What a great day for racing and on one of the best trails in the state. When I think of XC mountain bike racing, this is the place I think about. It has it all! Fast, technical, lots of climbing and lots for down hills. You place high on the podium hear and you earned it. Over the past several week however, it has been very dry and the trail has seen a lot of traffic so it had become very loose. Thank God for the rain last night to tighten everything up and and it super fast.
Going into this race Adam Naish and I were dead tied in points for the best 5 out of 8 races in the Tailwind USAC XC Michigan State Championship series. So unless less one of us took 2nd place today, the series is going to come down to a who beats who in the last race of the series at Stony Creek on Sept 7th. So lets talk more about today.
It was hot. I made sure to hydrate well in the days before and right up to the start. We took off and immediately, Adam jumped on my wheel and stayed there almost to the end. (I guess it was paybacks from Fort Custer) But it was Ok. I felt good and was up for the challenge. We set a good pace for both of our laps. And with about 3 miles to go, Adam decided to put the hammer down. I jumped on his wheel and hung on. Adam had his legs today and was setting a blistering pace. This was the only time I think my heart rate actually spiked and stayed spiked! Another rider from an older class got into the mix and separated us until the last climb. This is not where I wanted to be. Adam sprinted up the last climb, and I was stuff behind the other guy and could not attack. By the time I got off the hill and onto the fast double track, Adam had already been in his big ring and was about 100 yrds ahead. I knew the last 1/2 mile or so was all grass and figured that this would be my only chance to catch him. I tried to dig deep and when I looked up to the finish, there was Adam about 30 feet in front of me. He took 2nd I took 3rd.
But not all is lost, The series will still come down to who beats who (As far as I can tell based on what I read in the rules) and I actually beat some personal beat times at PLRA. The fastest time I ever did in 1 lap was 46 mins. I did that in last years XC race. Today my 1st lap was 45 and change. Last year I ran a 46 and 50 min lap for the race and this year I ran a 45 and 46. So if I look at my overall improvement -- I kicked some ass! At least my own.
So I have 2 weeks to prepare for Stony Creek. Time to heal, time to train. I am looking forward to this race and I feel my chances are good. So let the final show down begin!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Show Down at Fort Custer TT
Well this race was not part of my schedule this year. You see it fell on the same day as my daughters birthday. BTW, she turned 3! Happy Birthday Makenna. But after the Stony Creek TT, I was behind 1st place by just 2 points. So the series would have come down to a who beat who duke-em out final! So I convinced the wife that this was important, and really wanted to race if possible. I actually think she understood and was very supportive and kept encouraging me to do well. So before I get to far into my story. I owe both my wife and daughter big! Thank you both very much and I love you!
Going into this race as mentioned above, I had to beat Adam to win the overall series title of Michigan MTB Time Trial Champion for Sport men 30-34. And let me tell you I was ready. I had a goal, and a plan. My fitness is back on form and my results over Adam in the last 2 races was what I used for motivation. One thing about TT's is, you go as fast as you can and don't look back! Any pause or hesitation could cost you the race. I learned a little about that at the Brighton Stage race this year. But this TT was different. All I had to do is beat Adam within 1st through 4th place to beat him by 1 point in the series. So as I was lining up and my number was called, Adam lined up next to me. NO WAY! Not only do I need to beat him. We are going into this thing side by side for the final show down. Does racing get any better than this? So the stage is set, plan in place, and now the carrot will be with me in plain sight for the entire race. One thing that keeps sticking in my head that my good friend Ayrn told me, "Sometimes you have to give up the yellow jersey to defend it" kept sticking with me for this race. And that is the approach I used. I was not trying to win first place for the race, but rather win the overall series by beating 1 person. And this is how it happened...
