It's already Wednesday night again! After two days off from work, Wednesday morning was a tiring day at REI. We have a huge sale starting this weekend. I was tired by the end of my shift and didn't have high expectations for the race. We packed up and got to the course. We got in three practice laps, and I felt a lot better. The course had two short steep climbs and the rest was a big ring fast course. I took a sizable gap on everyone and led out the first three laps. i was caught on the fourth lap by a rider that hasn't been out since the first week. I rode just behind him the fourth lap hoping to sprint at the end and take the win. I did a test sprint 3/4 a way through the lap after the hills hoping he would drop but he didn't. With about 150 yards to go he jumped and I couldn't retake him. So second place again for me. I'm a little bummed because I felt I had a sizable enough led to ride away with the win. Training needs to be better, I can't just race on Wednesday and ride to work the rest of the week. Keith got run over but somebody on a wideopen straight away and got a nice hip wound and elbow scrap and still took second. Jen detroyed everyone in Women's expert. In two weeks starts the Team Competition. The three of us will make up Team Q St Coalition! I did get to talk about the GT Dirt Coalition and an IMBA event happening this weekend over the intercom and that was pretty cool. The IMBA event this weekend is the Ales and Trails fundraiser in Marin County. 8 brewers, BBQ, Pro riders clinics, and demo bikes. It is an awesome time. Buy tickets online to save some money www.alesandtrails.net Click on the flyer to see it larger;
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Prairie City Race #5 and IMBA's Ales and Trails
It's already Wednesday night again! After two days off from work, Wednesday morning was a tiring day at REI. We have a huge sale starting this weekend. I was tired by the end of my shift and didn't have high expectations for the race. We packed up and got to the course. We got in three practice laps, and I felt a lot better. The course had two short steep climbs and the rest was a big ring fast course. I took a sizable gap on everyone and led out the first three laps. i was caught on the fourth lap by a rider that hasn't been out since the first week. I rode just behind him the fourth lap hoping to sprint at the end and take the win. I did a test sprint 3/4 a way through the lap after the hills hoping he would drop but he didn't. With about 150 yards to go he jumped and I couldn't retake him. So second place again for me. I'm a little bummed because I felt I had a sizable enough led to ride away with the win. Training needs to be better, I can't just race on Wednesday and ride to work the rest of the week. Keith got run over but somebody on a wideopen straight away and got a nice hip wound and elbow scrap and still took second. Jen detroyed everyone in Women's expert. In two weeks starts the Team Competition. The three of us will make up Team Q St Coalition! I did get to talk about the GT Dirt Coalition and an IMBA event happening this weekend over the intercom and that was pretty cool. The IMBA event this weekend is the Ales and Trails fundraiser in Marin County. 8 brewers, BBQ, Pro riders clinics, and demo bikes. It is an awesome time. Buy tickets online to save some money www.alesandtrails.net Click on the flyer to see it larger;
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sea Otter 2009!!
Prairie City Race #3 & #4
Man I haven’t blogged in a while so I’m going to have to group some events!
Race #3. I lead the first three laps with Billy hanging out behind me. There was a flurry of action in lap four and neither of us where sure if we had been passed. On the final lap Billy hammer up the last long climb and put some distance on me. The race organizations computers had been bugging so I didn’t know till about four days later I got second. It was a fun course with a couple of interesting single track ridges to ride along with no passing possible.
Race #4. This was a cool course with splits that provided faster lanes with more technical routes. In the first lap I got confused and missed a faster split and Billy saw it and took it and I never saw him again. L I rode with one of the Mad Cat riders, cool guy and I feel like an idiot for forgetting his name, for the first two laps. We rode fast and I ended up dropping him. He is getting faster; I will have to worry about him by mid-season if he keeps pushing himself during the races to stay up front. I then rode all by my lonesome till the last lap when I joined a rider from another age group. We pushed each other to the finish. I’m thankful he did too, because halfway through the last lap I could feel a presence behind
This week I get my road bike back, with that my fitness should come back. I don’t like losing and really wa
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Prairie City Race #2
Thursday afternoon and Wednesday morning brought rain to Sacramento. I admit we only get rain like three times a year, so I can't complain too much especially since my GT buddies in the Midwest are still getting snowed on. Anyway it was all sunshine by race time leaving some mud puddles on the course. To be honest we were excited to race with the extra obstacles on the course. After three practice laps we lined up at the start line. I lined up next to a guy who had raced Sport last week and decided to upgrade to Expert. I remember last year when I did that, I was so nervous I was going to get whipped! Instead you find yourself going faster, surrounded by others you realize you can keep up. Sometimes not the whole race but you know you can be faster, and as the season goes on you will get stronger. This is why its good to train with people who are faster than you, or at least race as well. You'll find yourself get stronger and faster.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Weekend riding!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
First race of the year, Prairie City Race Series Race #1
Alright the season has begun! Tonight was the first of 12 Wednesday night races at Prairie City. Last year I did really well in the expert class and decided to stay in that class. In the 25-34 expert class age group there appeared to be about 20 people at the start line. The course was short but fast with two climbs per lap. (the courses get longer at the sun sets later) There was also a bit of wind. The expert class does 4 laps, I rolled out and led after the first two, on the third lap I was dropped on a climb and lost the lead. I joined up with another guy in my class and we worked together and started to catch but on the last lap I couldn't maintain anymore and lost my partnership and was passed again midway through the last lap. So in my first race of the year I took fourth place! I'm happy with this. I know I'll get my speed back on the flats but I have hill work to do, that's where I lost my placings. My buddy Keith raced in the Expert Plus class (grassroots for Pro) and took second. Awesome job Keith! His girlfriend also dominated the women's sport class, get ready to be upgraded Jen. While hanging out at the end of the race I found two guys with some sweet old GT Zaskars, check out the pic above, the guy on the right has some sweet anodization on the cranks, stem, seat post, bar ends, and brake bar. Will post some pics from the race soon! I'm doing the Napa Valley Dirt Classic this Sunday, it is supposed to be hilly so more fun to come and one of my GT brothers from Reno will be there to race with.