KENDA CUP WEST SERIES #1 - SAGE BRUSH

Well the first race of 2010 is over and in all honesty it was a bit harder than expected.  I definitely took my medicine on Sunday... but had fun.  I love racing my mountain bike.

It was my first race on the MTB since 9.20.2009 when I won the Kenda Cup Championship race at Bonelli Park so to say I was a little rusty would be an understatement.  2+ hours of racing is quite different than the 45 minutes cross/hammerfests I raced all fall.  My competitors were tough too... really fast.  It's going to rad knocking heads with them all year.... hopefully I'll on my game next time around.

race data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25809333

rough one!

to get the best idea of what happening in the race I'll just post the entry from my training log:

course change. NO long climb up Mt. Pinos which comes 3/4's through race and is made for me. killed something i thought would work to my advantage. instead two laps from first single track descent. 

race start was mellow. i was 3rd wheel hitting the road and the on the front after the other guys peeled off. i sat up and super EZ waiting for guys to come around but they didn't. so rode on the front some more going super EZ... no effort. 

hit the climb and Marco attacked and i followed and he sat in. a couple of minutes later i put in a move and split the group of 15 and then sat on front not working too hard... but the climb is solid...

near the top, before the single track, i threw down another move and split the group again. me and two guys (eventual 1st & 2nd) got a way. that's where i hit my max HR... 205!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i hit the single track in 2nd. rode well but ended up getting passed by 2 guys on long (fun) descent before fireroad... then one more guy passed me.

worked my way back into 3rd after the hike-a-bike and more climbing. hit the super fast, rutted, muddy, fireroad descent in 4th sitting on Marco's wheel and then ate CRAP. super rutted creek crossing going 25 mph! i some how ran out of it and bike flipped a number of time. yardsale! garmin flew off, bottle, chain off. got my crap together and was now in 5th after getting passed. it definitely shook me up a bit it could have been bad.

never really got back on my game after that. i tried but top end seemed to disappear. held on to 5th for a while but was just riding not racing. having fun just railing the singletrack... playing it safe. it's february.

ended up getting passed by one more guy and couldn't respond. i wasn't tired, or bonking, just kind of flat and NO SNAP.

finished in 6th after final shitshow of a descent. tons of mud, knee deep water crossing, and cat 2 & 3 rider traffic (they only did one lap and started after us).

not bummed about the result at all. of course i would have liked to get on the podium but I just came off of the BEST base training i have ever done and just started doing some harder stuff this week. 20 hours of training in the body heading in too... the engine is there and better than ever... just needs to be finely tuned. the races I really want to perform at are still down the road a bit. i am confident that i am on the right track.

just a fun day on the bike... muddy!

so that's it... it's monday morning and i am pretty shelled.  plan on taking today really mellow and getting back after it tomorrow.

pre-race breakie. mesa sunrise waffle (gluten free), Nuttzo, banana, strawberries, agave nectar and cinnamon