We skipped out of an 8am soccer game early to make the David Douglas Cyclocross race. Although feeling guilty about this, as the coach I could not do much about the 0-8 scoreline. So P and I leapt into the Falcon and sped to the race. Just enough time to register pay and pay again ($5) to buy another number because one had already been issued to me. This pissed me ORFF! No time to pre-ride, just a few minutes to stretch the still-recovering calves – Betty and Draper (because they look good but are utterly dysfunctional).
Annywaaaaaay, back to the race. At around 10, the Mens Cat C field was surprisingly small. Oh well, all I need to do was hang with these guys and hopefully score an effortless top 10. They all looked like a bunch of lean fit racers and I was probably the oldest by about 10 years. My strategy was to keep pace with the group and reconnoiter the course on that first lap getting in a good warm-up in the process, and then strike on lap two.
The 2 mile course was challenging but incredible fun. After an extended speedy section on grass and pavement, the path turned to a fast single track descent into a forested canyon. The surface was pretty smooth and slick in only a couple of spots. Then there was the ‘short’ run-up. It was quite long but not ultra steep and definitely rideable. Unfortunately, at the top was a log that forced everyone who had ridden up to dismount – no reward for staying on the bike. Then it was through the soft bark of first playground, a barrier before another descent into the canyon – this time steeper and faster than before. Then it was the quad-busting, lung-tearing, calf-ripping ‘long’ run-up. Next was a bit more pffaffing about on the grass, another playground romp and the start/finish.
Ok, to the race. In keeping with my hastily constructed plan, contact was maintained with the leaders on the first lap. After a little bit of to-and-fro'ing I settled into fourth place, with third in my sights and a couple of riders about 100 feet behind me. Through the race fog that dims awareness to a pin-prick, I recognized Chris Miller on the sidelines cheering me on. I was also amused by Luciano talking-up my battle for third place at each lap at the start/finish line. However, it was not much of a battle and he steadily pulled away. I focused instead on protecting 4th. Like a delicate and nimble forest fawn I would accelerate on the faster, flatter sections and my ‘followers’ would recover all that ground in the forest.
It was going to be tough, but with 10 mins to go I started to believe that I could stay away. Then with one and a half laps to go disaster struck (there is ALWAYS a disaster, right?). The first, shorter run-up comes at you pretty fast and I did not handle the slowing and turning so well. Down I went. Bollocks. However, like an over-caffeinated squirrel I sprung up pretty quickly and began to navigate the run-up. The clinking of metal-on-metal told me that the chain had dropped. Annoyed by this development my right calf (Betty) complained, went pop and promptly took a cigarette break. As I remounted the chain the first rider passed. Double bollocks.
After this point, the barriers and run-ups were slow and painful. At one point, after a particularly clumsy remount, a second racer overtook. I tried to respond and kept him close for a while but I lost too much ground on the last two run-ups and soon he was beyond reach. Then it was a matter of simply finishing – which I did with the next racer a long way behind.
Overall, the course was hugely enjoyable – the fast open spaces suited my game. The single-track descents provided a technical challenge and the playground excursions were a novel twist that I had not seen before. In truth, the run-ups were not all that bad because they followed a descent that allowed for some recovery time. It was just a shame to aggravate the calf injury.
Can’t complain about 6th place in an open, if small, Men’s C field
