A Pair of Measuring StiCX

Here’s the reality, my racing this year has far exceeded my wildest imaginings (more on that when the season wraps up), but while it’s been easy to track the progress across the season, I hadn’t found an objective way to measure the former me versus the current me – until Sunday.    October 23, 2010: made the decision to quit saying I was going to race and actually do it.  Skyview CX became a personal birthday present and my first sanctioned cycling event in 25+ years.  While most people wouldn’t be, I was pleased with my Cat 4 outcome, 22^nd out of 24 finishers.   30 minutes survived without medical attention by taking a healthy dose of self-deprecation!  Fast-forward 49 weeks: same discipline, same bike (except rear wheel), similar weather, different body and mindset.     

Skyview CX, October 2010 (image by Dan Farnham).

The comparison almost doesn’t happen.  My normal riding routine is off, and admittedly, ambivalence has reigned for days about even racing the Bellevue GP CX.  Saturday afternoon the attitude takes on an air of resignation to race as long as I’m driving Buddy to the event.  I toy with the idea of taking the conversion upgrade based on my MTB cat so I can do a couple races without having to get up early for the Master’s event.  A quick look at the Cat 3 results from Saturday and the decision is made: if I race, it’s Cat 4 only – 3 race looks to be brisk.  I prep the bike and take an unspectacular 35 minute gravel ride. 

Sunday morning the juices are flowing a little.  I really haven’t done a one event, short, hard, race day since Skyview last year since I usually double up to get my money’s worth out of the drive.   Here’s my chance to really measure the change.  1.5 practice laps before sliding into an outside spot in the second row at the start with no sense of what to expect.  Official’s instructions, a whistle, and we’re off. 

I get a decent start and find myself sitting 7^th or 8^th wheel into the first descent on the roll-out.  Junior EVCC teammate Cole Skiba is setting pace on the front, so it’s settle into a maintenance pace and hope for top ½ of field at the finish.  A few spots are picked up as we trace the outline of the lower parking lot, and now I’m sitting on Buddy’s wheel.  I’m content to work with him to protect he and Cole’s positions. Unfortunately, he gets high-lined in the maze, we swap spots, and he loses some ground.  A little dueling with wheel 4 over the next lap or so, results in another rung gained on the ladders.  I catch glimpses of Buddy closing ground, but next trip to the maze, the rider between he and I lays it down stopping him in his tracks.   More than satisfied with this position, I roll up behind the 3^rdwheel, sit in for a little recovery up the climb to the road, down the hill, through the maze before jumping by and getting a gap.  Rob Skiba is at the sand dismount and hollering that I’m sitting “podium” – lungs are starting to burn, thirsty, keep spinning.  Back at the sand cross-over, Rob is still there urging me, “You’re dropping him!”  Lap 3 and it’s push hard to maintain the gap, but I hit the little off-camber drop into a right-hander before the last corner too hot and wash both wheels.  I’m on the ground but up again faster than a 43 year-old should be and telling myself, “You’ve just blown it!”  Amazingly, no one is close enough to take advantage, and this time through the sand I get a “30 second gap” update via Mr. Skiba – is it enough?  Up the “big” climb one last time, through the maze, a last dismount, pace through the lower section, tentative on that sharp off-camber, the last corner, clear, and a few strokes to finish.   

The measuring stick reads this way: 3^rd place in a field approximately the same size as Skyview a year earlier.  I have to be satisfied with the out-come and cherish it for right now.  Here’s the new reality, I hope to progress further, but I’ll never progress as radically as I have these last 12 months…  

P.S. Banner day for Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club in the combined Cat 4/Junior race: Cole Skiba 2nd, Buddy Houts 4th overall/1st Junior, Troy Leavitt 7th!).

Dakota 5-0, September 2011 (image by Heather Wolfe).