Bedford MTX #2 race report

Deja Vu? - Well sort of...the result was deja vu from last year's 2nd Bedford Mountain Cross race http://bikerchickypookie.blogspot.com/2009/02/bedford-mtn-cross-2.html but the conditions were very different.


I was not at all motivated to race. The weather was a far cry from last week's 60 degree temperatures...although the course conditions were much better. Weather was in the high 30's with a head wind on much of the course. This week's race was run at night. The course was just over a mile...We started on paved road, then climbed up into a section of singletrack, back onto the road, then onto a fast, fun, field downhill which crossed a stream, then a gradual mudclimb, onto a grassy climb back to the start where we had to dismount & cross 2 barriers on the way through the start/finish area.
My stomach had been doing flip flops towards the end of the week..Each time I ate on Saturday, I would get major stomach cramps....After talking to a bunch of the racers from last week..many people had been fighting the same symptoms..some worse than others. I think we all picked up something from riding in the mud the previous week, then trying to drink from our water bottles...(note to self..wear a camelback next time conditions are like that). I figured riding would help purge some of it from me.
Warming up was tough....It was so windy & cold that you couldn't really get warm. I did one lap to check the course..then decided I wasn't going to get warm so I'd just wing it..
Jen & I lined up at the start & off we went. Down the road, up into the singletrack, back on the road, onto the field, etc, etc. At the start of the race, I decided to wait to turn my light on since there was enough daylight. When I got to the grassy field section I attempted to turn it on and nothing happened....tried again, nothing. This went on for the entire grassy section.
As I came through the start finish, I was in a bit of a panic...I whined "I can't get my light on!!"...luckily Dave from East Coasters had not started yet..so he helped me...He asked "is it plugged in??" I said yes..I tested it before the race...Luckily he got it turned on for me & off I went.
As I started my second lap, I noticed Laura just up ahead of me. She was going the wrong way so I figured she was on a warm up lap...come to find out she wasn't really paying attention at the start & got a little misdirected. I continued on the lap & entered a section of trail which is little rocky & technical. As I got through the first part of the trail, I attempted to pedal & my pedals wouldn't go. I looked down & realized I had thrown my chain....I rolled through the next section then pulled over to fix it. When I pulled over, a bunch of the sport men passed me...I didn't realize my buddy Laura was in that group too....I got the chain back on & followed the group...As we hit the road, the group went straight .(this was the wrong way).....I shouted to them but no one heard me...I hammered back down the road & continued w/ my second lap. When I got mid-way through the grassy field section, the "Pain Train" caught me. This group consisted of Clif, my hubby, and a couple other fast guys. They caught me on my second lap..they were only on their first so I knew I had to do everything I could to hold them off. I decided to start riding like I had my single speed...I didn't use the easy gears...stood up each time through the field, etc.
On my third lap, Adam caught me..I tried to hang on his wheel until we got to the field downhill..then he was just gone. I started passing people who were walking in the field section...why are they walking when they have gears?? I kept hammering through...laps 4 & 5 went well..
When I came through the start finish for lap 6 I looked at the clock & tried to calculate if I could do the lap in enough time to get a 7th in. It was going to be close. I went hard through the first half of the lap but once I hit the mudclimb & the grassy field, I could feel myself getting tired.
I tried to put it in a harder gear & mash the climb...When I hit the barriers I only had 5 seconds to make it to lap 7....it wasn't going to happen...bummer. Throwing the chain earlier in the race cost me that little extra time to start the 7th lap. I wasn't sure where the pain train was in relation to my finish so I figured I placed top 10...
When I came in, the timers informed me my buddy Laura stopped after 1 lap. Apparently the stomach boogers got her good & ended her race short...so she got to stay warm & dry all night...
After the race we hung out while the remaining racers finished up. My stomach was giving me fits again...so I couldn't eat anything. I grabbed some pretzels & a coke...Kenny (the race promoter) wanted to see me...I thought Oh no....did I do something wrong? He asked me if I remember the Pain Train passing me a second time in the race..I said I didn't think so b/c they passed me on my second lap & I didn't remember seeing them again, but I couldn't be sure..
Turns out..I ended up winning the race...None of the Pain Train had passed me again...Woo HOO! I caught a bunch of grief again for Sandbagging....but once again..when I have a 20 minute head start...all I had to do was ride hard, and clean.
One more race next weekend...Can't wait to see what's in store.

Bedford County MTX #1 Race Report

Clean!















dirty!

Bedford Mountain Cross Race #1
Finally a chance to ride outdoors! Sunday was the first of this year's Bedford Mountain Cross series. The course had to be shortened due to the fact we've had an abundance of snow this year. This was only the second time I've ridden outside this year & the first race w/ Clarence & his new gears. (1x9) They would come in handy on this course. We started out on pavement, then a left turn into the first part of single track...more like peanut butter track. it was muddy but rideable. Then a short run up..this would be a mess by the end of the race...then a crazy downhill loaded w/ mud, rocks, snow...I ran this the first 3 laps, then was able to ride it the last 3. Then we crossed a bridge, rode through a field, cross a stream, up the next part of the singletrack which was super muddy & got worse each lap, then back on the pavement to do it all again.
The format of the race was a handicap system. Beginner riders, or slower riders go off first and have more time to do as many laps as they can in 1 hour. They are chased by faster, more experienced riders who have less time. I raced in Vet Women which meant I had 57 minutes to do as many laps as I could. My buddy Jen raced in the same class... When we came through the start/finish area, all of the experts had not started yet. our first lap was slightly over 10 minutes....I knew we were in trouble. Sure enough..at the start of my second lap, the "pain train" passed us. These were all of the super strong, expert males.
I decided to just have fun this race & not worry about lap times. It was going to be a test of my technical skills. Normally I do not race well in slippery, peanut buttery conditions. I averaged just over 10 minutes each lap..but got slower as the race went on. Conditions improved in some areas while others deteriorated quickly. I was very happy with how I rode...I handled the bike very well in the slop. At some points I was riding sideways..it was pretty funny.
I did rely on my lower gears a little too much..that accounted for my slow lap times...but I'm glad I had them. I need to learn to ride the bike like the single speed and not rely on the easier gears so much.
I was in second place for most of the race until the "pain train" caught me again..then I was done. I ended up in the top 10..but that's only because of the handicap system. Had it been a normal race.. I would have been close to the bottom.
Overall I had a fantastic time. Normally I don't like mud but I think I was suffering from a serious case of cabin fever so I didn't care about the mud & slop.
Next week we'll race in the dark....it will be interesting