The whistle blew and we were off. I took the hole shot for about the 1st mile and then Adam pulled ahead of me in the double track and into the trenches. This is where I needed to be. Let him do the work. This was the first part of my plan. 2nd wait for him to make a mistake. And 3rd, stay with him til the final sprint and then attack on the uphill grass to the finish. Back to the race, I sat on his tail for several miles sticking with his cadence. No problems so far, then in Grannies garden, he came out of his pedals on a climb which forced me off my bike. He started to pull away but I put in a big effort and caught back up. I rode his tail until he unclipped again on a rooty climb near the small lake I jumped out in front and pulled for about 3-4 miles. This is where I needed to be because I knew that there were a few technical up hill grinders that needed to go through clean. Because If I were to make a mistake, it would have been my race. As we approached the last few miles, Adam tired to launch a attack around me on a climb. I was surprised that he was being this aggressive and we actually were bumping handle bars fighting up the climb. Then I thought, "stick with the plan" and let him take back over the lead. I followed for a little longer and we came upon another hill. He mis-shifted and popped a few gears. I then attacked and never looked back. Come to find out, he said he dropped his chain and could not catch back up. I pushed as hard as I could as Brian my team mate kept talking to me. I had a small bobble in the last mile from the loose sand that almost sent me over the handlebars, but I was able to save it. As I came out of the single track, turned onto the last long stretch of grass, I just kept the legs spinning and burning. Making sure I did not give him a chance to catch me. I crossed the line and looked back. He was no where in sight. I just won the Time trial championship for my age and class! For the race I finished 3rd and Adam Finished 5th.
On another note. I did not race Single Speed this day, but I did end up capturing 3rd overall for Sport/beg Single speed class. Not bad considering I only raced 3 of the 5 races this year.
Finally, Some of my other team mates had big days in the race and overall series awards. Winning overall series awards in their classes were Brian Crook and Stan Cristy. Also, winning 3rd overall was Don Miller. Way to go guys. And Brain took his first sport class win. Keep it up Brain. This will be one of many for you.
Going into this race as mentioned above, I had to beat Adam to win the overall series title of Michigan MTB Time Trial Champion for Sport men 30-34. And let me tell you I was ready. I had a goal, and a plan. My fitness is back on form and my results over Adam in the last 2 races was what I used for motivation. One thing about TT's is, you go as fast as you can and don't look back! Any pause or hesitation could cost you the race. I learned a little about that at the Brighton Stage race this year. But this TT was different. All I had to do is beat Adam within 1st through 4th place to beat him by 1 point in the series. So as I was lining up and my number was called, Adam lined up next to me. NO WAY! Not only do I need to beat him. We are going into this thing side by side for the final show down. Does racing get any better than this? So the stage is set, plan in place, and now the carrot will be with me in plain sight for the entire race. One thing that keeps sticking in my head that my good friend Ayrn told me, "Sometimes you have to give up the yellow jersey to defend it" kept sticking with me for this race. And that is the approach I used. I was not trying to win first place for the race, but rather win the overall series by beating 1 person. And this is how it happened...
The whistle blew and we were off. I took the hole shot for about the 1st mile and then Adam pulled ahead of me in the double track and into the trenches. This is where I needed to be. Let him do the work. This was the first part of my plan. 2nd wait for him to make a mistake. And 3rd, stay with him til the final sprint and then attack on the uphill grass to the finish. Back to the race, I sat on his tail for several miles sticking with his cadence. No problems so far, then in Grannies garden, he came out of his pedals on a climb which forced me off my bike. He started to pull away but I put in a big effort and caught back up. I rode his tail until he unclipped again on a rooty climb near the small lake I jumped out in front and pulled for about 3-4 miles. This is where I needed to be because I knew that there were a few technical up hill grinders that needed to go through clean. Because If I were to make a mistake, it would have been my race. As we approached the last few miles, Adam tired to launch a attack around me on a climb. I was surprised that he was being this aggressive and we actually were bumping handle bars fighting up the climb. Then I thought, "stick with the plan" and let him take back over the lead. I followed for a little longer and we came upon another hill. He mis-shifted and popped a few gears. I then attacked and never looked back. Come to find out, he said he dropped his chain and could not catch back up. I pushed as hard as I could as Brian my team mate kept talking to me. I had a small bobble in the last mile from the loose sand that almost sent me over the handlebars, but I was able to save it. As I came out of the single track, turned onto the last long stretch of grass, I just kept the legs spinning and burning. Making sure I did not give him a chance to catch me. I crossed the line and looked back. He was no where in sight. I just won the Time trial championship for my age and class! For the race I finished 3rd and Adam Finished 5th.
On another note. I did not race Single Speed this day, but I did end up capturing 3rd overall for Sport/beg Single speed class. Not bad considering I only raced 3 of the 5 races this year.
