Wrath of the Boneyard

The Boneyard got the best of me last year, as can be seen in a previous post.  Long story short, I was in second place charging towards the front and then I got a flat... So this year I returned with a vengeance, and was hoping to get the best of the boneyard this time.

It was a hot day, so I fueled up with Powerbar Performance Sports Drink, and headed to the starting line.



The race went off into a cloud of dust, with wheels blazing and pedals churning.  I was feeling good, riding the rocky course smoothly, and keeping up well.  I then started climbing up a hill and felt my back tire getting soft, I hopped off my bike, and checked my tire.... it was going flat!  The boneyard had got the best of me again!  I then did a quick fix and then rode back tot he starting line to put in a tube.  I fixed the bike up, and got back on the course.  At this point it was just a matter of finishing and I am glad to say that I did.  

The boneyard got the best of me again, but there is always next year...

 

Massasoit Lung Opener

The Massasoit Lung Opener was my first MTB race of t he year in the Root 66 MTB Series.  I had not done this race before, so I was not sure what to expect.  I was excited to race, I had got some good training in and I was fueled up with Raspberry Energy Blasts, I was good to go.  The gun went off, and the race started!



After about 15 minutes of racing I was in the top third and moving my way up, however we started a rocky and rooty descent and when I got to the bottom I heard that sound every cyclist hates, psssssssss.  My rear wheel had hit a rock and now I had a puncture.  I quickly took my rear wheel off and started to change the tube.  I managed to get a new tube in but it was too late, the entire field had gone.  I got back on my bike and started the chase, however after I finished the first lap it seemed that I would have a hard time catching back up.

However, I pushed on and did finish the race.  It was not where I wanted to finish, but I was happy that I pushed through the flat and I still had it in me to finish the race. 

Berkshire Highlands Pentathalon

To describe this event I think that the official website description does it best:

The first annual Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon features many of the best outdoor adventures in our area. The five events - a 10k trail run, 23 miles of road biking, 5 miles of kayaking, a mile to the top of the mountain and a downhill ski to the finish - can only happen on the same day at the turn of the seasons. It may be a bit cold for road biking and kayaking and a bit warm for skiing, but where else can you do it all on the same day?

That's right, five events, too cold for biking too warm for skiing, just perfect for awesome! I was very excited for this event because a) it is very unique, b) the proceeds for the race go to preserving the beautiful woods of Western Massachusetts, and c) I was part of a two member team, the other member, my wife Caroline!

The race started with a 10k trail run, which Caroline took care off. She did an awesome job, running up and down the muddy hills and doing it all very quickly. Below you can see a picture of the start.

 

After Caroline finished the run she tagged off to me.  I then hammered around the 23 mile course, up the many hills and managed to stay pretty warm on the balmy 35 degree day.  Below you can see me coming into the bike finish.

After the bike I hopped into the kayak and made my why down the rapids.  The water was frigid and flowing fast, it was quite intimidating.  I managed to make it down the river without falling in, but just barely, this was a very cold and at times scary as I was fighting to stay upright down the rapids. 

I finally got out the the river (it seemed like it took forever!), and I tagged back to Caroline so she could start her run up the ski hill.  Below you can see her run right after the tag off!

Caroline made it up the ski hill, and it was time to ski down the tiny patch of snow that was left.  I managed to wind my way throught the gates and through the finish!  You can see the ski course below.


This was a great experience.  It was a truly unique event and althought it was cold, wet, and exhausting, Caroline and I both had a great time.  We both decided that we are going to do this event next year!!!  You can see our team at the finish line below!

 

Hodges Dam Race Report

I wish I could swim better.  After racing through what felt like waist deep mud puddles, trails them could have been running streams, and strong rains for 2.5 hours, I am not so sure I was pedaling as much as I was swimming.

I like hodges dam, I raced it for the first time last year, and loved the punchy climbs and quick turns which are mixed in with the roots and rocks.  It is a good course for me, and last year I placed 2nd, and as I was the first Massachusetts resident to cross the line, I was the Pro Open Massachusetts State Champion in 2010, and I was looking to extend this into 2011.

The race was filled with plenty of great racers, and with overnight rain continuing to the start of the race, I knew it was going to be interesting.  Last year at this race, it was extremely dusty, so although this was going to be totally different, its certainly in the cards for New England mountain bike racing.  As the whistle blew to start racing everyone took off, I was able to jump into about 5th position or so, and as we went through the first round of shallow puddles I had to keep my eyes closed, a mixture of dirt, mud, water, and who knows what else was pouring into my face.  When we made it to the single track, the full extent of the rain appeared, and we were blasting through deep puddles.  The riders in front of my were blowing water about shoulder height as I was trying to ride in their wake.  Things started to get better as it opened up a bit, but still my eyes were constantly getting covered with dirt and water I was kicking up, and most of the time I had about one eye closed and the other half shut.  As we came around the first lap (of five) I was sitting in about 5th place, and kept pushing on through the streams that were once trails.

