2016 Monster Cross
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Tania.
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February 22, 2016 at 2:41 pm #1047840
huskerdont
Participant@Tania 135319 wrote:
So. Much. Fun.
I love how every race (or meet) I learn something new. I learned yesterday that (a) I need to stop riding my brakes down hills; I bleed a lot of momentum that way (b) that Warbird is worth every penny and (c) I’ve got a lot more in the tank.
Main thing I learned is there are a lot of phenomenal cyclists out there who can go fast long time.
I think it was about what I expected. I’m glad I used the CX instead of the MTB, even though that evil downhill near the end of the loops (before you cross over the bridge for the last bit to the end) would have been better on a MTB. My arms had turned to butter by then and it was almost too much to handle and I almost lost it. Not to mention that my odometer was telling me we had already gone 50.25 miles so I should have already been fecking done. If I were going to cry, the 50.25-mile point would have been where it would have happened.
Lost my electrolite bottle in the downhill roots section on the first lap. Picked it up the second lap, but by then I was starting to bonk a little. Would have been close to my goal of 3.5 hours if I could have duplicated the first lap. Oh well. Still feel it was maybe okay for a 51-year-old first timer. Maybe can do a bit better next year.
Thanks again for everyone’s input. It was spot on, especially TK’s description of the creek on the backside, where I hit it too hard on the XC and was very lucky not to flat*. I was running fairly high pressure though so that’s probably why I didn’t.
*There were a *lot* of flats out there.
DE
February 22, 2016 at 2:50 pm #1047865Tania
Participant@huskerdont 135325 wrote:
even though that evil downhill near the end of the loops (before you cross over the bridge for the last bit to the end) would have been better on a MB. My arms had turned to butter by then and it was almost too much to handle and I almost lost it. [/quote]
Oh yeah. I talked myself through that section – “don’t grab your brakes don’t grab your brakes don’t grab your brakes.” I went into the drops for the second loop through but seriously that Warbird really took care of me. I kinda want to try some real single track with it. I found the steep uphill section there though to be WAY more evil than the down. And having the last mile be pretty much entirely uphill is just wrong.
@huskerdont 135325 wrote:
especially TK’s description of the creek on the backside, where I hit it too hard on the XC and was very lucky not to flat*. I was running fairly high pressure though so that’s probably why I didn’t.
*There were a *lot* of flats out there.
I got lucky first time through there as two others came through just ahead of me and the guy was yelling “STAY TO THE RIGHT!!!!” to his ride companion. And I somehow made it through the deep mud just after it too. Creek crossing and mud are my kryptonite but I didn’t have any issues yesterday. (I was also telling myself – frequently – ‘come on, don’t be such a chicken.’ There was a lot of talking to myself yesterday…)
February 22, 2016 at 3:34 pm #1047791Participant@Tania 135326 wrote:
Oh yeah. I talked myself through that section – “don’t grab your brakes don’t grab your brakes don’t grab your brakes.” I went into the drops for the second loop through but seriously that Warbird really took care of me. I kinda want to try some real single track with it. I found the steep uphill section there though to be WAY more evil than the down. And having the last mile be pretty much entirely uphill is just wrong.
Wakefield Park could be a good intro for that Warbird–or across Braddock and around Accotink Lake, where you can chose to go back to the gravel road if you get on the single track and don’t like it. That’s where I tested out the Volpe.
I tend to go slower on the downhills than a lot of people, partially because I’m not used the a CX bike yet and partially because I’m a chicken. But with the CX, I would end up passing people on the uphills and getting passed by them again on the downhills. On the second loop I just didn’t pass people when I knew there was a sketchy downhill coming because I wanted to be on my own on the descents. But then there were people walking uphill and I didn’t have any choice but to pass them. My legs felt strong, despite everything else being toast.
Any idea who those fast guys were going the wrong way around on the second loop? They had race numbers on their bikes. Seemed a bit nutty.
February 22, 2016 at 4:02 pm #1047795Anonymous
Guest@Tania 135326 wrote:
I got lucky first time through there as two others came through just ahead of me and the guy was yelling “STAY TO THE RIGHT!!!!” to his ride companion. And I somehow made it through the deep mud just after it too. Creek crossing and mud are my kryptonite but I didn’t have any issues yesterday. (I was also telling myself – frequently – ‘come on, don’t be such a chicken.’ There was a lot of talking to myself yesterday…)
By any chance was that a woman on a cross bike who got to the water first (on the left) and slowed to let the man on the mountain bike (the one doing the yelling) past and follow him through? If so, the woman was me. (I have no idea who the man was, he just happened to be someone riding behind me who obviously knew the crossing. I thanked him as I climbed out behind him.)
February 22, 2016 at 4:07 pm #1047796Participant@Amalitza 135334 wrote:
By any chance was that a woman on a cross bike who got to the water first (on the left) and slowed to let the man on the mountain bike (the one doing the yelling) past and follow him through? If so, the woman was me. (I have no idea who the man was, he just happened to be someone riding behind me who obviously knew the crossing. I thanked him as I climbed out behind him.)
About 98% sure yes! I wasn’t paying attention to who was riding what but it went down just like that. I muttered to myself “stay to the right, good to know” so thanks to you both!
