Stony Creek CX - FECAL

Leading into this week I had high hopes for this race. That didn't happen. Once again my race day excitement wasn't there when I woke up. I felt tired and lethargic. I was preregistered so off to the race I go. Maybe the warm up will wake me up and get the fire going.  I began feeling better but not great and thought if my strategy would hold. The whistle blew and......

I'm mid pack down the front straight, but just behind Simon, so I feel good. I move past guys with Simon and feel confident. We hit the sand and are still together but Jim Hilditch is now between me and Simon. Towards the end of the sand Rich Stark rides past us and is now in the lead, Simon gets on his wheel but Jim and I can't make the jump. We get through the soft grass and are heading for the first set of barriers. I want to attack and try to close the gap but I don't feel good. I sit and wait to feel better. By the end of lap 1 I can see the race getting away so I attempt to pull Simon and Rich back. The effort lasts about a half lap, once past the first set of barriers I can tell the gap is going the wrong way. I keep going with hope that this feeling will go away and my body will wake the fuck up! I cross the line on lap 2 and I'm mentally and physically spent. My plans of a great race are all but gone.

Lap 3- I'm having some serious inner dialogue and considering throwing bin the towel. This lasts until I get past the sand. Once through I decide to keep going. Tactically I decide to slow up and wait for Jim to ride on. He catches at the start / finish  and he leads me into lap 4.

Lap 4 and 5- Not only does he lead me into lap 4, pulls me the whole way. He looks back on occasion but I'm not going anywhere. Leading into lap 5 he wants me to pull through but it's not going to happen. Rob Selle isn't gaining any ground and the leaders are long gone. Jim decides to keep pulling. I can tell that I'm stronger through the sand having followed for last 2 laps, so on the last lap I need to be first into the sand and attack there. Jim reluctantly leads into the final lap. He puts in a charge and tries to drop me. We head towards the water and I'm stuck to his wheel. We make the horseshoe turn uphill and I put in the first attack. I come around him and hope for a gap, but I'm not looking back. I hit the sand and run all out. I remount and listen for the sound of Jim clipping in. I don't hear it but I keep going hard. Through the soft grass, up the hill and over the barriers. I make the out and back by the parking lot and can see my gap. I have him beat, now I just need to ride smart to the finish. Over the second set of barriers and onto the pavement for a disappointing 3rd.

Rite now I can't put together 2 strong weekends in a row. I had a great Mad Anthony / Bad Ann Arbor CX / great Iceman / Bad Stony CX. I'm not talking steps on a podium, I'm talking about how I felt. At Mad Anthony and Iceman I felt unbeatable. I could ride and nothing hurt, it wasn't easy but my legs and mind were relaxed. It seemed effortless. It was fun! Ann Arbor and Stony sucked. I was counting down the laps and I never felt comfortable on the bike. I was working for everything, it was the complete opposite. Now I need to figure out why because I still have Bloomer and Springfield and I'm not done winning races.