I thought I would sum up what I have gleaned from my first season of racing:
1st Race: Alum Creek, placed 9 out of 28 — don't underestimate yourself, practice helped, training pays and adrenaline is gooooooooooooood.
2nd Race: Harbin Park, placed 27 out of 46 — pre-ride the course and scout areas where you can accel, be cautious and ride smart in areas where you are less skilled. Use this and sensibly pass other riders.
3rd through 5th Races: Lobdell Frisbee Park, DNF, 18 out of 24, DNF — Double check your gear and pit gear is a must, the extra wheel set saved my day. Don't overdo racing! The adrenaline keeps the pain at bay, but you'll hurt the next day. Make sure you are adequately fueled. Also, I did well unintentionally marking and following the eventual winner of the C race (before I double flatted).
6th Race: Gun Club Cross, 29 out of 45 — Stay off the ground! The first crash ruins the day... Learn where my 80% feels like and race at that intensity. Over-exerted myself at times and it caused more slipups.
7th Race: Promotion Cross in Lexington, 16 out of 29 — need to start better, rode conservatively at my 80% and limited my sloppy handling. Practice paid off, stayed calm, need to work on more speed and harder starts.
8th Race: Lane Rd Ohio CX Championships: 12 out of 22— had a great start, warmed up with more intensity (a couple intervals after a pre-ride), I made an attack in the middle of the race but lost the spots due to loss of breath. Need to lock-in a preferred tire pressure for clinchers next year, ran it low again (around 40 psi) and it kept feeling like I might slide out on the turns.
I really had a great time and I only wish I could have done more races!
Great first year of racing!
ReplyDeleteWe'll get you in some mountain bike races next summer. That'll help with handling corners and endurance.
And tire pressure... We could go on and on about the world of tire pressure and cross. It's always changing, playing and re-adjusting.