Finally, Some of my other team mates had big days in the race and overall series awards. Winning overall series awards in their classes were Brian Crook and Stan Cristy. Also, winning 3rd overall was Don Miller. Way to go guys. And Brain took his first sport class win. Keep it up Brain. This will be one of many for you.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
"I'm Back!"-- The Big M Report
That's right I am back. Fully recovered from all the physical, nutritional, and mental BS that I have been bending every one's ear about (You all know how you are and thank you very much for listening to me and helping me out). But it is awesome to feel strong on the bike again! Especially heading into the last few MTB races for the year. My last event was this past Sunday for the USAC Tailwind XC race #6 at Big M in the beautiful Manistee National Forest. This is a wide open trail deep in the woods with plenty of false flat climbing, fast down hills, and plenty of what West coast Michigan is known for -- sand!
I have been feeling a lot better since Ruby and was ready to fly for the race. The weather was absolutely beautiful - finally, and the trail was in the best shape I have ever seen it in the past 3 years. We lined up with the 19-29 year olds. And when the whistle blew, I shot out and started in about 4th position. Most of the young guys started peeling off about 2 miles. Then Brain (team mate) pulled up front and pushed a fast pace for me that blew the field apart. Brian suffered a flat in the beginning of the 2nd lap, so I continued to push on. Each lap I felt stronger and stronger. I kept talking to myself and made sure I stayed hydrated. I have not felt this good in a race since Bloomer. In fact when I crossed the line, I felt like I never even rode my bike. I was not only happy with the 1st place finish that was much needed to stay in the hunt for the overall series title, but I finished in 1:22. This was 4 mins fast then the previous year and my lap times were consistent.
So as mentioned before, there is only a few more MTB races left and they are all important. The TT series is up for grabs and will finish at Fort Custer State Park. This is my style of single track and I had the race of my life last year in the mud and on the single speed so I am mentally ready for this one. I just got to get there... That is another story. And in the USAC XC series, there are 2 more races with the overall title up for grabs. The first race is at Pontiac Lake, which I consider this to be my favorite course in the state. And Stony Creek which is sometimes my home away from home. So it looks like there is still a lot of fun on the bike in my future!
Before I go, I want to give Stan Cristy some dues. Stan took 1st in his class Sunday also. He probably had his best race of the year. It was inspiring to here his story on the way home. Knowing that he is a true beginner and knowing how hard he has worked this year to get where he is at, lets me know that we can achieve anything if we continue to strive for it. Thanks Stan for making me better!
I have been feeling a lot better since Ruby and was ready to fly for the race. The weather was absolutely beautiful - finally, and the trail was in the best shape I have ever seen it in the past 3 years. We lined up with the 19-29 year olds. And when the whistle blew, I shot out and started in about 4th position. Most of the young guys started peeling off about 2 miles. Then Brain (team mate) pulled up front and pushed a fast pace for me that blew the field apart. Brian suffered a flat in the beginning of the 2nd lap, so I continued to push on. Each lap I felt stronger and stronger. I kept talking to myself and made sure I stayed hydrated. I have not felt this good in a race since Bloomer. In fact when I crossed the line, I felt like I never even rode my bike. I was not only happy with the 1st place finish that was much needed to stay in the hunt for the overall series title, but I finished in 1:22. This was 4 mins fast then the previous year and my lap times were consistent.
So as mentioned before, there is only a few more MTB races left and they are all important. The TT series is up for grabs and will finish at Fort Custer State Park. This is my style of single track and I had the race of my life last year in the mud and on the single speed so I am mentally ready for this one. I just got to get there... That is another story. And in the USAC XC series, there are 2 more races with the overall title up for grabs. The first race is at Pontiac Lake, which I consider this to be my favorite course in the state. And Stony Creek which is sometimes my home away from home. So it looks like there is still a lot of fun on the bike in my future!
Before I go, I want to give Stan Cristy some dues. Stan took 1st in his class Sunday also. He probably had his best race of the year. It was inspiring to here his story on the way home. Knowing that he is a true beginner and knowing how hard he has worked this year to get where he is at, lets me know that we can achieve anything if we continue to strive for it. Thanks Stan for making me better!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Stony TT, So it goes something like this...
So -- Back at Stony in less than a month. In that time, I have battled some physical and mental demons and have not felt like I have been on my game. That is the beauty of mountain bike racing. You are constantly learning more about the game and about your self not only each season, but each race. Going into last Sunday, I was feeling better than I have and was looking forward to racing again. I know Stony very well and it was a short course 12.5 miles so the game was on. And as usual to get my moneys worth, I signed up for the geared class and single speed.
