Cap City Cross - Big Run Park - October 16, 2011

The one thing each week about cross racing, is you just never know when someone is going to have a better day than you are having. Some days, you get served...

Cyclocross Race #5 for the year

This day, I was not having an amazing day on the bike. I knew I would suffer, but suffering and having the engine are two separate things. I put in a fairly tough week of training in the days-week preceding. I knew my legs wouldn't respond with everything I needed, but I didn't know just how.

I got a good pre-ride in, but was arrived at the race way early and I think spent too much time riding around and not enough eating. No matter, the Senior Citizens club of Masters line up at the bottom of the hill, along side CAT 1 road racer, Jim B. It is an open masters race right, yea it is. Whistle. We are off, as I smartly settle in behind the leaders pulling my fat ass up that soap box hill. Over the top we go, my team mate Glen and I battle for position in the first few turns, I take a different line down into the ditch than most everyone else, it provided a smoother straight line into the next hard right turn. We head into the hillside and the barrier at the bottom of the hill, then back down towards the bottom of the Box derby hill, but over a giant dirt climb.

It was rough on the other side, and required quite a bit of focus and attention to avoid the ditch and raised sections of hard dirt and rocks. Scott Young was having a good day, and was not going ot be reeled in, however, Glen and Blair and I were riding around like we were chained together. I had a few moments where I was suffering and Glen, slowed up the pace, there wasn't anyone gaining on us, so it was going to come down to the last few turns and the run up the hill, or the grass section at the bottom....

We all stuck to each other like a kids magnetic toy train, until we rolled off the grass and onto the pavement at the bottom of the Soap Box Hill, near where we started the race (see start pic above for perspective on the sprint distance) Blair put in a dig, Glen countered, I sat on, waiting for the moment. Blair was up front, I was on Blair's wheel, I knew I couldn't out sprint Blair or let him get the jump, I had to go, I think my shift click was a trigger for him, however, I jumped flew hard left and gave it full-throttle. Blair had his gas wide open, so I swung back to his wheel and tried to suck any wind I could, I pushed and pushed, but still missed beating Blair by about a bike length.

That is the first time he's beat me this year. Glen rolled in right behind me...he didn't even bother getting up to sprint.

The BWE (wife Jen) always takes amazing photos....

I pulled a decent 6th place in, just missing 5th.


that was one long uphill sprint. I hit a high Heart Rate number for the year. Ouch.
Lots of coughing after this race.

oh, Masters CAT 1 road racer guy, finished over 2 minutes ahead of us...he was rollin.

Cap City Cross #1 - Big Run Park, Columbus-Ohio

Big Run park - Cap City Cross

First race of the series and someplace Andy and crew have been trying to get their hands on for about three years. I'd say after today, it was worth the wait. This place was so cross. Lots of off camber, lots of twists, lots of flow and a bit of pavement.

The photos to the left are from the National championship course in Akron, Ohio - a little Ohio History for you readers.

We started at the bottom of the actual Big Run Park Soap box Derby hill on the pavement. I lined up with the Open Cat 3's and the Cat 3 - 35+ and 45+. I think a large group of just over 54 or so of the combined fields.

The start was fast and furious, with super speedy racer/ official and Ohio Cycling Association creator, Kirk Albers. Since myself, Layne and Tim had done some recon, we knew if the start or finish was on that pavement hill, it would be a determining factor each lap, at the start and at the finish. It was. The start was fun, I was sitting top 10, just where I wanted to be at the crest then recovering a little quicker and having more confidence than some into the super grass dip after the road crossing, much of the race was determined here and at the first hard left hand turn around our first fat tree.

From the tree we dodged a telephone pole on some fun off camber stuff then back hard right up and over the first set of flat ground-double barriers. After the barriers we elbowed our way into a wide section where some passing occurred each lap, then back across the same road and up onto the grassy side of the Derby hill itself. Up, down and up again over a short single barrier and up a very short steep run.
I actually enjoyed this run, each lap. I am not struggling this year with any of my previous years calf cramping issues. Good grief those hurt the last two years.

AT the top of the steep run up was a hard right down a steep off camber sweeping left turn, that was proving to be a determining area for the race and a challenge for those with no balls or lack of experience to find the right line and balance on the bike. John Proppe figured it out and had it down! As we twisted and turned up the grassy hillside within the tape we crested onto the pavement at the top of the derby hill, then back down to a set of super fun sweeping right, left right then along the tall grass to enter the straight away for the super steep hill dirt climb. This was so much of a mountain bike hill and seemed to prove a challenge again for some. The other side was a long run out into a hard left turn that was holding some moisture and also required braking at the right time to carry speed out of the turn.
We zig zagged back and forth along the bottom of the pavement and back out on the pavement for a brief moment, then back out at the way bottom for the long speedy hurtful climb back up the pave'.

I managed to not loose any places on the road section, and hold my own.

I did go down on the last lap, which certainly jarred my melon, I lost track of what lap we were on and lost two places at the line, but no biggie, it was my two teammates, Doug and Tim.

Had I not gone down on the off camber bumpy stuff, I might have had a 8th place overall in the 3's.

Ahh well, I still managed a 2nd place in the 35+ field, which was stellar. I was just super bummed I didn't get to physically stand on a podium for once.


<<< Kyle Wingler

Pics of the Elite racers, Single-Speeds  and some of the 3's that actually did two races.

<< This is Matt Weeks and Paul Martin.
Both very good racers, but Paul got the best of Matt at the bottom of the hill on the last lap and basically out sprinted him and made it look like Matt wasn't even moving - very impressive.

<<< Mason (SS) chasing Joe Hall

<< Greg Flecher ended up 5th in the Elite race.