Cross season 2011-2012 has come to an end a weekend ago with the state championships in Houston for the skill based on Saturday, and a little north of town in The Woodlands for the age based. The weather has finally turned and we aren’t likely to see weather like we had last weekend for the races, sunny, 60 degrees and not much wind.
Saturdays course had alot of variety, loose 180 degree corners, pavement sections, a log to get over, and a run up, as well as some solid grass pedaling sections. I started on the front row as I was in the top 8 of the TXBRA points. There were a few missing riders from the top 8, so they allowed Steve Tilford and Adam Mills to join the front line as well. There were 8 of us in the space to line up, but once we started it got tight quick so you could get squeezed out if you were unlucky. The gun went off and I got clipped in right away and was in fourth wheel maybe. Fawley turned around to see where Tilford was and seeing he didn’t have a perfect start, Fawley turned back around and proceed to turn it on. Paul Bonds would go with him as well as Wiley and Scott Henry soon after that. I settled into our group of four or so. Me, smoothie, Colton and Tilford would soon join us, and not too long after Adam Mills would connect to us.
Everyone was waiting for the other to make the move, I was watching Smoothie and Colton, everyone was watching Tilford, and Im sure I was marked as well. We all took digs at the front, and notl one could really shed anyone except when Tilford attacked. No one went with him. He had 20 seconds on us, but rolled his tire in one of the turns and we would catch him.
With three to go I was on the front, pushing the pace a little seeing if I could get rid of a rider or two, also enjoying the freedom of being at the front and choosing the line. I sat up through the finish line headed into two to go and everyone came around me. Tilford, Adam, Colton and Smoothie. Tilford attacked and Colton went with him. Adam and Smoothie gapped me by about 5 seconds and I was dangling on, trying ever so desperately to catch back on. I was gaining a little bit, but would drop my chain when dismounting halfway up the run up. So chasing again. The same would happen on the last lap, deciding any chance of catching back on to the three remaining riders. I was unable to close the gap, what not for trying. I got 7th overall, 3rd in the Cat 2s, but Adam Mills is from out of state so I got 2nd in the state competition. Im gonna be getting a K-edge chain watcher for the inside and keep a tight chain for next year so that’s less of an issue, plus work on my overall riding(line selection, riding economy, etc.).
With three to go I was on the front, pushing the pace a little seeing if I could get rid of a rider or two, also enjoying the freedom of being at the front and choosing the line. I sat up through the finish line headed into two to go and everyone came around me. Tilford, Adam, Colton and Smoothie. Tilford attacked and Colton went with him. Adam and Smoothie gapped me by about 5 seconds and I was dangling on, trying ever so desperately to catch back on. I was gaining a little bit, but would drop my chain when dismounting halfway up the run up. So chasing again. The same would happen on the last lap, deciding any chance of catching back on to the three remaining riders. I was unable to close the gap, what not for trying. I got 7th overall, 3rd in the Cat 2s, but Adam Mills is from out of state so I got 2nd in the state competition. Im gonna be getting a K-edge chain watcher for the inside and keep a tight chain for next year so that’s less of an issue, plus work on my overall riding(line selection, riding economy, etc.).
I had planned my season around peaking for the State Championship weekend so when Saturday didn’t go as I’d had been planning, it was a huge mental barrier. Sunday I got to the course and tried to do a few warm up laps. I found it incredibly hard to get my heart rate up, much less get the pedals to turn. I had put far too much into the previous days race. I got off the course but we still had an hour or so to go so I went ahead and had some peanut brittle and an orange to see if I could get my blood sugar up. I was feeling a little better and went out and did a few one minute openers on the course looked at a few different lines one more time.
The start line was on the backside of the course so by the time I remembered to head that way most everyone was there. There was 45 starters so it was certainly a big field. Tilford had chosen to head north to OK, but most everyone else was there. You could tell everyone was on edge, as we had a false start, not everyone waiting for the go/whistle to start. So we all got lined back up, and got started proper like. The course was grassy with mulched circles around the trees that made for somewhat loose turning. There was a punchy bi-leveled hill right after the finish and headed through to start the second lap someone attacked and we got it on. Paul and Fawley soon had a 10 second gap, on 4 of us. Adam Mills, Colton, Wiley and myself. It would get somewhat tactical so Paul and Fawley’s lead grew to over 30 seconds. I knew Wiley was my competition for 2nd in the 30-39 category as I didn’t expect to catch Paul Bonds. Wiley had one teammate in the four of us so I was at a disadvantage and knew I had to attack and drop Wiley. I attacked and so did Adam and we dropped him after a few laps.
There was another hill besides the bi-level one after the start. It was early in the lap right after the pit area. It was a right angled turn straight up the backside of the hill. It was a grinder, but if you played it right you could attack after the hill and get some rest going into a swooping downhill left hander. I went into the hill late in the wrong gear and had to dismount. The other two realized I had made a mistake and attacked me to take advantage. They would have me gapped at maybe 10 seconds at the most. I fought valiantly for two laps taking advantage of every bit of the course and the crowd that I could. Powering the flat parts and being as smooth an controlled as I could in the corners. After two or three laps(5-6 minutes a lap) of working as hard as I could, I made connection right after the bi-level hill on the start of the last lap. They immediately sat up, and so did I having been red-lined for the last few minutes.
With the three of us working hard to either catch/not be caught we had brought down the gap to the leaders to under ten seconds again. Paul had attacked Fawley last time through where we had started so they were both on their own.
Adam, Colton and I stayed together until after the big hill. The last trip up it was painstakingly slow, with Adam trying to get one of us to unclip or mess up. He was unsuccessful, and I went to the front and attacked, knowing I only had 4 minutes left to give it my all, so that’s what I would do. Adam dropped by the time we got back around to the front side of the course with the barriers, but Colton wasn’t going anywhere I put in one more dig, but he was unfazed, so I just kept steady power.
He wasn’t going anywhere, so I knew I had to be smooth through the last few sections and be first through the last corner and start my sprint and he wouldn’t be able to come around. It was close but I pushed it as hard as I could and held him off. This victory was particularly sweet as I knew I should have beat him the day before, but not everything lined up my way. I nearly passed out as I got to the hill and I just layed there for a bit trying to catch my breath.
Adam and Colton came over for a bit and we chatted about the days race and the weekend on the whole. I sure am glad I decided to toe the line, instead of heading home as I felt like I wanted to earlier in the day. If I had I wouldn’t have just let myself down, there would have been many of my teammates and friends who would have also been let down. I was much happier with my Sunday performance, even though I still didn’t get a State Championship jersey. There’s always next year.
Adam and Colton came over for a bit and we chatted about the days race and the weekend on the whole. I sure am glad I decided to toe the line, instead of heading home as I felt like I wanted to earlier in the day. If I had I wouldn’t have just let myself down, there would have been many of my teammates and friends who would have also been let down. I was much happier with my Sunday performance, even though I still didn’t get a State Championship jersey. There’s always next year.
I heard this quote this evening watching Iron Chef and found it quite fitting to my State Championship weekend.
Win as though your used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.
2011 has been quite an amazing year for me, Top 4 in all the TXBRA categories(crit, TT, road, and CX). I’ve had a great bunch of teammates to share the year with and with the guidance and focus of coaching from Bryan Fawley for next year, and the excellent support of my teammates on PACC, and Plano Cycling and Fitness, I am very hopeful for an even better 2012.
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