Race Report: 2004 Sacramento Cyclocross #2

Race two took place at Negro Bar. This venue typically gives me problems, but the course they created had a bit more pavement and a little less grass than in the past. There was also significantly more singletrack, including a very steep chute to climb. On the first lap I made it up and gained significant time.

After that I had to run up like everyone else.

I loved the more technical nature of this course.

The run up the steep hill was pretty tough, but instead of dreading it every lap I embraced it. Every time I picked off at least one guy and moved up.

I worked as hard in this race as I ever have.

On the pavement sections where guys tend to let up, I went full blast. I picked up a couple places here too, and not one single person passed me.

In the end I took sixth place, and I must say I was a little surprised and disappointed. I turned myself inside out and really felt like I would place higher. It was an improvement from last week, but I'm not really satisfied.

I don't want to keep harping on it, but my fitness just isn't what it was last year. The only reason I could even grind out a sixth place was I was willing to go so far into the deepest, darkest depths of the pain cave.

Even riding and training and racing as little as I am is a burden on those around me. I am left wondering if it is all worth it just to race at an "OK" level.

Things to think about.

Later.

Race Report: 2004 Sacramento Cyclocross #1

In a perfect world there would be enough time for everything. You could work a full-time job, spend time with your family, take care of the house and yard, cook meals, shop and still train like an absolute madman.

We do not live in a perfect world. Instead I trained like a sensible adult with many responsibilities. In other words, not much.

I went into this cyclocross season knowing I was not as fit as the two previous years. I would take my lumps and try to have some fun. Try.

Unfortunately I have always had a difficult time enjoying the ritual of paying good money to simply ride around in circles knowing I was only pack fodder. A participant. A loser. 

No, battling for podium spots is what has always made racing fun for me. There are guys who can focus on the individual battle against the course, or take pride in improving their 15th place from the race before, but that ain't me.

One thing that would make it even harder this year was the fact that I aged six years since last year. In the 2003 season I raced in the 35+ B class, which has been the standard for quite a while. For some reason it was changed to 30+ Bs this season. At 37 years old this now put me squarely at the older end of the category.

Race one was held at Folsom Point, which is a good venue for me if you discount the fact that I broke my ribs there last November. However, I also had a second-place finish a month before that.

I got a pretty good start up the asphalt starting hill and hit the dirt in sixth. I held that for a while as the pack spread out quickly.

I pretty much rode the whole race by myself.

A few guys passed me along the way, but for the most part it was a solo ride.

I felt OK but not great. My body language as I crossed the line suggested I was glad to be finished.

In the end I took ninth place. Curtis and Will smoked me.

The guy who won, Roger Lackey, was unknown to me at the time. About two years later I would learn that he works with me at FTB and he is an elite endurance racer.

Later.