Riding is Racing is Riding
Beginners finished, riders warmed up as much as we're gonna be. Called over to the staging area, then one-by-one they call our numbers and we lineup at the start line. I notice that they start from number 100, and I am 150...hmmmm....guess I will be at the back of the pack to begin. Oh Well.
As we line up I can't help noticing how skinny these guys are, with their bulging, shiny-bronze legs and super-flash bikes. They look fast just standing still. This could hurt.
Once we're in our start positions we have about five minutes of standing there enjoying the nerves, however a few of my back-row comrades seem to be a bit less serious, and crack a few jokes. One looks at my bike (rigid SS, ie no suspension and only one gear - imagine a big, expensive BMX) and says "Hey, you forgot your suspension!" I laugh, and it helps the tension.
After a long 5 minutes, the start comes, and off we go. It's not at all the sprint I expected, maybe just because there are 49 people in front of me who have to get moving, but we ease up the first straight, heading for the first turn, a wide and easy righthander. I notice just in time that two or three riders have gone down on the bend, blocking a whole bunch of others, but from my position at the back of the pack it's easy to get around them before they can recover - WOW! Just like that I move from 50th to about 35th!
Now we have a long, very slight downhill straight, and I basically maintain my position here, trying to keep my heartrate down before the big climb that is coming. A RH turn leads us up a super steep pictch, most riders hit their lowest gear and crawl up it, but not having that luxury, I swing wide and power up past them on my one gear. I am surprised again as I pass maybe another 10-15 here too, and they don't come back.
After the steep pitch, we turn left, and climb some more, but on a much more reasonable gradient, andI manage to pass a few more here. What's going on? These guys LOOK so fast, what am I missing? Oh well, I have to ride at my own pace, we'll see what happens.
Into the first singletrack and it gets a bit serious, I make a semi-aggressive pass, a rider tries it on me and fails - ah, this is fun! It's muddy and slippery in the trees, and riders are still a bit bunched up so the going is slow, but we soon clear out and bomb down a short fireroad before the second big climb (and my nemesis all weekend) starts. I have enough energy on the first lap to climb it pretty well, and move past another 5-6 riders.
From this point on it is a fun 4km back to the start/finish line, and well suited to my bike - I'm having a ball. My heart rate is recovering, and the climbs from here on in can be tackled without maxing out. I enjoy the ride through this section, I see a few people in front of me, and on passing one or two more I realise I am into the top ten - cool!
We descend back towards the pit area, where everyone is watching and cheering, before swinging out for a little 500m loop that brings us back to the S/F line, and as I descend I get past another rider I see I must be in 4th or 5th now. My friends are screaming, Kohta, the shop owner and race manager is screaming like I've never heard him before - "You're gonna win - GO GO!!" - it's fun to be part of an exciting race.
As we grab water bottles and head into lap two, the riders are all spread out nicely, and the few in front are pretty quick, which is nice. I'm feeling pretty good, my body has adjusted to the pace and I manage to pick up another rider before the first climb - 4th! Up the climb, I draw closer to 3rd, and pass him sometime after the second big climb, on a long gentle fireroad at the back of the course, if I remember correctly. A sign tells me there are only 3km to go, so I decide to pin it, and catch 2nd as he exits the last single track on the course. I get by him on another small climb, and now 1st is in my sights. Down a short, fast descent, I'm gaining on him, everyone is going wild, and I get past with about 4-500m to go! I'm going to win! I make sure he hasn't stuck on my wheel, then gas it around the final loop, nail the last little rise, I'm in a world of hurt but I can hold on to cross the line - what a feeling!
My arms go up, like I've won the Tour de France, and I coast over toward the race marshal when I hear someone yelling - ONE MORE LAP! - ONE MORE! It's 3 LAPS!!!
WHAT????
WHAT THE ....?????
I am so stuffed that it takes me too long to realise that they are serious, to make matters worse I am now past the water pickup point. I have to go on without any water, I am way anaerobic and 2nd easily catches me just after I pass the first corner. As he goes by, he says in English "One more - let's go!" and rides away. I don't have the fight in me to chase him, I need a rest, so I watch as he disappears ahead. Now 3rd also catches me, and goes by quietly, bummer, well, 3rd is OK, I tell myself. In my heart, I have won the race I thought I entered, but at least I get to ride a bit more.
My heart rate is still waaaay too high by the time I get to the first climb again, and I have to walk half of it. Costly. Back on the bike and through the singletrack, down to the start of the second climb, and I'm hurting here too. I walk way more of it that I want, and here 4th catches me - damn gears! I manage to get back on the bike and keep him in sight until the very last climb, where I decide I am happy with 4th, and walk again for a hundred meters or so. Jump back on the bike, pin the final DH, do a few jumps as crowd-pleasers and roll around to cross the line in 4th. I head over to the other guys, and chat to them, they say good race, and are amazed that I did so well on my SS. Nice guys, but I need rest and water so back to the pit.
Everyone is laughing and no one seems to remember that MY RACE MANAGER told me it was two laps! Oh well, they are having a great time with the joke, who am I to interrupt their fun? I'm still super-stoked with my result, and even more so when I see the times. I was only two minutes behind the winner, had I known it was three laps from the start I could have given him a run for his money!
18km in 57 minutes offroad on a SS bike. Not bad for an old bloke!