This is where the drama begins. All week I was trying to get all my routines and voodoo back together. Shaking rattles, rubbing chicken bones, washing the bike, packing the race box, etc. When I got to the race, I was making sure I was doing the usual routines and also making sure I was well hydrated. So I am out in the parking lot doing hot laps to warm up and I heard my name called over the PA. I sprinted to the starting line to only hear 5,4,3,2,1. I missed my start time. The Tailwind guy at the start was not happy with me and now I was full of adrenaline and nothing to do with it. I had to wait for an open spot so about 5 waves later, I was lining up again. My heart was pumping as I listened to the starter say in 10 secs. Then a Flying Rhino racer tapped me on the shoulder and said "You ain't going any where!" and he pointed at my tire... It was completely flat. I yell I can't go -- I'll be back. Now my Pre-race jitters turned to pre-race stress. My Team mate Brian helped me back to the pit and started prepping for a NASCAR tire change. Thank God he was there because I was shaking from the adrenaline build up and probably would have took about 1/2 hour to change it on my own. So I lined up again for the 3rd time and went off. What is with this place? I have had shit luck and poor performances here over the last 2 years... Well I was off and my heart was in my throat for the first 4 miles. I feel I could have gone faster and felt strong overall. I think the pre-race SNAFU did not help my time, but I did mange to improve over last years time by 32 secs and take 3rd place out of 20.
For my single speed race I was calm and cool at the start. I finished in 58:37 and missed 5th place by 30 secs. I felt good again, but did not want to push myself too hard because of cramping issues over the past few races. So I really treated the Stony TT as a learning/training/ and analysis race. And I and happy to report that I am back on track. The legs felt great all day. Felt great the day after, and I was able to do a training ride and feel great on Tuesday. So with a few more MTB races left, and CX season right around the corner. I am focusing on peaking again and cyclocross specific training. See you all at the Races!
This is where the drama begins. All week I was trying to get all my routines and voodoo back together. Shaking rattles, rubbing chicken bones, washing the bike, packing the race box, etc. When I got to the race, I was making sure I was doing the usual routines and also making sure I was well hydrated. So I am out in the parking lot doing hot laps to warm up and I heard my name called over the PA. I sprinted to the starting line to only hear 5,4,3,2,1. I missed my start time. The Tailwind guy at the start was not happy with me and now I was full of adrenaline and nothing to do with it. I had to wait for an open spot so about 5 waves later, I was lining up again. My heart was pumping as I listened to the starter say in 10 secs. Then a Flying Rhino racer tapped me on the shoulder and said "You ain't going any where!" and he pointed at my tire... It was completely flat. I yell I can't go -- I'll be back. Now my Pre-race jitters turned to pre-race stress. My Team mate Brian helped me back to the pit and started prepping for a NASCAR tire change. Thank God he was there because I was shaking from the adrenaline build up and probably would have took about 1/2 hour to change it on my own. So I lined up again for the 3rd time and went off. What is with this place? I have had shit luck and poor performances here over the last 2 years... Well I was off and my heart was in my throat for the first 4 miles. I feel I could have gone faster and felt strong overall. I think the pre-race SNAFU did not help my time, but I did mange to improve over last years time by 32 secs and take 3rd place out of 20.
For my single speed race I was calm and cool at the start. I finished in 58:37 and missed 5th place by 30 secs. I felt good again, but did not want to push myself too hard because of cramping issues over the past few races. So I really treated the Stony TT as a learning/training/ and analysis race. And I and happy to report that I am back on track. The legs felt great all day. Felt great the day after, and I was able to do a training ride and feel great on Tuesday. So with a few more MTB races left, and CX season right around the corner. I am focusing on peaking again and cyclocross specific training. See you all at the Races!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Red Tide at Rudy XC!
Well, it wasn't the ideal bike race this year for Ruby but it is over. The weather completely sucked. It rained for several hours the night before and the humidity was about 1000% the day of. So this is not what you want for a trail that has 2 river crossings and is about 95% clay. But the team came out to play. And lets just start by saying TEAM SANDBAG KICKED ASS! We took 16 podium positions for the day. I guess the home course paid off. 2 notable podium boys I need to give props to because they just flat out nailed it is Team mates Todd Powers for taking his first expert podium position with a 3rd place and Joe Ashly for coming out had striking with a solid 3rd place in sport men 30-34! Guys you rocked, and it was the highlight of my day to see you guys perform so well. Thank both of you very much for helping me keep my spark alive!
