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.