CapCity Cross # 4 – Lobdell Reserve Frisbee Golf Course

CapCity Cross # 4 – Lobdell Reserve Frisbee Golf Course

With a bit of a late start, (my fault & being rushed at home) since I couldn’t seem to get my fat ass out of bed, Layne came over to pick me up in the Saab mobile for our trek to Lobdell for our 4th race in the series and a 1:00 p.m. start time.
I think rushing around in the morning before any bike race is not good. I did think I had my gear together, clothes, bag, bike etc. when I really did not have my shit together. I still had a spare wheel that needed a tire, bottles/cooler to prepare, food to finish eating etc. Crap, I hate when I do that.

We arrived about 10 minutes before noon and got there just in time to see my brother in law Tim, warming up, chat a bit, then watch him start his C race. Tim had a super start, got into the barriers really well sitting third or fourth up the shoulder dirt-climb. He finished with his first ever, second place. I am super proud of him, in three races, he went from 22nd, to 7th, to 2nd. I hear the B’s calling Timmy! The kid has skills. I hope that it will bring confidence for some more mountain bike races or road races for next year.

Course – hmmm, well in a nutshell this was a parking lot with a big somewhat flat grass field, we pretty much covered most of the kidney bean shaped field area with a long fast chatter grass start into a dropdown to the right off camber section on grass that had been shaded and not dried off. We rolled around a wide sweeping turn and over two barriers. Make a hard left sweep to a 180 degree turn along the base of a hill for about 100 feet, then shoulder the bike for a long run up a very steep rocky, loose dirt wash out trail up to another level of the Frisbee course.
At the top of the run up, we go slightly up hill to the right and into a bumpy hard almost 180 degree turn and around a sweeping bumpy uphill turn to the right. We wind around a bit on level 2 then head up to a small somewhat hurtful rise in the grass down and then back up a dirt double track to level 3 of the party. Level 3 similar to level 2, except it was long and uphill with some good turns and then one big sweeping turn to the right that went down fast zipping up and down the grass and around one final post, before heading down hill to Level 2. More of the same zipping in and out of some tape then down a fast (recovery) section to a double track dirt road that dropped us back to level 1.
At the bottom, we veered off to the right a bit and then hit a 180 degree turn back to our left, taking us to the furthest point from everyone on Level 1. We hit a few, what I call ‘lookback’ turns then a hard last turn before a final long slightly bumpy grass finish line.

How was it? How did I feel you ask? I don’t have any photos yet, since my cheerleader Jen was not around and I haven’t seen any links yet. I know Mr. Kimmerle was snapping off some photos with his Rebel XT. Those should be good. I really liked the course, I certainly think there was a bit too much climbing for a cross race, but it was fun and a very well designed piece of work. Even local stud, Phil Noble, commented, it was too much climbing for his taste. Ha, ok I wasn’t the only one. My legs just felt slow, beat, like big giant logs attached to my fat ass. I had no speed really, but had tons of ability to keep pushing and pushing. Just no real acceleration to get gas going, when Ben Bonney or Layne came around me – like I was standing still > up on Level 2 I think - about the 2/3rd lap. I watched them as the race progressed just distance themselves from me. I did rally on the last lap, to hold off I think 2/3rd place in the mens Masters group, Glen Gardner was gaining fast and chasing me like a cat, chasing a mouse. He almost had me, I just kept putting small efforts in on the most difficult sections and difficult climbs. My HR was low for the day and got lower as the race progressed, I know I put too much efforts in during the week prior, but it was all for a good future cause.

I am hoping it is money in the bank-training for the up and coming USGP weekend in Louisville, KY. I think I stand in the top 10 of the Cap City series of the B men/CAT 3, so I guess I shouldn’t beat myself up too bad over the results. After, USGP, I have John Bryan State Park and the Gun Club and then the State of Ohio Cyclocross Championships at Lane Road Park in Upper Arlington. I feel so much less blown than I did last year at this same time and I am sure, with a little planning, I’ll be able to hold some great fitness through the Championships.