Multiply those seconds by 2,000,000, and that explains why I was so badly beaten in the DINO race in Fort Wayne (click here for results). Allow me to put it in perspective. I'm in decent shape; I do hard workouts sometimes. I have NOT fully committed to a training plan or to racing. BUT, on a course like Franke Park, time is gained or lost in each of the 2,000,000 corners. A second here, 3 seconds there, a slip-up could be 7 seconds. I do OK at cornering; I will pass off the crash in the corner at Warsaw as an anomoly. I don't do OK when the corner has peanut butter mud with slick roots at all angles before, inside, and after the turn. (Again, multiply by 2,000,000 here.) Are you getting a picture of this trail yet?
We arrive on Friday to get in a good pre-ride. Unfortunately, the trails are in bad shape from heavy rains--big mug bogs, greasy (see peanut butter reference above) mud where there weren't bogs, and roots galore! The pre-ride almost put me in a funk. Especially where there was a LEFT-HAND, DOWNHILL SWITCHBACK. My previous post indicated I had mastered the skill; apparently I hadn't as I dabbed my outer foot when I didn't get the bike turned all the way. Doh! (This will cost me a couple of seconds for sure in the race.)
I didn't let it worry me. I got a great nights sleep in the hotel room and woke everyone up at 7:00 when I couldn't hold it any longer. Most days I will have gone pee at least 2 hours before this time. The bathroom was right near the beds, so M&M's alarm clock was the sound of a flushing toilet. GOOD MORNING!
Soon after arriving at the race course, I changed to get in a good warm-up. Plus, I went back to the dang switchback to show it who was boss. Upon failing the first 3 times and almost having a temper tantrum, I nailed it on the 4th try. Consequently, all 3 laps of my race were victorious in that section. I smiled each time and was rewarded with a small downhill that ramped up the speed a little.
The horn went off at the start. I wasn't about to blow up like I did at the previous race, so I took it easy. Plus, I assumed everyone would have to pass me anyway since I couldn't corner in rooty peanut butter. (How's that for negativity.) Meanwhile, up the trail, Mer was holding her bike as she shouted, "Go Ange!" "Hey, aren't you supposed to be racing? What's up?" She was busy chasing her seat through the woods as it had come off. I felt so sorry for her when she pulled out as she would have totally ROCKED this course. Mer doesn't know it, but she has superb technical skills!
Accepting my last place, I started setting new goals; I will work hard to catch every rider in front of me regardless of whether or not they are in my class. I will make this lap faster than the last. I will peg it on any of the 3 straight sections on the course. Without a lot of pressure, I started concentrating on all of the tidbits everyone has given. Note the list below does not comprise every piece of advice, but it's a good list:
Jason: Just do it. Don't worry about it.
Mike F: Wheelie through it. (I didn't try this one, but I did think about it.)
Jean-Luc: Try to unweight the bike when going over greasy roots. And in the nasty corners, lean the bike but keep your body & weight on the outside. This will allow for quicker correction as well.
Scott: The bike does not want to crash when you have momentum.
Matt B: Put your knee up when cornering; you will be in good position with the weight where it needs to be. You'll get more speed.
Cheryl: Boobs to the tube.
Griff: Pedal through the mud; keep it constant and smooth.
Leslie (through Randi): Tell your body this is the new maximum. This is pain you can endure.
Jake: Don't use the brakes so much; you can do the corner without that safety net.
Matt L: Prison love: quite useful on the short, steep hills (especially when muddy).
Blake: Keep it between the trees.
Leslie (through Randi): Tell your body to recover in appropriate places, if only for a few seconds.
Mer: Keep weight on the front wheel in the switchback.
Heart Rate Monitor: You're way too high! Must slow down. You're way too low! Start pushing it.
Randi: Whip it. Whip it good. There are way more Randi quotes, some on the top right of this site, this one was the most recent and applicable. (The video is a must see!)
I thought of all of these during the race. Competition and training require a good deal of mental stamina, attitude, and perspective. It's so great that so many people freely help their peers. That's what I love about the mountain biking community; it was similar in sailboat racing. You ask your competitors how you can go faster! What a concept!
