Anyone that has raced Munson before knows what it's all about. Windy, cold, grass, windy, cold, hill, windy, cold, flat, windy, cold. Well this year it was windy, cold, and they added the spiral of death - at least it was different. So even though Munson is not the best or most stimulating CX course around, it is fun to race and I have always seemed to do well their.
For this year, all I can say is it was one of the hardest CX races I have ever done! Not because of the course but because of the intensity at the front! All I can think of is one of the the lines from one of my favorite Slayer songs... "taste your blood as it trickles through the air"... to best describe it. Because I was past the red zone the entire time, and I could taste blood in my mouth and at times, blood mixed with puke at others. But boy was it fun!
From the whistle, I grabbed the hole shot and wanted to blow the field apart as soon as possible and see who could hang on. I put in a huge effort. Probably too big looking back at it, but I also wanted to explore where my limits were. I led for the first lap, and by the time the 2nd lap rolled through the start/finish, only Simon Bailey and David Johnson were left. And we had a huge lead. The race remained wheel to wheel for every single lap. And all 3 of us were on the gas, full tilt the entire time. It was so hard, that you could not even make an attack unless you wanted to completely blow yourself up. I stuck to their wheels the best I could hoping for someone to fall apart, or make a mistake. It did not happen. On the last lap, the pace quickened even more as Simon led us out. With only a few turns and the hill run up left, David Johnson went around Simon through a tricky corner and never looked back. Neither Simon or I could not react, but we still kept him within striking distance. However, the move was enough for David to stay a few feet ahead to take his first Win off the season, and it was up to Simon and I to decide 2nd. Simon led going into the final corner onto the short section of gravel. As soon as he hit it, he was out of the saddle sprinting. I did the same and came up to his side. We crossed the line at the same time, except I was about a 1/2 wheel behind. I had to settle for 3rd. Another great finish for me in a nail biting finish for first place!
Congrats to David for the Win. You earned it. And congrats to Simon for a great race, and putting the hurt on us to make us both earn our results. The Masters 35+ is going to be a hell of a series to be apart of, and a really good one to watch as well...
After the Masters race, I jumped into the Single speed class and took first. Not to much to write about. However, I really like racing my single speed. And I was happy with how I felt after the race, with the amount of effort I put out for the night. I just need to squeeze out a bit more fitness. Be able to have that "extra gear"... I think I am almost there...
For this year, all I can say is it was one of the hardest CX races I have ever done! Not because of the course but because of the intensity at the front! All I can think of is one of the the lines from one of my favorite Slayer songs... "taste your blood as it trickles through the air"... to best describe it. Because I was past the red zone the entire time, and I could taste blood in my mouth and at times, blood mixed with puke at others. But boy was it fun!
From the whistle, I grabbed the hole shot and wanted to blow the field apart as soon as possible and see who could hang on. I put in a huge effort. Probably too big looking back at it, but I also wanted to explore where my limits were. I led for the first lap, and by the time the 2nd lap rolled through the start/finish, only Simon Bailey and David Johnson were left. And we had a huge lead. The race remained wheel to wheel for every single lap. And all 3 of us were on the gas, full tilt the entire time. It was so hard, that you could not even make an attack unless you wanted to completely blow yourself up. I stuck to their wheels the best I could hoping for someone to fall apart, or make a mistake. It did not happen. On the last lap, the pace quickened even more as Simon led us out. With only a few turns and the hill run up left, David Johnson went around Simon through a tricky corner and never looked back. Neither Simon or I could not react, but we still kept him within striking distance. However, the move was enough for David to stay a few feet ahead to take his first Win off the season, and it was up to Simon and I to decide 2nd. Simon led going into the final corner onto the short section of gravel. As soon as he hit it, he was out of the saddle sprinting. I did the same and came up to his side. We crossed the line at the same time, except I was about a 1/2 wheel behind. I had to settle for 3rd. Another great finish for me in a nail biting finish for first place!
Congrats to David for the Win. You earned it. And congrats to Simon for a great race, and putting the hurt on us to make us both earn our results. The Masters 35+ is going to be a hell of a series to be apart of, and a really good one to watch as well...
After the Masters race, I jumped into the Single speed class and took first. Not to much to write about. However, I really like racing my single speed. And I was happy with how I felt after the race, with the amount of effort I put out for the night. I just need to squeeze out a bit more fitness. Be able to have that "extra gear"... I think I am almost there...
1 comment:
Good race...stay up there!
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