Race Report - FSC #5 Alifia State Park

What's up riders? I know you are normally used to reading a really long super duper post, but I have had my midterm exams this week and haven't been able to sit down write a post like I normally. So I will give you the quickest race report I ever done. Btw, did I say that I like Matt Hammond?

Well, I only did 1 lap the day before the race because it was so muddy, and my bottom bracket was squeaking to holy hell. I even had Ryan W take a look at it, and he told me the bearings were shot. So I would have to do 4 laps with my bike screaming at me. Not cool!

The next morning I decide to get off the line closer to the back, and find my place once things got sorted out. It only took about 8mins into the race for me to feel like crap. Last years race was my best performance on the bike as far as energy expenditure was concerned, so I was kind of siked to be back here to try to duplicate that ride. Not the case this race. I was suffering like a dog by the end of the first lap and was just sitting on Ryan Saylor's wheel. He made a mistake and I came around him and finished out the lap with Luiz Meza on my wheel.

I asked him to come around me if I was going to slow, but he said he needed to recover. I'm thinking, "You and me both". Soon after that Ryan Saylor comes blazing pass me on the double track fireroad and I jump on his wheel. I'm suffering and about to get unhitched, and he makes another mistake and I pass him again. This time I let Luiz pass me, and he is gone. Soon after Ryan has made contact with me, and I let him pass.

I'm going backwards before the middle of the second lap. Last week in Gainesville, it was 3 laps before I started going backwards. I have really lost my high end form, but don't have time to try to process that info. I have to find a way to finish 2 and a half laps without wanting to kill myself.

I go across the field, pass the picnic table, then up the sharp left on the white bricks, and then it happens. I change my line as I'm at the top of coming down the rooted out section. I veer off the trail to the right and loose control of the bike. I hit the entire right side of my body on the jagged rocks. Right shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle all caught some serious contact. There is a lady standing there taking pictures, and as I get up I say, "I hope you got that".

I get up and take my time getting back on the bike. As I push off Matt Hammond comes storming up, and I get out of the way. Did I say I like Matt Hammond yet? Once I get back going I take in the "Pain Report", and the worst offender was the right thigh that took the bulk of the blow in the crash. So now, the right leg is revolting again working but I have to finish this race. I'm the 4th person on the team, and they need the points. I get passed by Oscar and Campbell, then Adam, then a multitude of riders before I finish the lap.

Through the feed zone I stop and wash off the bloody elbow, and Mrs. P ask me if I ok. I say, "Yes", but I was in pain as the bruise in my thigh was only getting worst. Now I know I can't finish this race, so I have to remember how to get my points. By the time I get back to the picnic table, I decide to put my body out of it's misery.

So I sit and watch the racers go by for about 20 minutes. I find out that once I'm lapped by the leader of my race, I just need to finish. Greg D. had been passed so I got back on the bike and hit it, if you can call it that. That last 12 minutes was painful as hell as my body had already gone cold, and it was painful restarting the engine to finish.

We have moved out of 4th place, and now are 1 pt behind Wooley's Team A in 5th place. We were still kinda of in the race courtesy of Oscar mechanical. I'm responsible for us not being in contention with B&J, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I"m going to get back on my bike and do what I always do. Learn from it, and go out and train harder.

By the way, did I say I like Matt Hammond. Just in case you did, I really do. I think the guy is really over competitive, but that does not mean don't like him. I think with his style of racing and training, he should be racing on the road. We have had disagreements on approaches to training, and racing, but never has disliking him entered my mind. Actually my wife knows him the best, because he goes out of his way to say hello. Listen, for me to NOT like you have to wrong me in some way, or take something from me. So, for the record, I LIKE MATT HAMMOND. Not enough to give him mouth to mouth if I ride up on him and he is unconscious and laying in the dirt. But I like that guy.

So I'm going to pick myself back up, crawl out of the darkness and do my best to salvage this season. This weekend, I'm going to get involved with some high end work, which I start to neglect every season once the racing starts. Last year I neglected it later, so I enough time to chase some form before it's all over. I'll holla!

Pacer Out!