Despite the negatives listed above, I had a good time on the course. These conditions gave me good practice and experience for future events. I should note that the trail did dry up quite a bit as the sun came out and the hundreds of tires helped to smooth some lines. Additionally, I was having fun riding hard and setting the intermediary goals. I don't have any complaints! Yes, my finish time sucked. I did it with a smile, and that's still what counts.
We arrive on Friday to get in a good pre-ride. Unfortunately, the trails are in bad shape from heavy rains--big mug bogs, greasy (see peanut butter reference above) mud where there weren't bogs, and roots galore! The pre-ride almost put me in a funk. Especially where there was a LEFT-HAND, DOWNHILL SWITCHBACK. My previous post indicated I had mastered the skill; apparently I hadn't as I dabbed my outer foot when I didn't get the bike turned all the way. Doh! (This will cost me a couple of seconds for sure in the race.)
I didn't let it worry me. I got a great nights sleep in the hotel room and woke everyone up at 7:00 when I couldn't hold it any longer. Most days I will have gone pee at least 2 hours before this time. The bathroom was right near the beds, so M&M's alarm clock was the sound of a flushing toilet. GOOD MORNING!
Soon after arriving at the race course, I changed to get in a good warm-up. Plus, I went back to the dang switchback to show it who was boss. Upon failing the first 3 times and almost having a temper tantrum, I nailed it on the 4th try. Consequently, all 3 laps of my race were victorious in that section. I smiled each time and was rewarded with a small downhill that ramped up the speed a little.
The horn went off at the start. I wasn't about to blow up like I did at the previous race, so I took it easy. Plus, I assumed everyone would have to pass me anyway since I couldn't corner in rooty peanut butter. (How's that for negativity.) Meanwhile, up the trail, Mer was holding her bike as she shouted, "Go Ange!" "Hey, aren't you supposed to be racing? What's up?" She was busy chasing her seat through the woods as it had come off. I felt so sorry for her when she pulled out as she would have totally ROCKED this course. Mer doesn't know it, but she has superb technical skills!
Accepting my last place, I started setting new goals; I will work hard to catch every rider in front of me regardless of whether or not they are in my class. I will make this lap faster than the last. I will peg it on any of the 3 straight sections on the course. Without a lot of pressure, I started concentrating on all of the tidbits everyone has given. Note the list below does not comprise every piece of advice, but it's a good list:
Jason: Just do it. Don't worry about it.
Mike F: Wheelie through it. (I didn't try this one, but I did think about it.)
Jean-Luc: Try to unweight the bike when going over greasy roots. And in the nasty corners, lean the bike but keep your body & weight on the outside. This will allow for quicker correction as well.
Scott: The bike does not want to crash when you have momentum.
Matt B: Put your knee up when cornering; you will be in good position with the weight where it needs to be. You'll get more speed.
Cheryl: Boobs to the tube.
Griff: Pedal through the mud; keep it constant and smooth.
Leslie (through Randi): Tell your body this is the new maximum. This is pain you can endure.
Jake: Don't use the brakes so much; you can do the corner without that safety net.
Matt L: Prison love: quite useful on the short, steep hills (especially when muddy).
Blake: Keep it between the trees.
Leslie (through Randi): Tell your body to recover in appropriate places, if only for a few seconds.
Mer: Keep weight on the front wheel in the switchback.
Heart Rate Monitor: You're way too high! Must slow down. You're way too low! Start pushing it.
Randi: Whip it. Whip it good. There are way more Randi quotes, some on the top right of this site, this one was the most recent and applicable. (The video is a must see!)
I thought of all of these during the race. Competition and training require a good deal of mental stamina, attitude, and perspective. It's so great that so many people freely help their peers. That's what I love about the mountain biking community; it was similar in sailboat racing. You ask your competitors how you can go faster! What a concept!
Despite the negatives listed above, I had a good time on the course. These conditions gave me good practice and experience for future events. I should note that the trail did dry up quite a bit as the sun came out and the hundreds of tires helped to smooth some lines. Additionally, I was having fun riding hard and setting the intermediary goals. I don't have any complaints! Yes, my finish time sucked. I did it with a smile, and that's still what counts.
2 comments:
great report - let's gt back to our skills work - we will be cornering queens!
That course was pretty gnar. I fell/the bike slid out every lap in the same spot...and it was a silly spot.
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