Hood River Double Cross

one of my new favorite pictures
(photo courtesy of David Mackintosh)

Ok, I let this one get away from me so please forgive the brevity.

I went into this race with legs already loaded up with the intention of getting one final effort in them before heading off to China where my training would inevitably be interrupted.  Not that I head much of a plan anyway...

Het Meer: Gets me every time

into the sand
(photo courtesy of Matt Haughey)

This race is always kind of a grab bag for me.  Two years ago I crashed in the first quarter of a lap and last year I managed to ride a steady, uneventful race.  This year was kind of a cross between the two.

I lined up right next to Trebon on the start line because that seemed to work well last week but unlike last week we had 200m+ of gravel before the course narrowed down.  Looks like no sneaking off the front by sitting on Trebon's wheel this week.

Trying this again

Alright, so I was a little absent as of last season and I'm going to make an effort to put together a few words about the races I compete in this season but no promises; We're all busy and there's no use in filling up the internet with useless words unless there's something worth reading.

As of late there's been a whole lot of working and not a whole lot of training but it seems like that's always the case, regardless of how much time I actually spend riding.

Kruger's Kermesse
(photo courtesy of Nita Galambos and Craig Ruby)

Last week I raced Kruger's Kermesse with zero expectations and somehow wound up crossing the line third.  I gained a place due to a guy flatting out of the lead group but apart from that I rode a solid race. I'm actually beginning to get a decent start and learning how to hold my position in the first lap.  About time, it only took two years...  Anyway, third place netted a whole basket full of farm goodies (do people still use that word anymore?) and a sizable gift certificate to Bike n' Hike.  Not bad for a 50 minute training race.  A special thanks to Kris Schamp, Kruger's Farms, Bike n Hike and all the sponsors that made the encore edition of this race happen this year.

Today's race was the first "real" cx race of the year.  And yes, it's finally crept into August, le sigh...  Again, no expectations, just show up, race hard and hurt the legs.  Rumor had it Trebon would be there and sure enough there he was, right next to me on the start line.  Well, guess I'm not winning today's race.

David Douglas start line
(photo courtesy of Mattew Haughey)

Something really funny happened the first lap.  1. My legs didn't suck.  2. I just sat on Trebon's wheel and let him pull me around for an entire lap.  Starting the second lap I looked back and realized we had a 10 second gap.  "Dear legs, what the hell do you think you're doing?  This was fun and all but you're going to pay for that."  I settled into a more manageable pace and went to work not losing too many spots.  A 75 minute race in 90* heat kind of takes its toll so I had to settle for 5th but I will definitely take that.  Looking at it now it was probably one of the best races I've ever had from a results perspective.  I beat some guys I've never beaten before and I only felt limited by the heat, not lungs or legs.  Hopefully there's more of this to come.

over the barrier
(photo courtesy of Matthew Haughey)

Oh, and one last parting note I've been selected to go race China's first UCI cyclocross race in September!  More details to come but tentative plan is I fly out 9/17 and return 9/23.  11,000 miles for an hour race?  Why not.

We put so much into it

As athletes we put so much into our chosen discipline.  Time, energy, money.  We train in the freezing rain while our friends are at happy hour only so we can come home, clean a bike, grab a quick bite to eat and hop in bed so we can do it all over again.  We sacrifice time with loved ones yet they understand this is important to us so we try to make the most of the time we have together.  They even put up with us dragging them to races and stand in the rain for hours while we completely ignore them while we obsess over tire pressure and the perfect line, all so they can watch us ride by eight times before we get back into the car and go home.  As athletes we put an incredible amount of pressure on ourselves.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a 500+ lbs. man trying to lose weight, a seasoned PRO or an amateur balancing a career and engagement with just a dream of one day being called “pro,” we all put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to perform and make our team, friends, family and even sponsors proud to say “I know that guy.”

Zaandercross: Now that's a cyclocross course

photo courtesy of Dave Roth

Lots of pictures from this race so I'm going to let them do the talking.  I will note that this was one of the hardest (and most fun) courses I've ever raced.  A lot of promoters describe their course as "dynamic" but this one truly was, probably a little more sand than necessary but this course favored the racer who is strong throughout the entire race, rather than just the fast starters.  Perfect for me.  Major props to the promoter for this course and I hope it returns for next year.

Oh So True...

Some truth found on the internet this past week.  First, I will start with a quote from Bike Snob NYC: "For a romantic fall getaway, take that special someone to a cyclocross race and ignore her for 48 hours as you obsess over tire pressure."

Double Cross Day 2 pictures

Sorry, only one.

alone on the power section
(photo courtesy of Brian Nelson/541 Images)