*All my pictures from the weekend can be found in a slideshow at the bottom of the post.
**Blog was updated "live" throughout the weekend so it is in reverse order if you're trying to read whole thing
**Blog was updated "live" throughout the weekend so it is in reverse order if you're trying to read whole thing
Final Update
Phew, what a weekend! A little slow on the final update but I’m going to chalk it up to letting it all sink it and not laziness. After the Short Track on Thursday I went into Saturday’s XC race with confidence and dreams of pulling on another stars and stripes jersey. I knew the race would be more competitive than the short track with a larger field, due in part to XC really being THE event and further helped by it's Saturday race time. The course was split into two sections, a relatively simple climb to the top with a steep double track kicker to a feed zone and the beginning of a descent back to the start finish. The descent had plenty of short climbs and flat sections all filled to the max with rocks that you had to pick your way through. It was a great course but you definitely had to keep your head up and and focused on the trail ahead. I knew most of my close competitors minus a couple dark horses but was most worried about Charlie Snyder from Richmond. He was ranked low but the course was perfect for him and his full-suspension 29er was the perfect bike for this course. I knew I beat him at the Tour de Burg, but he rode incredibly strong and actually spent the two weeks post Tour to recover. He was dangerous for sure.
The day started super early with a 5:00am wake-up call to get some fuel in and arrive at the course by 7:00 for the 8:00 race. The gun went off and a couple guys just lit it up, one racer was up the trail with a 50 foot lead before we hit the single track. I slotted into the single track 3rd and planned on sitting there till the top and then attacking down the decent in hopes my technical skills and awesome bike could create a gap for me like it did in the short track race. That ended up not unfolding as planned as a tricky section that I cleaned faster than the others put me in first before the top so I just continued on my own creating a small gap. Looking back I saw Charlie was in 2nd all of a sudden. He caught me on the descent section quickly as he pedaled through some stuff I just couldn’t on the hardtail. We rode right together through the Thunder Tunnel (more on that later - AWESOME) and then a minor disaster struck. Picking my way through a rocky section I heard a loud pop and dropped my chain. I quickly fixed the chain and hopped back on to realize I had a flat as well. It looked like tire just unseated from the rim so I tried to blast it with CO2 first in hopes I wouldn’t have to put in a tube. This is where things get funny, I lost my CO2 dispenser at the Tour and bought a new one, which I hadn’t tried out yet, and (of course) I couldn’t figure out how to use during the race. This would happen to me, stupid and unprepared. Well I figured it out but dropped back to 6th with a strong Charlie well up the trail (estimate at 1:30-2:00).
From there it was simple, I had to put my head down and go go go. I caught 5th by the start/finish and just barely had 3rd and 4th in my sights. I pushed hard and caught them and 2nd place before the top but heard I was still 1:00+ down on Charlie. Knowing I was losing time on this section I took risks cursing my every mistake caused from the pressure. At the start/finish I heard there was a :40 gap. I was starting to get tired and was hoping he was too and maybe mistakes would come. I pushed as hard as I could up the hill but at the top I still didn't see him. It was pretty much over in my mind but I wanted that jersey bad so I took more risks down the hill and then I saw him. It took a couple turns but I knew it was his jersey. I pushed hard to reel him in knowing I had to get by and take advantage of any section I might be faster on.
Once he saw me he pushed and opened a gap but eventually I brought it back and got past him. He let me by easily which didn’t make sense. Turns out he had crashed and was hurting. I didn’t know at the time and continued to push hard and take risks. I was lucky to stay upright and get to the line 1st for another stars and stripes jersey. Charlie sucked up the crash like a champ and had created such a big gap in the first 2.5 laps he stayed in second. I couldn’t be happier with how he rode. I was honestly felt bad to pass him and more so knowing he crashed. Charlie rode his heart out and it’s definitely the biggest result of his career. I used to beat him solidly but he had me completely on the ropes at this race. He is super strong and has more big races ahead. Also, I owe him a huge apology for giving him a huge hug at the finish, something his very hurt shoulder was not happy about. Oops! In other local news Gordon Wadsworth was able to slide on the Stars and Stripes for the Single Speeders. Couldn’t be happier for one of the nicest guys in cycling. Also he told me long ago sometime in the midst of winter base miles that I could win the Cat 1 race. I’m glad I could make his prediction come true, thanks for believing in me Quadsworth!