As the laps wore on my bike was getting pretty worked.  On the fourth lap I noticed that my rear brake stopped working, and to make matters worse it actually completely shut on my rotor, and when I got off my bike to spin my wheel it only managed to rotate about a quarter turn.  So with chain suck and a stuck rear wheel my lap times got slower, which was okay, but then the front brake went too, so at this point it was just about finishing.

I came across the line in 6th place, not where I wanted to be, but thats okay, I still managed to have fun.  I wish I could have continued to be the Mass. state champion, but I will be back next year for sure.  

To date, I believe this is the wettest race I have done, I have raced in deeper mud and worse conditions, but this had the deepest puddles, and the least amount of dry ground!

Speaking of dust, this is what I looked like after last years race!

And so there was Mud!!!

Check out this sweet pic of Sean Kennedy, Nate Peppin, and my self after the Putney Cross country race!

Mansfield Hollow and Stratton Brook Cyclocross Races

Last weekend was my first time racing cyclocross on both Saturday and Sunday (and Caroline's first double weekend of support and pictures too).  On Saturday I headed down to Mansfield HollowDam  Connecticut, right outside of where I spent two summers interning as an engineer. I spent plenty of time riding my mountain bike around the dam, so I was excited to race my third cyclocross race around a familiar location.  When I arrived I started to ride around and I heard a familiar voice yelling my name,  I turned around and it was the one and only Peter Hurst, my college roommate and stupid fast bike racer.  Pete and I enjoyed trying to annihilate each on the bike while on the U. of Michigan Cycling Team, whether it be on dirt or on the road, riding up a mountain or riding through the roads of Ann Arbor, we had some good times.  I finished warming up, and went to the line in the Category 2,3,4 race. 

Pete and I before the race

The race started and I jumped into the top 10, ripped a few corners, and bombed down a steep hill into a straight away, at which point it was time to start moving up.  I got into the lead group, and after the first set of barriers and a couple of quick turns I was feeling pretty comfortable, however then came the sections of straight away power sections.  Being a light mountain biker, I am much stronger on tight corners and quick accelerations, however when it comes to the flat power sections, I lose some time.  

Jumping the barriers

With about 15 minutes to go I was sitting in 4th place, and I saw a monster named Pete on the attack.  Pete is the type of guy I lose time to on the straight aways, and I knew that I would have to fly through the technical sections and try to keep him from keeping up on the straight aways.

Going hard out of a corner

With the final set of straight aways to go, I could see that Pete was coming up fast.  I decided to step on it through the final turns, and as I was coming out of the last one I went down, and Pete came around me.  I jumped on my bike as fast as possible, I managed to get back on his wheel, but the final 30s was a drag race, and Pete got the best of me!  I finished in 5th place, and had a great time, however it was time to get back home and get ready for the race on Sunday.

This time Caroline and I were off to Simsbury, CT for the Stratton Brook Cross race.  I managed to put in a nice warm up and ride about half of the course, and I found that with the plethora of turns and a 200 yard sand pit I had a good chance of doing well.  

The gun went off and it was a sprint to the first set of barriers, which were important for what was coming up next!  I got to experience my first pinwheel!  A pinwheel is a circular obstacle in which you ride into a big spiral (thick of flushing a toilet) and when you get in the middle you turn around, and spiral back out!  They are awesome to say the least! This is pictured below.

Pinwheel

After the spiral I was sitting in 2nd place, and when we got into a straight away a racer attacked from behind, I immediately jumped around the guy ahead of me and onto the attackers wheel, after a minute it was down to him and I.  We rode together for the first 3 laps of 5, and when we got to the sand pit I had mentioned before, I put in an attack! (as seen below)

The winning move (nice picture Caroline)

I powered through the beach like sand, and kept up the pace through the next few sections, and when I turned around I had put a nice gap on the second place racer.  

Flying Solo to the victory

I kept the pace high for the remaining laps and came across the line first, for my first cyclocross victory!

I enjoyed racing both Saturday and Sunday, and to finish in 5th one day and win the next I was really excited about how the races went.  Caroline also had a good time, and took some great pictures, so we are looking forward to more double headers in the future.

Crossin for Canines

It was a 90 degree day in the middle of September, the perfect way to start my cross career.  I had gotten my cross bike on Saturday, rode it once or twice, and it was now a week later and I was lined up to race the the Category 3-4 cyclocross race for a bunch of dogs (hence the Crossin for Canines).  So needless to say I could have used a little more practice time, but sometimes you have to jump right in.

The gun went off and the group surged forward, I made a few quick passes before the first corner, and was sitting in  about 3rd place.  I kept this up, and when the first hill came I jumped ahead and was leading the race.  We started entering some barriers and corners, and at this point a few guys started coming around me.  I watched them flow through corners and glide over barriers, and then I tried to follow suit, however I sort of made it through corners, forgot which way to swing my legs over barriers, but either way I was racing!

This continued for 45 minutes, with me trying my best to get through corners and over barriers and during this time I was baked in the heat, but I crossed the line in 4th place.

It was a great first experience, and since the race I have gotten more practice, and feel much better on the bike, as you will see in the following posts!