I had a pretty tricked-out cx bike ready for the race: A Blue Norcross set-up 1x10 with AC Aero 420 wheels and 700 x 40c Kenda Happy Medium tires. Add a saddlebag (2 tubes and inflators) and (gasp) water bottle cages (at least they were carbon) and the bike was ready.
I didn't have that fresh, "snappy" feeling, but with the cool sunny weather I was ready to go at the start. The plan was to hammer the short climbs, pace the long climbs and bomb the descents and technical sections. ...that is, until mile 5.3.
The first technical section is a long rocky section that we would two times today. Some 0f the CX bikes struggle here. Thanks to my wide (by CX standards) tires, I manage to gain a few spots here. At the end of this section my front tire goes flat (mile 5.3). It's not a pinch flat, perhaps just an unlucky encounter with a pointy rock. A few minutes and a new tube later I'm back on the bike. The plan now is to make up the minutes and positions I lost.
I manage to gain back most of the positions I lost. Until I get to the Emerald Outback trail system and I am directed the wrong way (along with quite a few other riders) up a climb. We get turned around reasonably quickly and back on course. The short detour costs me most of the positions I managed to gain back. But it's a great day to ride and a great course. I'm determined to finish the best I possibly can, so I hammer on.
At aid #2, mile 23, I see Thom Parsons from Cyclingdirt's car. I prepare for the worst because I figure he is set-up to take pictures of a gnarly section of trail. I am not disappointed. The trail is wide, but it is loose, rocky, and steep. In fact, many of the descents, though short, were so steep that I can't slow down for them. I have to balance between locking up the brakes and trying to stay slow enough not to bash into the rocks willy nilly. It's actually kinda fun. The more of these descents I do, the more confidence I get. Until I bottom out the rear rim on a rock I didn't see. Instant flat. No worries. I have a 2nd tube. Except this time when I unhook the rear cantilever brake I don't notice the cable housing gets unseated and it takes me extra time to figure out how to get the brake lever reconnected. More time lost. Still determined to get all I can.
It turns out I was almost done with this rocky section and I was on to aid #3 where my wife is waiting. I meet her, get refueled and hammer the climb then descent that would bring me back to her on a lollipop loop 10 miles later. I stop to pump up the rear tire. It was a bit low and now I'm concerned that I may have a leak, or if it's just the CO2 leaking out of the latex tube. Either way, it's more incentive to finish fast before the tire flats.
It's only about 11 (or so) miles to the finish from here. Mostly one long gravel road climb then back into the technical, rocky section where my first flat occurred. With no more tubes left, I don't want to flat again, but taking it easy doesn't seem like a good plan either. I ride thru the rocks somewhere in between. No flats. A bit more climbing follows, then some sweet road (complete with tight switchbacks) descending followed by one short but sweet climb to the finish. The clock ticks 4:36. A little slower than my goal time, but good enough for 7th in class. A very satisfying finish.
See you on the trails!
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