Coming across the line I truly celebrated for the first time. Usually I just cruised through the line with a minor nod to victory but this time I was truly ecstatic. Throwing my hands up in the air for what I knew was a hard fought victory. That race took me to the edge and beyond for the first time in a while. I had to dig deep and stay focused to make it happen. I couldn’t be more thankful for the great weekend I had. My new Santa Cruz Highball was absolutely shredding. I’m so happy they make bikes with such incredible handling. I may have had a hard time on the flat rocky sections as I got bounced around a bit but it still turned and found its way through the rocky descents as well as any bike out there. As long as I had the nerve to let the brakes go the Highball would do its thing as if by magic. On the nutrition side switching to SkratchLabs drink mix helped me keep my stomach under control after the hard race effort and from cramping during. Its hard to get rid of gels as they are so convenient during races but I’m glad for the Skratch Labs drink mix so I wasn’t double downing on chemicals. Thanks for the support SCB and Skratch! You guys rock! |
After finishing at about 9:30 it was a long wait until the podium presentation at 7:00pm (after the Pro races). As much as I would have liked to hit the road and get home I’m glad I stayed to watch the pro races. Specifically, it was quite the experience to go check out the Thunder Tunnel / Heckle Pit. This one little descent/climb horseshoe had somewhere north of 100 very sober people cheering for each and every cyclist. It was loud during my race and got drastically more rowdy for the Pros. Don’t make a mistake here! There were grim reapers, American flag speedos, a chainsaw, monster flasks, ponchos, and so much more. Absolutely incredible. I could try and describe it but would fail so I’ve provided video and pictures for your viewing pleasure. It was truly a unique cycling party. Love it.
With that to increase my stoke factor on the weekend I left Pennsylvania on quite the high. I woke up Sunday morning making sure it wasn’t all a dream. What an incredible past 3 weeks. Le Tour de Burg and now Nationals. I Couldn't have asked for a better time. Now to get the important jersey framed, and if you think the framed jersey is going to be red white and blue, I think you need to go back and look at the colors on the Men’s Leader jersey. VIVE!!!!!
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
Saturday Update
Up and at them bright and early with a 5:00 wake up call and things are going well! Pre race shower was an ideal cleanser per usual and some serious jams brought me to the race site in great spirits. Being a lame mountain biker and sitting on the trainer preparing. Overcast and cool, it's gonna be a good day!!
BSlow
BSlow
Friday Night Update
So a little later than expected, but phew, what a good day yesterday! As you may notice from the picture to the left Short Track went about as well as it could go. The race routine got started with plenty of heckling from Gavin as I changed from typical goofball collegiate to somewhat overly focused: read road bike trainer warm up and headphones. That being said I knew the race was going to be no joke and I wanted to be ready to roll. Call ups left me sitting front row which was a nice change from my last short track event at Collegiate Nationals. The race went off with the standard bang and a very sketchy first corner that left me sitting in 6th or so but right with the "favorite" (if you believe the USAC race predictor, and you shouldn't). We moved up and slotted into 3rd/4th respectively. A big crash on the single track section moved us up and we hung with each other for another lap or so. At that point I felt like I would see if these guys could rip that single track like I knew I could. On the 4th lap or so I slammed into that single track so hard and just hung off the back of the bike and let the Highball do it's thing. Pure Magic. Thank you SC for making sick bikes! With that I created a little gap and never looked back. I kept it pinned and let the Highball float through the technical stuff. The gap ended at 26 seconds and I was able to take home a stars and stripes jersey! What a great experience, plus some great Twitter coverage from the announcer Chad Andrews, pretty cool!
It's interesting winning a "National Title", it doesn't quite feel right not being in the Pro Category. That being said it is still very cool and you start to notice how cool it is as more and more people come up and congratulate you. It definitely feels special and I'm happy I've been fortunate enough to enjoy it. Blessed comes to mind. I've been fortunate to have some great support from a ton of incredible cycling friends (Fortuna and Charlottesville folk, the crew from Tour de Burg, UVa Cycling friends, and more scattered around), my incredibly over-zealous, loving, cycle crazy dad, awesome supporting mom and sister, as well as some great bike industry support from Santa Cruz and Skratch Labs plus Jeff Cheng at East Coasters always getting everything set up and rolling perfectly while giving me plenty of great advice whenever I need it. I'm really thankful for that. You can find a little video interview of the race here. As well as a USAC article here.
After the race and podium ceremony Gavin and I headed to do a second pre-ride of the XC course for Saturday. Funny thing, all the rocks were still there. The course conditions are just getting better and I think I grew to like the course more after the second time around. The technical factor decreased enough to make it more enjoyable for sure. Best part of my day occurred on that pre-ride as well. There is a super tough 170 degree left hand turn down the hill with no good lines due to rocks. It's not really a switchback more just a hard turn. On Wednesday I tried to take an aggressive line and ended up laying on my back, oops. This time with confidence I rolled up to a group of 10 or so people firmly planted my front wheel grabbed the brake and lifted my rear wheel up and around to straighten out with the next section and got back on the gas to hoots and hollers as someone lifted the marking tape up for me to slide under. Off I rolled to more screams and a distinct "That's why he won the Short Track". I couldn't help but smile as I proudly rode away. Let's just hope the race goes that smoothly. Mountain Bikers are so cool, love it! To say the least It was a good day.
