Darden Towe cyclocross race report

VA Series Finals/Darden Towe Cyclocross
Senior B Men
Charlottesville, VA
December 9, 2007

As you're all aware, I've been sick. I caught this little cold a little over a week ago, and it's been hanging around- congestion and coughing, mostly) not wanting to give up. I'm not even a medicator- I typically deal with my sickness and go about my business. It saves me money, but I also think many medications cover up your true feeling of health. And frankly, I'd rather KNOW I'm better than simply feel better, and either make things worse or prolong the illness. But this time... Oh, no. I'm about to leave for the National Championships, and I want to be able to breathe! So I was on TheraFlu, Airborne, Delsym, and Mucinex DM during the day, and taking Delsym and Tylenol PM to help me sleep through the night. It didn't really work, but at least it made me a little less congested or a little more energetic.

After the race in Reston, and with my coughing and not sleeping well, and the rainy days... I just didn't train during the week. I went to our cyclocross practice session on Tuesday night- rode for about an hour and even put in a few short bursts of intensity. I went home that night exhausted and didn't ride the bike again until race day. Not the plan, but it's how it worked out. And on Saturday, my roommate and I got the ceiling sheet rock finished, so at least that wasn't a day wasted on the couch.

Okay- the disclaimer has been laid out. I had no expectations going into this race. Sick, tired, untrained (but rested?) I drove to Charlottesville in a daze. I wasn't motivated to race at all. I never thought of NOT racing, even if all I wanted to do was take a nap.

Weather was okay- not quite sunny and not quite warm. 50-ish and a little windy. It had rained a bit over the week which made the course a little tacky, but not wet. Tacky is good- keeps the tires on the ground. Too soft and you get bogged down. This was actually tacky and fast. It was a great course- very hilly with a lot of twists, turns, long and short climbs, long and short descents... and a few tricky off-camber sections. That's my speciality!

Completely unmotivated, I got dressed and warmed up- at times hot and at others cold with the wind blowing. But I got a decent warmup and rode around a bit while waiting for the 1pm start. I did start to feel a little better and awake after the warmup.

We get called to the start, line up... I'm on the front and starting to get a little more anxious. The whistle blows, and we're off and running. I'm in too low of a gear at first, but there are plenty of turns and a set of barriers at the start to keep everyone a little clustered.

On the first lap, I'm not in a bad position- probably 7th or 8th going into the back side of the course, which is pretty open and fast. I am able to make up a few spots there, and I see an opening to get to the front. My usual tactic... drive the pace, make the separation... then die. I create a group of about 5, and we get to the run-up (which could be ridden if you had the right gearing. I do not.) and I see everyone else riding it, so I try to as well. I am not successful, but a few others are. Lose 5 places.

This is where it all gets blurry. I chased back to the lead group. We stay together, and I make up a few more spots and get back near the front around the barriers. I think I led the long downhill on the second lap. But then on the switchback climb... I just didn't have enough gear. I struggled, and guys on mountain bikes were passing me. Demoralizing, yes... But I persevered and got back to the front.

On the 3rd lap, after a blazing fast descent that has a tree in the sightline at the apex of the turn, I carry a lot of speed heading up one of the long climbs on the course. The guy who was in 3rd was on the climb, and I carry a lot of speed- he probably didn't know how close I was. I put in a huge dig and sprint past him on the right- and through the next few chicanes I can see I'm putting time on him. I'm in a solid second place with about 20 minutes to go in the race.

This is the rest of the race- I could see someone ahead of me (same guy who won the State Championship race), and I could see two behind. I kept putting in huge efforts on the climbs, and blasting the descents, but not taking huge risks. I'm trying to keep the effort manageable, but I know I can't let 3rd and 4th catch me- I don't want the run-up to be the decider in the race.

With a lap to go I've more or less got a spot I can't lose, and I can't make up the time between the leader and myself. I still drive it to the line to make sure I don't get caught, and ride the run-up, even with my too-tall gearing. It was a struggle, but I like to please the crowd.

Another 2nd, and I finish out the series in 5th. I am not sure I could have caught the guy in front of me in the series. Without the DNF or the mechanical issues I had early in the season, I think I could have been much closer to the top of the series. But there's always next year, when I move up to the A race, and will be trying to keep pace with some really fast dudes.

Only 2 more races to go in 2007... It's icing over in the Midwest, so I'm heading out to Kansas City to play in it.