Race Report: 2007 PCRS #6

I came out of the Coolest 24 race feeling a bit run down, and I didn't ride at all Monday or yesterday, so I wasn't expecting a great result from this race. After a couple practice laps, my legs felt OK but not great. The course was longer and harder this week, with some technical terrain and much more climbing, which I welcomed. I told Doug that some new people will rise to the top in this race.

Doug and I both started poorly and had to pick our way through the field. Jerry (517) was flying.



I lost Doug pretty quickly, and I figured I was going to have a bad day.



My legs felt dead.



At the beginning of the second lap a large rock flipped off someone's tire, hitting me in the right shin. It hurt like hell, but it made me forget all about my dead legs. These things happen in racing, and you just have to block it out. I refused to even glance down at my leg to see how it looked.

I kept plugging along, my throat burning from the dust. Towards the end of the second lap I saw my nemesis, Jerry, up ahead of me on a climb. I knew I could get him if I took back a little time on every climb. At his size, regardless of how strong he is, I just didn't think he could out climb me.

So I set about executing my plan, hitting every climb hard, but not too hard.



Slowly but surely I reeled him in. Before a gradual climb towards the end of the race, I rested on a downhill and then gave it full gas going by him. I held my speed all the way over the top and hit the downhill with a big gap on him. He came back a little on a flat section, where he could use his power, but when we hit another steep hill I hit it hard again. That broke him. It was so very sweet. I put about 45 seconds into him by the finish. What made it even sweeter was how he completely ignored me after the race. He was very willing to talk after races when he was beating me, but not today.

I came in fourth while Doug once again took the win. I feel good about my progression in the last three weeks: sixth, fifth and fourth.

My lumpy shin after the race:

I wrestled back first overall from Jerry, again leading him by one point. (Click for a better view.)



With six races down and six to go, I feel good about a podium finish.

Later.

Race Report: 2007 PCRS #5

This one hurt. It's getting very serious out there, and I am surprised how competitive everyone is. I assumed the Wednesday night series would be more laid back than a weekend race, but it's quite the opposite—we all want to win.

Realistically, there is only one guy who can win the overall, and that is Doug. He is on another level than the rest of us. If not for missing the first two races, the series lead would be his. This bodes well for our 24-hour team race in three days, but not for my hopes of an overall win in this series.

Today Doug simply rode away right from the start. I didn't even attempt to go with him. Up front he battled it out with another guy for the win:



Farther back I was in a group of three battling for third.



On the last lap, on a long climb into a strong headwind, Jerry and another guy got a gap on me. Again, Jerry's power is freakish.

I gave it everything I had to close the gap, but no dice. Even channeling Johnny Cash with my all-black outfit didn't seem to help.



I ended up fifth right behind Jerry in fourth. We are now tied for first with 96 points.

I completely turned myself inside out in the race. We were all hitting it pretty hard. In previous races there was some coasting down the hills, or sitting up to drink, but not yesterday. It was redline from start to finish. It hurt the worst of the five races so far. By far.

Later.