As for me, I did manage to take 2nd in my age group but it was a little disappointed because I gave up first to Adam in the last 2 miles. I felt really good all day but just dehydrated (poor race management) and cramped from my junk to my toes in both legs. It took everything I had to just finish the race. But good job Adam for maintaining your pace and taking home the goods.
I am going into the Stony TT tomorrow and plan on racing my geared bike and the Single speed. All I can say is my legs have not felt this good since Bloomer, and if anyone has read my blog in the past you know what I did at Bloomer. So I am really looking forward to this race and more importantly, I am finally looking at going into this race to have some fun! So look out podium the quest continues!!!!
As for me, I did manage to take 2nd in my age group but it was a little disappointed because I gave up first to Adam in the last 2 miles. I felt really good all day but just dehydrated (poor race management) and cramped from my junk to my toes in both legs. It took everything I had to just finish the race. But good job Adam for maintaining your pace and taking home the goods.
I am going into the Stony TT tomorrow and plan on racing my geared bike and the Single speed. All I can say is my legs have not felt this good since Bloomer, and if anyone has read my blog in the past you know what I did at Bloomer. So I am really looking forward to this race and more importantly, I am finally looking at going into this race to have some fun! So look out podium the quest continues!!!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Can The Mind Cause Flat Tires?
Well the Stony Marathon is over. And it was not the best race I had this year. So I wont bore you with all the details. I have had a lot of demons with this race over the past 3 years with health and mechanical issues, so the weeks leading up to it, I wasn't in my best frame of mind for the race. But I don't need to get into everything here... Needless to say, the conditions of the course sucked and I flatted about 5 miles into the race, had a 7 min tire change and caught hell trying to catch back up to the lead group -- which never happened. I finished 6th overall. The good news is, it's over so I will be moving on. I am Getting ready for my yearly MTB out of state vacation! Starting July 3rd. This year my Buds and I will be heading to New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. This could not have happened at a better time for me. Time to get back to my MTB roots and do some soul searching...
But all was not lost at Stony. Many folks close to me and who I find inspiration from did very well and I want to recognize their efforts!
Jeff Socia (Sign Outfitters) 3rd Expert Men 30-39
Ayrn Pongratz (Sign Outfitters) 5th Expert Men 30-39
Adam Naish (Bloomingdale Const.) 2nd Sport Men 30-34
Keith Feldt (Flying Rhinos) 3rd Sport Men 30-34
Mike Riffe (Fraser Bike shop) 4th Sport Men 35-39
Way to go guys! It was a very tough race in very tough conditions and you guys got the job done!
But all was not lost at Stony. Many folks close to me and who I find inspiration from did very well and I want to recognize their efforts!
Jeff Socia (Sign Outfitters) 3rd Expert Men 30-39
Ayrn Pongratz (Sign Outfitters) 5th Expert Men 30-39
Adam Naish (Bloomingdale Const.) 2nd Sport Men 30-34
Keith Feldt (Flying Rhinos) 3rd Sport Men 30-34
Mike Riffe (Fraser Bike shop) 4th Sport Men 35-39
Way to go guys! It was a very tough race in very tough conditions and you guys got the job done!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
So Close, Yet So Far at Brighton Stage Race!
I had another great weekend overall, but like the title says - "So close, yet so far" sums it up for me. This was the 3rd race of the Tailwind USAC series and it was an all important "double points" race. Were talking about the Brighton Rec Stage Race weekend! One of my favorite races and favorite places to ride period. The stage race is comprised of a 6 mile TT on the "Torn Shirt" loop. A tight twisty rooty technical trail. Then in the afternoon, a 14-15 min short track race in the open park on the grass. Then Sunday is finished up with the "Crown Jewel" of the event, a 23 mile XC race on the Murray Lake loop. A very fast roller coaster of a trail! 
