The weather for last weekend's Cross Revolution event at Sprinker was like all the others this year. Hot. Dry. Smokey.
The course was a bit different than previous years. The first corner was a 180 degree hairpin on the pavement. The back section of the course had more sand than previous years. And the layout leveraged the 'bump' by routing us up and over four different ways.
The heat motivated me to carry a full water bottle in my back pocket. Fading due to heat was a strong possibility. I was keen to stick to a pacing strategy that I could carry to the finish.
I received a front row call up for the cat 1/2 45+ men's start. Teammate Jonas was on my left. Doug Graver was on my right. The danger posed by the paved first corner was on everyone's mind.
Doug snapped off the line and was a half bike length ahead when we moved towards each other. By bars met his hip and I bobbled for a second. A second later I recovered my composure and managed to get myself through the first corner in fourth with Doug on my outside hip. I motioned him past on the second straight and slotted happily into fifth. Disaster was averted. Every rider stayed upright through the first corner.
I did not intend to work to hold my top five position. Halfway through the first lap I was letting the leaders slip away and watching the first rider in the chase group work up to my wheel.
On the second lap I let those chasers come by as they needed. I didn't fight them for position. I did notice some of them were not linking the corners together as smoothly as possible.
The dry weather changed the flavor of the Sprinker Recreation Center course. Many sections featured loose surfaces. In some places it was sand. In others we found wood chips. One corner was filled with round river rock. To Chris Adolf's dismay there were multiple sections littered with pine cones. Leaning the bike over through the loose bits brought unnecessary risk so I started searching for alternate lines that avoided the loosest sections.
On the third lap I found my groove. On the front straight I sat up and drank. In the back section I was finding the safest lines. I was putting out consistent power and setting consistent lap times.
On the fourth lap I reached my low point. While dismounted for the sand run up I tripped over my own foot. My bike fell to the ground and I joined it. Picking myself up cost only a few seconds and one position. The greater burden was put on my spirit. The run up jacked my heart rate and I felt no joy as I remounted and finished the lap.
As I finished lap five I received three little rewards. I ditched the water bottle from my pocket. I spectator soaked my jersey as I passed with a stream of cool water. I caught sight of two competitors up the road.
With one full lap to go I got to work planning for the catch and hopefully, the double pass.
I forced myself to stay calm. I needed to bring them back slowly. I increased my efforts into the pedals only marginally.
After five laps of survey I was satisfied with my course knowledge. I rode the most risk free lines through the corners covered in sand or wood chips or those dastardly cones. On the final lap I stuck with those lines but re-introduced some risk by riding them a bit faster.
The first time up the bump I wasn't sure if I was even cutting into their lead. The second time up the bump I put in a solid effort and could see they were indeed coming to me. It looked like the gap was consistent on the flats and I was clawing back seconds on the short climbs. I leaned into this fact on the third climb up the bump and gained some more. I put the Hakka on rails through the next set of corners which ate the remainder of their lead.
With a quarter lap to go I took stock of the situation. Between us and the finish stood three distinct sections. Grassy turns where I had an advantage but passing was difficult. The final push over the bump via the sand run up. And a fast smooth trail section that delivered us nearly to the paved finish straight.
I chose to wait and watch through the grassy turns. The setup was perfect. Dee Patterson was leading our trio and riding the corners conservatively. Alec Duxbury and I followed closely. I gained control of my heart rate.
The approach to the run up included an off camber section that was to my liking. I planned a bold double pass by diving to the low side on the right and gaining the inside position into the right hander. I pipped Alec but Dee held the stronger line through the corner.
At the top of the run up Dee led my by one step. After remounting we both nailed the sand descent and entered the fast trail with my nose to his tail. I realized I was in a position vulnerable to attack from behind. Two quick shoulder checks confirmed that Alec was not in position to make that attack. I shelved all plans for defense and swiveled my thoughts to offense.
I stayed in Dee's draft and looked for clues on his next move. His body language indicated he still had power in reserve. I couldn't let him lead me onto the final straight.
The fast trail dumped us into the final two corners. A right hander that featured pine cones led into a left hander that featured the round river rocks. Each corner had just one good line. Whoever was latest on the brakes would prevail.
I eased up to open a small gap, accelerated into it, and then pulled into the inside position as we braked side by side. My aggression and inside line worked to my advantage. Pass complete.
