24 November, 2008

Wisconsin 'Cross State Championship

Course was perfect for me. Fairly flat and open with not that many switchbacks, one section of barriers on the flat, and one on a short and gradual uphill run-up. I started in the back, but quickly passed people in the sand pit, which was a change for me. I don’t do that well riding through sand and when everyone was dismounting to run through I just picked a line and barreled right through. I was sitting top 10 after the road section and heading into the uphill run-up with 3 barriers. I chose the inside lane and hoped to cut in front of some people before I hit the barriers, since they are my weakness when an incline is involved. Needless to say that it was a bad choice by me. As soon as my right foot hit the ground and I took one step to run, I slipped and fell…hard. It wasn’t mud in the corner, well it was, but it was frozen. I got up quick and ran the barriers, but had shifted my bike during the fall so on the remount all my shit was messed up and I had to get off to fix it. I lost about 15 spots right then and there. Rest of the lap goes ok, but I’m trying to calm down and realize that there was some more time to make up what I lost. I got through the rest of the lap fine, and started passing people again. As soon as we get to the up hill section again I get cut off trying to take a wide line and am pushed to the inside. You can see where this is going. I hit the deck again, harder this time, and struggle to get up. At this point I wanted to quit because my hip and knee were killing me, along with my wrist and elbow. I have never crashed in a cross race, or any race for that matter before, and the fact that I was doing so well was an even bigger hit to me. As soon as I crested the hill after my second fall I knew I had lost way too much time to make it to the front, so I just started picking people off that were in front of me. I was chasing them like they were rabbits. The final 2 laps went by just fine, no crashes and nothing wrong. I’m not sure where I finished because I didn’t want to look. I just packed up the car and left. Anyway today I am hurting pretty badly and I have a huge raspberry and some big cuts on the back of my left thigh and hip, my wrist hurts just a little bit, but the left side of my neck is killing me. Anyway I’m going to go to Chicago on the weekend of my birthday and do a race there, which will be the last race of the year for me.

4 comments:

Alan said...

Seeing as you're an absolute cross beast, I think you should buy my XO1. But really, you're looking good dude.

Matt N said...

I just got a new xo-2 frameset. I just didn't have enough time to build it before this past weekend. I'll have it up and running by Chicago cross. I was actually kind of hoping to break my current frame before I got a new one. Oh well. How's California? I'm the inside rep from the East Bay of Frisco to the north of the state.

Alan said...

I'm in Texas now. I'm going to school here in Wichita Falls (N. Texas) at MSU. You're the inside rep for Specialized territory then. What've you been up to other than the stuff you posted? Doing good?

johnny said...

I got a XO and built it up Ultegra 10 for about 650. I am ready for some gravel goodness. Who are the guys in area who ride gravel? you are looking good though. Fall down get up fight fight fight. You can never quite.