DATE: Nov:6

LOCATION: Criswell park, Monroe, Ga.

DRIVING DISTANCE:16 miles round trip, probably the shortest drive I'll have

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A long fairly flat course with more barriers and obstacles than last week. One barrier section that was split with 2 barriers and then you could remount and then another barrier, all uphill. Plus a windy section through the woods that had a few ditches that had to be cross. 

This weeks race was run in Monroe, just 8 miles from my house, that was a good thing. But my race was the last one of the day, this was the only race that had the class "C" riders starting at 1:00. The bad thing about that was, my son had a birthday party planned at 3:00. So that meant that I would have to literally have to finish the race and go directly to my car and get home to shower and drive to the party at a bowling alley.

I arrived at the race course early so I could get a ride or two around the course and also to have Scott from ADDICTIVE Cycles make an adjustment to my front derailleur which I was having trouble getting into the big ring.

I got there as the men's masters 30/40 was going on. This race ended in a great sprint finish with Bob coming out on top. His first ever first place win. GO Bob!

After that was over I rode around the course once, not too bad. It seemed to me that all of the technical areas, barriers and ditches were all in one area. With the rest of the course fairly flat, either on grass or paved. Only one hill to speak of, with a double barrier then a short section which you could get back on your bike and ride to the next barrier which was on the steepest section, but it was fairly short. This course with all its flat areas would favor the guys with the Cyclocross bikes.

I still had a lot of time to kill, so I rode around and practiced my starts and dismounts.

At the starting line, I think I counted around 18 guys. The largest field so far. This time they staggered the start, with the youths going first followed 45 seconds later by my group then the women, all 2 of them. I lined up near the front with plans to go out kind of strong and try to hold onto a piece of the pack for a couple of laps. My plan went ok at first as I managed to hold onto a couple of guys, we traded places for a couple of laps. I noticed that I was able to pass them on the barrier sections but they would catch me as soon as the course got fast. And all I could do was try and hold onto their wheel. This seemed to work out for a couple of laps but then they managed to get away from me and I never could get the legs back to catch them. I finished the race without a clue as to where I was positioned, I guestimated somewhere in the middle of the field, but wasn't sure where. With my schedule so tight I really couldn't wait the 15 minutes for the results to be posted and asked  Woject if he was going to stick around if he'd post my position for me on the team site. 

He did, it was 11th. Middle of the pack. Out of the points this week. 

I really don't know what happened,  but I had no energy to put into the pedals. I am doing better on the dismounts and running through the barriers, but my bike feels like I am pedaling against a head wind and I can't get the speed out of it on the flats.

My bike is old and the parts are wore out. I dropped my chain twice during the race, once at the beginning on the first paved section, when it finally did go into the big ring it popped off. I got that on with out getting off of the bike,. The next time was on the last run up luckily there was no one  close behind me. I had to fix that by hand. 

I feel that my skills are getting better. I did  notice that I was riding a bit more aggressively than the guys around me at first. Taking a better line through the turns, and I even got a little frustrated at one time as we were bunched up going into a right turn on the paved section and they were hitting their brakes! I didn't think it was necessary to hit the brakes at this spot but couldn't get around them.

Each week I try and do something or use something new. This weeks motto at the top of the page says "Hope through hatred". Basically meaning from what I've read is to get angry, have that killer instinct during the race. Didn't work for me. Except for getting annoyed at times I couldn't get angry, in fact I would laugh at myself or something as the race went on. Like a guy taking pictures, as I was going over the barriers, I asked him to please edit out all the snot running down my nose, and kept riding.

I will rest more this week as we have an extra day until the next race which is on a Sunday again. I need it, as I write most of this on Sunday evening I am sore and beat. I didn't think the course was so bad. At the starting line, one guy said that he thought the course was bumpy, I thought not near as bad as Covington, but after it's all over, I've got numbness in my hands and sore muscles all around. Oh the joys of getting older!