The course was narrow and bent left where the pavement started. I dropped into my roadie position and spooled up the power. Once on the straight I checked behind expecting to see concession from Dee. Instead my vision was full of him charging my way. I popped out of the saddle and we sprinted for 150 meters. He stuck to my wheel but could not come around and I held onto ninth.
I was hot and tired before I started the final lap. Then I pushed a little extra chasing and catching. The sprint put me over the top and well into the hurt locker. I spent the next five minutes laying on the pavement trying to regain my senses.
The days of Summer Cross are nearing an end. Rain is in the forecast. Mixing dirt and water will create mud. And with that mud we can start proper cyclocross racing.
Finishing Hot at Sprinker Recreation Center
Racing the Clock at Fort Steilacoom Park
I consider Fort Steilacoom Park my local cyclocross course. When the new MFG Cyclocross team came to my town and put on a race at F.S.P I found it was an easy choice to attend.
Like previous races this year racers were faced with bone dry soil and above average temperatures. This year I've been coming up to speed with dry soil cross racing and how it affects tire choice. For the third race in a row I chose to ride Maxxis Ramblers in size 40mm. I've also been coming up to speed on hydration needs and placed a full water bottle in my back pocket.
When I lined up for the cat 1/2 50+ men's start I joined a group of less than 15 racers. The start was uneventful and we were soon streaming through the dry grass turns that punctuated the bottom section of the course. These grass section turns were flat and smooth and rewarded a smooth entry and exit.
As we passed the pits I noticed Craig Undem was unclipping his inside foot through some corners. I considered shouting a mid race heckle. An instant later my rear wheel let loose and snapped sideways. I figured that was the Karma police reminding me to be kind.
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| My teammate Jonas navigates the bottom turn in the orchard. |
A half lap later at the top of the orchard both tires let go. I drifted a short ways before getting the bike in line and barely avoided hitting the ground. This slide put me on edge. It also jolted my memory. Craig and I were both on the same make and model of tire. The Maxxis Ramblers were performing like the proverbial knife in a gun fight. I had no choice but to dial back my cornering aggression for the remainder of the race.
I dialed back my cornering speeds and found myself riding solo. I focused my energy on two challenges. Straightening the corners as much as possible. And choosing a pace that balanced power output and recovery needs.
The elevation profile at F.S.P. created a real recovery challenge. The course had a long stretch of soft sand. Most racers rode it which elevated our heart rates. Just two corners later we were faced with the run up. These two features compounded the suffer and my eyes crossed every lap as I remounted. After a too short off camber section we climbed up to the top of the orchard. Choosing to push too hard in the sand or run up crushed my ability to finish the climb.
At the beginning of the second lap I caught three riders to form a group of four. Warning bells sounded in my head. It was way too early to start scrapping for positions. I quietly backed off to trail the trio by one or two seconds. I needed to listen to my body and choose a pace I could sustain to the finish. After watching them from a distance for two laps they demonstrated their superior fitness and began to inch away.
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| Patrick also offered full face water splashes. I opted for a simple water bottle hand up. |
By mid race I was suffering from the heat. My water bottle was a one-time-use solution. There was no feasible way to put the bottle back into my pocket once removed. My friend Patrick from Grit City Health came to my rescue. He saw me suffering and offered a bottle hand up. A lap later he offered another. Thanks Patrick!
On lap four I committed to maintaining my effort to the finish and aimed for perfect pacing. I dialed in the appropriate amount of suffer on each trip up the run. I worked hard enough to prevent the leader of the elite group from lapping me. I crossed the line without drama to complete seventy minutes of racing.
I squeaked into the top ten with another ninth. My lap times showed pacing improvement. If I exclude the first lap the other six are all within twenty seconds of each other. The final four laps were within five seconds of each other. At the end of the race I was executing solid pacing.
I also improved my performance against my common rivals. I lost one minute to Craig compared to losing four minutes the previous week. I lost four minutes to the winner compared to losing six minutes the previous week. I survived a full seventy minutes of racing.
Fort Steilacoom Park loves to challenge me. This race was no exception. F.S.P. also makes me a stronger racer. Next weekend we visit Sprinker Recreation Center for what will likely be another warm and dry cross event. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to improve my showing at these California style cross events.
