My Cyclocross Nationals 2016

It has been a week since Jake & I drove down to Asheville last Monday for Cyclocross National Championships 2016.  I'm not sure that my thoughts on last week are fully baked, but they probably are as good as they're going to get.


I had targeted this event over a year ago when they announced it would be in North Carolina and it would be my first year in the 50-54 group.  My work for this started with cyclocross season in 2014.  My training was pretty good all year.  I did Tour of Battenkill in April to give me something to target for training the first half year.

My cross season started a bit slow and a bit late, but that was ok.  Ultimately, it was arguably my strongest season ever.  I did 19 races.  I. Won. A. Race!  I was top 3 in the Cat 3/4 35+ races I did.  I was 2nd in Virginia State Champs 50-54. And by the end I was getting top 10 in the Super 8 45+ 123 races.  Stop after the final race and it's a super season.

I will say that holding that form until January 6th was hard.  I trained consistently.  But not having the races for 3 weeks really cost me an edge, I'm sure.

Monday -- Travel, first course view, and the bike drama

The day before we left, my bike started making a weird "clunk" in the bottom bracket area.  I rushed to FreshBikes and Kevin thought it was that the crank was loose and just needed an adjustment to the pre-load ring.

We drove 7 hours to Asheville and immediately went to the venue.  Jake had gotten an email from his Furman teammate, Nate Morse, whose dad was ranked #2 in the 50-54, that the course was insanely hard and that "people were going to get hurt."  We drove to the course to look around, and immediately saw a 15 foot high steep drop in that had a compression area at the bottom where people's front wheel would just stop and send them over the bars.  We saw a guy crash hard as we stood there.  Yikes.  (Nate's dad dislocated his shoulder during pre-ride, and Steve Tilford broke a finger and some ribs)

Worse, we went back to the hotel and I got on my bike on the trainer to spin out my legs.  My legs felt good, which was good, but my bike was clunking with every pedal turn, and it was driving me nuts.  I tried adjusting the tension ring myself, and lost sleep overnight stressing about it and the drop in we saw.

Tuesday -- pre-ride

Tuesday we drove to the venue.  Despite pre-event emails from USA cycling about parking problems and the need to use satellite parking and shuttles, we were able to park right there in the parking lot.  However, concerns about the parking were a definite stress source.  We hooked up with Wesley of Pro Bike Express who would be my pit crew and have trainers and a tent for me to use.

The course was only open for a short time during lunch, and it was very chaotic with all the people of various abilities.  I rode the Ingles "run up" hill, and was able to handle the first steep drop without much problem.

Ingles "Heckle Hill" -- rideable, for some

 There was a second big hill on the other half of the course.  None of these climbs were straight forward.  The ground was terraced with "steps" created by cows walking across the slope, so you had to pick a line, and it was difficult to cut up or down the steep steps.
Like this

Photo by Jon Winters during Collegiate race

And then there was an even more technical drop into the woods, followed by more downhill and turning with roots and dirt.  There was a 2+ foot drop into a sharp left hand turn.  people were standing and looking at it.  I think I rode it once but otherwise ran it because of all the people in the way.
Here is video of it during the Div 1 Collegiate race:

The pure joy of being a spectator captured by @pastryweight #cxnats #technicaldifficulties
Posted by Team VeloFemme on Sunday, January 10, 2016

this is after they opened it; imagine the fencing 5+ feet higher up the hill to close off the drop in

Strangely, after riding the techical drops, I crashed in some ruts on a straight flat section of the course because the ground below the mud was frozen ruts.  The course was incredibly challenging.  It required concentration at all times.  You could never simply pedal.  You had to produce power while also picking your way across bad/awkward ground.   And I would get to do it starting 8 rows deep out of 100 people.

We picked up my first ever national championship number.


Good news, my bottom bracket was quiet....until later that afternoon when I decided to get on the trainer in our room to loosen my legs.  Ugh, that sound of clunking drove me nuts.  I didn't need that.  And it lead to a bad decision on my part.

Wednesday - Race Day.