As we line up I can't help noticing how skinny these guys are, with their bulging, shiny-bronze legs and super-flash bikes. They look fast just standing still. This could hurt.
Once we're in our start positions we have about five minutes of standing there enjoying the nerves, however a few of my back-row comrades seem to be a bit less serious, and crack a few jokes. One looks at my bike (rigid SS, ie no suspension and only one gear - imagine a big, expensive BMX) and says "Hey, you forgot your suspension!" I laugh, and it helps the tension.
After a long 5 minutes, the start comes, and off we go. It's not at all the sprint I expected, maybe just because there are 49 people in front of me who have to get moving, but we ease up the first straight, heading for the first turn, a wide and easy righthander. I notice just in time that two or three riders have gone down on the bend, blocking a whole bunch of others, but from my position at the back of the pack it's easy to get around them before they can recover - WOW! Just like that I move from 50th to about 35th!
Now we have a long, very slight downhill straight, and I basically maintain my position here, trying to keep my heartrate down before the big climb that is coming. A RH turn leads us up a super steep pictch, most riders hit their lowest gear and crawl up it, but not having that luxury, I swing wide and power up past them on my one gear. I am surprised again as I pass maybe another 10-15 here too, and they don't come back.
After the steep pitch, we turn left, and climb some more, but on a much more reasonable gradient, andI manage to pass a few more here. What's going on? These guys LOOK so fast, what am I missing? Oh well, I have to ride at my own pace, we'll see what happens.
Into the first singletrack and it gets a bit serious, I make a semi-aggressive pass, a rider tries it on me and fails - ah, this is fun! It's muddy and slippery in the trees, and riders are still a bit bunched up so the going is slow, but we soon clear out and bomb down a short fireroad before the second big climb (and my nemesis all weekend) starts. I have enough energy on the first lap to climb it pretty well, and move past another 5-6 riders.
From this point on it is a fun 4km back to the start/finish line, and well suited to my bike - I'm having a ball. My heart rate is recovering, and the climbs from here on in can be tackled without maxing out. I enjoy the ride through this section, I see a few people in front of me, and on passing one or two more I realise I am into the top ten - cool!
We descend back towards the pit area, where everyone is watching and cheering, before swinging out for a little 500m loop that brings us back to the S/F line, and as I descend I get past another rider I see I must be in 4th or 5th now. My friends are screaming, Kohta, the shop owner and race manager is screaming like I've never heard him before - "You're gonna win - GO GO!!" - it's fun to be part of an exciting race.
As we grab water bottles and head into lap two, the riders are all spread out nicely, and the few in front are pretty quick, which is nice. I'm feeling pretty good, my body has adjusted to the pace and I manage to pick up another rider before the first climb - 4th! Up the climb, I draw closer to 3rd, and pass him sometime after the second big climb, on a long gentle fireroad at the back of the course, if I remember correctly. A sign tells me there are only 3km to go, so I decide to pin it, and catch 2nd as he exits the last single track on the course. I get by him on another small climb, and now 1st is in my sights. Down a short, fast descent, I'm gaining on him, everyone is going wild, and I get past with about 4-500m to go! I'm going to win! I make sure he hasn't stuck on my wheel, then gas it around the final loop, nail the last little rise, I'm in a world of hurt but I can hold on to cross the line - what a feeling!
My arms go up, like I've won the Tour de France, and I coast over toward the race marshal when I hear someone yelling - ONE MORE LAP! - ONE MORE! It's 3 LAPS!!!
WHAT????
WHAT THE ....?????
I am so stuffed that it takes me too long to realise that they are serious, to make matters worse I am now past the water pickup point. I have to go on without any water, I am way anaerobic and 2nd easily catches me just after I pass the first corner. As he goes by, he says in English "One more - let's go!" and rides away. I don't have the fight in me to chase him, I need a rest, so I watch as he disappears ahead. Now 3rd also catches me, and goes by quietly, bummer, well, 3rd is OK, I tell myself. In my heart, I have won the race I thought I entered, but at least I get to ride a bit more.
My heart rate is still waaaay too high by the time I get to the first climb again, and I have to walk half of it. Costly. Back on the bike and through the singletrack, down to the start of the second climb, and I'm hurting here too. I walk way more of it that I want, and here 4th catches me - damn gears! I manage to get back on the bike and keep him in sight until the very last climb, where I decide I am happy with 4th, and walk again for a hundred meters or so. Jump back on the bike, pin the final DH, do a few jumps as crowd-pleasers and roll around to cross the line in 4th. I head over to the other guys, and chat to them, they say good race, and are amazed that I did so well on my SS. Nice guys, but I need rest and water so back to the pit.
Everyone is laughing and no one seems to remember that MY RACE MANAGER told me it was two laps! Oh well, they are having a great time with the joke, who am I to interrupt their fun? I'm still super-stoked with my result, and even more so when I see the times. I was only two minutes behind the winner, had I known it was three laps from the start I could have given him a run for his money!
18km in 57 minutes offroad on a SS bike. Not bad for an old bloke!
posted by kurisu at 9:28 AM
2 Comments:
Wow - what a great race! And very excellent writing - you built suspense and captured the action perfectly.
Thanks Tracy! As you may have noticed too, it was B's old Rig that did me proud.
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