Well going into Saturday I took a week off. The legs just weren't feeling strong and I have not had a week of rest since the 1st week of April, so it was time. In my mind I was marking Adam Naish as the guy to beat and when we lined up there he was starting 1 full min ahead of me. So I was off Feeling strong, got about 2 miles into the trail and there was Adam through the trees! Talk about hanging that carrot in front of you. I kept pushing and pushing knowing I was making up a lot of time on him, but I still was not feeling 100%. By the time I came out of the woods there was Adam about 20 sec in front. This made me happy and probably at that point made the biggest mistake of the weekend. I let up a little in the final 1/4 mile. Thinking I had wrapped up the TT, I checked the results and saw I beat Adam, but we were both beat by Scott Simpson -- Doah! My time was 34:30 Scott's time was 33:54. So I had my work cut out. We waited a few hours for the short track course to be set up. And I was ready! The short course is basically like cyclocross without the barriers and sand. So I knew this would be a great opportunity to make up some time. We lined up and went off for 5 laps on the 1.5 mile course. I felt better than I did for the TT so I put the hammer down. I took first place with a time of 14:26. Adam helped me out and took 2nd. Scott took 3rd with a time of 14:57. So going into the Murray Lake XC race, I made up all my time but 7 seconds. So in my mind who ever won the big event on Sunday would be the Stage race champion. And I was excited because the XC race was my discipline.
So here we are again for the 2nd day in a row. Lining up at the start and looking for a "W". We went out hard. It was Scott, Adam, and me. It was about 90 degrees and 100% Humidity and we were going hard. The rest of the pack dropped off early on and then to my surprise, Adam dropped off about 5 miles into it. So it was Scott and me all alone. We rode in silence for about 1/2 hr. I was trying to shake him but he kept hanging on. I finally said, "Mr. Simpson, is that you?" he responded with, "why yes Mr. Osgood." So I backed off the pace a little knowing that he would be the only one I had to beat. Scott kept telling me that he did not expect to go out so hard and that he was not sure if he could hang of the entire 3 laps. So I kept turning the screws! About 1/2 way through our 2nd lap on one of the bigger climbs, Scott dropped his chain and had to stop. I took the opportunity and pushed a little more. Coming through my 3rd lap, Scott was no where behind me. I could not see him and figured I had at least a 30 second gap, maybe more. I was still feeling strong and was ready to go for the kill. I was back in the single track and getting ready to climb the first hill of the loop and then it happened -- CRAMPS in the quads. OH NO, NOT NOW! It was hot, I was only on my 2nd water bottle, and did not realize at the time that the course was 23 miles long. I was prepared for a 18 mile "normal" XC race. So there is mistake #2 for the weekend. But I pushed on knowing that the race was mine to lose. From there on I had to use small gears to spin up all the hills. No more mashing, which meant no more putting more time into Scott. With about 4 miles to go, Scott caught me. I told him if he wanted to put the hammer down on me and win it fair and square to go ahead. He said that his legs had nothing left either and to "let's see what happens at the end." I thought OK, it's on! We pushed to the end of the course which dumps you onto a dirt road for about 1/2 mile and then a left hand turn into the grass for an uphill finish. I shifted up to my big ring with a lot of pain. I could see Scott's tire coming along side as he tried to pull ahead, and I thought not today, this is my race! I pushed the pedals a little harder and then we were in the grass. I stood up and my legs cramped like I could not believe. I was yelling like Monica Selles in a tennis match from the pain with every pedal stroke, but I was able to push through it. A couple more revolutions and there it was -- I took another 1st place XC race with a sprint finish. But now I had to wait to see how much Time separated us for the overall stage race result. I finally got off my bike and could not bend my legs because they were cramped so bad. Then we waited and waited. When the results were posted I beat Scott in the XC race with a time of 1:58:27. He finished with 1:58:29. I only gained 2 secs, not the 7 I needed to make up the difference. He was the stage champ for the weekend by only 5 secs. NOW THAT IS RACING! Way to go Scott! The funny thing is if you look at the position results I took 2nd, 1st, 1st and Scott took 1st, 3rd, 2nd. But the Stage race is based on who has the lowest overall time. By the way, Adam took 4th in the XC race and finished with a strong 3rd overall for the weekend, so great job Adam. The really cool thing is there are about 4-5 guys racing in the Sport men 30-34 class right now that can beat each other up any given weekend. And that makes racing the USAC series very exciting. So I will see you guys at Stony Creek for race #4! I got my work cut out!