Today, Friday, was a relaxed day. I woke up early to see how the course ran in the morning and it's looking and riding even better. I stayed around for a bit and increased my stoke meter by catching the U23 races in the morning. Kid winning the U23 men's race was literally floating over the rocks, it was unbelievable. I'm pretty sure he rode up one section faster than the moto did. It was a good morning, after lunch it was just relaxing and getting ready for tomorrow. My parents made it up in the evening for a nice dinner. Everything is prepped for a rip roaring Saturday morning. Keep it clean and keep it fast, crossing the fingers for more good luck tomorrow.
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
Thursday Morning Update
Day 2 is off and rolling with XC races all morning and Short Tracks starting at 2:00, I'm off at 3:00. The morning was uneventful as I prepped to head over to the resort. A short nap attempt proved the nerves are rolling. Constant thoughts of this and that, things to do, ways the race could play out. I never quite had nerves like this when I ran. They're good though and I know they will subside as soon as the race gets going. I made sure to get in my last minute pre race shower. It's a ritual I picked up from my old teammate Andrew Mearns. Get in there and wash away all the junk, bad thoughts, lactic acid, any dirt cause an aero disadvantage, etc. Its a time to purge the bad and collect my thoughts, shake out the legs, pray, and get ready to go. It's always the last thing I do before I leave my house/hotel and race day. (The previous couple sentences were total BS, although I do always take a last minute pre-race shower). With that complete I headed out the door. Just arrived at Bear Creek and feeling good. Santa Cruz Highball is in perfect shape thanks to Jeff Cheng at East Coasters. It's up to the task for sure, time to see if I am. Here we go!!!!
BSlow
BSlow
Wednesday Night Update
After arriving and getting checked in I headed out to take a lap of the XC course and multiple laps of the Short Track course. I had heard Bear Creek was a gnarly place and was shocked to find the first part of the course rocky, but fairly open, and actually really nice. I assumed Harrisonburg had toughened me up, nope, just hadn't gotten to the real rocky sections yet. After topping out the long slow descent back down to the start begins and it is not joke. Filled with rip roaring sections, nasty rock gardens, steep chutes, and muddy spots it will definitely keep me and everyone else on our toes. The course should be super fun though and I'm really excited and nervous about how it will play out. Should be a blast!
The short track is a little more straight forward with lots of grass but a definite tricky section with a little drop and a big rock garden. Easy enough when you're relaxing beforehand, and relaxing beforehand is not exactly how Short Track works. I'm excited for this week and will keep posting pictures and updates daily. For now it's time to get ready for the Short Track tomorrow. My legs are feeling good and there are no excuses this time around. I've been training plenty and I think (read am convincing myself) I'm recovered and stronger after the Tour de Burg. My new Santa Cruz Highball is on point ripping the trails to shreds now it's just my job to hang on and provide a little power and enjoy the ride. We'll see how it plays out but I'm gunning for some good results. I asked my bike guru Steven Cook what the game plan was. His response was simple "Warm up good. Ride Fast." Seems like good advice, we'll see if I can knock out those two things tomorrow. It's game time and I love it, let's play bikes!
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
The short track is a little more straight forward with lots of grass but a definite tricky section with a little drop and a big rock garden. Easy enough when you're relaxing beforehand, and relaxing beforehand is not exactly how Short Track works. I'm excited for this week and will keep posting pictures and updates daily. For now it's time to get ready for the Short Track tomorrow. My legs are feeling good and there are no excuses this time around. I've been training plenty and I think (read am convincing myself) I'm recovered and stronger after the Tour de Burg. My new Santa Cruz Highball is on point ripping the trails to shreds now it's just my job to hang on and provide a little power and enjoy the ride. We'll see how it plays out but I'm gunning for some good results. I asked my bike guru Steven Cook what the game plan was. His response was simple "Warm up good. Ride Fast." Seems like good advice, we'll see if I can knock out those two things tomorrow. It's game time and I love it, let's play bikes!
Keep those pedals spinning,
BSlow
After a night staying with my old teammate and Team Bry vice-president Bryce Lawrey in Hershey, PA (thanks for the great place to stay and check out) I arrived to Bear Creek Resort for USA Cycling Cross Country Nationals. On the docket for this week is Short Track Thursday afternoon at 3:00 (20 min. + 3 laps) and then Cross Country Saturday morning at 8:00. I'm excited to be back at a national championship, my first two have been a blast (collegiate mountain and road) and I'm interested to see what "big boy" nationals is like. You can check out course maps and videos of the course here. |