Boss Cross 1
Course was pretty flat and fast with two sets of small barriers, a small stair run-up (and run-down), and a couple of sand pits. For some reason during my pre-ride I crashed 2 out of 3 laps when hopping the small barriers on the flat ground, so I decided to run the barriers in the race. I'm sure I was the only guy in the open race running these barriers, but they got in my head somehow and I didn't really feel like eating it during the race.
Course was pretty flat and fast with two sets of small barriers, a small stair run-up (and run-down), and a couple of sand pits. For some reason during my pre-ride I crashed 2 out of 3 laps when hopping the small barriers on the flat ground, so I decided to run the barriers in the race. I'm sure I was the only guy in the open race running these barriers, but they got in my head somehow and I didn't really feel like eating it during the race.
Got a mediocre start and was sitting somewhere around 10th place after the first lap. Half-way through the race, my back started tightening up to the point that I had to ease up and occasionally stand up to stretch out the back. For 2-3 laps I felt like I really couldn't put much power down since my back was hurting so bad. Other than that, the race was relatively uneventful. I moved up 3 places and ended up 7th out of 14. Not a bad result, but felt like I could've done better if I wasn't fighting the back problems.
Boss Cross 2
Course was pretty similar to the day before but it was run in reverse. The two sets of small barriers were discarded in favor of one set of large barriers. The stair run-up was also removed, and both sand pits (watch the video...do it...) were rideable today due to the reversed course direction. I also flipped my stem and moved a spacer to raise my handlebars slightly in hopes of alleviating some back pain. My rear tubular wouldn't hold any air (leaky valve extender), but luckily Joe P. let me borrow his rear tubular so I didn't have to use my worn out clincher. Thanks Joe! I was liking the flow of the course and new position on the bike and had hopes of getting a decent result.
I wanted to get in one more pre-ride lap before the race, but when I got to the start I found everyone was already there lined up. To make things worse, this was the largest 1/2 field so far this year with 28 guys starting the race. My start was OK today, but as soon as we hit the first sand pit there was chaos. If I had been thinking ahead I would have dismounted and ran the sand the first time, but instead I got stuck trying to ride through the pit behind two other guys who crashed in front of me. By the time I was out of the sand, I was somewhere around 23-25th place. There went my hopes of getting a good result.
With my brain in "catch as many people as possible" mode, I began picking riders off one by one. With around 3 laps to go I found myself trading positions with 9-11th place. Eventually, 9th place pulled away and I got a gap on 11th place, putting me in 10th. Not a bad result at all, especially after such a miserable start.
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| Running the barriers chasing teammate Carl. |
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| This isn't me and these are different barriers, but this is about what I looked like on two of my three warm-up laps through the barriers on day 1. |
360 Cup - day 2
After not being on the bike at all since Boss Cross 2 (65 hour work weeks make finding time to ride difficult), I really didn't have any expectations for this race. Kelli and I ended up getting to the race later than I expected, so I didn't have time to pre-ride the course. After a quick warm-up and chatting with people who rode the course earlier in the day, I was pretty excited for the race.
Fewer riders today than Boss Cross 2, but still 18 starters in our field. After another miserable start (I know what I need to work on over the next few weeks), I went into the now very familiar "catch as many people as possible" mode. I was REALLY liking the course, my Fangos were hooking up really well, and I didn't seem to be having any problems putting power down in the bumpy fast sections that other people were complaining about.
With 4 laps to go, I passed Brett in 7th place. There was no chance I could catch 6th place, but two laps later I noticed JP Brocket also caught Brett and seemed to be riding strong after a rough start. I upped the tempo thinking the last lap may be interesting, but was pulled before the last lap. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to see how the last lap would turn out (and the leaders weren't anywhere close to lapping us), but I'm still happy with the result.
I won't be back up to race again until Boss Cross 4 or Colavita Cup / Boulevard Cup weekends, but I'm excited to actually have time to train during the next few weeks. Work schedule seems to be lightening up, so hopefully I can get in some more structured training rather than simply riding to work a few days every week.
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| Chasing down 7th place. |
I'm sure most of you have seen it, but here's a video of the 360 Cup weekend by Keith Walberg. Make sure you check out 1:35... That's a nasty shot to the ribs!