February 22, 2016 at 4:17 pm #1047798GuestI did the 25 mile version. I’ve never done anything like this before, so had no idea what to expect, and haven’t done any kind of distance since… September-ish?… so trying for 50 seemed inadvisable.
Agree it was So. Much. Fun. I was probably correct that I was not up for the full 50 yesterday, but I think it is totally within my capability if I had been doing longer rides recently. My legs probably had another half a lap in them yesterday, so I was clearly on the conservative side in pacing myself. (again, no idea what I was doing) I did not suck at this NEARLY as much as I sucked at cyclocross this year! Need to work on descending skills. Or, perhaps more accurately, descending confidence since I didn’t actually have any problems, just slowed down too much. Relatedly, I’m starting to suspect I might have myself riding bikes that are too small for me…
Most embarrassing moment, however, was being passed (on my TriCross, mind) by one of the kids/teens out there who looked to be about 12, riding a 29er, going uphill on pavement.
😮February 22, 2016 at 4:24 pm #1047780ParticipantWe all need to ride together to practice our descents because I too am a chicken. I go uphill faster than I go down.
I wanted to go downhill faster on the second loop (since I’d done it already and knew what to expect) but I was getting fatigued and I wasn’t sure I could trust my handling skills or that I wouldn’t just make a stupid mistake and wind up with multiple compound fractures.
February 22, 2016 at 4:53 pm #1047782vvill
Participant@huskerdont 135330 wrote:
Any idea who those fast guys were going the wrong way around on the second loop? They had race numbers on their bikes. Seemed a bit nutty.
That part of the course was two way, but they didn’t have cones. It shocked me too – they could probably use some tape or something there.
I had a good ride, started a little slowly and gradually built up, then got a bit tired (ran out of water with about 10 miles to go) and bored (there were hardly any riders around me), but cut about an hour off my time last year. Ended up consuming two water bottles (with sports mix) and one energy bar. Really enjoyed having the SSCX and belt drive.
February 22, 2016 at 5:15 pm #1047783ParticipantI think it was about 10 miles longer than I was ready for at my current fitness level, but it’s hard to get 4-hour rides in in January. My last 40+ mile ride was back in November.
February 22, 2016 at 5:18 pm #1047784Participant@vvill 135340 wrote:
That part of the course was two way, but they didn’t have cones. It shocked me too – they could probably use some tape or something there./QUOTE]
That never occurred to me, or to the people around me, for that matter. And it shows how oblivious I was to where I was on the course/in the park.
On the other side of the course they did have tape up; strange that they wouldn’t there.
February 22, 2016 at 5:32 pm #1047786Participant@huskerdont 135342 wrote:
That never occurred to me, or to the people around me, for that matter. And it shows how oblivious I was to where I was on the course/in the park.
On the other side of the course they did have tape up; strange that they wouldn’t there.
Same. I overheard another rider talking about it some time after seeing the leaders’ MTB train hurtling towards me (that was scary!), and then recognized the section when I came back that way myself.
@huskerdont 135341 wrote:
I think it was about 10 miles longer than I was ready for at my current fitness level, but it’s hard to get 4-hour rides in in January. My last 40+ mile ride was back in November.
Yeah – it’s not really the mileage, it’s the time at a sustained pace! And even on a longer road ride there’s usually just a lot more recovery.
February 22, 2016 at 7:01 pm #1047774hozn
Participant@huskerdont 135325 wrote:
I’m glad I used the XC instead of the MB
Minor point of order, I think you mean “CX” and “MTB” respectively here? I was confused reading the account, until I realized by “XC” you don’t mean an XC bike (XC=cross country; i.e. a mountain bike).
This sounds like a fun ride, though. I will do it one of these years! — when it’s not my wife’s birthday. For this year, I’ll have to settle for one of the other ultra CX events in the region; luckily there are a few.
February 22, 2016 at 7:17 pm #1047776Participant@hozn 135350 wrote:
This sounds like a fun ride, though. I will do it one of these years! — when it’s not my wife’s birthday. For this year, I’ll have to settle for one of the other ultra CX events in the region; luckily there are a few.
Ha, my wife’s birthday was Friday. Fortunately she has some friends and relatives in that area so I sold the ride as a package deal where we got to visit and eat lots of food (and I hitched a lift home on Sunday separately).
I do like this year’s course better overall, despite the indiscretion with unexpected two-way traffic. There were less road crossings, and it is a lot easier to keep track of riding the same loop twice (I didn’t hear of anyone taking wrong turns, unlike last year). And although there seemed to be a little more climbing (which is fine by me) it was still a fast course with plenty of mixed terrain and the two creek crossings.
February 22, 2016 at 7:25 pm #1047779Participant@hozn 135350 wrote:
Minor point of order, I think you mean “CX” and “MTB” respectively here? I was confused reading the account, until I realized by “XC” you don’t mean an XC bike (XC=cross country; i.e. a mountain bike).
This sounds like a fun ride, though. I will do it one of these years! — when it’s not my wife’s birthday. For this year, I’ll have to settle for one of the other ultra CX events in the region; luckily there are a few.
You are correct. I was typing w/shortcuts without thinking of using whatever the proper abbreviations might be. I was not cross-country skiing or anything this weekend, no. It’s fixed.
I hope to do the ride again next year, but the girl is interested in maybe doing the 25-mile version, and if she does, I’ll need to be the one running about with the dog.
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