Minuteman Road Club

Front row start in the 2/3/4 race, and that was basically the highlight of the night for me. I had a fair start, although I didn't immediately find my pedal and so didn't get a great jump. I was in 5th for a bit, though, then I started going backwards. My first 2 laps seemed like I might be in contention but I was apparently way too deep in the red zone. The engine room soon started producing more smoke than watts. I bled spots for the rest of the race, and I after a while I didn't really care. At least, I didn't care enough to dig deeper. I had mentally checked out and the finish couldn't come soon enough. I crossed the line in 26th. I can't say whether it was the course, my training, diet, hydration, or whether I just went too hard early and blew up. Whatever it was, I had a crap race. Not where I wanted to be with Gloucester this weekend, but I'll get over it.

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you."

I doubled up in the 4/5 and 2/3/4 races for my 2nd and 3rd cross races ever, respectively. I was so busy socializing before the first race that I forgot to look at the course or do any warm-up. I'm still pretty fuzzy, in general, on how much warming up is optimal for me, but it would have been nice to see the course! Eventually, I saw it plenty. Considering how much repair work I just did on my bike, it performed reasonably well, but more work will be needed. I did manage to drop my chain on the last lap again, but Mark B. was right there to point it out to me, thanks! A few passed me there, but I re-passed them on the last little uphill. I got 31st/101, which I'll consider an improvement over my 29th/60 at Quad Cross.
I had a nice picnic dinner with Michelle before lining up for the 2/3/4. My goal was to not injure myself and finish without getting lapped. Success! I was very impressed with the speed off of the start line, and I was very entertained by the confusion, chaos, and crowdedness of the first 1/2 lap. I got to ride with/near Nolan and Stefan, but they both eventually out-bettered me. My arms were very tired by the end of the night. Also I had insomnia until about 1:30 AM, but I feel reasonably well today considering all that.

In many ways, I could cut and paste my Sucker Brook report here, except instead of playing the role of Crashy McCrasher, I simply ran into the back of someone, got my canti brake jammed under my rim, and lost 30 seconds fixing it.

Having been in dead last before, I didn't panic, and I'm pretty happy with the rest of my race. I spent laps one and two working my way through the back part of the field, then settled into a pretty big group. I'd gradually worked my way from the back to near the front of this horde when we caught Jacob, riding his second race of the night. After passing him on the uphill/downhill turns, Jacob came flying through on the straightaway. The guys at the front of the group managed to catch onto his wheel, but his effort shed 5-6 guys off the back of the group. He then did the same thing on the next lap, winnowing down the group a little further. I think he paid for his efforts after that,'cause I didn't see him again until after the race. Nice job, though, and thanks.

In the end, I made it back to where the Race Predictor suggested I should be (87th/120 starters, 108 finishers). Given where I was 3 minutes into the race, I'll take that.

Odds and ends:

• On the first lap, the 4 guys in front of me dismounted to run through the wood chips. Making the first 180 turn, two of them fell, taking out the other two. In case you missed that, they crashed while running. I may have questionable handling skills, but at least I'm not THAT bad.
  
  I keep having "issues" on the opening lap. I think it's because I'm trying too hard to make up positions during this time and end up putting myself in bad situations as a consequence. Anyone got any advice in this area?
  
  Thanks to Paul Jobin (Blue Steel) for pointing out to me that I was not initially listed in the results. Paul and I rode together much of the night, and when he noticed I wasn't near him in the results, he tracked me down to tell me about it.
  
  Even when you're racing amongst the scrubs, CX is damn fun.

Third row call up. Decent start and was top 15-20 after rounding the horse paddock. I had about about 30 seconds of "hey, this could be my day" but then as I was crossing over a short mulch section to the back field area with the clay pit and sand pile, my bike disappeared from under me and WHOOMP, down I went on my left side.

I suffered the further indignity of Eli Levine riding right over my wheels.

Run-of-the-mill calf scrape was not an issue but I felt like I kinda got the wind knocked out of me. That brought me back to reality: 5 hours sleep the night before which followed a long shoot at an election results shin-dig in Boston and very little training in the week leading up to the race.

Rest of the race was spent bleeding spots at a continual rate. By halfway through the 4th lap, I couldn't get it up anymore. My heart rate, that is.

One bright spot with two laps to go was having Dick Ring give me some very sincere encouragement as I crossed high barriers. Definitely raised my spirits!

As I came back onto the pavement the last time for the finish, I took a peek back over my shoulder. It was my feeling that if you hadn't passed me up to this point, you deserved to finish behind me and I wanted to have a peek at whoever it was that I might lord it over.

I saw two guys 20 yards back, moving along pretty fast but thought they couldn't gain on me as I passed the pits at as close to a full gallop as I had left in me.

