episode 134: frenchie

Cross country mountain biking is not my cup of tea.

Reality came to me a couple years ago. Shocker huh. Not if you look at my results. But that's okay, it's not really about results anymore, I find myself more striving to feel the way I want to during a race, to have my flow... I do love team relays, and I think that is really my forte.

In these events you can make up for poor talent with preparation, teamwork, and strategy. I also really enjoy the camaraderie and relationships doing these events promotes and builds. Nothing says "friend" like sending your exhausted buddy out for one more lap at 11:59 am...

Nothing says gut check like the 3am lap of a team relay race for me. It's trying to do a TT or your fastest lap, in the dark, already exhausted and sleep deprived, with a stomach that feels like Mt. Saint Helen's circa 1980.

While I greatly admire the solo feats of insane strengths of true endurance athletes, I have neither the mental fortitude or physical ability for such acts, nor as rotten rob and surly bob point out, the desire to miss out on all the fun stuff going on at the compound. And since, thank god, I'm not paying the mortgage or the therapist riding a bike, middle distance is where I choose to point my energies.

Perhaps most importantly, I'm not very good at cross country. 2-3 hours of balls to the wall. Reality is I'm not really that tough. Reality is I'm middle distance, 4-6 hours, a more reasonable pace, preferably with a little rest in the middle. You know for a cup of joe, some chatting, maybe a bite to eat.

Need a role player on your team? I'm your hoss: have bike will travel. In the NBA they call us journeymen. And you know, I'm really okay with that, in fact I love that. I realish that role.

With that as the back drop, I went to the french creek xc race today. The mass opener. I went because I love to ride french, I admire the beans guys and wanted to support their race, and I want to support the new series leaders.

Selfishly, I love riding rocks, and I wouldn't have a chance to race again before the stoopid 50.

Matt (run forest) and Buddy the leg breaker more than had the expert single speed covered for Spot/Twin Six. Finishing 6th and 8th respectively. Bravo Boys, Bravo.

I took on the gearies in the 35+ class. I started third row, and was pretty patient off the start, as we hit the single track I was able to move up, and felt really good. Through a technical section, I passed through a good group of fellas. At the front of the group was Auer who got tangled up with a kid and ended up running a few steps without his bike. I said to him, "dude in cyclocross we run with our bikes..."

up the next climb Auer would ride past me.

I had my flow full on going today,I was very aggressive on the downs. Believe it or not I climbed well too. That was surprising.

Well, until the "orange" climb on the backside, this is where I got myself into a spot of difficulty, the climb was long and had some steep sections, I just couldn't turn the cranks over like I wanted. So I ended up trying to run, but really walking, okay more like taking big steps. That was tough. It felt like a million people got by me as I struggled on that section, I kept looking up and saying, how much further is this going to go? It kept going a bit further...

When I finally got rolling again, I was able to pick off a few of the folks that got by me. Then we had the last half of the lap to do again. I felt really good, grinding up the climbs I was still picking folks off, which was kinda of surprising for me, and descending I felt right on spot today.

I never got everyone back who passed me, but at the end of the day I finished up 9th place in the 35+ expert class. I far exceeded my expectations, I climbed really well, maybe too well early, costing me some on the that back climb, but the reality it was a damn good day.

Man that was cool. First time I felt "right" in a race this season. Yeah man. I had hoped to crack the top 20 today, so to get 9th, and to flirt with a much better result than that, was pretty damn encouraging. Thank you Mr. Mayhew.

I also want to thank everyone who complimented how svelte I was looking today or asked how much weight I have lost. Here's the god's honest truth. I am racing about 2lbs heavier than last year, although I'm still hoping to lose those 2 lbs. Which means one of three things:

1. Everyone likes to tell the fat kid he looks like he is losing weight.

2. Rock climbing has given me a buff upper body, thus hiding my gut.

3. The new "skinny jersey" by twin-six with the built in girdle works great.

I won't express which one I believe it is.

remember next week is Escape from Granogue in honor of Andrew Mein. The race is promoted by our community and in addition to being a kick ass race, on a trails you can only ride during the race, one dollar from every racer entered will be donated to the HERA Women's Cancer group. Like women? hate Cancer? do something about it. Sam L will be there representing the group, and they will be holding raffles to help fund raise for the group as well. You can buy a raffle ticket here.

Props to Fitzy who rolled big time last weekend, with a nice big podium, finishing in 3rd in the tough sport single speed class. F-yeah fitzy, f-yeah.

Pictures from this blog are from MLKimages. I will steal more from Dennisbike.com as soon as i get a chance.

rock and roll.

stay in school.

respect.
fm