsight I should have ridden the course with my son as he raced his one lap, it would have been a good warm up and he would have been able to actually finish his lap rather than stop at the start line because he was confused. Oh well he had fun . I arrived to the staging a bit late, although as it turns out early enough. I lined up near the back. Right as my race was starting it started to lightly rain as the weatherman had predicted.

We were off, I passed a few, darn few between the start and finish line then a sweeping turn onto a longer rather smooth straight with a 180° turn at the end, halfway back and then another 180° through a gate and a couple muddy spots that got worse each lap adnd then the first series of steep hill climbs. It was being the first lap congested with riders so I decided to run the first ones and was passing quite a few riders by doing that. It turns out I was mostly just holding my own and not making much progress in picking off places and then I missed a clip-in and was passed on a longish off camber by just about everyone right before going into the velodrome in-field and the barriers. Then on the other side of the velodrome we come out with a hard right and more off camber that I'm not able to ride, a steep downhill, then a flatish straight ending with a slight uphill off camber that was slick mud and I have my first crash of the day having my bike lip out and land on my left knee where I had an almost healed wound from two weeks ago, yeah it hurt a bit, oh well. Then a down hill and 180° and the run-up with 5 small log barriers, so once I got up I just carried my bike to the top of the run up. So glad I took up running this summer as running seemed to be nearly the only skill I was getting right in this race. A bit more off camber and smallish turns and back to the start line.

The second lap was about as the first lap except the field was spread out a bit more. I still ran the short ups and downs. Missed a clip-in again and lost more ground. Going down the steep downhill on lap two after leaving the infield there was a rider down that seemed to be injured, not good. Lap three the field was spread out enogh that I was able to comfortably ride the steep short hill climbs, might have been my best lap. Going by the team tents on the longish straight section I was nicely heckled each lap, should have stopped by after my race and shared a beer with them! Last lap almost went for a can hand-up along the team tents and Niloc tries to pass between me and the team tents and takes us both out. My helmet impacts the ground. I bent at least one spoke in my front wheel, hooked the toe of my right shoe over the valve stem bending the removable core. Tore my bar tape abrading my shifter cable housing for my FD. Plus tore my saddle and knocked my left brake/shifter inward. Meanwhile Niloc was grumbling blaming me for his act, I didn't stick around to discuss the wreck with him. Gave my bike a quick once over, missed the saddle tweak until I jumped on and straightened it with my body strength and finished my lap. 68th out of 72 finishers one lap down. My worst result this year but hey I finished wheels under me with only minor flesh wounds. I'm not too thrilled about all the damages to my ride and the added cost of having to replace my helmet now. Next weekend will be our final race for this series and although the course is hard and will be wet and muddy in places I should do much better.
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Old 11-09-14, 10:15 PM
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Arrived at Woodland Park Seattle with plenty of time to pre-ride the course. MFG #6 our final one for the series this year. The course was muddy in spots on the pre-ride. A good run-up as usual for this course, a couple of barriers right before the other run-up. Plenty of hard packed double track and some hard packed single track. A little bit of asphalt. Enough turns to make it very challenging. I lined up at the back, today after the top 15 call-up they staged us by bar tape color and purple is in the "everything else group". Oh well I really did not mind. WE were off and I passed a few. Shortly I was behind the wrong rider because I had to slow to keep from running him over. Next I knew I was DFL. I fought hard and made a few passes, some of which stuck. Ran the run-ups with great effort and pushed hard on the hills. Second lap I'm on the tail of about 6 other riders going through a bit of muddy, slick single track when I notice the guy in the front has let a gap form in front of him. After a short paved section we hit some muddy grass up a small rise and then down some off camber, also muddy. The rider who slowed us all down fell right in front of my causing me to crash. I almost ran him over. He got up quickly but my chain had fallen off in the crash. It took me much longer than it usually does to fix this. Finally fixed and I was all alone for a ways. Good for making up a little time, except that my bike was not shifting quite right and was skipping in the back. It could be that I bent the hanger or maybe just the mud packed in the lower wheel was causing problems, don't know.