Suddenly, I heard the distinctive crunching of the gravel driveway that meant someone was sprinting and jumped on my pedals and beat that asshole for 38th place with the help of a bike throw. Dude nearly crashed in the run-out after the finish line.

I was quite surprised to discover that I only went from a 22nd place start to a 38th place. Sometimes bike racing is about finding solace where you can.

Had a nice front row call up, alongside Doug. I also had a case of the "can't clips" but got it sorted out within 20 m or so. Slotted into fourth-ish, and on the first lap I saw the most aggressive, random, and pointless door closing I've ever seen. I wish I had my helmet cam on -- it could have resulted in legendary Internet mockery. Moved into first place in the sand pit, and held that until the pole barns. I went down on the gravel section between the two pole barns and three guys got by me. Got one of them back pretty quick but the other two were checked out. Got passed like I was standing still on an uphill section by 14 year old Kevin Goguen. A surprise to no one, this isn't the first time I've been passed like I was standing still by a young Goguen. Got caught by Dave Warner, Brian coate, and Tim Durrin and we rode together for most of the rest of the race. Tim and I were fairly evenly matched, but Dave was just a beast on anything straight. Lots of swapping positions for the next few laps, although Brian fell off the pace with a half lap to go. All was well until pulling through the start finish with two laps to go. The lap cards were clearly off, it was showing two to go on the card but the officials were ringing the bell. Cagey move? I dunno, but I attacked my group onto the front straightaway with what we thought was one to go and took the uncontested sprint for fourth-place (With the lap card still showing one to go of course). Needless to say, Dave and Tim weren't too happy with the officials, but I'll take it

My main goal in the 2/3/4 was to beat Smudger and Chris. I knew it was going to be a struggle after staging DFL. I chanced it on the start and took an inside flyer on the starting stretch. As usual the field bunched up on the bridge with some heavy breaking. Somehow I made it through without slowing much allowing me to pass many. The first two laps things were pretty bunched up at the back with several stoppages but I was able to hook up with some good wheels when I had the chance. By the time I caught a glimpse of Smudger and Chris on lap 4 I knew the gap was too great to make up. I still managed to pass more than half the field and had a lot of fun in the process. I will get them next time. Anyone have some larger cross clinchers I can try to fit onto my 29'er wheels for Night Weasels?

My goal was not to get passed by that beer swilling, mountain bike racer called Bill Turner and what can I say "job done".

Ok my real goal when I checked cross results race predictor and saw I was staged 70th was to move up 20+ places and make sure I was passing and not being passed all race. Start was basically a semi sprint to the narrow section allow the conjestion to happen the full gas round the wide open left right corners. Worked well and probably made up 15 or so places before yhe sand.

Guess I hit submit by mistake

lap 2 continued the same until I pulled up to Chris B's wheel. I passed him which seemed to wake him up then he passed me and it sort of continued like that with us continuing to pick off more riders for the rest of the race until the last lap where I allowed a passed rider to pass back just before the barn. This gave Chris a gap going up the hill where he passed another NEBC rider. I was now 2 wheels back decending down the twists towards the finish. I made my move on the NEBC rider on the last turn

Ok I need to stop typing on my phone.

gapped him and sprinted hard for the finish getting close to Chris and the guy that passed before the barn but not close enough. It was a lot less than the 11s on the results though.

Finish 34th so got more than half way to the front of the race from my start position

Feck...done it again. This is the last no matter what

Happy with that. Hopefully just 1 more race to go before my cross results start to get me staged better after my 2 year hiatus

Big but Inauspicious comeback after a three year hiatus, injury, the ignominy of a 55th birthday and a plethora of pneurohormonal excuses. Rode the 4/5 just to warm up and coach my buddy Tom through his first race (and 5th bike ride since high school). Go Tom! He didn't dfl! I lined up dfl for the 2/3/4 but realized I had a flat right before gun went off. Hit the highest HR of day sprinting to car. Oh actually it was when CO2 cartridge exploded and nozzle shot across parking lot, narrowly missing Helen Wymans husband -- the guy who convinced me that it was okay for a 190 lb guy to ride clinchers at 28 psi. See ya in shrewsbury!

Lined up midpack in the 4/5 race with Rich B. As usual, I just wung it. No time for much of a warmup. Only second time sitting on the Cx bike. Slow start the first couple of laps and fell on a tree root turn once - there went Rich by me if not well before that. After that, got motivated when some fat guys started to catch me. Put the hammer down the next few laps especially on the uphill grass and straight gravel area and passed a lot of slow guys like me. Honestly had some of the best barriers runs I've ever had the last couple of laps. Was closing in on another group (high to mid 50's) and went down in the wood chips. Finished around 60th. I like SS's quote - "Even when you're racing amongst the scrubs, CX is damn fun" - that pretty much sums it up. I had fun even in the battles amongst the slow guys.

Didn't get into the Weasels and can't go to Providence this weekend. Looks like the MRC race is next.