SpongeDad

Forecast:

Rain today;
Rain tomorrow;
Rain and my first ever CX race on Sunday.

I guess I'll be getting over my anxiety about crashing the bike.

Lithuania

its shaping up to be a lot like last years weather

bitterken

I'm actually looking forward to it being muddy.

SpongeDad

I'm not worried about it in a negative way - it just heightens the feeling of diving of the high dive for the first time.

wanders

I did my first training race last Tuesday. I'm doing 2 races this Sunday and with a forecast of rain, I'm leaving the big knobbies on my mountainbike. I'm going to do as many races this year as possible and if it takes, I'll get a dedicated bike next year.

I'm still a bit "stunned" from my first practice race. In road racing, I came away from every race knowing a limiter and what I needed to do to improve. With cross, my brain seemed to have shut off, I barely remember anything about the race and I woke up the next morning feeling like I had been in a car wreck. and couldn't wait to have a go at it again.

I think I'm going to race mtb next year too.

gfactor

Ed Sander will be my first race too.

Lithuania

its a great race

SpongeDad

Total mudbowl. Had a great time, didn't fall, but got stopped dead a few times in the mud.

High points -
-got over some of my fear of descending - just had to go down the mud slicked drops with no brakes and figure it out at the bottom
- free waffles and beer. It was fun watching the next race from the waffle / beer station

Low points -
- got lapped. Honestly, I felt like I was fighting the course more than anything else. Need to figure out how to handle 3 inches of mud (separate thread on that). I should note that most of the riders who passed me were really encouraging. One guy groused a bit, but that was more a matter of I was trying to give him what I thought was the better, less muddy side, and he wanted to go the other way.


And thanks to Mike Birner and crew for running the training clinics in Ellicott City. https://midmarylandcoaching.com/

bitterken

Great job getting out there for your 1st race!

Yeah, that was a slopfest. It amazing to me how much power mud can suck up. I was totally bummed that my legs just were strong enough to plow through that crap, even though I had plenty of lungs. I had to come down those muddy descents unclipped since I could not get back into my pedals fast enough, mostly because of all that mud! By the 4th lap, I even just walked the runups - there was no point running cuz it's not like I was moving any faster!

Come by and say hi to Lithuania and I next week. We should have a red tent again next time.

gfactor

I remember my warmup lap and coming around the corner to the muddy run up and being like 'you gotta be kidding me.' Oh well only better from here.

SpongeDad

Which race are you doing? Breast Cancer or Kelly Acres?

I actually ran down the mudhills during warm up, but decided that I'd rather crash than look like a wuss during the race. I definitely felt like I had more in me, but was losing time to just figuring out how to deal with the conditions. But that's what a first race is for, I suppose.

bitterken

Both, of course! Just look for the AABC fellas.

Just think how easy the other ones will seem like now that you got to play in some rough conditions.

Lithuania

i almost rode up the run up on my last lap

Crack Monkey

That was a blast!

The fast pace is fun - totally different than mtn bike races. Of course, it also led to total brain shutdown and botched dismounts/carries - first dismount after the prologue and I clipped out the wrong foot and ended up at a dead stop in front of the barrier wondering what went wrong. Doh!

And riding in mud is WEIRD. As a mtn biker, we're taught it's a No-No for trail conservation reasons.

Schiek

I have helmet-cam video from the B race and the Masters B at www.cxhairs.com. I will also be filming BCA and Kelley Acres. Hopefully from a little farther up the field.

SpongeDad

Nice videos - at least I'm not the only one who had trouble with the descents.

I swear they looked bigger and more daunting in person than they do in the video.

wanders

Great videos.

Man, what a slop hole you all had to race thru. I thought our course was bad with about a quarter of it being like this:



(not me)