I kept charging, passing when I could, losing traction often. Having my back wheel kick out on lots of turns. It was just flat squirrely. Third lap on the muddy off camber I caught the same rider and he fell again, this time I was able to get by him without wrecking. I eased up a bit due to my bike just not working right plus the slick conditions. My wreck last week is still fresh in my mind.

On lap 4 maybe a hundred yards before the finish line I was passed by the race leader putting me a lap down. he had already had the one to go so the race was quickly over. I finished 69th one lap back. Between me and the winner was only one other rider, and about 20 seconds. I can live with that result. Coming from DFL on a muddy course with limited places to pass. I run ever run-up. I charged the up-hills and made passes on each one. I did not really have an opportunity to sprint at the end. I did not lose ground today because of missed clip-in, they were not fast and perfect but they were mostly smooth and I was able to keep pedaling.

There is a chance that I will race once maybe twice more this year, not sure because the races available now are more expensive.
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Old 11-09-14, 10:16 PM
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dbl post
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Old 11-09-14, 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Black wallnut
dbl post
,
Sounds as though some fun was achieved.

Please, who, or what, is Niloc?
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Old 11-09-14, 11:53 PM
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courtesy Tammy Reed

Awesome photo from this weekend cross race. This 13 year old Natz. Champ is crazy fast....duh.


My report: Flat front just before o/c descending turn = splat.

Running downhill to pits and snagging a stake = destroyed rear derailleur = dnf

Tough year is getting tougher.


WTF is the problem with the uploader?

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Old 11-10-14, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by nacler22
,
Sounds as though some fun was achieved.

Please, who, or what, is Niloc?
Fellow forum member.
Thanks did have fun.
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Old 11-10-14, 09:17 AM
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Gotcha, thanks.
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Old 11-10-14, 01:36 PM
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@nacler22, sounds like a tough break, no pun intended. I guess I have been lucky so far and have finished every race I've started.
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Old 11-16-14, 11:20 AM
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Raced in the "C" 45+ group on Saturday, Nov 15 at Gibson Park in Sacramento. This was CX race #4 in the local series. Earlier in the week it rained so on Friday afternoon I swapped out the speed track tires from some mud-worthy Vittoria tires. Knew I would need lots of extra traction out there.

I staged in the second row and got a great start. Not so good that I got the hole-shot but only a few behind. First part of the course was relatively tame, taking us though grassy swales, around a few trees, and of course across a set of barriers. Next came a spiral set up on a nice flat dirt area, just keep turning and burning through it. So now we hit the off camber section, set up through trees and to take advantage of the wet grass on the side slope. Pack got a little bunched up and I should have just run through that section. Would have been faster. Lost a couple positions. At the end of the off camber area is this little foot bridge at the bottom of a small hill. Coming off the bridge is a moderate left hand turn. On the warmup lap I tapped my brakes on the bridge and slid so I knew there was no traction. Unfortunately the guys fighting for the lead, maybe 50 yds ahead, didn't know that and got tangled up when someone braked and went down. They quickly got going again, but good for me it helped me close the gap a bit. Through another set of barriers and was solidly in the middle of the pack. Now into the mud. Wasn't very deep, 3 or 4 inches, but enough to really gunk up your drive train. So now only one CX element we haven't encountered, sand. Nice moist and packed sand, which wasn't difficult as long as you stayed out of the deep wheel tracks.

About 1/2 way through the last lap a friend passed me. Didn't want to give up the position that easily. We both hit the gas. I led into the mud, but he managed to power through it ahead of me. I followed through the sand. Unfortunately my focus was on his back wheel and not looking up ahead. I lost momentum when I got into one of the deeper tracks and he pulled away. I finished middle of the pack racing with many good friends. A great day of racing!
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