 If necessary, Jake was going to drop me and the stuff off and take the car to parking and ride the shuttle, but We once again won the parking lottery.  We were there 3 hours in advance, so no problem.  But USAC was not allowing pre-riding between races, which really sucked and threw me off (although I did sneak on and get in a half lap, working on the bonk breaker drop in.  After the 10:30 race, I did another half lap and stood there to watch the leaders of the 11:30 race take the drop in.  But then I realized that I only had 1:15 before my race, but that was really only 55 minutes because they stage 20 minutes in advance.  I needed to put on my skinsuit, embro, and warm up.  Well, this was the big screw up.  I only got about 10 minutes on the trainer, and it wasn't my trainer, just this roller thing.  Ugh.

I was 8th Row although I ended up a row behind Scott Stahl.  I lined up against the right fence figuring I didn't want to get pinned in the middle. (thanks to Chris Merriam for appearing from nowhere and taking my jacket and pants; Jake was pre-riding and then going to the pit).  My start sucked and I was pushed against the fencing forcing me to back off even more.  I was in crap position and felt bad.

Bunch more in front than behind

30 second into the race there was a crash in the middle of the pack going over a minor bump.  Someone literally said "there it is."  I was held up a little but basically got by with just a foot down, but seriously, the guys in the front 20 were going full speed at that point, so we're screwed even more.

I had no snap and was just fighting to hold position for the first lap.  On the pavement going past the finish I got behind some guy and started to draft.  But when we got to the pits I heard Marc Vettori yell at me to GO. And I thought about something Marc said earlier in the year to Neil Schirmer, "don't settle" -- this woke me up and so I stood up and accelerated away from the little group I was tucked into.  It was time to go.  (not sure why Jake went slow-mo with this clip)

I don't remember the second lap.  HOWEVER, I was able to successfully ride the big Ingles "run up" hill, which let me pass several guys (other laps I was only getting about 3/4 up because of traffic but it was still faster to ride that much and quickly run the last few steps).

 Then coming down the flyover I passed Peter Schultz of Bikenetic, who had gotten a much better start.  That gave me a boost.


I guess Peter had a flat because at the end of that lap he caught me and I slotted onto his wheel.  I thought for sure we were only going to do 3 laps.  In the earlier races, guys like Kimani Neilson had been pulled after 3 laps.  But Peter was motoring and we were going pretty good.

that's peter in green

The scary drop in from Tuesday was a non-issue

But I botched the drop into the woods and crashed, getting caught up in the snow fencing.  Peter was gone.  So I saw 2 to go and figured this had to be my last lap.  So I went full gas the whole lap trying to catch guys.  But again I crashed into the woods (let me point out that they opened up this section on Friday after Jake's race and during the Collegiate D1 race; I'm not saying it was easy then, but just imagine with the fencing forcing a radically tighter turn at the drop).  I literally sprinted the final minute trying to catch the guy in front of me, but when I turned the corner, they were ringing the bell and Mimi was not standing there to pull me after the line.  OH NO I HAVE TO DO ANOTHER LAP.  but I was gassed.  I had to regroup, but I lost time and a couple guys caught me from behind.  Ugh.  I regrouped a bit and fought back, chasing a few guys

this guy's daughter was Nat'l Champ last year

I ran down into the woods the last time.  I finished.

So, I finished on the lead lap, which I guess is something.  I was 56th.  Better than my 64th USAC ranking/prediction.  But I'm still not satisfied, really as I sit here I get fairly pissed.  I'm frustrated by how bad I felt.  My heart rate was not where it should have been.  The warm up was a major screw up and all my fault. Crashing twice into the woods was a killer as well.  I needed to go harder and handle better.

But, it was a great experience.  The course was harder than anything I've ever seen, and that includes the Cincinnati Pan Am course, the Louisville Worlds course, and Providence.  The venue was fun. The results were quick and correct.  I'm really glad I went and raced.  It only fuels my desire to try again and improve without the stupid "rookie" mistake(s) (sorry Loren).

It's critical to say that I couldn't have done it without the support of my Long Suffering Wife, Loren.  I told her that letting me do my crazy cyclocross thing was the best and only christmas present I needed.  I also was helped by solid coaching from Ken Lundgren.  Also a bunch of free advice from guys like John Verhuel, and the Wednesday morning practice crew who had a great season.  It was my first season without Jake but it was nice to have him there to help at Nats, and he had a good collegiate race, but that's another post.