It's Technical

My first Mountain bike race was last year at Tranquility.  It took me a while to decide what category to race.  I consulted some people and decided I might as well enter as beginner - AKA Category 3.  I came in third place overall about a minute behind the winner.

There were about 30 or so people in the race, so I was pretty happy about that.  My handling skills are getting better, but I have a long way to go.  Last year I was much worse.  My overall fitness was the key.  I was getting passed by everybody going downhill, only to pass them all going up.

Finally, came the longish climb at Tranquility on the south side.  It was long enough for me to get a good lead on everybody (except 2 guys) and stay away for good on any down hills.

When it came time for the podium stuff, I was pretty stoked.  Then I heard Feagan say something like "Third place for 19-29 ..."

Huh?  This is all broken out by age?  Oh dear.

So I "won" the race because I was racing in 50+.  There were 6 people in 50+

I told people (honestly) that I'd rather have the 3rd over the whole field than first over the old guys.  I didn't say this at the race. That might not have sounded too good.

Anyway - standing atop the podium after my first Mtn Bike Race, listening to EOB's jeers of "Sandbagger!" I was pretty happy.

Also, I figured I needed to race Cat 2.

Bike racing quiz:

Q: When is it time to upgrade?
A: When you win.

That was my only MTB race last year.  I raced Tranquility again this year as a Cat 2.  I figured I'd win. I knew there were plenty of people in cat 2 that were way faster than me, but thought not many would be 50+.  I didn't know that Mark Sullivan had recently gotten real fast.  I came in a distant second to him in that race.

Overall, I was somewhere in the middle of the pack.  Several minutes down after 100 minutes of racing.

There was nobody in the race that I couldn't keep up with on the road.  I would have figured to easily drop most of the top five that day (I have on many occasions).

I don't say that to boast.  It's true - but what's important is how far behind I am on skill.

It's disappointing to get your ass handed to you by a fat guy on a bike.  But it indicates that there's something I can do about it. My fitness is fine.  I just need to learn to ride.

The good news is - it's coming along.  As I spend more time on the 29er, I am relearning what a bike can just roll over without stopping.

All last week while I was practicing at Swanson, I was starting to see smoother lines and having fun.

After getting over my fear of "The root of all evil" with Roxzanne's help, I was excited to do the race.

For many years, I have been mostly just nervous about doing any kind of race.

I didn't used to always approach races with dread.  I don't know when that started happening, but it has been keeping me from racing for a long time.


I'm a roadie.  Mostly because that's what I've always done.  But off road riding has improved my road handling skills tremendously.  I am way more confident in turns and over rough patches.

In the whole of my road racing, I've won a couple of time trials and been on the podium two other times. I've never won.

I've "won" 2 of the 3 MTB races I've finished.  I came in 2nd in the other one.

When it's all divided by age like it is, I've got a better shot.

I'm not complaining though.  I just don't think my age is the limiting factor. I'm not slow because I'm old. I'm slow because I suck.  So far.

I'm coming for you, Mark Sullivan ...

Sullivan.  Come out to play-e-ay ...



Anyway - as I've already talked about, the Swanson race was rescheduled to last Sunday.  That coincided with the Fredorate Fredling Fredlenge (Corporate Cycling Challenge).  I was signed up for it by my company. For the first time since I left The U.P.  I didn't have to pay to be registered.

The Swanson MTB race was the State championship. There were 6 50+ cat 2 guys signed up.

Mark Sullivan was not.  He was at the CCC.

Only 3 50+ guys showed up.  I had done a 68 mile ride the day before, so my legs were starting a bit slow.  I passed one of my competitors about 5 minutes in and the other one a couple of minutes later.

Easy street, I figured.  Except there was one other guy who didn't raise his hand when Darrell Webb said, "50+ raise your hands.  This is your competition." The guy was completely grey and looked to be at least 50.  I was worried about him because I didn't see him.  He was somewhere in front of me.  And he might be 50!

Then I heard a loud snapping noise and flipped over my stopped bike.

All my competition went around me as I tried to figure out if there was any damage.

I got past one of them a few minutes later but was gaining very slowly on the other , if at all.

That's when I became an aggressive passer of people.  I'd come up on a guy and yell, "I'm not racing against you and I'm passing on your right" or something.

If they didn't get out of my way, I went around them anyway.  Fuck those guys.

Finally, I caught up to the guy I was looking for.  It was right at the end of the first lap.

The start/finish is a big wide open field.  My competition's name is "Guy German."

Bye Guy!  I used the wide open space to get around Guy and continued my aggressive passing.  I figured if Guy was a bit more sheepish, he'd lose time.

I couldn't tell if I was putting distance between myself and Guy until after the end of the second lap.

I started the third lap and listened.  Listened to hear Feagan announce the name of "Guy German."

I thought maybe I'd missed it, when after more than a minute, I heard it.  Yes!

Now if only ...

Oh looky there!  It's the guy who might be 50+ but didn't raise his hand (turns out he wasn't).

When I went by him, he said "Go get 'em brother!" which proves Mtn biking is way cooler than road biking.

So I was by everybody that mattered for me.

I just needed to ride hard, but within myself and I'd win.  There was just one other little problem.

Some guy in the 40-49 group had been sitting about 5 seconds behind me about for the last 2 laps.

With about a half mile to go, he came up to my back wheel and just sat there.

I know - he's not in my race.  But we're racing now aren't we, Mark (I looked up who finished near me)

He had a couple of shots to pass me but didn't take them.  Whew.  If he'd have gone around me when we were in the woods, I don't know if I'd have been able to keep up with him.

I think he decided to leave it for the wide open sprint finish.  Silly whipper-snapper.

In the end, I'm technically the Nebraska state champion category 2, 50+ mountain bike rider guy.

But yeah, I've got some work to do.