Top- Garrett Chott placing 1st in MBAA Estrella Mountain Bike Race!Garrett and I drove out to the Estrella race course early Sunday with an eye towards the sky – it had been raining off and on all weekend. The sky was mostly clear when we arrived, got signed in and started warming up. Nate and his Mom pulled up in the Two Wheel Jones mobile in the meantime. After a thorough warmup on wet roads, we got into race gear and went to the line.
Both of our races were two long loops for a total of about 20 miles. Garrett took off at 8:38 with the Cat 2 guys from 15-29 in his wave, a few minutes behind the Pros and Cat 1 guys. My wave had the Cat 2 guys from 40-49 and 50-59. I started at 8:44 and got the holeshot off the line as we headed up the first hill. I only held the lead for a quarter mile or so and then jumped on the wheel of another rider. I was able to stay with him until the turnoff for the junior loop and was then passed by a handful of guys.
The course was still a little soft and wet from rains the previous day, but the sandy wash climb was still in pretty good shape. Around 4 miles later, we crested the last of the switchbacks and got into the technical part of the course. This was mostly uneventful this lap and I continued across the backside towards the last hill before the venue. A little ways up the last hill I caught sight of Nate. This surprised me since he started 6 minutes ahead of me and he's usually pretty fast. As I caught up to him I noticed him riding one handed and cradling his right wrist. We talked a bit as I went past and found out he had crashed somewhere on the technical section and thought he had broken his wrist. His helmet was also split open. He was planning on riding back to the venue and visiting the first aid tent.
Somewhere in this area is where I noticed the clouds thickening and it started drizzling. The pass we had ridden over was almost obscured by rain and clouds. As I descended into the venue for my second lap, the rain picked up. The second time up the wash climb was softer and getting a little muddy. At this point, I was second guessing the decision to only go with jersey and shorts, but I was committed. I figured it was good training for when we do the Leadville 100 someday since it sounds like it always rains on that race. As I crested the switchbacks the second time, the rain was letting up but the rocky section of the course was now wet. I rode a little more cautiously this time, not wanting a crash or injury.
Along this section there were a number of riders walking due to broken chains, flats, etc. There was more traffic from earlier waves that needed to be passed as well. On the last big climb, I came up behind a guy who had passed me early in the race. He asked what wave I was in and we realized we were in the same wave – the race was on up the hill. At that point, I kicked it pretty hard to get past and then backed off a bit. At this point, the tech loop re-enters the course and there were a number of Cat 1 and Pro guys finishing up. As I heard them behind me I kept thinking it was the guy I had just passed, so I ended up going all out up this hill. Once over the last crest, there is a long downhill back to the finish line and I let the 29er really roll this time, just to be sure I didn't get passed right at the end.
I ended up getting 6th with a 1:44, just out of the medals. Garrett ended up taking 1st in his age group with a 1:47. It turned out Garrett was just a bit behind Nate when he crashed – we are still wondering who would have come out ahead if Nate had not gone down. Nate's wrist turned out to be a bad sprain instead of a break. Hopefully he is recovering by now.
In 2003 I bought a new bike, the one I'm still riding today, and I attempted to get back into riding. But other priorities took over again and I logged maybe three to four-hundred miles between 2003 and 2009. My personal “Comeback 2.0” started last July. In 8 months I have ridden about 1700 miles and maybe 3 hours on spin bikes or indoor trainers. Roughly 60-70 miles a week average. Way below what I should be doing to even contemplate a return to racing. But, I'm having a great time and have promised myself to not abandon the sport again. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday rides with Travis, Tricia, ride-leader Darrall and the rest of Two-Wheel Jones crew that have developed the best group ride around. The group ride is what kept me going this time. Thank you.
As for my revitalized racing career, I have ridden 4 criteriums in the last 3 or 4 weeks and have finished with the lead pack in all of them. With that limited training. How?
There are three components to bike racing, in no particular order: fitness, skills/tactics, and psychology. Don't fool yourself, the winner of any race was superior to the field on that day in all three, two, or maybe just one of those components, and it's not always fitness. And the sum of the fitness, skills/tactics, and psychology you gain during racing is called experience. That's why I can finish in the pack in a criterium right now and not get dropped. Experience. The particular area that benefits me for criteriums is skills and tactics. I still remember a few things from way back in the day.
With the stage now set the race report:
The Sun Devil Criterium is held at the ASU Research Park in Tempe. It's a nice venue. Plenty of parking, grassy areas for the spectators, port-a-johns. The course is a “D” shaped loop about half a mile around. Two 90 degree right hand turns are the only areas to navigate.
Mike Moss and I got there about two hours before our start-time and set up a canopy, a couple of chairs, and a fluid resistance trainer. The canopy was a life saver. The rain started coming down shortly after we got set up. The temperature seemed to have dropped 5-10 degrees since we had left my house. I think it was in the low 50's.
We both had a chance to warm-up on the trainer, but it would have been better to each have one. The 40 minute Cat 5 race was scheduled to start just after 11:00 am. Mike and I had a plan going in that would I work in any way possible to support Mike. He is definitely the stronger rider. I was really worried about the length of the race. During the last Tuesday night crit my heart rate averaged 182 with a max of 193 during the 15 minute crit. 40 minutes is a lot longer. I didn't think I could maintain that level of effort for 40 minutes. My only hope being that nobody else could either and the pace would be a little less.
Mike and I were in the top half of the field for the first half of the race. Mike had a few laps in the top 3 and was in the lead for a while. The first half of the race was hard for me but I felt like I was holding my own.
At the 20 minute mark the race changed for me. Fitness, skills/tactics, psychology. Some days it only takes a superior effort in one of those three areas to win a race. But a below average performance in just one will always result in losing a race. Today I lost the race because of psychology. At the 20 minute mark I told myself, “I've already worked harder than I do in a Tuesday night crit, how can I keep going?” I let myself drift back in the pack a few places. Then a few more places. Eventually, I was at the back and fighting to stay on. I'd move up a few spots. Drop back again. I rode the rest of the race that way. Bridging gaps, accelerating out of the corners to catch the pack, hanging on.
It wasn't for lack of skill/tactics and I can't blame it all on my lack of fitness, although more fitness would always help. If you've ridden the Tuesday night crits you may have heard me preaching, “Ride near the front. It's easier.” The fact is: if you can hang on to the back of the pack, you can ride near the front of the same pack. And with less effort. I drifted to the back because I was giving up. I was only making it worse for myself. I hung on for the rest of the race bridging gaps, riding in the wind, accelerating out of corners, working hard. What was I thinking? I know better. Negative psychology caused me to ignore my experience.
By the time I realized my mistake, my fate was sealed. Once at the back, I didn't have the legs and lungs to move back up to the front. Steve Banta and his family showed up at the race to cheer Mike and me on. If it weren't for our cheering squad I probably wouldn't have continued to make the efforts to hang on and would have been dropped. Thank you all for your support.
The race went better for Mike. He stayed near the front for most of the race, and with the exception of a brain-fart when he had the idea to ride off the front, he rode a smart race. He seemed a little wiped out after that effort and drifted back behind me. At some point he got back onto my wheel and we worked our way up again. Mike stayed up there for the rest of the race. Mike has the fitness. All of you do. He just needs some more team mates to work with him.
As of this writing results aren't posted. If I were to guess, I'd say Mike got some where around 10-15 and me 20-25. Both of us were with the lead/main group. Several riders got dropped and/or pulled from the race.
By the end of the race we all looked liked we had ridden some European classic. Dirt and grime on our face. Clothes were drenched and filthy.
Here is my Garmin race data:
See you at the San Tan crits.
-Jim Vidler