Well going into Saturday I took a week off. The legs just weren't feeling strong and I have not had a week of rest since the 1st week of April, so it was time. In my mind I was marking Adam Naish as the guy to beat and when we lined up there he was starting 1 full min ahead of me. So I was off Feeling strong, got about 2 miles into the trail and there was Adam through the trees! Talk about hanging that carrot in front of you. I kept pushing and pushing knowing I was making up a lot of time on him, but I still was not feeling 100%. By the time I came out of the woods there was Adam about 20 sec in front. This made me happy and probably at that point made the biggest mistake of the weekend. I let up a little in the final 1/4 mile. Thinking I had wrapped up the TT, I checked the results and saw I beat Adam, but we were both beat by Scott Simpson -- Doah! My time was 34:30 Scott's time was 33:54. So I had my work cut out. We waited a few hours for the short track course to be set up. And I was ready! The short course is basically like cyclocross without the barriers and sand. So I knew this would be a great opportunity to make up some time. We lined up and went off for 5 laps on the 1.5 mile course. I felt better than I did for the TT so I put the hammer down. I took first place with a time of 14:26. Adam helped me out and took 2nd. Scott took 3rd with a time of 14:57. So going into the Murray Lake XC race, I made up all my time but 7 seconds. So in my mind who ever won the big event on Sunday would be the Stage race champion. And I was excited because the XC race was my discipline.
So here we are again for the 2nd day in a row. Lining up at the start and looking for a "W". We went out hard. It was Scott, Adam, and me. It was about 90 degrees and 100% Humidity and we were going hard. The rest of the pack dropped off early on and then to my surprise, Adam dropped off about 5 miles into it. So it was Scott and me all alone. We rode in silence for about 1/2 hr. I was trying to shake him but he kept hanging on. I finally said, "Mr. Simpson, is that you?" he responded with, "why yes Mr. Osgood." So I backed off the pace a little knowing that he would be the only one I had to beat. Scott kept telling me that he did not expect to go out so hard and that he was not sure if he could hang of the entire 3 laps. So I kept turning the screws! About 1/2 way through our 2nd lap on one of the bigger climbs, Scott dropped his chain and had to stop. I took the opportunity and pushed a little more. Coming through my 3rd lap, Scott was no where behind me. I could not see him and figured I had at least a 30 second gap, maybe more. I was still feeling strong and was ready to go for the kill. I was back in the single track and getting ready to climb the first hill of the loop and then it happened -- CRAMPS in the quads. OH NO, NOT NOW! It was hot, I was only on my 2nd water bottle, and did not realize at the time that the course was 23 miles long. I was prepared for a 18 mile "normal" XC race. So there is mistake #2 for the weekend. But I pushed on knowing that the race was mine to lose. From there on I had to use small gears to spin up all the hills. No more mashing, which meant no more putting more time into Scott. With about 4 miles to go, Scott caught me. I told him if he wanted to put the hammer down on me and win it fair and square to go ahead. He said that his legs had nothing left either and to "let's see what happens at the end." I thought OK, it's on! We pushed to the end of the course which dumps you onto a dirt road for about 1/2 mile and then a left hand turn into the grass for an uphill finish. I shifted up to my big ring with a lot of pain. I could see Scott's tire coming along side as he tried to pull ahead, and I thought not today, this is my race! I pushed the pedals a little harder and then we were in the grass. I stood up and my legs cramped like I could not believe. I was yelling like Monica Selles in a tennis match from the pain with every pedal stroke, but I was able to push through it. A couple more revolutions and there it was -- I took another 1st place XC race with a sprint finish. But now I had to wait to see how much Time separated us for the overall stage race result. I finally got off my bike and could not bend my legs because they were cramped so bad. Then we waited and waited. When the results were posted I beat Scott in the XC race with a time of 1:58:27. He finished with 1:58:29. I only gained 2 secs, not the 7 I needed to make up the difference. He was the stage champ for the weekend by only 5 secs. NOW THAT IS RACING! Way to go Scott! The funny thing is if you look at the position results I took 2nd, 1st, 1st and Scott took 1st, 3rd, 2nd. But the Stage race is based on who has the lowest overall time. By the way, Adam took 4th in the XC race and finished with a strong 3rd overall for the weekend, so great job Adam. The really cool thing is there are about 4-5 guys racing in the Sport men 30-34 class right now that can beat each other up any given weekend. And that makes racing the USAC series very exciting. So I will see you guys at Stony Creek for race #4! I got my work cut out!
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