Gloucester was freakin amazing

Saturday

I felt really good, but started 75th. I had a slow start and found myself being a little timid about shooting the holes that opened up on the opening sprint. I made it off the pavement in possibly a little worse shape than where I started. As we hit the first few turns then the sea-wall, I had already passed about 15 people. I was making steady ground for the next 3 laps. Teammates were yelling that I was in the top 40 on the 2^nd lap, and in the top 30 on the 3rd lap. Then as I round the steep section around 3^rd base disaster struck as I felt my rear tire roll. I screamed for a wheel in the pit. I considered running my bike, but then I thought to myself “This is Gloucester… I’ll kill a rim if I have to” and rode most of the lap (very slowly) back around to the pit. By this time I had to be in DFL. I had a quick wheel change and decided to put everything into making some ground back up. I finished in 76^th. And I really believe I would have been top 15 had I not flatted.

Sunday

My stomach was doing flips. Maybe it was all of the beer that I had drank the night before. Or perhaps it was the meat that I had eaten after being a vegetarian for 7 years. Maybe it was just nerves, but I took about 4 Hershey dumps before the race. On the starting line I chugged a VitaminEnergy to try to get some sugars and fluids back into my system. I got a decent start this time, despite starting in the 70’s again. Another racer in front swerved 3 feet into my front wheel. Cross tires rubbing make a scary noise, but we were both OK. I gave him a brief “hold yer line, buddy” and passed him. After the opening sprint, I made little progress on the first lap until the seawall. I took the outside line and passed 10-12 people. It was awesome to make that much progress so early. I made it up to about 35th by the second lap. I joined a few other riders that I have done a lot of racing with (including a couple of old BRC teammates and Jordan from Cambridge Bicycle / Igleheart). We were joking with each other, working together, and really having a great time. With 3 laps to go, someone yelled “2 laps to go”, so I kicked on the after burners, and decided to chase down a group of 5 that had a 10 second gap on us. I made it up to them surprisingly quickly, and decided to ride a wheel for a minute. Then I got sloppy and put my bars into a stake on a corner and rolled down the 3^rd base hill. I recovered quickly and was back on the group’s wheel by the finish of the lap. Then I realized I had 2 more laps, and feared that I wasn’t going to have the strength to hang on to the finish. I made a couple of passes just before the sand pit on that lap, and found myself at the lead of the group with 1 to go. I pressed on, chose good lines, and finished clean-- uncontested in the sprint.

My goal was top 20, so I’m really pleased.

Long Island - Whitmore's Cup!

Think about a standing-start 2 lap chariot race on the track. Now imagine what it would be like if your finish in this hypothetical track race determined the starting order for a 40 min cross race—except you don’t get a break between the races.

That was the setup for the course at the Whitmore Super Cross race in Southampton, NY. I planned to sprint at the start just hard enough to take the first corner in 5^th place. I wanted to make sure I didn’t blow up battling for first or second, but didn’t want to get stuck behind too many in the technical stuff (And man, was this course technical!). My start was good, as was Erik’s and Jacob’s. I believe we were all top 10 going into the first corner.

The morning dew was still on the grass. This spelled out large, pile-up wreck in my mind, so I took a good bit of the first 2 laps on foot. While there weren’t any large wrecks in front of me, I stayed on the heels of Jacob, who had now passed me. We passed a rider or 2 together. As we went into the third lap a gap had opened in front of us, and I decided that I needed to start riding some of the technical sections that were now drying up from the sun and the other rider’s tires. I passed Jacob then another rider, but this one held onto my wheel for a few laps.

With 2 or 3 laps to go, I decided to try reeling in what turned out to be 4^th place. And I was going to have to do it alone.

It really is lonely out there when you realize you’re pulling away from a strong rider not knowing how far ahead the next (even stronger) rider is. I knew I was doing well, but there is a feeling of desperation when you have no ruler for measuring your balance of effort and risk. I was trying to error on the side of conservative riding— as it has become a personal goal to keep my bike upright (as much as possible).

I never caught up to the next rider, but I finished the race in 5^th (my best ‘cross finish to date). The team was really supportive, and it really feels good to get those post-race congratulations. I grabbed a recovery drink, rode for 30 minutes, and then opened the tastiest Budweiser of my life.