Arlington Airport 2022
Two weeks ago, at Evergreen High School, I did not race up to my potential. After a couple weeks of thought I determined it was time to change my pacing strategy. The Cross Revolution race at Arlington would be the test to determine if my pacing could be improved. At first glance both events appeared to share many similarities. They both were held on warm dry days that invited some sweat and dust. Both courses featured dry grass, a run up, and a sand section. Despite the similarities the Arlington event turned out to be a different animal.
The dry grass at Arlington had been cut much longer and hid hard lumpy soil. The course included two single track sections that each concluded with a prominent feature. The first single track section led right into the run up which, unlike the Evergreen H.S. run up, could often be ridden. The second single track section ended with a traditional sand section. My sand riding skills returned and I was usually able to ride this section. These course features figured into my race finish.
After taking a few laps to view the course I conferred with my teammate Jonas. Overall the course was not all that technical. We discussed where to invest power and where to find some recovery. The warm temperatures motivated me to stow a water bottle in a rear jersey pocket. Heat and hydration figured into my race finish.
We had about twenty riders on the line for the men's cat 1/2 45+ start. I navigated the first corner safely and quickly settled into my own pace as the top six or eight riders sped off.
After my last race, where I pushed hard to ride with the lead group for three quarters of the first lap, I approached Arlington with a different pacing plan. I challenged myself to ignore my competitive drive in the early laps and aim for even splits.
Within a lap I found myself trading positions with Andrew Lynch. I was better at riding the run up. He was better on the flats. I worked to keep my competitive emotions in check and focused on optimal pacing. By half way I heard the announcer say we were competing for seventh place. At about this time I checked back to see a small gap on Andrew. I felt confident I could stay ahead to the finish.
My fitness and pacing seemed a good match. Every lap I hit some big watts to ride the run up. Every lap this effort maxed my heart rate. But I could get it back under control within a minute or two. The same pattern emerged through the sand section. The suffer meter was pegged immediately after those efforts and my body repeatedly bounced back.
When I saw the lap counter announce two laps to go my head drooped. The heat was catching up with me. I wanted so much to be done. Internally I questioned my ability to race another twenty minutes.
Just one lap later I stripped those doubts from my mind and replaced them with a larger problem to solve. Andrew Lynch was closing the gap and bringing Colin Ferguson with him. With less than a lap to go they worked up into striking distance. I kept an eye on them through the single track as we approached the run up. Luckily, when I needed it most, I nailed the run up. This effort opened up my gap. But, for the first time all day, I could not get my heart rate under control once back on the flats. I was just two or three minutes from the finish and completely gassed. They both pedaled right by.
My heart pounded inside my chest and I barely kept the bike rolling into the final single track section. The slow turns of single track allowed just tiny bit of recovery. My focus during my final trip through the sand was absolute and I rode it convincingly. As I completing the sand section I glanced up to realize both Andrew and Colin were forced to run. My ride through the sand closed the gap and we were tight as we entered the final set of flat grass turns. My competitive drive took over the controls and snapped me to attention.
Andrew and Colin's body language showed they also realized the race was on. I knew just two of the final four corners offered decent opportunities to wrestle back a position. The first opportunity, a right hander, was most ripe for a pass and I pushed hard on the pedals to gain an inside position. My competitors sensed this and stayed on the gas all the way to the corner. The final left hander was tighter but still offered a passing lane. I set myself up well but my legs lacked the snap to get me into a solid passing position. I showed my wheel but Andrew granted no gift. A three second blanket covered all three of us as we crossed the line with Colin nabbing seventh and Andrew in for eighth.
I was destroyed. Snot dripped off my face. Dust covering my sweaty skin. The three of us shared fist bumps to celebrate our spectacular finish to a truly grueling race.
On the long drive home I over analyzed the final lap of the race and grinned on every replay. Once home I looked at lap times that showed my laps times were about twenty seconds slower in the late laps as compared to the early laps. That is a bigger drop than I hoped for but still OK.
More importantly, I wondered to myself if equal splits was the right pacing strategy. I concluded it was the best strategy for me. The Arlington course did not play well to my strengths. The flat and bumpy straights required raw sustained power. I cannot usually match the raw power of the race winners. By letting the front runners go from the gun I was able to sustain a moderate effort for 62 minutes.
Kudos to Andrew and Colin for the reminder that we were in a 65 minute race.
My search to find ways to trim a few seconds in ongoing. For the short term I'll continue working on three obvious avenues for improvement. I'll continue my training regimen and reach for a few more watts. I'll commit more practice at pacing correctly for the course. And I'll pray for some rain.