I ran outta race- FSC #3 race report

I had some bad mojo to cleanse after my disastrous outing at Hanna Park 2 weeks ago, so I came into Tallahassee looking to kick some butt and make up for Jax.

I arrived in Tally on Sat. afternoon and went directly to Tom Brown Park to register and pre-ride the course. I met up with, and pre-rode the course with Cal & Rachel. It was nice having some fellow FWB peeps to ride with. The course was essentially the same as last year, but with a couple changes...the biggest being that it was now being run in the opposite direction of last year's course. Upon riding it the first go-round I immediately gave it a thumbs up. It flowed nicely, and not long after entering the woods you were greeted with a sustained climb (that's right up my alley!).
There was one section though that was cause for concern. Not long after entering the woods you make a hard left turn and go down this rooty, eroded descent. The best line was, or I should say only line was on the left side. Venture too far over to the right and you could get your front wheel stuck in a hole and end up going over the handlebars (something that Cal experienced firsthand). During the pre-ride I cleaned that section, but I was still concerned about what would happen when you have a bunch of riders trying to go down it at speed during the race. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded and nobody (at least in my group) got hung up there. I saw a Sport class female with a bloody chin, and later in the day an ambulance and fire truck made an appearance at the race...carrying someone off. I suspect both of those injuries were sustained at that spot.

Since the white wave went off at 9:30am at the Jax race, we weren't going until 11:30am this time around. With that in mind I made it a leisurely Sunday morning. I still got up early because I wasn't sure if Cal was gonna need feed zone support. After my routine pre-race breakfast (Fruit & Nut pancakes, minus the nuts- Mmmm, yummy!), I made my way to the venue so I could watch the Sport and Expert classes.

After lounging the morning away I got ready, warmed up, and did a last minute check of the bike. I made my way over to the start line thinking I, for once, had gotten their in time to get a first row position. Boy, did I call that one wrong. Second row position. Again. Dammit to hell! I was shoehorned in there, so I wasn't gonna get too frisky on the start...I didn't want to tangle handlebars with someone and go down in the first 50ft of the race.

So, the race starts and with my lousy position I probably am somewhere in the upper teens to 20s as we enter the woods. It should be noted right here, that after that initial 50-75ft I can start sustaining a pace that no one passes me...I hold my position, so I think that if I just got on that damned front row I'd do pretty good, at least a top 10 position.
Anyway, that tricky descent is the first test. I nail the line and go scooting thru that section. The climb starts in a few hundred yards, and that's where I start reeling people in. I past 3 or 4 riders during that climb, so at this point I'm feeling really good, the legs are turning over nicely. The next section is some nice flowing singletrack, but it runs along an embankment, so passing spots are few. Despite this I still manage to get around a few more riders, some of whom are from the 19-29 class. The next singletrack sections are tight and twisty in places, and with my height and broad shoulders...most of you know that tight and twisty is not my fave. When you hit the climbs in the open fields you know you're nearing the end of your lap. Getting out of that tight & twisty doesn't come soon enough. Give me a sustained climb any day! By the time I get to the top of the last climb I'm sitting around 10th. The first lap is almost in the books. Just as soon as I can make it around the BMX track without going over the handlebars or doing a backflip. Let me tell you, after racing at or near your limits for 30 minutes and then have to deal with getting around a BMX track intact takes big time concentration.

On my second lap I catch up with someone from my class and I pass him on that first climb. He tells me that he wasn't too far off from the rest of the group. Nothing like a little extra motivation, right? He sticks on my wheel for a while before dropping off the pace. I come across the occasional rider, most of whom are from other classes. As I near the final climbs I've started catching up with some 30-39 guys. As I near the final section of singletrack, I see a couple guys ahead of me, but with the winding nature of the trail I can't tell how close they are. It's not until I exit the woods and make my way to the BMX track that I see how close (or far, depending on one's point of view) I am. One of them is not in my class, and unfortunately he's the closest one to me. I tried to reel that guy in but I just didn't have enough space to do it. I crossed the finish line a few seconds behind him. I asked the guy if he knew what position he finished. He wasn't 100% sure, somewhere between 4th & 6th. Hmm, if that's the case then that means I finished 5th-7th.

As it turns out, that guy finished 5th. I came in 6th...just off the podium. If there had been an extra 1/4 mile, or even an extra few hundred yards I would've gotten past that guy too. When he crossed the finish line he was cooked. He got off his bike at the finish line and sat down on the spot. It was a chore for him to answer me when I asked his position.
That said, if there had been a 3rd lap I have no doubt that I would've reeled in more of the top 5. As it was, I just ran out of race.

While I'm still miffed about the start, I have no complaints about my performance once I entered the woods. In two laps I went from around 20th position up to 6th. Nobody passed me, even from other classes. I passed aggressively (fortunately everyone was willing to let me pass), and I rode cleanly. This last part of my season didn't go as planned, but that's racing. I do have a NORBA Nat'l win, so I think I can still call my freshman season a success. Don't you?

I have more to add, but it's been a long day.