Lesson Learned

You can't fake fitness. We're at the point in the cross season with one month (8 races) to go where people are starting to go in opposite directions. Guys that started the season strong are starting to fall off their fitness, and others that had a more managed build are coming into form at just the right time. I wish I could say I fit into either one of those categories, but the fact is I didn't do the right things in the off season. I have enough base to ride a strong tempo, but not enough top end power to push through the explosive efforts, recover, and go again. At the same time, I thought I could make up my fitness by racing into shape. That works to an extent, but it results in a very narrow window to peak and you can miss it without knowing you hit it.

With a week off the bike I was hoping to find out which way my fitness was going on Sunday. When I got up and let the dogs out it was cold and windy. I was already tired and the thought of racing didn't sound too appealing. Of course, doing anything didn't sound appealing so I figured I'd snap out of it. It took until I was in the registration line and one of my racing friends reminded me that it's a perfect course for me with a lot of wind and hills. That was when I started thinking I could do well and started to get pumped up to race.

A good warm-up with JJ and it was go time. I lined up behind Travis who's been crushing it all year. Watching him race this year, I have no idea how I was in the same conversation with him last year, much less getting an occasional win. Anyway, he missed his pedal at first but it was such a loooonnnnggg uphill drag that it didn't matter. The bigger issue was the first section of tight turns. Lots of people coming in hot only to grab a fistful of brakes and have to get off their bike. It was annoying at first but I also knew the hills would eat people up later in the race so it wasn't a big deal. After the first set of hills I found myself mid-pack, which was where I expected to ride most of the race and find small opportunities to move up where/if I could. Since I have a cross-clash with my friend JJ (he was up 3-2), I locked on to his wheel and let him pull me around a bit. Knowing he'd do the same when I went by, I waited, maybe a little longer than I should have. There's a tricky, off camber corner that I debated being first (of our group) into but decided against it, sticking with my original plan. I don't know if the result would've been different, but I rode it too aggressively, trying not to let a small gap form. Good news is a small gap didn't form. Bad news was a huge gap formed because I crashed. I was up quickly but my brake got jammed into my wheel and I had to reset the wheel which was made more difficult because the skewer got jammed during the crash. Once I was going again I found myself on the back and after gaining back a few positions, I rode the rest of the race solo.

Part of crashing is being stupid, but I think there's also a part that's related to fitness. Everyone is going all out in a cross race, but the better you can manage that, the better you can make the right decisions when you have a split second to do so and can barely see, much less think. If you have the right fitness you'll make the right choices more often. Even though I'd like a mulligan on that course and the signs are pointing to having passed a peak I didn't realize I hit, there are still a couple good races left to be had if I do the right things.